Rotor marine motor silently stabilises super-yacht 02 September 2013

Service engineers asked to replace an electric motor on a yacht's roll stabiliser apparently had to rethink their standard practices when they realised that the vessel in question was the ultra-luxurious Hampshire II.

The yacht had just completed extensive sea trials prior to being handed over, but while in dock in Barcelona, a decision was taken to replace the main drive motor on the stabiliser.

"Stabilizers are very important on luxury yachts, because the owners are seeking a very specific experience," says Wim Bruil, customer care manager for Rotor, the company that supplied the replacement motor.

"The Hampshire II is reported to feature a real log burning fireplace in the dining room, the most extraordinary bar on the bridge deck, a stunning wine cellar with underwater viewing window, and a cinema on the lower deck – plus a helipad, swimming deck, diving boards etc," he explains.

"Clearly, there can be no thought of compromise just because the water is a little choppy."

Bruil says the first clue the service crew had to the unusual nature of their task was when they went below to assess the stabiliser and saw that the whole engine room was decorated immaculately in white.

The motor was mounted in a small space and it was obvious that any oil or grease stains would be unacceptable.

"Access wasn't great and we could see that using a crane or winch would increase the chances of damaging some of the paintwork. So we started looking at options for dismantling the original motor in situ and taking it out one component at a time," he recalls.

"Naturally, this lead to the same idea for installing the new one, although assembling, testing and commissioning the new motor in the engine room would be a far greater task."

The new motor was to be a 30kW Rotor ac unit, weighing in at 320kg when fully assembled. "We have worked in some of the most arduous environments imaginable, but coping with a luxury yacht in a beautiful Mediterranean marina was new territory for us."

Bruil says engineers worked on the principle of never making a mess, rather than cleaning up afterwards – that, and being quiet at all times and hitting the deadline with precision accuracy.

Brian Tinham

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