To reduce stress during harbour manoeuvres, Bavaria spent a year developing its own solution together with the Swedish provider of thrusters RMC. It combines the fold-out bow and stern thrusters, the autopilot and the marine diesel engine from Volvo Penta in a single operating unit, the dock control joystick.
It works in two operating modes:
- In cruising mode, it serves as an electronic control lever and regulates the engine speed and transmission (forwards, neutral, astern). If the skipper pushes it all the way forwards, the system engages forward gear and gives full throttle. This position is maintained even if the joystick then returns to the centre position. The helmsman only has to operate it again if he wants to reduce the speed or engage reverse gear.
- The joystick reacts differently in docking mode, when the cross-radiators are lowered and the system is set to standby. Here it works without a memory effect. So if you want to motor through the outer harbour, you have to keep the lever permanently in the drive-ahead position. If you let go of it, the engine automatically switches to idle, the boat coasts and finally comes to a standstill.
The reason for this solution, which initially takes some getting used to, is that Bavaria saves the actual gear lever and familiarises the skipper more quickly with the joystick operation.
If Dock Control is active and all systems are operational, the yacht can be steered almost at will: not only forwards and backwards, but also sideways, diagonally forwards or diagonally aft and turning on the spot. It does exactly what the small stick in the cockpit dictates - analogue to its movement. It couldn't be simpler.
"We tested the system extensively," Product Manager Daniel Kohl told YACHT online. Five prototypes were used, including the flagship, the almost 17-metre-long Cruiser 55, and a total of 60 test subjects were asked to show whether the solution was intuitive enough. "A quarter of them," says Kohl, "had no previous experience of handling boats. But they all got on well straight away."
During development, Bavaria placed particular emphasis on trouble-free operation. After all, failures in the middle of a manoeuvre are the last thing customers want when relying on such an assistance system. Especially as it is one of the most expensive extras of all, with additional costs of over 20,000 euros. This is why the shipyard is installing RMC Swing Thrusters with comparatively high performance. In a 40-foot ship, 6-kilowatt engines are used at the stern and 5 kilowatts at the bow. They do not have to run as long for the same thrust as smaller drives and are therefore less prone to overheating. However, an independent test is still pending. YACHT will have its first opportunity to test the technology after the presentation of the new Vision series.
You can read more about integrated manoeuvring aids, practical experience and how to use the systems sensibly in a large market overview in YACHT 1-2012 (on newsstands from 19 December).
Auto Tack enables turning without having to operate the sheets by hand
The assistance system for mooring and casting off is not the only world premiere that Germany's largest sports boat shipyard will be celebrating at boot Düsseldorf at the end of January.
The Franconians will also be showcasing a concept that enables turning at the touch of a button - a function of the new Revo backwind winches from Lewmar, which Bavaria is initially offering exclusively.
The electric winches can furl and retrieve. And they do this synchronised via a special control system. In other words: When tacking, nobody has to put their hands on the genoa sheets. By pressing just one button, the drum furls to windward while the winch pulls the new sheet tight to leeward - a considerable simplification of the manoeuvring process. Here, too, there is a lack of test experience. However, at least the presentation at the Mets equipment fair in Amsterdam was promising. YACHT tv will shortly be presenting an example of the system, which goes by the name of "Auto Tack".
Jochen Rieker
Herausgeber YACHT
