Technology
Refit not rebuild
Technology moves on but to keep up with the best and fastest operating systems stay mindful of what is genuinely battle-ready for the task ahead
In the April issue we discussed how fast and easy it is to effect an electronics system upgrade, where new A+T displays and processors can compatibly fit to replace unreliable, ageing and outdated equipment on a performance-orientated sailing yacht. The new instruments installed on the framework of the existing system bring an entirely new modern experience to the users as both a better and much more cost-effective alternative to completely replacing the old system.
In superyachts, aesthetics are an important consideration to maintain the carefully crafted look of the boat, while the functionality and reliability of the electronics system on board is a critical factor. Modern superyachts simply cannot operate unless the integrity of their complex PLC (programmable logic computer)
70 SEAHORSE
systems is completely assured. The huge burst of superyacht construction in the early 2000s resulted in many originally-installed systems reaching the end of their useful lives and there comes a time when an upgrade is needed. ‘These systems were good in their day,’ says A+T’s Hugh Agnew, ‘but for the same reasons that no one uses a 10-year old mobile phone or laptop, these old instrument systems should be replaced with a modern system that is faster, has more features and is more reliable.’ An apt illustration of this
replacement process on a superyacht is the upgrade to the instrument system of Anne (ex-Erica XII), a beautiful Hoek/RWD 53m sloop built at Vitters in 2009, originally fitted with a large 30-display system and a wide range of interfaces.
Top: this
wiring diagram for the Hoek designed superyacht Anne shows the immense complexity of the electronic systems that yachts of this size rely on. This system includes 30 display units, three load cells and a very wide range of data inputs
including analogue signals
Over the course of 2018 and 2019 some displays had been upgraded to A+T replacements as needed. Then in early 2019 the decision was made to upgrade to the A+T ATP1 processor. This would not be a trivial job, due to the size and complexity of the system: 30 displays, three load cells and many data inputs with analogue channels including engine and propulsion functions such as propeller pitch, engine speed (RPM) and exhaust temperature. The ATP1 processor would have to also interface with the PLC and bridge charting systems, which are crucial to operating the whole yacht, including sail trim, backstay tension, boom position and reefing. The operator of these functions, being push-button controlled on a vessel of this size, has little “feel” for the loads
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