Design


The master suite is a palatial and beautifully crafted space with a genuinely authentic feel of 1930s yachting elegance


advanced than most new hybrid boats’ says Sweetman. ‘We’ve got it working perfectly now. It took a bit of time from new because it was very modern technology 10-12 years ago, but now it’s very efficient. Part of the refit was upgrading a lot of the systems to make sure it will keep going for years to come. The company that looks after it for us can log in whenever they want and we’ve done the same with the propulsion system. ‘At anchor, the generator runs


automatically whenever the batteries go down to 25 per cent of capacity and will charge for, say, six hours. It will automatically shut off at 95 per cent of capacity and then the boat will run quiet. We have five-or-six hours every 12 hours where everything is quiet, no generator running. As soon as we’remotoring somewhere, we don’t have to run the generator because the batteries will charge fromthemain engine.We only ever have one generator running whereasmost boats


of this size would typically have two, if not three, generators running.We’re not always silent but we have silentmoments, but if we’re doing a delivery andmotoring a lot, we don’t have to waste fuel on running a generator. One engine will charge everything and the boat will run with only batteries – including air conditioning, hydraulics, everything.’ As for hybrid power


in general, Sweetman is positively evangelical about its advantages. ‘It’s much less likely that there will be a time when you can’t use the boat. If the generator doesn’t work you can use the engine. If the engine doesn’t work, you can drive the boat electrically. If one electric motor fails you go to the other one. It’s been a while since I’ve been on a conventional boat but we have so many more options. Because it was one of the first hybrids to be built, they made sure you always have a fallback


option. It’s a very good system.’ ‘The batteries are not the originals,’


‘J Class ownership is getting to be an even more exclusive club’


Sweetman continues. ‘The first bank was replaced with these after two years so they’re eight or nine years old. During the refit they were taken out and checked and they’re still at 92 per cent capacity, which is plenty for what we need. We wouldn’t replace them until they got below 80 per cent. They’re in very good condition because we’re on shore power a lot so they’re not cycling. These batteries are out


of commercial Dutch buses. They were early technology then but they’re better than you’d get now, for sure. They’re doing very well.’ So far, so technically impressive.


But what of her sailing potential? ‘She’s always been quick, always had bursts of speed, but has never fulfilled her potential. We had a very short build up to the


Rainbow’s deckhouse is a comfortable upper-level saloon with excellent views out through big windows and an amazing quality of finish


84 SEAHORSE


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