On test. Greenline 45 Fly HDrive: the boat that holds the perfect balance between the present and the future of yachting, capable of revolutionizing the seas
Those who think that green yachting is just a fleeting trend or a passenger fad are greatly wrong, and Greenline 45 Fly HDrive is clear proof of this. One of the exhibitors at the recently held Venice Boat Show, the Slovenian shipyard Greenline Yachts has been designing and manufacturing hybrid-powered boats since 2008. For the past few years, the production has also included full electric models.
Maybe astonishing at first glance, but also at the Venice Boat Show, where one side of the P2 pier was specifically reserved for electric boats, it was possible to realize the importance and the giant strides that hybrid/electric propulsion has been making in recent years in the field of boating, with full respect to our seas.
Greenline’s is a real revolution in the way of experiencing the sea, which, with yachts of this size, is getting closer and closer to some of the advantages of sailing: zero emissions and no noise. Now you can enjoy cruising just with the lapping of the sea on the hull…something impossible on a 45-footer, you say? Let’s find out together.
Greenline 45 Fly Hdrive Sea Trial
The day is nothing short of perfect here in Venice: sunshine, a cool sea breeze coming and going, and lots of people who have come to visit the Boat Show.
We climb on board the Greenline 45 Fly HDrive around lunchtime; it is moored at P1 dock, next to the smaller 39- and 40-foot Greenline models. We immediately get the helm seat, open the sliding glass door overlooking the starboard side-deck, and begin unmooring under the curious eyes of the visitors who have stopped on the dock.
Many of them catch a glimpse of this 40-footer while leaving the dock without the sound of engines, without a wake, and they are astonished at this scene, believing such a thing impossible, wondering how a boat of this size can perform like this… I can’t blame them, I kind of understand them.
The feeling on board is strange, I confess, the feeling of sailing in a family yacht confuses me a bit, but I quickly get used to it, and it is beautiful.
The hull is designed to handle the sea perfectly, which turns into a feeling of smoothness and extreme comfort aboard. Once we get out into the Venice Lagoon, things get more complicated, there is a lot of traffic, and it is not an easy area in which to test the Greenline 45 Fly HDrive, but we did, and she performed really well.
We start our navigation, gradually speeding up to see how far the electric motors can go and with what results: idling at 1.7 knots we recorded a consumption of 1.39 kw with a residual range of a good 33 hours; at 4.7 knots, with a consumption of 14.5 kw the boat guarantees navigation for a good 3 hours, which is more than enough if you want to move from one bay to another or even from a port to another, with a pleasant (not racing, of course) speed.
Such performance result from the special attention the shipyard also pays to the weight distribution and undoubtedly to the study of the water lines of the hull which, as I mentioned earlier, is not only really smooth under way but also gives pleasant performance under electric power.
As we almost reach the Canal Grande we are continually being overtaken left and right by steamers, ferries and small boats, so we decide to turn on the two Yanmar 370-hp diesel engines to quickly get us out of that situation. The engines installed in this boat are not the standard Greenline 320-hp ones, but they can be installed as an option.
Switching from one mode to the other is very easy, we slow down from the electric and turn on the two buttons on the control dashboard, in an instant the noise of the engines starts to be heard and the wake appears (for the first time since we left) at the stern.
We try to get out of the chaotic mouth of the Canal Grande and, speeding up, turn left to head back toward the Arsenal. In turning, the boat remains stable and safe, the power of the diesel engines helps us get out of this chaos easily, and the guests on board hardly notice we are already going back.
The 45-degree crossing with the rather formed waves is passed with flying colors by Greenline 45 Fly HDrive, which in a few moments brings us back to the calmest stretch of sea in the Venice Lagoon. At maximum power the two diesel engines reach 25 knots, with a consumption of just over 100 l/h.
To return to the Arsenal, we decide to turn the electric mode back on and turn off the diesel engines: the wake goes away, the noises are zeroed out, and the navigation becomes incredible again.
What’s more, these few minutes of using the conventional engines have allowed us ti charge the batteries of the electric engines. The solar panels on the Flybridge then allow to power the large 230 V refrigerator and the other on-board amenities such as the oven, microwave, TV, and even air conditioning that need power without having to turn on the generator, even when at anchor.
If the batteries are running low in navigation and we have to continue in traditional mode, with a medium speed, the batteries will be charged in a maximum of 30 to 40 minutes, being then able to easily resume electric navigation.
In electric mode it is precisely on the 4 to 5.5 kn range that Greenline 45 Fly HDrive is designed to go and perform at her best, with a semi-displacement speed and total silence: in my opinion, the right way to experience the sea. The boat is extremely comfortable, spacious, safe, and plus it takes care of our seas. It is proof that being sustainable and practical in boating is possible.