Hybrid propulsion is no longer a niche option. Environmental regulation, fuel cost, acoustic comfort, vessel value: the reasons to look at it keep adding up. What remains is choosing the right architecture — and understanding what it means on an existing boat.
The three main architectures
- Parallel hybrid: diesel and electric motors share the same shaft. The most common refit solution, with a cost premium in the region of 15-25% over a conventional installation.
- Series hybrid: the diesel drives a generator that charges the batteries, which in turn drive propulsion. More flexible, and particularly suited to multihulls of 20 m and above.
- Full electric: batteries and solar only. For now, best reserved for coastal programmes and catamarans under 18 m.
Solar integration: the real lever
Latest-generation panels reach efficiencies in the region of 22-24%. Fitted to the hardtop or bimini, they cover a significant share of electrical demand at anchor. Payback typically sits between three and five years depending on the sailing programme.
The critical point is not the panel: it is the integration. Available surface, rig shading, structural strength of the support, cabling, charge management and compatibility with the existing battery bank. A poorly integrated solar project delivers less than its datasheet — sometimes far less.
What we look at before pricing
- The real sailing programme: coastal, offshore, charter, living aboard.
- The existing energy balance, measured rather than estimated.
- Added weight and its effect on trim and performance.
- Maintainability: who services this in five years, and with which parts.
Our role is not to sell equipment, but to choose the solutions suited to the boat and its use, integrate them cleanly into the existing architecture, and guarantee they keep working.