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What Motor Yacht Brand Is The Most Mechanically Reliable?

Discussion in 'General Yachting Discussion' started by KRS, Feb 18, 2022.

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  1. KRS

    KRS Guest

    Hi. I would greatly appreciate advice on the following:

    Which motor yacht builder is reputed to produce the most mechanically reliable motor yachts between 50 and 75 ft (excluding sportfish models) up to 10 years old that can be operated by just one person? Any price.

    And if anyone out there has experience of installing solar panels on a yacht to power its electrical appliances, lighting etc. Could you please advise me on installing solar panels that would provide a maximum of 900 watts and at least 600+ watts (to provide equiv electrical power to that normally provided by the yacht's generator) Thanks KRS
  2. olderboater

    olderboater Senior Member

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    To assist us in answering can you please provide a little additional information as all we know now is you're a musician. What is your boating experience? Is it enough to prepare you to operate this boat? What do you intend to operate with the solar system? How long will you be away from shore at a time? Is this year round? In what area do you intend to boat? Will you need air conditioning or heat or both?
  3. ranger58sb

    ranger58sb Senior member

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    I don't think there's a single "most mechanically reliable motor yachts between 50 and 75 ft" builder.

    Maybe imagine a list, somewhere between 20 and 100 (?) builders of "mostly reliable" motor yachts. With individual focus possible. Locally or semi-locally produced? Built anywhere in the world? Steel, aluminum, or GRP? Et cetera...

    -Chris
  4. Pascal

    Pascal Senior Member

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    You are tying to compare boats to cars and it doesn’t really work in part because boats used mostly off the shelf components, not made by the builders. Things like engines, generators, pumps, air con, watermakers, fixtures, electronics etc are not made by the builder.

    yes they are installed and wired and plumbed by the boat builder and some do it better than others but it is hard to say brand A is more reliable than brand B.

    the most critical part is accessibility for maintenance. Engine room layout and system access will make maintenance a breeze or a nightmare and greatly affect costs and reliability

    that said we all have our preferences. I prefer Cat or cummins engines, northern lights generators, non Italian electrical systems, Flagship air con,

    As to your solar question, you said 600w of power to provide equivalent power to a gen. The average gen on a boat between 50 and 70 will be 15 to 20 KW....
    rocdiver, cleanslate and YachtForums like this.
  5. Danvilletim

    Danvilletim Senior Member

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    The newest one
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  6. rtrafford

    rtrafford Senior Member

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    Someone else's.
  7. KRS

    KRS Guest

    My plan is operate yacht in Med (more sun time for solar power) Solar power used exclusively to run lighting, appliances and air con. Should only need around 900 watts max for this load.

    It will be year round use, but will be close to shore not deep ocean. Will be travelling between the yacht's berth and certain mooring locations that will not be a great distance from berth.

    The yacht will function as autonomous off-grid sea-based permanent home. For much of its sea time it will be berthed or moored not making long voyages.

    My interest in finding the most mechanically reliable yacht is partly through my past experience of building cars (not in a car factory but my own custom rebuilds of Detroit muscle) Pascal has hit the nail on the head - I am thinking like I think for cars. With cars it's totally about the car makers reps for reliability, but apparently not so for yachts.
    However I would still like opinions on yacht brands reliability to help me narrow down the huge choice I am faced with in the 50 to 75 feet range.
    I would also consider a fully solar powered yacht that has solar powered electric motors as propulsion.
  8. KRS

    KRS Guest

    That's very true - I have a background in building cars and can't helping thinking in terms of maker reps for reliability (or lack of it)
    With regards to the gen output. I want to use solar panel power to run the yacht's appliances, lighting and air con, instead of running them with the normal gen, but the output of the solar panels doesn't have to be as high as the gen's output, as long as it's adequate to run the appliances, lighting and air con.

    I'm looking to achieve the yacht equivalent of powering the electrics of a house with solar power instead of mains power. I believe 900 watts max would be sufficient power to run the electrical appliances, lighting and air con on a yacht.
  9. KRS

    KRS Guest

    Thanks. I'd be good with any list! Just to narrow down the vast choice out there. I would def prefer aluminium hull over other materials. Location of builders not important, but good parts availability is. Yacht will be operated in Med.
  10. Pascal

    Pascal Senior Member

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    Nowadays with leds lights have become a non issue power wise.

    your biggest draw will be refrigeration (fridge freezer and ice maker) as well as air con. On average a 60 footer will use 5 to 7 kw of power water from the gen or shore power. Where do you get this idea that 900W of solar will run 5 to 7kw of loads?
  11. olderboater

    olderboater Senior Member

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    And you've still said nothing about your boating experience.

    As Pascal has indicated you will not be able to operate all you plan on solar alone. 900 watts of solar will require at least 45 square feet which you won't have on the roof of such a boat, but even so will not be enough for the refrigeration and the air conditioning. Once you add air conditioning, you require a generator.

    As to being able to single hand it, we don't yet know you're trained and experienced to handle any size.
  12. ranger58sb

    ranger58sb Senior member

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    Our boat needs a 21.5kW generator to handle the 5 air conditioners, water heater, fridges and freezer, electric galley, battery chargers, and a few other light-load odds and ends. Replacing all of that with solar will be a challenge.

    -Chris
  13. bernd1972

    bernd1972 Senior Member

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    No way to have a boat self-sufficient with aircon running without a big genset. That's even beyond unrealustic fantasy.
    Of course you gain independence from aditinal electrics power e.g. generated by an adult-sized generator If you trade in some conviniences. However, If you want to run greedy appliances you'll have to feed them.
  14. KRS

    KRS Guest

    The 900 watts idea is from solar panel installer sites that shown the watts of power required for various applications of solar panel power systems. They gave 900 watts as the power needed for powering a yacht's electrics.
    From what your saying 900 watts is inaccurate. I think the only way to be certain if a yacht's electrics can be solar powered is I will have to choose a yacht then calculate how much power it requires for its electrics, then see how many square metres of solar panels it requires to provide that amount of power. Once I know that it will come down to if there is enough room on the yacht to fit the panels. So I need to choose the yacht
    to progress this any further. The is also the option of buying an entirely solar powered yacht.
  15. KRS

    KRS Guest


    Thanks for the kw, it gives me an exact supply-for-load figure to work with, which is very helpful in determining if this can be done. I reckon to have any chance I'll need a yacht with a big front deck/bow area to fit the panels. Which yachts have the biggest?
  16. ranger58sb

    ranger58sb Senior member

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    They may have been using "yacht" in the British sense, where every sailboat over about 10' long (?) is called a "yacht." It could well be true that 900 W of solar may power a 25' sailboat's electrical systems... which might be limited to mostly 12VDC nav equipment.


    Our boat is toward the short end of your size range, and it's closer to a sportfish design than a motor yacht... so I suspect our kW sizing is even lower than what you'd need for what you're considering.

    Can't speak to panel fitting versus yacht models. Don't know that market at all.

    Were it me and FWIW, I'd be making a list of other requirements -- not so much to do with solar power possibilities -- that I might need in a boat. Number of staterooms? Heads? Accommodation configuration? Max depth? Flying bridge? Or not? Tender capabilities? Et cetera....

    Then adapt (or not) solar as best I could once I've got my "house" squared away.

    -Chris
  17. KRS

    KRS Guest

    I would
    The panels can be mounted on the deck as well as the roof. I have realised I will have to first calculate the yacht's power consumption (which means I have to decide on a specific yacht) then based on that figure I will know how many square metres of solar paneling will be required and if the yacht has enough space for it. As for my experience. I don't have experience of operating a yacht of this size. But I have no intention of operating it without first being instructed by a professional to whatever standard is required for me to be considered trained. I have not previously had such instruction because I never had the money to buy this size of yacht until recently.
    Now I have and I'm buying the yacht
    and berthing it and getting the best instruction that money can buy how to operate it
  18. KRS

    KRS Guest

    Thanks. That would explain the 900 watts.
    I get what your saying. Choose the yacht on the basis of best fit to my requirements. Then see if I can make that type of yacht semi solar powered
  19. chesapeake46

    chesapeake46 Senior Member

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    Congratulations on that.
    Best way to make a big pile of money into a small pile is having a boat. But its been worth it to me !!
    cleanslate likes this.
  20. cleanslate

    cleanslate Senior Member

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    Your beautiful yacht will be completely be covered in solar panels. Not aesthetically pleasing in my opinion.

    what happen when a storm sets in for a couple of days and the sunshine is no more for three or four days straight?
    What about high winds that could pose a problem to ripping off and damaging panels.

    you’re gonna need some sort of generator for back up.

    If you want to live on the yacht like you’re camping you could probably do just solar panels.

    if you want to live on a yacht with all the comforts and then some of home you’re gonna need a generator.

    All this solar power I would assume it’s going to require a boatload of batteries in the bilge.

    Then some sort of huge inverter to convert DC power to AC power…

    I guess it’s possible if you choose not to have any air conditioning or hot water heater you might be able to do it with just solar panels.

    DC Refrigeration, led lights throughout, gas or alcohol stove, water heated up by the sun etc…
    What kind of battery charger would you use to make sure the batteries stay up fully charged not sure if they make a DC solar powered battery charger.

    then there’s Maintenance on a yacht what happens when you start getting leaks on the cabin top on the deck etc. you had to remove the solar panels to get to the deck and the problem to fix?

    All boats, yachts, love to leak. Especially above the water line.

    your post is intriguing and is something to definitely consider just not sure how it can be done.