Safe and Soundless
The sometimes-silent-running superyacht Artefact might just be at the pinnacle of the eco-conscious yacht trend.
A silent ride awaits upon this superyacht. The Artefact is built to endure with an eye towards maximising environmentally friendly habits
and scaling efficiency.
MAKING WAVES FOR her truly striking exterior before she had even hit water, the environmentally sensitive 80m superyacht Artefact is the latest launch from German shipyard Nobiskrug. The yacht’s steel hull and composite superstructure, designed by Gregory C Marshall, are noteworthy because of the 76m of sundeck-mounted solar panels and large battery storage system, both of which allow Artefact to operate silently for short bursts without any combustion engines. Its DC-bus diesel-electric variable-speed Azipod-propulsion and dynamic-positioning systems are almost equally noteworthy, eliminating the need to drop anchor onto the fragile seafloor. They also ensure efficiency and lower emissions.
Custom six-bladed propellers minimise noise and vibration while maximising performance, and a wastewater-recycling system filters and refreshes water for use in the technical systems. All of these green-centric designs have enabled the five-deck vessel to pass the International Maritime Organization’s Tier III emissions regulations, one of the first superyachts to do so.
Besides its friend-of-the-environment attributes, Artefact also caries 740sqm of curved glasswork,
Custom six-bladed propellers minimise noise and vibration while maximising performance.
which weighs close to 60 tons – not an unimpressive feat when one considers that most yacht designers strive to save weight wherever possible, using 0.6cm veneers of marble and fine wood over lighter materials to keep the vessel afloat. The lightweight composite superstructure makes the heft of the glass possible. And you can imagine the views, not to mention all that light, those on board will experience.
“Privacy is paramount,” says Marshall of this particular project, “but so is the ability to enjoy one’s surroundings. The windows are exceptionally large, but they aren’t just picture boxes directing your view. You don’t just look out – you look forward, aft, up and down. And yet you can’t see from one space into another.”
Bucking tradition, the master suite occupies the aft deck instead of the forward main deck. In total, Artefact houses eight staterooms and 12 crew cabins. All guest social areas are located in low-acceleration zones for more serene cruising. The aim of this vessel is smooth-riding comfort and the yacht’s hull has undergone extensive testing to make sure this is so.