REVIEW: Seakeeper 16 Boat Stabiliser
Stable Accommodation
Maritimo offers the option of Seakeeper stabilisers in all models from the M48 up and having experienced them in motoryachts from 50ft to a steel-hulled trawler conversion; it would be the first option I selected.
Seakeeper works via centrifugal force applied by a high-speed flywheel inside a sealed vacuum. In the 16's case, the flywheel is spun as fast as 6,130rpm, creating angular momentum in a horizontal plane. Think of it as a large and heavy spinning top – the high-speed spin maintains the top’s level attitude. But in the case of the Seakeeper 16, the 6,130rpm of the weighted flywheel creates up to 16,000 nueton metres of force that is leveraged by hydraulic rams to work against the roll of the hull.
The flywheel wants to stay level, so when the hull rocks or rolls the flywheel exerts a force in the opposite direction, reducing movement. Aboard the M70, the 16 took a few minutes to build enough speed to be noticeable but once there it worked flawlessly. We tried the M70 at rest and at cruise across the incoming swell outside the Gold Coast Broadwater and with the 16 engaged, the attitude of the hull felt like a larger and much heavier vessel. Disengaged, the difference was instantly noticeable. Although roll wasn’t uncomfortable in the M70, the added confidence and solidity the 16 provided makes the Seakeeper a must-have for any large offshore hull.
Seakeeper tested another M70 as part of the vessels commissioning and found roll was reduced by a whopping 75% beam-on in light chop and breeze. See the attached report below for more information.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Priced from AUD$150,419 (Excludes installation, Accessories, & GST if applicable. Delivery ex-Twin Disc Pacific Store)
Rated Speed 6,130 RPM
Angular Momentum at Rated RPM 16,000 Nm
Max Anti-Rolling Torque at Rated RPM 30,720 Nm
Spool-up Time to Rated RPM 57 minutes (6,130 RPM)
Spool-up Time to Stabilization 45 minutes (5,210 RPM)
Operating Power (sea state dependent) 2300 - 3000 Watts
Weight 996 kg (Bolt-in Installation)
Envelope Dimensions Length x Width x Height
42.6 L x 43.2 W x 32.8 H (Inches)
1.08 L x 1.10 W x 0.83 H (Metres)