Marine Electronics
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Island Pilot’s new IP535 cruising yacht, expected out for the 2011 Miami International Boat Show, will be equipped with Volvo Penta’s drive train, the IPS II-900 as well as Volvo Penta’s Dynamic Positioning System (DPS). The positioning system, which was recently awarded the 2010 Volvo Technology Award, has become popular in the yachting community. And one of the major reasons is that it gives skippers the ability to maneuver their yachts in tight spots easily. Through pushbutton and fingertip joystick control, yachts can now be programmed to stand motionless, perform low-speed navigation maneuvers or stay within given GPS coordinates. The IP535’s DPS system does all this with the help of advanced electronic vessel control software that calculates the position and power needed for the thrusters based on wind and current information. That information obtained from wind, current and gyro sensors along with GPS information from two GPS receivers keeps the yacht on course, whether you need to move forward, rotate in a circle or stay in one place.
Originally designed to keep large scale oil and gas platforms still in gale force winds, DPS systems have evolved in price, size and functionality, such that they are now practical for yachts as small as the 53 foot IP535; however, that’s not to say that placing a DPS system on such a small yacht is easy. Many yacht-building companies are still struggling with placing DPS systems on yachts twice that size.
The IP535 design had the advantage of Volvo Penta’s technology, which was designed to be custom retrofitted on any type of boat. According to Volvo “one of the major challenge for the engineers was the requirement that the system should be equally suitable for boats of all types, since Volvo Penta works exclusively with independent boat builders.“ Other Volvo requirements for the DPS design were that it had to be intuitive, offer a high level of safety, and be error-tolerant and easy to install.
The cruising yacht was designed by the company’s president, Reuben Trane, and naval architect, George Petrie, as an ongoing endeavor to build yachts with more room while maintaining performance and efficiency. So far computer simulations have revealed that the new yacht will have a top speed of 33 knots and fast cruising modes between 18 and 28 knots. For powering the boat, there is the IPS900, as well as 600 gallon fuel tanks and an 11 kilowatt generator. Other electronic equipment on the yacht includes several 15-inch Garmin touchscreens as well as a 46 inch LED HDTV.
Besides the electronics, the yacht has also been designed for comfort, privacy and entertainment. Featured are 360 degree vistas, a full width luxury mid-ship, master stateroom, deck house, a great room, U-shaped settee, weatherproofed cockpit, a streamlined engine room and your own custom designed kitchen, Pricing for the IP535 is available now from Island Pilot.
