Corona has created freedom in the world of work. Almost overnight, many companies have had to switch to working from home. Not always voluntarily, sometimes driven by concerns for the health of employees, sometimes due to requirements from the authorities
Many entrepreneurs then found that working from home did not lead to worse results than being on site. In fact, employee motivation and therefore productivity often improved. This is a model that some companies have continued to adhere to even after the end of the regulations, sometimes mixing in days in the office with the majority of work from home. After all, employees also enjoyed not spending several hours a week stuck in traffic jams, but rather spending this time with their families. And it was always good for the climate.
Owners soon asked themselves why not work from on board? The Wi-Fi in the harbour is good, and if necessary the personal LTE contract on the mobile phone will do. However, after work you are directly in the harbour, on board, can go sailing for a few more hours or simply enjoy the atmosphere. Quite a few people report that they work more productively on board - fewer distractions and a greater incentive to complete tasks quickly because they can still get out on the water afterwards. In short, home office has become boat office for many. Of course, there are a few things to consider in terms of labour law, but even that can be arranged. Then nothing stood in the way of working on board.
Catamaran as a sailing boat, family home and company headquarters- Boat-Office makes it possible
Diana Hubert also had this idea. She is the founder and owner of a mechanical engineering company. However, it was not so much her longing for life on board that prompted her to take the step into the boat office, but rather her health: she can no longer fly as she is not allowed to wear a mask. Nevertheless, she has to visit customers and business partners all over the world. So it seemed logical for her to make a virtue of her experience with charter cats and the need to travel worldwide and buy a catamaran that would allow her to do just that.
Time was of the essence, because a company like this thrives on relationships with customers and partners. Hubert therefore purchased a young used catamaran. Unlike new ships from a shipyard, it was quickly available and brought to Wilhelmshaven. The Jade shipyard based there transformed the charter cat into a vehicle that was to be a sailing boat, family home, solar power station, means of communication, company headquarters and training centre all in one. On top of that, the whole thing had to be as sustainable as possible. So it was quite a task that Jade Yachting was faced with.
For the energy: solar panels and lithium batteries
First, the generator flew off the ship. In its place, a total of ten lithium batteries from Mastervolt were placed. Each one has a capacity of 5,500 watt hours. This corresponds to a 12-volt battery capacity of an incredible 4,600 ampere hours. The batteries are primarily charged from the sun. To provide sufficient surface area for the customised solar panels from manufacturer Solbian, a fixed bimini was installed over the flybridge and a further canopy over the aft dinghy. This created enough space for a solar system with an output of 11 kilowatt peak. In our latitudes, as a rule of thumb, this generates around 33 kilowatt hours of electricity per day - or 2,750 ampere hours at 12 volts. The system will probably not quite manage this due to the omnipresent shading from the rig. But it is still a lot of electricity that can be produced.
One of the five cabins was sacrificed in order to organise the entire electrical system. It has become a technical room. Solar regulators, converters, chargers for the shore connection and B2B chargers are housed there. When all the devices are working, it is likely to get quite warm in the chamber. Initially, the entire on-board power supply was planned to be either 12 or 230 volts. However, those involved then realised that the currents involved were so high that 12 volts was not an option; the cables would have been too thick. So the decision was made to connect the centrepiece of the system, the batteries, to 24 volts in series. This meant that the cables could be much thinner. Nevertheless, the copper distribution rails in the plant room are still impressive.
For Internet access: routers from Locomarine
They have to be, because consumers such as an induction cooker, several fridges, a coffee machine, water maker, anchor winch, electric winches and the lift for the dinghy demand high currents from the system. So does the IT. This is because various laptops, the on-board computer and the large screen also need to be supplied with 230 volts. Whether the setup will fulfil all requirements in practice remains to be seen. However, the pure figures sound convincing at first.
For communication, they rely on a router from Locomarine, which manages the land-based Wi-Fi, mobile phone coverage and satellite connection so that the most favourable option is always selected. The latter comes from a Tracphone V30 satellite system, which ensures download speeds of up to 6 Mbit/s, no matter where you are in the almost worldwide coverage. For uploads, 2 MBit/s must be sufficient. The satellite option is by far the most expensive, but it reliably guarantees the enormously important connection to the home country.
Further measures: Firstly, the Lagoon was put ashore and the underwater hull was coated with Coppercoat. All 47 sea valves were replaced with plastic models from TruDesign, new 3Di cloths from North were installed on board as sails, additional cupboards were fitted in the saloon and the sideboard was raised to form a cupboard up to the ceiling, in which a large screen is installed. All kitchen appliances were replaced with more energy-efficient components from Miele. The electrics were integrated into a CZone bus and the control panel on the flybridge was extended. In other words, an extensive project. So it makes sense to ask the owner and shipyard about the background.
Diana Hubert on her experiences in the Boat Office
YACHT: What kind of ship is this?
Diana Hubert: It's a Lagoon 50, built in 2018, which has been completely converted, electronically, electrically and in terms of communication, so that we can visit our dealers worldwide with it. And as climate-neutral as possible.
Visit your dealers? You'll have to explain that to us.
Optacom is a mechanical engineering company that manufactures measuring systems. Our customers and dealers are scattered all over the world. And we have to visit them by ship.
Why do you have to? Can't you do that by plane?
I can't wear a mask for health reasons, so flying is taboo for me. And so we had to come up with something because of Corona. Now we'll be doing these trips with the new converted boat.
What exactly does Optacom produce?
We produce tactile measuring devices: contour, roundness, roughness, surface. We have been based in Obereuerheim since 1990. We have a team of 17 employees there.
And you want to do this from a boat?
Yes, it works as if I were in the office. That also worked during lockdown. I was in the home office a lot then too. And because I have such a strong team, things will continue as normal. I'm quite sure of that, I know my people well enough.
But when the cat's away, don't the mice dance on the table?
No! Why should they? We're a family business, so it goes without saying that we work together.
Is there a local representative, someone with power of attorney?
Of course. Our lawyer is authorised to sign. I can't just sail home for a signature. That's settled, he can do that.
One is the day-to-day processes in a company. These can certainly be organised. However, when it comes to topics that involve sensitive content, things that are written between the lines, personnel or recruitment interviews - isn't it difficult to organise this via a conference call?
That has to be done via video chat. I will always be available on board, we have made sure of that. But I won't be physically present on site. My employees already know that from working from home or when I was travelling. I don't think that will change much.
What will it be like if something urgent happens in the company, you are many thousands of miles away and the flight home is not possible?
That will also have to go. Everything can be organised. There's no other way, I'm no longer on site. But my people are behind me and I am behind them. That's how we'll manage it.
Are there any legal issues that need to be considered when moving the company headquarters to a boat?
The company headquarters will remain where it has always been, in Franconia, so nothing will change in this respect. My 17 employees are and will remain there. Before corona, I was already spending most of my time travelling to customers and dealers around the world. And in between I was briefly at the company. It's different now, but people are used to having to make their own decisions when I'm travelling. I'm even easier to reach now. You can't usually make phone calls on the plane, but you can on board.
About the ship: The topics are energy self-sufficiency and global communication. How does that work?
We have received a lot of support from Nordwestfunk. The necessary hardware has been installed, but we first have to try out which tariffs we need and then see exactly what we use where in the world. We're feeling our way around, but I'll always be available, no matter where. Because that is the very first prerequisite for being able to run the company while travelling.
Keyword tariffs: Are we talking about satellite communication?
Yes, and that's extremely important, because I'll be doing every transfer and everything myself from on board. A good internet connection is absolutely essential. Especially in the middle of the Atlantic, for example.
The boat is your means of transport to get you somewhere. Sailing is not so much an end in itself, but rather a means to an end ...
Exactly. I can't fly, so travelling by sailing boat is the most obvious alternative from my point of view.
So why a cat, why this size?
I don't like monohulls, I just think the cat is better. It suits me better, also in terms of sailing characteristics; I don't like heeling. And of course the space on board. We live and work here, so space is important. When we organise training courses on board or receive customers, we simply need a little more space. That's why everything has been remodelled. The saloon with the large screen right in front of the seating area is where we will hold our meetings. That's one of the modifications ...
... the large coffee machine is next ...
... yes (laughs)! We are Franconians, they are very hospitable. Good coffee is simply part of that. That's very important to me. People should feel at home here.
A 50-foot catamaran like this is not for beginners. This boat in particular is also very technical, it's all a bit complicated. What is your sailing background? How did you get here?
Well, I have a sailing licence, and so does my husband. We chartered a lot before. But that's certainly not enough for a project like this, isn't it? That's why we're going to take a skipper with us first, so that we can familiarise ourselves with the boat in peace and quiet until we know it inside out. Only when we feel we have everything under control will we continue on our own.
Travelling by ship to a dealer in the USA takes quite a while. How does that work with the family?
She travels with me, of course, so my husband and daughter are with me on the trips. Otherwise I would be travelling for months or years without them. I don't want that, after all I still have a private life, even as the head of the company.
Jade Yachting was only able to realise the project with a few partners in the short time available. Did that work out?
Indeed! There were furniture makers, foil wrappers, Jade Yachting itself, Nordwestfunk, Miele, Rockn-Roll-Shipping for the electrics and electronics and the upholsterers. And some of them were on board at the same time. That went really well. They all worked together. There were a lot of specialists, they coordinated with each other. I'm good at measurement technology, I can do that. But a boat like this, with all the different systems that have to interact with each other, I don't know much about that. That's why it was good that the right people were involved to get the project to this point. And Jade managed the whole thing and kept an overview. We were involved in the progress on a daily basis in construction meetings. This enabled us to make quick decisions about one thing or another.
About the project itself. We're sitting here with Tobias Schadewaldt from Jade Yachting, and you two are still on good terms even now, just before the end of the project, aren't you?
Yes, from my point of view there is no reason why it should be any different. We've worked well with the people, it's very informal here. It suits my company and the way I do business.
Tobias Schadewaldt: It was definitely an unusual project for us too. We really enjoyed working with the boat, the customers and partners and looking for solutions. It was also new territory for us as a shipyard, but I think we can already say that the project was a success. So: gladly again!
The ship had previously been in a charter fleet for two years and was therefore immediately available, unlike a new build from the shipyard, where there are currently considerable waiting times. What did you have to consider in this regard?
Schadewaldt: Quite a lot. On the one hand, you have to work with the boat you have, but on the other hand, you can give the customer a lot of freedom by rethinking things. For example, like here, turning an entire cabin into a technical room. That's very special. It doesn't have to be a disadvantage to use an existing, proven ship as the basis for such a project. All the technology on board can be maintained and, if necessary, repaired or even replaced if it has suffered too much under the rigours of charter operations. We have also done this here where necessary.
This technology was installed for the Boat Office
The boat is bursting with technology. This is mainly centred in a former cabin.
The various controllers for the solar cells are from Victron, the rest of the system from Mastervolt. The combination works well. The busbar for the earth and positive cables is made of solid copper, and the currents flowing there can be enormous. This generates heat. Of course, the circuits are carefully fused. CZone's digital switching is carried out using a monitor or button. The monitor also provides information about the status of the system, such as which charging or discharging currents are flowing. The advantage of the CZone system is that if the electronics fail, the switchbox can be switched manually by moving a fuse. The batteries are located where the generator used to be. They are only protected from water by a flap with a rubber seal. The batteries of the 12-volt system are therefore located elsewhere.
At the heart of the system are the lithium batteries. The many consumers are supplied from this base. In order to do this, energy must first be fed into the batteries. When the engines are running, this is done by the high-performance Mastervolt alternators, and logically the chargers when the shore power is on. Regulators are also required to get the solar power into the batteries. To prevent undesirable effects when the cells are partially shaded, they are divided into many individual cell clusters. This allows the unshaded cells to deliver full yield without being prevented from doing so by the shaded cells. Important consumers such as navigation electronics and position lights are installed in a 12-volt system. This has two separate batteries, which are charged via B2B chargers from the 24-volt system, but power cannot flow back there from the two 12-volt batteries. This means that the vital on-board systems always have enough power.
