An Ethereal World

The deployment of new technologies has been part of the shipyard's story since it was founded in 1884. Whether it was the introduction of galvanised metal fittings, the first mechanical pumps, grappling with the internal combustion engine for the first time or working out how synthetic sails compare with canvas when setting up a rig, each development must have led to uncertainty, frustration and more than a few mistakes before something emerged that was a big step forward from previous practice.

Pioneering new frontiers of technology
When Bill Joy placed his order with Royal Huisman for what would become the 58m / 190ft ketch Ethereal, the shipyard team may perhaps have assumed, from the initial brief, that their principal challenge would be to create a significantly up-scaled version of the 43m / 143ft ketch Juliet, in good time and, of course, to an exacting standard. If so, it was not long before they were disabused of that notion. Their client had taken the computer world by storm, not only because he had created the Berkeley UNIX and cofounded Sun Microsystems, but also because he had a restless curiosity and driving intellectual energy that was now going to be engaged wholeheartedly in this yacht-building project.

Energy efficiency and operational sustainability were just two of a very long list of attributes against which this yacht must be able to place a tick firmly in the box. The challenge inherent in the seemingly reasonable request for energy efficiency must be seen in the context that the modern superyacht is an incredibly hungry devourer of resources. As well as energy to drive the propulsion and hydraulic systems, additional energy is required for heating, ventilating and air-conditioning, for a high consumption galley, fridges, freezers and washing machines, for entertainment systems, lighting, navigation, radar, alarm and monitoring systems – the list is almost endless. Bill Joy and wife Shannon were determined to own an energy-efficient yacht, yet did not see why this intention should be at odds with an exceptional level of amenity onboard (including a full-sized sauna) – the solutions were all just a matter of application, commitment and ingenuity.

With the owner providing such an extraordinary level of stimulus, challenge and lateral thinking, the yard team was galvanised into raising its game to new heights. Almost no aspect of this build and its systems escaped Joy’s questions: “Why do you do it this way?” and “Has anyone ever considered …?” or “Could we maybe try …?”

For someone who self-professedly knew nothing about yacht building (at the outset), Bill Joy showed an extraordinary ability to learn, analyse and question. His desire for energy efficiency derived in part from a wish to run as environmentally clean and as operationally cost-efficient a boat as he might, but there were other factors. For one thing, it made sense to “future-proof” his substantial investment in Ethereal. For another, he wanted to be able to cruise with friends and family to remote destinations for extended periods: the greater the energy efficiency, the longer he could sustain independent operation in such places.

Technological conventions were robustly challenged throughout the development of Ethereal, but the focus here is one particular area of technology: hybrid propulsion and the related systems for energy generation, conservation and management that eventually came out of this stimulating project.

Ethereal, the world's first hybrid superyacht, is launched in 2008

In the format finally created for Ethereal, there were four key elements: two Caterpillar engines as main propulsion units; the shaft generators; the diesel generators; and the 400kWh lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) battery bank – the first ever to be installed on a yacht. The benefits are certainly impressive.

Under power from a main engine, the shaft generator delivers sufficient electrical power to meet the needs of the main board and household loads, obviating the requirement to run an additional generator. At anchor, or under sail alone, the lithium-iron phosphate battery bank has sufficient stored power to allow Ethereal to operate in “stealth mode” – domestic services can be run, anchors weighed and sails hoisted without resort to the engines or main generators.

Furthermore – and although Ethereal’s two engines provide a high level of redundancy – the shaft generators can be operated in reverse mode as electric motors powered by either a gen-set or even the battery bank to provide two very innovative “get you home” propulsion options. And here’s another feature from this extraordinarily flexible set-up: under sail, drag rotation of a propeller will generate 20kW through the shaft generators, while giving up only about 1 knot of boat speed. With a theoretical hull speed of 16 knots, this is not a serious loss.

Just the beginning
Further benefits include the requirement for generators of only 90kW instead of the 140kW normally installed on a yacht of this size, and without resort to energy wasting load banks. (In fact, only one generator is required operationally, buffered by the battery bank; again, there is a high level of redundancy on this yacht.) All this contributes to the desired fuel-efficiency as well as lower maintenance and less down-time for the generators.

Not to be ignored, if you are the owner or have the good fortune to be a guest aboard Ethereal, is the fact that this large and luxurious yacht can sit serenely in a remote anchorage, in silent mode, allowing you to savour the beauty and tranquillity of the scene without any sound, vibration or exhaust gases from a generator – despite the fact that lights, air conditioning and entertainment are all fully operational.

All the elements of this hybrid system were extensively run in “dry mode” at Royal Huisman during construction to ensure the efficacy of something that had never before been attempted on a luxury yacht. What became clear was that, despite the leading-edge status accorded by some commentators to this technology, Bill Joy and the team at the yard concluded that they were just scratching at the surface compared with what is still to come. Ethereal is already configured to enable the retro-fitting of a fuel cell in place of a generator when that technology has advanced a little further.

It will be fascinating to observe future developments.

Bill Joy in full swing during the three day “Charette” for the Ethereal project in Vollenhove.

Bill Joy, Ethereal's owner and new frontiers pioneer

Custom yacht building offers a shipyard like Royal Huisman fascinating encounters with exceptional individuals whose vision it must seek to fulfil. Few owners can have been more fascinating, exceptional or challenging than Bill Joy. Part of the magic of this digital age has been the ability to connect a number of computers in a network and share information. The first Internet was clumsy and limited until, in 1984, the University of California at Berkeley released a new version of UNIX that became the backbone of the modern Internet. It was designed by Bill Joy. He went on to co-found Sun Microsystems, where he designed and, in 1995, unveiled another programming language, Java. By harnessing the power of the Internet, Java plays a major role in bringing the web to life and so has been integral to the development of Internet business. Joy has forty-four patents issued or in progress, is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and a member of the National Academy of Engineering and the Computer Museum Industry Hall of Fame. Fortune magazine has called him the “Edison of the Internet”. He received the University of California’s Alumni Society Medal, its highest honour, in 2000.

“My method is to look at something that seems like a good idea and assume it’s true.”

True to character, Bill Joy launched his Ethereal project at Royal Huisman’s Vollenhove offices by holding a “Charette” – a three-day symposium attended by the world’s leading academics in all the disciplines that might have any conceivable bearing on his project. Though he and his wife Shannon live very private lives, Bill Joy allows the use of his name where it has the potential to stimulate others to come forward with creative, thought-provoking ideas.