silent yachts italy

Launches & Deliveries

Silent yachts launch first silent 60 from new fano facility.

Silent Yachts has successfully launched the first Silent 60 catamaran at the recently acquired Fano facility in Italy.

Originally unveiled in February 2020, the solar-powered Silent 60  marks two firsts for the shipyard as not only the first Silent 60 hull to be launched, but also the first yacht to be launched at the Fano facility acquired in 2022. 

Integrated with 42 solar panels for 16kW of solar energy, the Silent 60 is an eco-aware vessel with an aptitude for environmental care thanks to her reusable energy source and the ability to cruise at zero emissions for 100 nautical miles each day, for weeks at a time.

Compatible with multiple engine options, the catamaran can offer owners and their guests ample opportunities to explore stunning archipelagos with top speeds of 18 knots on the most powerful engine choice.

The catamarans are built to last and require virtually no maintenance compared to yachts with traditional combustion engines. Michael Köhler Founder and CEO Silent Yachts

Boasting a four-cabin layout, the Silent 60 has a flexible layout depending on each owner's specifications, with multiple social areas onboard, plus a spacious flybridge for remarkable views.

Offering a decent 2.32m (7.62ft) of headroom throughout, there's ample space for every owner and their guest to feel at home, with dual swim platforms acting as Jet Ski launchers for afternoons of watersports. 

Keeping themselves busy at the Fano facility, Silent Yachts has also indicated that it is about to embark on manufacturing its brand new range of Silent Tenders this month.

To find out more about owning your own Silent 60, or indeed another model from the range, take a look at all the available models by viewing all Silent Yachts for sale .

Or find more inspiration by looking at Silent 60 head-to-head rivals  or our complete listing of all yachts for sale .

Katie Scott

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Silent Yachts Just Launched the First Electric Catamaran From Its New Italian Shipyard

Several more silent 60 yachts will leave the fano facility this year., rachel cormack.

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Silent Yachts is saying “ciao” to an exciting new chapter.

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Featuring a high-performance hull with a long waterline and a reverse bow, this example is equipped with two 250 kW electric motors that enable a maximum speed of 14 knots and a cruising speed of between six and eight knots. According to Silent, the cat will be able to cruise solely on solar power for up to 100 nautical miles a day for weeks on end. It also has a draft of roughly three feet and thus can access shallow waters.

Onboard, the yacht offers a light, airy main salon, a generous aft cockpit, a cozy bow area and a spacious flybridge. On the lower deck, you’ll find three comfy guest cabins and a luxe owner’s suite in the bow. To top it off, there are two swimming platforms in the stern that can carry a pair of electric Jet Skis, plus a hydraulic platform that can store a 13-foot tender.

Silent says the Italian shipyard will launch several more Silent 60 yachts in 2023, including the first tri-deck Silent 62. In addition, the Fano yard will start manufacturing the new Silent Tender series this month.

“We are happy that our Italian shipyard performs really well,” Silent’s CEO and founder Michael Köhler said in a statement. “It was the right decision to purchase and develop it in a way that is in line with our corporate long-term strategy.”

Rachel Cormack is a digital editor at Robb Report. She cut her teeth writing for HuffPost, Concrete Playground, and several other online publications in Australia, before moving to New York at the…

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Three-decker, solar and battery powered yacht hits the water in Italy

Silent Yachts launched the first Silent 62 3-Deck yacht, outfitted with 17 kWp of SunPower X400+ rigid glass solar modules and a newly enhanced 350 kWh LiFePO4 battery storage system, propelled by dual 340 kW electric motors.

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Image: Silent Yachts

Silent Yachts has launched the first three-decker redesign of its Silent 62 solar electric catamaran. The Silent 62 3-Deck features three separate solar module arrays totaling 17 kWp, an integrated energy storage system recently upgraded from 286 kWh to 350 kWh. Introduced in 2019, the Silent 60 series builds on the legacy of the Silent 64, which made headlines in 2018 as the first solar-powered yacht to successfully cross the Atlantic. The ship cruises at 6 to 8 knots and can reach peak speeds of 16 to 18 knots.

Owned by Austrian business leaders and based in Fano, Italy, Silent Yachts has recently expanded into a new production facility. This facility spans over 230,000 square feet and includes five buildings equipped for shipbuilding, two of which are topped with solar modules. The company celebrated the launch of its first boat from this new facility in February 2023.

pv magazine USA spoke with owners Michael Köhler & Mick Long about some of the finer details of their craft.

The Silent 62 3-Deck yacht’s highlight is its configurable third deck, which comes in three configurations: an open ‘sky lounge,’ a closed sky lounge, or a closed owner’s suite. The new model featured an open sky lounge, complete with a bar, galley and a 12-seat dining table. This yacht is outfitted with 42 SunPower X400+ modules totaling 16.8 kWp, backed by a 40-year warranty. Where the Flybridge model incorporates lightweight Solbian Maxeon3 panels on its retractable roof to reduce weight, the roofs of the 3-Deck versions are equipped with SunPower glass panels. Models ordered this year will include marginally higher wattage, pushing the total potential production up over 17 kWp.

The CEO of Silent Yachts, Michael Köhler, confirmed the use of these panels, along with a robust 350 kWh lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) battery pack. This pack features a quiet liquid-cooling system that enhances charging rates and extends the lifecycle to up to 3,500 recharge cycles. Propulsion is provided by dual 340 kW electric motors. The system operates primarily at 24VDC for navigation, lighting, and pumps, with household appliances at 230VAC and high-power systems like motors and thrusters at 800VDC.

The Silent 62 yacht is equipped with advanced desalination equipment capable of producing up to 3,600 liters of fresh water per day. This system is efficient, consuming about 4 kWh to produce 1,000 liters of water, which aligns closely with the daily output of approximately one or two of the yacht’s solar panels. This integration ensures that water production is sustainable and minimally impacts the yacht’s overall energy reserves, making it ideal for extended voyages where freshwater is crucial.

A Youtube channel “Heart of Gold Lifeboat” provided a review of an earlier variant of the Silent 60, detailing the specifications and orientation of the electrical equipment and powertrain. The newer Silent 62 3-Deck has been updated with RS230 AH batteries, each offering 11.8 kWh, arranged in a 28-unit configuration. This model also features a proprietary power management system, which replaces the previously used Victron Energy Quattro combined inverter/charger. Additionally, the Volvo Penta D3 220 generator has been upgraded to a Hyundai S270 semi-commercial engine.

Accommodating up to 12 guests in its five cabins, the Silent 62 3-Deck is priced starting just over $2 million.

This content is protected by copyright and may not be reused. If you want to cooperate with us and would like to reuse some of our content, please contact: editors@pv-magazine.com .

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Neat. Designs like this (as is their fuel cell equivalent) are also duel-use. Portable power could be made available–in port, during emergencies, etc.

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Smooth sailing: Silent-Yachts unveils 3-deck solar electric catamaran

Innovative shipyard Silent-Yachts has launched its first Silent 62 3-deck solar electric catamaran at its facility in Fano, Italy.  In addition to the third deck, this new Silent 62 offers multiple deck layouts and uses an ultra efficient next generation solar electric drivetrain.

The vessel seamlessly blends the opulence of the top-of-the-line Silent 80 3-deck with the more nimble dimensions of the Silent 60, all while ushering in a new era of eco-friendly marine technology.  

The new Silent 62 features an additional 3rd deck, with multiple deck layouts and ultra efficient next generation solar electric drivetrain…

So, what’s the scoop on this floating trend-setter? First off, it’s not your run-of-the-mill catamaran. The Silent 62’s 3-deck design offers a panoramic sky lounge experience – and the best part? You have options! Choose between an open sky lounge, a closed sky lounge, or indulge in the ultimate luxury with the closed owner’s suite variation.  

The Silent 62 3-deck also comes equipped with a front exit on the main deck, allowing guests to seamlessly transition from the main saloon to the foredeck.

Accommodation is generous, with 5+1 guest cabins and 6 bathrooms, suitable for both a soirée for 12 or enjoying a serene getaway with your nearest and dearest.

The Silent 62 3-deck isn’t just a feast for the eyes, it’s also a paragon of sustainability. Sporting an advanced drivetrain powered by a solar array of 16.8 kWp, twin 180 kW E-motors, and a 286 kWh lithium-ion battery pack, this catamaran is as clean and green as they come. It has a cruising speed of 6-8 knots with trans-ocean range.

Silent-Yachts plans to deliver this initial maritime head turner to its lucky owner in just a few weeks.  

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Silent Yachts launches first Silent 60 series catamaran

• Yacht industry

Silent Yachts has reached another important milestone in its exciting journey. The company has launched the very first solar electric catamaran at its own shipyard in Fano, Italy, which has been acquired in spring 2022. The first launch is a Silent 60 series yacht.

“We are happy that our Italian shipyard performs really well. It was the right decision to purchase and develop it in a way that is in line with our corporate long-term strategy,” said Michael Köhler, Founder and CEO of Silent Yachts.

The new Silent 60 carries 42 solar panels for 16 kWp of solar energy to power two electric motors of 2 x 250 kW. Backed up by a battery capacity of up to 210 kWh, she will be able to cruise efficiently with zero emissions solely on solar power for up to 100 nautical miles a day for weeks.

Flexible layout

The Silent 60 has four bright guest cabins on the lower deck (the series allows up to six cabins + one crew cabin), including a spacious master suite in the bow. There are numerous social areas on board, including an airy main salon, an aft cockpit, a cosy bow area and a flybridge. The yacht has high headroom throughout, up to 2.32m in the main salon.

Thanks to a draft of under 1m the Silent 60 can access shallow bays, a crucial consideration for cruising grounds in the Caribbean and South East Asia. Two swimming platforms in the stern can be extended on owner’s request to carry a pair of electric jet skis. The lifting hydraulic platform between the two platforms can carry a 4-metre tender.

Oceanic range

The Silent 60 is designed to go everywhere as a true bluewater cruising yacht. The solar-electric system is configured to power all the on-board systems without the need of fossil fuels.

“The Silent Yachts catamarans are built to last and they are reliable ocean going vessels,” underlines Michael Köhler. “They require virtually no maintenance especially compared to yachts with traditional combustion engines. In addition, warranties for batteries and solar panels are for 8 and 25 years respectively.”

Featuring a high-performance hull form with a long waterline and reverse bow, the yacht has a cruising speed of 6-8 knots, but can reach up to 18 knots if needed with the most powerful engine setting available (2 x 340 kW). The recently launched SILENT 60 is equipped with 2 x 250 kW engines for the maximum speed of 14 knots.

More in production

Silent Yachts keeps its Italian shipyard busy. Several more Silent 60 series yachts will be delivered in 2023, including the first Silent 62 3-deck.

“In Fano, in the area of 22,000 square metres, we have five more production sites that are fully equipped for the construction and fitting out of our boats,” explained Köhler. “After an initial start-up and restructuring phase, the growth was exponential. We tripled the number of employees by the end of 2022 and we invested heavily in infrastructure and machinery.”

As part of the Fano shipyard, Silent Yachts established the dedicated Centre for Research & Development of new technologies in order to attract more highly qualified talents from the marine industry and to ensure its leadership position in the field of eco-sustainable luxury yachts, without compromises. The shipyard develops a strong network of suppliers and contractors, with a focus on collaborations with local companies. It has also become an affiliate of the Confindustria (General Confederation of Italian Industry) in December 2022.

“This month, we additionally start manufacturing the new Silent Tender series in Fano as well.” Köhler added.

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Greener and Better: the Silent 60

• By Chris Caswell
• December 16, 2022

If there was any question that the “Tesla moment” has arrived in yachting, the Silent 60 clearly provides a positive response.

Consider, for a moment, crossing oceans in silence at 5 to 6 knots without consuming a drop of fuel and never needing to plan your course between fuel stops. Imagine sitting at anchor and running the air conditioning all night, not to mention all the galley appliances plus the washer-dryer, without the hum or fumes from a genset.

During my time aboard the Silent-Yachts 60, the electric yacht cruised easily at 8 knots. When I whipped out my sound meter, it barely registered 52 decibels, which is about the sound of a dishwasher. The Silent monitors at the helm showed we were charging our 286 kWh lithium batteries at more wattage than we were using to spin the 340 kW motors, so we were ahead of the power-usage game—and this was in South Florida rain under a solid cloud layer. Had we upped the ante to the yacht’s top speed of 20 knots, it would have been drawing from rather than adding to the batteries, but the speed capability gives skippers the option to outrun weather (or just get to the best moorings first).

The Silent 60 is a catamaran design for several reasons. First, the twin hulls are easily driven to minimize the power needed. Second, with nearly 30 feet of beam, there is enough deck area for the solar panels needed to create power.

Buyers can choose as many as six staterooms, each en suite with stall showers and nearly king-size berths. The salon also uses that beam well, providing bowling-alley space under 7-foot-6-inch headroom. With the Silent 60, the interior is basically a blank sheet, allowing buyers to tailor the layout to their cruising needs.

As for the engine rooms, NASA could take a page from Silent-Yachts: Everything is precisely labeled, placed for easy access and surgery-suite spotless. Externally, the Silent 60 is striking, with reversed bows and black graphic slashes on the topside that conceal dark-tinted windows (which provide bright, airy interiors to the staterooms). What catches the eye most, however, are the 42 solar panels that cover every inch of the cabin top as well as the hardtop over the flybridge. Produced by SunPower in California, these panels feed power to a lithium battery pack reportedly good for 3,000 charge cycles—or an estimated 35 years of normal boating use.

The Silent 60 I got aboard, which was Hull No. 3, had a four-stateroom layout. A larger stateroom forward in the starboard hull served as the master, with an athwartships berth, settee and built-in vanity. This yacht also had a walk-through Dutch door forward in the salon next to the helm, leading to settees on the foredeck as well as providing salon ventilation. Another benefit of the door for short-handed cruisers is quick access to the anchor gear under the foredeck.

Owners can sacrifice the forward door in favor of a forward master stateroom with a king berth just a couple of steps below the salon and an en suite head in the starboard hull. An intriguing design feature is the two outward-facing “window seats” indented into the stateroom on each side deck, which would make a wonderful spot at anchor with a good book.

The salon has a fixed dining table that easily seats eight people on the wraparound settee. There also are loose chairs and a pad just forward for lounging. The helm is raised one step and has twin Simrad multifunction displays plus the Silent systems monitor, all easily understood.

Aft and to port, the U-shaped galley has a dishwasher as well as a full-height fridge to starboard. The fridge setup may change to a pair of undercounter drawer fridges on future boats for easier access and to eliminate a blind spot for the skipper.

Abaft the galley, a window slides open for easy pass-through to the cockpit to serve whatever the cooks have prepared using the Hafele four-burner, two-zone cooktop.

The Silent 60 is a work in progress, and additional changes might be on the way, such as the addition of twin berths that slide together, and a different location for what is now the midsalon washer-dryer (in a console abaft the helm). This hull was built in Thailand, but production is moving to Italy.

Still, the yacht has exceedingly clever design ideas, such as the hinged hardtop on the bridge. The top lowers electrically to seal off the bridge from the weather as well as keep the solar cells from being shadowed. The bridge itself is conventional, with a double-wide helm seat to port that reverses to create wraparound seating for the dining table, and double lounge pads for relaxing, not sunning, since the solar panels take up every bit of sun space.

The cockpit has a settee and an L-shaped table. A hydraulic swim platform is available in varying widths to handle up to a 13-foot tender without impinging on the platforms on either hull. Silent-Yachts also gets points for good walk-around decks protected by toe kicks as well as welded stainless-steel rails.

The Silent 60 is on the leading edge of a greener yachting experience. For cruisers who are looking to lessen their carbon footprint while enjoying some quietude at sea, this yacht is worth serious consideration. 

Built for Safety

Future Silent 60s from Italy will have fully resin-infused fiberglass sandwich construction with carbon reinforcements in high-stress areas. Each of the hulls has watertight bulkheads, sealed floors and three collision compartments for enhanced safety. The foam sandwich core provides thermal and sound insulation.

Kite Sailing

One option available on the Silent 60 is a kite-wing propulsion system using a collapsing mast and hidden winch to fly a 140-square-foot sail. (By comparison, a Laser sail is 76 square feet.) With open ocean breezes of 17 to 21 knots, the builder says the kite can power the Silent 60 at 6 to 7 knots alone, or it can bump the speed with motors to go faster than the usual 8-knot cruise speed. 

Big Sisters

In addition to the Silent-Yachts 60, the boatbuilder has 62-, 80- and 120-foot electric power cats available for owners looking for something bigger. Additionally, it recently started work on the hybrid-powered Silent VisionF 82. 

Take the next step: silent-yachts.com

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Silent Launches First Yacht from Italian Yard

Silent-Yachts, the pioneering Austrian company, is continuing its growth mode, just launching the first yacht, a Silent 60 solar-electric power catamaran, at its yard in Fano, Italy.

Silent bought the five-acre Fano yard last spring. It had been making its yachts in Thailand and Turkey. It launched its first 60 two years ago.

But the launch of its first boat at the Fano plant shows how rapidly Silent has grown, and signals the continued growth of the rapidly expanding solar-electric power market. Silent is building several other 60s in Fano for delivery this year, plus its first Silent 62, due in 2024, and its new line of Silent Tenders.

The new 60 is powered by two 250-kW electric motors, producing a top speed of 14 knots. The big cat carries 42 solar panels, producing 16kWh of solar energy. The yacht has a range of 100 nm a day running on solar power alone.

Designed as a blue-water, go-anywhere upscale cruising yacht, the Silent 60 has a high-performance, long waterline with a reverse bow. It has four cabins, although it can be built with six (if you want to cruise with a lot of friends or put the cat in the charter trade). The master stateroom is in the bow.

With just over a 29-foot beam (about half the boat’s length), the 60 has room for lots of social areas, including a light-filled salon, and an enormous foredeck for lounging and sun bathing. Aft, a platform can be extended from each hull to carry two jet skis, while a large platform in the middle is large enough to hold a 13-foot tender. A draft of just 3’ 2” means the new Silent can cruise in the thin waters of the Bahamas or elsewhere that most 60-foot yachts would have to avoid.

Silent-Yachts was founded in 2009 by Michael Köhler and his wife Heike after they spent 6,000 days cruising more than 75,000 miles around the world. It is now positioned to be a major player in the solar/electric market, producing a variety of yachts that do not rely on fossil fuel.

At the Fano launch, Köhler said that Silent cats “are built to last, and they are reliable ocean-going vessels. They require virtually no maintenance, especially compared to yachts with traditional combustion engines.” The batteries on the new 60 have warranties for eight years; the solar panels, for 25 years. Read more:

http://silent-yachts.com

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Authorities Investigating Crew Members of Sunken Yacht, Captain for Manslaughter

No charges have been pressed — yet., plot thickens.

The investigation into the sinking of a yacht earlier this month in Siciliy that killed seven people, including British billionaire Mike Lynch , is expanding. Italian authorities are now including two more crew members in its probe, The New York Times reports , joining the ship's captain, James Cutfield, who has been under a manslaughter inquiry since Monday.

The 184-foot vessel, the Bayesian, capsized while at anchor just minutes after being caught in a storm the morning of August 19. There were 22 people aboard the yacht — 10 crew and 12 passengers — when it went down. Among the seven who died, six were passengers, including Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah.

Newly under investigation, as of Wednesday, are the ship's engineer Tim Parker Eaton, who manned the engine room, and sailor Matthew Griffith, who was serving as lookout the night of the sinking.

No charges have been pressed yet, because in Italy being investigated doesn't necessarily mean that criminal charges will follow, according to the NYT .

Too Big to Sink

That a ship of the Bayesian's size and caliber sank so easily has raised concern among sailors and investigators — and even the ship's manufacturer , which maintains that it should have been "unsinkable."

There are also questions about why so many passengers perished, while all but one of the crew made it out alive. Raffaele Cammarano, the prosecutor of the case, suggested that the victims may have been asleep while the disaster swiftly unfolded.

Whether any crew members were there to wake them up is "precisely what we are trying to ascertain," he said, as quoted by The Guardian .

So far, only Cutfield, the captain, is under a manslaughter investigation for possible negligence that led to the deaths of the passengers. The 51-year-old New Zealander was interrogated by prosecutors on Tuesday, but exercised his right to remain silent.

All nine of the surviving crew members, including Cutfield, have left Italy, according to the NYT . They were under no obligation to stay there, but were required to appoint legal representation before leaving, Reuters reported .

Dredging Up

The investigation is still in its nascent stages, but several red flags have already cropped up.

Giovanni Costantino, CEO of the Italian Sea Group, which owns the Bayesian's builder Perini Navi, argued in an interview with Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera  that the ship being at anchor was one of them. He suggests that the crew may have failed to follow proper procedures , such as lifting anchor, steering into the storm, and securing all doors and hatches.

According to CBS News , which cites reports by Italian media, prosecutors are investigating whether Eaton, the Bayesian's engineer, neglected to use security systems that automatically closed all these openings in the ship's hull, which could explain why it sank so rapidly.

But to reiterate, no one has been charged yet. A crucial stage of the investigation will be salvaging the shipwreck, which currently lies 165 feet under the sea, and that will take considerable time.

More on maritime disasters: Billionaire Yacht Was Piloted Recklessly Before Deadly Sinking, Its Builder Warns

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Last minutes of superyacht victims revealed

Harrowing details have been revealed about the final moments of the Bayesian superyacht victims and the troubling way they perished.

Drunk passenger tries to storm cockpit

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Passenger had uncontrollable diarrhoea

WARNING: Distressing details

The last agonising moments of four of those who died when the Bayesian superyacht went down off the coast of Italy last month have been revealed.

According to Italian reports, the passengers did not die of classic water drowning and could have remained alive for several minutes as the boat sank while they were “fighting for every molecule of oxygen”.

The $A27 million vessel was caught up in a storm off the coast of northern Sicily on August 19, capsizing and sinking to the sea floor.

The Bayesian was owned by British tech tycoon Mike Lynch who had recently been acquitted of US fraud charges.

Of the 22 people on board, mostly friends of Mr Lynch and the boat’s crew, 15 survived.

The bodies of six of the seven who died were found in cabins.

Italian media agency ANSA has reported that post-mortem examinations have now been concluded into four of those who perished: Morgan Stanley finance firm executive Jonathan Bloomer, his wife Judy Bloomer, lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife Neda Morvillo.

‘Dry drowning’

The Institute of Forensic Medicine in Palermo found no water in the lungs of the four indicating they did not drown.

The group were found in a cabin which likely acted as a temporary air pocket. But as the oxygen supply diminished the air would have been replaced with carbon dioxide meaning the four would have eventually succumbed to suffocation.

Divers found the bodies on the left side of the cabin, the report said, suggesting they were seeking the last vestiges of air as the vessel tilted to the right.

There were no signs of injuries among the four.

“Forensic doctors have determined that it was a ‘death by confinement,’” reported Italian newspaper La Repubblica .

“The so-called ‘dry drowning’ is an aspect that supports the hypothesis that the six found in the wreck were awake … but did not have the opportunity to reach the upper deck and remained trapped in the cabin area”.

Dry drowning is not a medical term but is sometimes used to describe a situation when the airway spasms and closes preventing air - and indeed water - from reaching the lungs.

‘Fought for the last molecule of oxygen’

“For the seven victims of the Bayesian, it would have been enough to reach the main deck to save themselves,” the newspaper continued.

“Instead, they were left with no way out, they fought for the last molecule of oxygen.”

It’s been speculated that Mr Lynch’s wife Angela Becares, who survived, may have been awake and alerted the group to the stricken boat’s condition but was unable to save them.

The post mortem examination of Mr Lynch, his daughter Hannah and the boat’s chef Recaldo Thomas, will begin this week.

An investigation into suspected manslaughter has now been opened by Italian prosecutors.

More Coverage

The Bayesian’s captain James Cutfield, ship engineer Tim Parker Eaton and sailor Matthew Griffith are all under investigation. None of them have been charged and criminal charges may not eventuate.

Mr Griffith is understood to have been on watch duty the night of the tragedy, while Mr Parker Eaton is suspected of having failed to protect the vessel’s engine room and operating systems when it was hit by a storm in the early hours of August 19.

Reports suggest crew bedrooms have been searched, with at least two phones seized.

An allegedly drunk plane passenger has caused chaos mid-air, terrorising others on-board, when he attempted to storm the cockpit of an easyJet flight.

A hotel worker has been caught out in a carefully crEated scam, using one word to create $35,000 in fraudulent transactions.

A flight with 281 passengers on board was forced to make an emergency landing after an unfortunate situation.