44' Aquila 44 2019

First Edition is a solar diesel/electric Aquila 44 power catamaran. The best-selling power catamaran in North America is available for the first time with a cutting-edge state of the art hybrid propulsion system from Torqueedo.

Her transition from diesel engines to diesel-electric was done as an environmental statement. Her owner, a long-time sailor wanted an environmentally friendly Aquila 44 power catamaran. With the manufacturer unwilling to install an alternative propulsion system in an Aquila 44, he took it upon himself to repower a brand-new boat with Torqeedo’s Deep Blue 80 system and modify the factory roof to accommodate a large (5.6kW) solar array.

She was delivered from the factory in January 2019 with new Volvo-Penta 300hp diesel engines which were removed (sold on eBay), and replaced with electric motors. The large fuel tanks were removed, the engine rooms modified, and two 40kW BMWi3 batteries now occupy the space the large fuel tanks once used. The world’s first installation of Torqeedo’s 25kW DC generator made by Germany’s engine maker Whisper Power allowed the large fuel tanks to be replaced with much smaller ones. She now sips fuel (1.75gph) and her range was extended. With a cruising speed of 6 knots and a top speed of 8 knots, she is able to go 800 nautical miles on her 280 gallons fuel capacity. She does this quietly and with far fewer emissions than the factory model. She now gets to her destination at speeds cruising sailors are accustomed to with a carbon footprint that an environmentalist can live with.

Her factory roof was removed and modified to accommodate 16 350-watt solar panels making her carbon footprint close to zero at anchor. Her 12’ tender is also electric and is charged by the yacht. It has a range of 30 miles at 14 mph with a top speed of 18mph. At idle speeds, the tender will run for days before needing to be plugged into the yacht for recharging.

First Edition took six months to complete the solar roof and refit with the yacht with Torqeedo’s brand new Deep Blue 80 hybrid system. After three months of testing and refining her new systems in the local Florida waters, she left for a three-month extended cruise in the Bahamas and is currently anchored off Harbour Island near Eleuthera. The sun has provided all of her power needs since arriving on November 4th. She will be shown off at the Miami Yacht Show in February.