Seakeeper Gyro eases the 'rock and roll' for luxury boats

by Denby Browning on 11 Oct 2009 A Seakeeper Gyro stabiliser installed in a new Maritimo A50 Aegean Enclosed is expected to smooth the ride for Melbourne-based client Campbell McLaren.

Trevor Tucker, Business Development Manager of Australian distributor Twin Disc (Pacific), said the new system would provide the owner with significantly improved ride whether the boat was at planing speed or at anchor.

'Unlike fin-based, roll stabilisation systems whose performance decreases sharply at less than cruising speed, the Seakeeper Gyro stabiliser works equally well from zero to full speed,' he said.

Mr McLaren said he selected the Seakeeper Gyro 'because it seems to be the best product on the market'.

Mr McLaren said he had owned boats over many years and had 'too many unpleasant experiences of rolling in rough water'.

'Our family loves boating,' he said. 'Anything that can add to our comfort is worth research.

'I read about gyros in boats five years ago and began investigating. The Seakeeper seemed to be the best solution and when the people at Maritimo told me of their experience, they confirmed my decision.'

Mr Tucker said Seakeeper began marketing the gyro in March of 2008 after four years of research and testing.

'To date Seakeeper has shipped more than 180 gyros for various vessels including leading brands Azimut, Sunseeker, Fairline, Princess, Ferretti, Maritimo, Marlow, Marquis, Carver, Ocean Alexander, Ovation, Viking, Couach, Zeelander, Terranova and Pershing,' he said.

Weighing only 455kg and measuring 977 mm W x 778 mm L x 671 mm H, the compact gyro can be installed as a boat is being built or retrofitted into an existing vessel. Equally important, it does not need to be installed on the fore-aft centerline of the hull.

'A Seakeeper Gyro can be installed in the engine room, in an aft lazarette or anywhere aft of midships on the boat where there is available space,' said Mr Tucker.

The unit requires 3kW of power to spool up and just 1.5kW to operate.

The high-tech Seakeeper Gyro spins a forged, high-strength steel flywheel at 10,000rpm in a near-vacuum to generate an unmatched 7,000 Newton Meter seconds of angular momentum to counter all roll motion in the boat. It has no drag-producing protrusions from the hull that can be damaged by impact or affected by seaweed snags.

The Seakeeper Gyro is actively controlled by state-of-the-art motion sensors and computer processors to optimise torque.

Resistant to the harsh marine environment or corrosion, the low-maintenance gyro’s main components are sealed inside a cast aluminum enclosure. It features an active hydraulic brake, heavy-duty gimbal shafts and bearings and sturdy cast aluminum saddle beams. A display panel and keypad provide status and diagnostic information.

According to Nick Barry-Cotter from Maritimo engineering: 'If customers want to fit a stabiliser in their Maritimo, we would recommend a Seakeeper Gyro stabiliser. With the ease of installation, virtually no vessel speed loss and an operating noise level lower than the gen-set required to operate the unit, I am happy with the installation, operation and performance of the system.'

The Seakeeper Model 7000 Gyro fitted to the Maritimo A50 Aegean is designed for craft up to 60 feet in length and/or 35,000kg displacement. Larger craft can be fitted with multiple units.

More at www.maritimo.com.au and www.seakeeper.com