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A Yacht, IMO 1009340

Where is the current position of a presently vessel a is a yacht ship sailing under the flag of united kingdom . her imo number is 1009340 and mmsi number is 232039748. main ship particulars are length of 118 m and beam of 18 m. maps show the following voyage data - present location, next port, estimated (eta) and predicted time of arrival (pta), speed, course, draught, photos, videos, local time, utc time..

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A current position is received by AIS. Ship info reports, fleet analysis, company analyses, address analyses, technical specifications, tonnages, management details, addresses, classification society data and all other relevant statistics are derived from Marine Vessel Traffic database. The data is for informational purposes only and Marine Vessel Traffic is not responsible for the accuracy and reliability of data reported above herein.

Yacht, IMO 1009340

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The current position of A is at Persian Gulf reported 5 mins ago by AIS. The vessel A (IMO 1009340, MMSI 667002209) is a Yacht built in 2008 (16 years old) and currently sailing under the flag of Sierra Leone .

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MOTOR YACHT A – Cutting-edge $300M Superyacht

MOTOR YACHT A is one of the largest privately-owned megayachts in existence, measuring 119 meters (390 ft) in length.

It is currently ranked the 27th biggest yacht in the world and sails under the flag of Bermuda.

A was built by the famous shipyard Blohm & Voss in Kiel, Germany and after four years of construction, she was handed over to her new owner in 2008.

MOTOR YACHT A interior

The interior of the 119 meters (390 ft) long A offers plenty of natural light and elaborate wooden furniture, providing a luxurious and comfortable ambiance.

The interior design is by Philippe Starck, a renowned French architect, and designer who helped develop the private rooms of the Élysée Palace in Paris.

MOTOR YACHT A features a beautiful master suite and an additional six state-of-the-art guest cabins. A crew of 35 members is able to stay on board to take care of up to 14 guests.

Specifications

Two diesel engines power MOTOR YACHT A with an output of 9,000 kW each. A full tank of over 750,000 liters provides her with an impressive reach of up to 6,500 nautical miles.

Her cruising speed lies at 19 knots, but the vessel can reach maximum speeds of up to 23 knots.

A is equipped with the latest technology and control systems, which aid the crew in maneuvering the gigantic vessel. She has a width of 18.87 meters (61.90 ft) and weighs in at an impressive 5,500 tons.

Philippe Starck also created the exterior design of A in collaboration with naval architect Martin Francis and the shape of the yacht strongly resembles a US Navy destroyer.

A has a total of three swimming pools distributed on the different decks.

The pool on the front deck is the largest of all and is equipped with a jet nozzle that can simulate currents.

Furthermore, A features a spacious beach club as well as three tenders housed in their own garages.

She also has her own helicopter landing pad located on the forward main deck while three elevators make it easy for guests and crew to reach the different levels of the vessel.

Of course, A is equipped with a high-quality gym and a spacious spa area.

The price of MOTOR YACHT A is estimated at about US $300 million, which the owner, Russian billionaire Melnichenko paid for the vessel in 2008.

The annual costs amount to US $12 to $15 million depending on use.

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Motor Yacht A – Is this the Most Unconventional Yacht?

There could be no better description for the uniquely shaped Motor Yacht ‘A’. This luxury yacht has been given an identity of its own in its one-of-a-kind design featuring an upside down hull. While its structure would make heads turn, it would also make its counterparts shy away.

The yacht has been designed by Philippe Starck and built by Blohm+Voss. In 2008, this 119m, 5500 ton beauty was completed and launched into the waters to change the way world looked at yachts forever.

‘A’, the motor yacht is luxury redefined with her exceptional design that is an engineering wonder. But there are also other features that make it truly remarkable. To begin with, this luxury yacht flaunts three swimming pools, on board which have a capacity to create currents allowing people to swim against the current.

There are also two 11m tenders , the Open and the Limo models, both of which have also been designed by the yacht’s designer Philippe Starck. The name of the yacht- ‘A’ gives it a very enigmatic feel. In reality, the name of yacht is a tribute Andrey Melnichenko and his wife Serbian fashion model Aleksandra Nikolic. The yacht’s design and appeal to eyes certainly justifies the tribute.

Moving beyond the aesthetic appeal and luxury of ‘A’, the yacht also has excellent design in terms of space utilization to its credit. The interior of the ship has been intelligently designed to allow maximum space availability while accommodating many features.

A peaceful ambience, wooden furnishings and comfortable furniture have all been included in the yacht’s design. Additional features like glass roof looking up one of the swimming pools can also be found that add the ‘wow’ factor.

But that’s not even all about the yacht’s beauty. When in motion, this wonder can reach a speed of up to 23 knots with a range of 4250nm. Twin 6035hp MAN RK280 diesel engines are used to enable ‘A’ reach such speeds. Latest navigational tools and equipments have also been introduced on the yacht to make cruising on waters better than ever. Advanced stabilizers and bow thrusters have been incorporated into the design to ensure just that.

This yacht offers an unmatched sense of style, comfort, luxury and efficiency. Its luxury can be enjoyed by up to 14 guests at one time, being looked after by a crew of 37. So if you are up for a little indulgence, ‘A’ is ready for you.

You may also like to read – Top 10 Books on Yacht Design

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There was a slight error in the movie above. “A” has a fuel capacity of 199,999 gallons of fuel (marine gas oil), this translates to about 525 metric tons. At today’s prices (US $ 1,100 per Metric Ton) it would cost about US $ 57,860 to fill her up. not US $ 597,997.10 as the movie states.

That’s an important observation as fuel cost is the biggest contributor of any vessel’s operation cost. Thanks for the correction.

Thank you Anish. If you are to believe the range of 4,250 miles, yes, fuel would be the biggest running cost. If she’s doing 23 knots, that 552 miles per day or 7.7 days before she runs out of fuel.. that works out to about US $7,500 per day for fuel expense. If the owner is paying is crew a decent wage, say US $200 per day, that would be another $7,500 per day. But if you’re the owner’s accountant, I believe they’d depreciate the US $ 300 Million over 15 years which works out to about US 55,000 per day.

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Motor Yacht A: Everything You Want To Know

Motor Yacht A, sometimes just called MYA or simply “A”, is a superyacht that was designed by Philippe Starck, interior designer and architect, along with naval architect Martin Francis and built by the yacht makers Blohm Voss. The yacht was ordered back in 2004 and it took four years to come through with delivery of the massive vessel. It is famous today for being one of the biggest yachts on earth and also for the controversial look and design of the yacht.

What Did Motor Yacht A Cost?

Although most owners of these massive superyachts play numbers close to the chest, the number most frequently circulated when discussing Motor Yacht A is $300 million. So not only would that make the boat one of the largest in the world , it’s also in the rankings for one of the most expensive as well. 

The actual price has never been confirmed, however, so it’s worth noting that this might not be correct, it’s just that the owner never stated otherwise. There have sometimes been other figures tossed around that are a little higher or a little lower but no one seems to have a source for any of them. Even the widely accepted $300 million seems to mostly be speculation based on educated guesses and a bit of insight into how the ship was designed and what it features. In any event, it’s safe to say it was quite an expensive vessel.

Motor Yacht A Interior

According to Starck, he was not really given a brief for the design of the yacht. Instead, he was told how long it needed to be, more or less, and that the buyer wanted six cabins. Everything else was up to him. Some initial stories said Starck designed the entire vessel in just a couple of minutes. That sounds impossible but also that’s what Stark is known for – producing fully realized designs in just minutes, sort of like a freeform design process where he puts everything on the paper right away. However, he later admitted the entire process was about a month long, so take from that what you will.

The yacht is 394 feet long so clearly there’s a lot more than just six cabins on board.  The interior covers a massive 24,000 square feet of space. It takes a staff of 35 to keep it all running. The master suite alone is 2,500 square feet. To give that perspective, the average square footage of an apartment in New York City is 866 square feet, and it’s been that size since the year 2000.

Starck designed a secret room for the suite as well, hidden behind a mirror. It’s meant for couples to have some privacy, if you follow our meaning. Mirrors and crystals are used everywhere on board, even in the furniture. There’s a hidden cabinet in the living room area that opens up to reveal a massive bar that is nearly all crystal, mirrors and glass.  There are seven guest cabins but there is a modular wall system that allows for them to be merged into four larger rooms.

Where mirrors aren’t being used you can find animal skins. One guest room has walls made entirely from white stingray leather.  There’s even a custom designed chair somewhere made from alligator hide and kudu horns. 

Electronics are included stealthily, like the 60 inch TV that can rise up into the ceiling to be hidden away when not in use. 

Even simple features are more elaborate than you might expect. The walls lining a staircase are made of scalloped silver. The handrail is hand carved and cost $60,000. The shower faucets were custom designed to fit the silver trim and even patented. They cost $40,000.

Like many of the large superyachts, the deck is outfitted with a helipad for transport to and from the yacht at sea. There are also three swimming pools in total including one that has a glass bottom and was built above a disco so you can dance and watch people swim, or vice versa, though the glass bottom is only over a fairly small area so you’d most likely just be looking up at someone treading water. That pool is also a massage pool with his and hers massage chairs. 

The tender garage on Motor Yacht A features three launch boats and a lot of open space. So much space, in fact, that if the launch boats are cleared out, the space doubles as a party room with a large dance floor. 

Most Russian billionaires opt for some serious yacht security and things were no different with Motor Yacht A. Though many of the details were kept under wraps it was rumored that the yacht had been outfitted with 44 mm bomb-proof glass on all the windows. There’s also supposedly an escape pod of some type that can be used to flee the yacht in case of emergencies but details on what that means are pretty hard to come by. In addition to that there are rumored to be dozens of security cameras, motion centers and fingerprint keypads to enter secure spaces.

How Fast is Motor Yacht A?

The ship runs on a pair of MAN RK280 diesel engines. These supply around 9,000 kW (12,000 hp). The top speed is around 23 knots with a cruising speed of 19 knots. With a 750,000 L/200,000 gallon fuel capacity, Super Yacht A has a range of 6,500 nautical miles. 

Who Owns Motor Yacht A?

At the time the yacht was commissioned back in 2004, no one knew who the buyer was. In fact, it took the entire four year construction process before it became public knowledge who owned the vessel, this after much incorrect speculation.

The true owner of the yacht was Russian billionaire Andrey Melnichenko. He made his fortune in coal and chemicals and was one of the richest people in Russia at the time. 

Why is it Called Motor Yacht A?

Most boats have creative names. The naming of any vessel is part of the fun, after all. Even serious vessels like military ships and cargo vessels have names, so why would a billionaire give a luxurious superyacht such a plain, boring name? It’s actually a bit of a sneaky, vanity thing. It’s called “A” so that it always features at the top of boat registries. No matter where it’s listed, it’s going to be first. 

What was the Controversy Over the Luxury Yacht A?

As mentioned in the intro, there was some controversy regarding the look of the yacht when it made its debut, at least in boating and yacht circles. Nothing serious, of course, just among traditionalists and more avant garde boat fans who disagreed about the design. 

There were some boating journalists and yacht owners who thought A was the ugliest boat they had ever seen, in particular because of the axe bow. And it’s true that the exterior design is very unusual for a yacht. It has lines more reminiscent of a submarine that has surfaced as opposed to a traditional yacht. That, combined with the price tag, made critics feel like it was a massive waste or misuse of money. Other people, however, were excited by such an unusual design and innovative engineering shaking up what was otherwise kind of a stagnant design field. Plus, when the unique interior was factored in, it really makes A a standout vessel. 

What is Sailing Yacht A?

Launched in 2015, Sailing Yacht A is the sister yacht to Motor Yacht A. It is also owned by Andrey Melnichenko and it was also designed by Philippe Starck. At 469 feet, it is larger than Motor Yacht A and it’s also the largest sailing yacht in the world. 

The Bottom Line

Russian billionaire Andrey Melnichenko commissioned the A back in 2004 and took possession in 2008. As far as anyone knows, it cost about $300 million. The vessel has an incredibly unique exterior design as well as many luxurious interior features that make it a standout mega yacht. At around 390 to 394 feet (sources differ on the exact length) it’s also one of the largest yachts in the world and currently ranks at about the 29th largest as of 2022.

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A Complete Guide to Motor Yachts & Power Cruisers: All You Need to Know!

If you’re looking for a luxury experience out on the water, a motor yacht or power cruiser is the best choice of vessel. It offers you a combination of performance, features, and amenities. While these boats come in a wide variety of lengths, styles, and models, they have something to suit any budget and needs out on the open ocean.

The motor yacht is a status symbol, and there’s a reason why billionaires purchase high-end motor yachts because no other form of transport, except for maybe a private jet, showcases wealth. In this post, we’ll look at the features and design of motor yachts and power cruisers, and we’ll make a few suggestions for top-performing models.

What are Motor Yachts & Power Cruisers?

If you’re looking for an ocean-faring vessel for longer seafaring trips, you can’t beat the luxury accommodations and performance offered by motor yachts and power cruisers. These boats can stay out on the water for days or even weeks at a time. They allow for island-hopping in the Caribbean or travel through the South Pacific with ease.

These boats are the pinnacle of class and luxury, making all other vessels, even top-end models like cabin cruisers , look inferior in comparison. Typically, motor yachts and power cruisers have extended lengths compared to other boats, with the smallest models starting at around 40-feet.

Every foot adds thousands of dollars to the price tag of these boats, and a 90-foot model can cost hundreds of thousands if not, millions of dollars. These boats come fully equipped with everything you need to live the life aquatic.

There are purpose-built decks, plenty of cabin space, luxury accommodations for several people, and all the amenities you would find in luxury hotel rooms. There’s a full bathroom and shower, and some models come with hot tubs built into the deck.

The motor yacht is the entertainer’s dream, providing you with TVs, satellite communications, Wi-Fi, and more. There are several categories of motor yachts, including pilothouse, flybridge, sedan bridge, aft cabin, and express-style boats.

The bridge boat is the most popular style in motor yachts and power cruisers. You get plenty of space for overnight accommodations, plenty of deck space, and a helm on the bridge and in the cabin. As a result of the design, these boats fare well in all seasons and all ocean conditions.

A motor yacht or power cruiser relies on its design to categorize the vessel, with elements like cockpits or flybridges and outdoor areas defining the boat. You have plenty of options for diesel and petrol motors, and different hull designs, from planning to full-displacement, determining the speed and handling of the vessel.

Benefits of Motor Yachts

There are several benefits to owning a motor yacht or power cruiser. These boats come with so many features that you have everything you need for life out on the water.

International Sailing

The motor yacht or power cruiser offers you all the luxuries and amenities you need to spend days or weeks out on the water. The larger models can handle long international trips through the South Pacific or the Caribbean, and they have enough fuel capacity for very long journeys.

Suitable for Offshore Sailing

Power cruisers and motor yachts are great choices for offshore sailing. Due to the length and stability of these boats, they can withstand rough ocean conditions in storms. The powerful motors, extra width, and deep hulls on these vessels make them exceptionally stable on the water.

Power and Handling

The power cruiser and motor yacht come with huge engines offering you exceptional power and cruising capability. The long hull on the boat means that they turn slowly and lack the maneuverability of smaller models. However, they have enough power to cut through large swells with ease, and the handling is smooth and steady.

Dynamic Cruising Experiences

These boats are cruisers, offering excellent performance for slow, steady cruising through the islands. The longer models feel effortless to drive, gliding through the water with ease.

Plenty of Storage

The motor yacht and power cruiser come with plenty of storage facilities for all your gear. These boats can accommodate everything you need for your time out on the water, from watersports equipment like skis and tubes to dive gear and fishing equipment. The accommodations come with cabinets and wardrobes, and the kitchen features a full fridge and freezer on most models, with plenty of room for food storage.

Luxury Living Accommodations

The yacht and power cruiser offers you the best liveaboard accommodations. The longer the boat, the more luxurious the fittings and finishes. Most models over 60-feet in length will come with multiple bedrooms, featuring queen-size beds. The decks and lounge areas feature plush couches and seating, with split-level designs allowing for shaded dining areas. Some of the largest models offer you an experience that’s more like a floating hotel.

Entertainment Paradise

The motor yacht and power cruiser are entertainers’ dreams. They feature full electronic setups, including TVs, audio systems, plenty of speakers, and loads of deck space to start the party on the water.

Comes with Smaller Boats or Skis for Watersports

Since most power yachts and cruisers are large boats, they are not suitable for getting close to shore. As a result, many of these boats, especially the luxury models, come with jet skis or inflatable dinghy boats that let you get to the beach or take fishing or diving excursions away from the boat.

Full Amenities

Motor yachts and power cruisers feature every amenity you could possibly imagine in a watercraft. As mentioned, the larger models are more akin to floating boutique hotels than a boat. You get full kitchens, refrigerators and freezers, sinks, and some models even have dishwashers. These boats come with the widest range of customizations available for any setup you want.

Multiple Sizing Options

Typically, motor yachts and power cruisers come in lengths from 40 to 90-feet. Models over this length will cost a fortune, and every foot adds thousands of dollars to the price tag of these luxury vessels.

Disadvantages of Motor Yachts

While the power cruiser and yacht offer you the best luxury boating experience possible, they come with a few drawbacks.

Expensive Price Tags

As mentioned, the power cruiser and yacht are the most expensive watercraft available. These boats have starting price tags of around $500,000, with high-end models fetching $10,000,000 or more. They are truly the best boat option for the wealthy elite.

Not Suitable for Water Sports

Due to the vessel’s size and lack of maneuverability, these boats are not suitable for water sports . However, nay models come with smaller boats or jet skis included, allowing for watersports like wakeboarding and skiing. The vessel does serve as a wonderful dive boat, allowing for liveaboard trips through popular dive destinations like the Red Sea and the Caribbean.

Expensive to Maintain

Motor yachts and power cruisers come with expensive price tags, and they also cost a fortune to maintain. You’ll also pay a significant sum in annual marina fees to dock your boat.

High Fuel Consumption

Power cruisers and motor yachts have high-powered motors to propel the heavy vessel. As a result, they drink plenty of fuel. Diesel models are available for better economy, while petrol-based models are more for performance. Some manufacturing brands offer green tech motors offering you excellent fuel economy for long trips at sea.

Not Trailerable

Due to the sheer size of these boats, you can’t fit them on a standard trailer. You’ll need to hire a specialist yacht transport service if you need to remove it from the water for repairs.

Top Motor Yacht and Power Cruiser Brands

There are dozens of premium motor yacht and power cruiser brands and hundreds of models available in various lengths. For the purpose of this article, we’re going to look at all of the best models and brands available, regardless of the astronomical price tags associated with these vessels. Here are our top choices for the best power cruisers and motor yachts available.

Benetti is the world leader in superyacht design and construction. Lorenzo Benetti founded the company in 1873, with Azimut purchasing the brand in 1984. The Benetti range is exclusive, with opulent features and luxuries, giving you everything you would expect in a premium model.

Relax in luxury and enjoy your time out on the water. Benetti offers you seven models, starting at 95-feet. These boats are custom-built to order, with a long list of customizable options allowing you to set up your boat to your requirements.

Benetti offers custom-made motor yachts in its Mega and Giga ranges, with the “Lionheart” model being one of its most popular luxury models. If you have the budget, and money isn’t a problem, Benetti brings you one of the best ranges of motor yachts available.

As one of the leading brands in luxury motor yachts, Feadship is an acronym for “First Export Association of Dutch Shipbuilders.” This elite shipyard produces some of the most sought-after models for society’s elite.

Feadship has a reputation for being the best motor yacht brand in the world when it comes to custom-built watercraft. Purchasing a motor yacht from this brand is like buying a home; you’ll work with the company to design your ideal boat, fitted with any customization you want in the vessel.

Our choice for the top models in the range is the “M/Y Faith.” This beautiful watercraft is a superyacht for the rich, giving you a 5-star experience out on the water.

This brand is another well-known company with an established reputation in the superyacht market. Founded in 1987, this brand has more industry awards than any other manufacturer, despite its relatively short time in business.

Oceanco makes superyachts for the elite, with some models reaching up to a colossal 420-feet, with onboard jet skis and dinghies, luxury accommodations, and full electronics for navigating the world’s oceans. Oceanco also utilizes green technology in its builds, giving you a motor yacht that reduces your environmental impact on the sea.

This motor yacht company is also the owner of the Benetti brand. While Benetti is the more famous choice, Azimut also designs and builds some excellent watercraft for ocean-going experiences. The recognizable Italian design on these vessels shines through in the build quality, with impressive finishes and styling aesthetics that just scream high-end luxury when looking at the boat.

Most of the Azimut range of motor yachts includes cutting-edge electronics and technology. They also offer you a range of hybrid engines for economy and power. The manufacturer also uses nanotechnology in the boat’s coating, giving you a long-lasting vessel that looks fantastic, even after decades of service.

If you’re looking for the best entry-level brand for motor yachts and power cruisers, check out the range offered by Sunseeker. Sunseeker is a recognizable brand in boats, producing a lineup of many models.

The motor yacht and power cruiser range from Sunseeker offer you smaller lengths, from 50-feet up, with more affordable price tags than the other brands mentioned in this review.

While they may be more affordable than boats from the other brands, you get excellent design and build quality, with materials like carbon fiber on the hull for added strength and lightweight design.

Wrapping Up

If money isn’t an object, and you want the best luxury experience out on the water, a motor yacht or power cruiser offers you the ideal model for your aquatic adventure. You get a boat loaded with every amenity you can think of and full functionality for anything you want to do on the water.

Sail through international seas, visit islands, take long dive trips, or just enjoy a cruise down the coastline. While these boats come with heavy price tags, they are worth every penny if you have the budget and you want a premium experience out on the water.

John is an experienced journalist and veteran boater. He heads up the content team at BoatingBeast and aims to share his many years experience of the marine world with our readers.

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The best photos of Motor Yacht A

Motor yacht a's profile.

Dubbed the world’s most famous superyacht, the 119 metre Motor Yacht A looks like a cross between a floating submarine and futuristic spaceship. Here, Motor Yacht A's iconic profile can be seen silhouetted against a sunset. 

Turning heads since it first hit the water in 2008, Motor Yacht A was built by Blohm & Voss . Here, the yacht's striking underwater lights are illuminated as night falls. 

Speaking about the design of Motor Yacht A , designer Philippe Starck says his intention was to make the yacht blend with the sea. He was focused on the way the yacht moved through the water, with barely a ripple, “like a whale”, he says. 

Like the 142.81 metre sail-assisted motor yacht Sailing Yacht A, Motor Yacht A was designed by legendary designer Philippe Starck (pictured) and was built by Blohm & Voss. Both superyachts are owned by Andrey Melnichenko.

The aft deck

Motor Yacht A’s iconic aft view is seen here. 

Forward of the main saloon, Motor Yacht A features a main outdoor lounging area protected by a deck overhang but open to the elements from the bow.

The owner's cabin

Accommodation on board the 119 metre yacht is for a total of 14 people and 35 crew members. Pictured here is the owner's cabin, which is illuminated in plentiful natural light. 

The tender garage

The tender garage is understood to be designer Starck’s favourite place on board. This huge space accommodates a sports tender and a limo tender.

The helideck

Located at the very front of Motor Yacht A's bow is the dedicated helideck, allowing the owner and guests to come and go in style. 

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Dynamic Positioning Capabilities for Superyachts

Dynamic Positioning (DP) systems are a mature and well-proven technology. The superyacht industry has embraced DP as a concept, and many large yachts now feature some level of station-keeping capability. However DP is not widely understood within this industry beyond the basic principles, capabilities are frequently over-specified and the resulting impact on the level of installed power is often severe.

This article aims to provide a background to the principles of basic station-keeping, typical thruster arrangements, and how DP is used in practice. Also discussed are the various fundamental methods of controlling the degree of DP capability, along with the impact of implementation on the vessel's design.

Since its first use in the 1960s, the field of Dynamic Positioning has exploded in terms of complexity, reliability and uptake. In recent years some level of station-keeping capability has come to be expected of most large yachts. The level of station keeping specified, and thruster / propulsion system utilized, must be done with careful consideration to minimize the impact on the vessel's overall function as a piece of luxurious real estate.

One capability of a DP system is to 'park' a vessel at sea without an anchor, and have it remain in a fixed position by using computers to automatically control the thrusters. However this is a very energy intensive operation and uses a lot of fuel. This functionality only really comes in useful in deep water, when anchoring would not be feasible. A more common use of the system is in conjunction with an anchor to keep the vessel headed into an incoming swell in order to reduce roll motion or swing range.

For the sake of clarity it is important to make the distinction between DP and station keeping. DP refers to the process whereby a computer controls the various thrusters and propulsors installed on the vessel to result in the desired thrust vector, in response to a joystick input from the bridge. DP systems account for external forces acting upon the vessel, such as wind, waves and current. One common feature of a DP system is a station-keeping function. This is the vessel's capability to react to external loading to maintain a certain position and heading.

One aspect commonly misunderstood is that of class notations for DP-capable vessels. In general terms, higher DP notations relate only to levels of redundancy in the system and not to the DP capability. A DP2 classed vessel has redundancy such that no single fault in an active system would cause loss of position. Higher notations such as DP3 go a step further and require the vessel to tolerate fire or flooding in any one compartment without the system failing. Such levels of redundancy are only required by vessels carrying out operations where a loss of DP capability would pose a high threat of loss of life or environmental damage.

The successful fundamental design of a DP system ensures that the vessel is capable of producing forces and moments to oppose those imparted on it by external environmental factors. In practice this means that the vessel must have a thruster configuration whereby sufficient forces and moments about the vertical axis can be produced. At some point, the environmental factors will overcome the thrust offered by the vessel and the vessel will begin to drift or yaw; the edge of the station-keeping envelope will have been reached.

DP capability analysis involves finding the maximum wind speed at each heading that a vessel is able to maintain position and heading. Typical station-keeping analysis software calculates the wind force and moment at each heading for a specific vessel, and iteratively increases the wind speed until the maximum available thrust is reached. From this an operational envelope is developed, showing the vessel's maximum station-keeping capability at each wind heading.

The typical propulsion and thruster arrangement for large yachts tends to follow a common configuration with twin controllable or fixed pitch propellers and one or two fixed tunnel bow thrusters. Larger yachts may also have a stern thruster, commonly also fixed tunnel thrusters but occasionally retractable azimuthing units. Vessels fitted with fixed pitch propellers often use an azimuthing stern thruster, as the propellers are not usually part of the DP system (due to the low slow-speed torque characteristics of the main engines).

This arrangement is well suited to provide adequate transverse forces and yawing moments for typical yacht operation. It also makes best use of space which has little practical use for luxury areas within the hull; bow thrusters are placed deep in the fore ship, while stern thrusters are typically positioned in the skeg. Where more significant capability is required recourse to a fully azimuthing propulsion train (pods) will deliver a step change in the degree of thrust vectoring available. Such systems are rare in the large yacht field.

Methods of increasing DP capability

Increasing the DP capability of a vessel can be achieved in three distinct ways:

• Increasing the longitudinal or transverse separation between thrusters

• Increasing the range of thrust vectors achievable by a thruster

• Increasing the power available to a thruster

In reality the most common method of incrementally improving the DP performance of a de facto yacht arrangement is to simply increase the power and thrust developed by selecting larger thrusters. However increasing power delivery of the thrusters can have significant impact on the space and volume consumed by associated machinery.

There comes a point when the improvements in DP performance is not proportional to the increase in power level and the impacts outlined above become nonsensical or overly constraining to the design. It is at this point that the adoption of a fully azimuthing propulsion system should be considered.

Lateral has internally developed software (DPCalc) which predicts the station-keeping capability of a vessel, based on specific environmental conditions, thruster arrangements and derived wind loading coefficients.

The position, orientation and maximum thrust of the various propulsors on the vessel (bow and stern thrusters, and main propellers) are then used in a quadratic solver to find the most efficient combination of thrust allocation (based on minimizing overall thrust magnitude) that will counter the external forces, reducing the overall force and moments acting on the vessel to zero.

To quantify the impact that an increasing DP requirement can have on a yacht's design, a case study was conducted on a representative motoryacht. The vessel studied is a 112m LOA vessel, with diesel-mechanical CPP's as prime-movers, an electrical bow thruster and a retractable electrically driven stern thruster.

Using DPCalc, the station-keeping capability of the yacht was calculated with the thrusters at 10%, 50%, 150%, 200% and 300% of the original designed power. Figure 2 shows the polar capability plot of the vessel as the size of the thrusters are increased. For the 100% baseline case, the installed thrusters and generators are predicted to provide a minimum beam wind speed capacity of approximately 30.4kt. By increasing the rated power of the thruster units by 50%, and increasing the installed electrical generating capacity by the equivalent of an extra generator, this speed can be increased to around 35.8kt. Similarly, by reducing the thruster sizes by 50% the capacity will drop by 6.6kn, to 23.8kt.

Maximum installed electrical generating capacity is principally determined by how much power is required to drive the thrusters on top of the normal hotel load. Therefore the DP capability specified can have a very significant impact on the number and size of generators installed. The higher the DP specification, the more electrical machinery the vessel carries purely for DP operations. Figure 3 shows the percentage of total installed electrical generation power that is required to satisfy the hotel and DP load. While some level of redundancy in the system is required (also allowing for hours swapping on generators), the majority of the remaining installed capacity is installed for thruster operations only. Figure 3 therefore shows that for a specification calling for a station-keeping capability in a beam wind of 35kt,

On this particular vessel any increase in the size of the thruster tunnel or drive unit would require a bulkhead rearrangement, increasing the length of the thruster space. The size and weight of the associated electrical equipment is approximately proportional to its rated power. It quickly becomes clear that simply increasing the power of the thrusters has many knock-on effects downstream, effecting multiple systems and ultimately the space in the vessel occupied by technical equipment, which in turn detracts from the luxury areas of the yacht.

Conclusions

Whilst DP systems are becoming more commonplace in yachts, they are rarely used in a purely station-keeping sense. Nevertheless the station-keeping capability of the yacht is a good measure by which to benchmark the vessel's overall DP performance.

A significant increase in DP capability is seen to have a detrimental impact on multiple aspects of the vessel's design if the implications of such a system are not fully understood. The level of DP specification should be a carefully considered parameter, with the practical value of a more capable system being evaluated against the various design compromises necessary in its delivery.

For more information, take a look at our technical paper below.

Dynamic Positioning Capabilities for Superyachts.pdf   

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Electronic Anchoring vs. Dynamic Positioning, What’s The Difference?

• Capt. Malcolm Jacotine
• October 5, 2022

I was prompted to write this after I saw a recent press release stating a new 80m+ superyacht project had “electronic anchoring to protect sensitive areas”.

This is not the first time I have seen this kind of announcement and it got me thinking about these systems – what is “electronic anchoring” how are they “Classed”, operators trained, and what are the environmental benefits.

Based on function, it would appear “electronic anchoring” or any one of the alternative names used, is really “Dynamic Positioning” (DP). Use of such names seems to help avoid rules, regulations and expense.

Introduction

I am a fan of Dynamic Positioning (DP) and the benefits it can bring to superyacht operations such as comfort and safety – I have used it on several large yachts with great success. But I was also aware that the systems installed on those yachts did not comply with the same equipment, training and safety standards that would be required on commercial vessels.

Today, there are more of these systems being installed on yachts, but there still appears to be an attitude that they are just ‘plug and play’ simple systems, and not really DP.

Prior to publishing this article, I ran a Poll on LinkedIn with the following question: –

If you have a system onboard for automatically maintaining position and heading, please choose one of the following: –

• Not Classed
• Classed DP1, DP2 or DP3
• Classed crew trained/certified

I also received a number of PM from crew on recent Northern European builds who were highly critical of the systems installed, their performance, and the lack of training – none were Classed.

The results are at the bottom of the article.

But What is DP?

There does seem to be some confusion over this question, however the IMO provide some guidance in the following texts.

STCW B – V/f – Guidance on the training and experience for personnel operating dynamic positioning systems

1.Dynamic positioning is defined as the system whereby a self-propelled vessel’s position and heading is automatically controlled by using its own propulsion units.

MSC.1/Circ.1580 – Guidelines for vessels and units with dynamic positioning (DP) systems

1.2.7 Dynamic Positioning operation (DP operation) means using the DP system to control at least two degrees of freedom in the horizontal plane automatically .

1.2.9 Dynamically positioned vessel (DP vessel) means a unit or a vessel which automatically maintains its position and/or heading (fixed location, relative location or predetermined track) by means of thruster force.

It should also be noted that a vessels DP system, when in operation, is the vessels automatic steering system and must be regarded as “steering gear” under SOLAS and all that implies.

There are three degrees of freedom in the horizontal plane: –

• Yaw – change in heading
• Surge – fore and aft movement
• Sway – transverse movement

Therefore, a system that uses thrusters (includes main propulsion) to control the movement of any two of the above, would fit within the IMO’s own definition of DP, including those “electronic anchoring” systems.

As shown, there are also various forces that affect this movement, wind, waves and current.

A DP system uses sophisticated algorithms, machine learning and filters, to restrict movement as per the operational parameters entered. The various sensors: DGPS, anemometer, speed log, gyro, are critical for performance and safety.

The human capital, the operator, and their understanding of the systems capabilities and limitations is a key component to the performance and safety – this is why training and familierisation is crucial.

When is DP not DP?

Apparently, when it is installed on a superyacht!…

Despite the fact many of the systems described by such terms as “electronic anchoring” clearly meet the functional definition of DP, these systems are often not Classed per the requirements of MSC.1/Circ.1580, and IACS rules.

The reality is the only time “electronic anchoring” is not DP is…when it is switched off!

Why Not Class It DP?

Classing an “electronic anchoring” system as DP1 (the minimum standard for automatic position/heading) would require the following: –

• Equipment and systems type approved, and the installation Classed e.g. DP1, DP2 or DP3, by a member of IACS.
• Survey regime and DP Class Notation maintained.
• Relevant sections of SOLAS, STCW and ISM would apply to operation and training.

All of which means more expense and regulations to comply with.

What About Flag

I raised this with a leading flag, and this was their response: –

“We would expect Class ‘DP’ notation if a commercial/coded vessel is operated in this mode, and the ISM managers to take into the IMO guidelines for DP operator training.”

And, for Passenger Yachts.

“If a Passenger Yacht is operated in this mode, we would expect DP Class notation to be obtained and maintained.”

My own experience, along anecdotal evidence, suggest that this is not being strictly applied.

Is DP Environmentally Friendly?

Being able to safely hold position without using an anchor helps protect the seabed from damage by the chain and anchor, and also allows a yacht to operate in areas where there are anchoring restrictions. However, this does not come without financial and environmental costs. 

A yacht can sit comfortably at anchor on one diesel generator running at optimum load/fuel consumption. Using DP will require a second or occasionally a third generator to be running to have sufficient power to respond to the conditions and thruster’s demands. Unless using e.g. variable speed DC generators, or large batteries, the generators will often be running at sub-optimal load and consume more fuel per kW/h of energy produced.

To learn more about how load affects fuel consumption you can ready article on  Hybrid Yachts .

A system, properly designed and integrated with the propulsion, power generation, power management, and noise/vibration, can help reduce running costs, CO2 emissions, and improve safety, comfort and reliability – on yachts its more like ticking an options box.

Interestingly, Kongsberg recently announced their ECOADVISOR™  a decision support tool that can help DP operate more energy efficiently.

The various DP rules and regulations from IMO and IACS are all related to competency and safety, however, in many cases, yachting chooses not to comply.

It’s an attitude I often find perplexing in the superyacht industry. A yacht owner would not dream of flying with a pilot who was not ‘current’ and ‘type rated’ yet they happily jump on a yacht without thinking twice about the competency of the captain and crew, or the systems installed and operated.

Of course, superyachts are not operating DP near oil rigs where an accident could be catastrophic, but when used in a busy anchorage, close to a reef, or during guest transfers, etc., there is still the risk of accidents and pollution.

What is clear is that there is no real difference between DP and so called “electronic anchoring” systems. It is a mission critical system that should be properly designed from the outset, including thruster size, power generation and management, properly Classed, crew provided with effective training, and procedures for operation developed and written into the SMS.

Ah…almost forgot, the results of the poll: –

Over 60% were not Classed, and only 10% were Classed and had trained/certified crew – makes you think?

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