S\/Y Black Pearl Captain On the World’s Greenest Superyacht
\n \tThe iconic 106.7m superyacht Black Pearl has been dubbed the greenest and most technologically advanced sailing yacht in the world, not to mention the largest. We caught up with Black Pearl\u2019s Captain Justin Christou to hear more about the innovative features and practices of the yacht justifying this title, and the remarkable benchmark she is serving to the yachting industry and beyond.
\n When we catch Justin on the phone on a grey Friday afternoon, the captain is enjoying a quiet moment amidst an intense few days at the Damen ship repair yard in Vlissingen. With Black Pearl due back in the water in just a couple of days and preparations set for the Owner to come onboard, Justin remains tangibly upbeat as we begin our conversation.\u00a0
\n\u2018One of the things we love doing most, after sailing Black Pearl, is talking about her,\u2019 Justin begins. He has spent the last two and a half years at the helm of Black Pearl with his co-Captain Chris Gartner, an experience he describes after an illustrious career sailing everything from classic yachts to motor yachts as \u2018the feather in the cap\u2019.\u00a0\u00a0
\nThe first topic on the agenda is fuel saving. Known for her ability to sail transatlantic without a drop of fuel, Justin is full of praise for the Black Pearl\u2019s acclaimed Dynarig sail system. \u2018These rigs are amazing. We don\u2019t have these large triangular main sails which are near impossible to reef unless you have all hands on deck. When we\u2019re sailing, we put sails in and out almost hourly – it\u2019s unbelievable.\u2019\u00a0
\nThe benefits of the Dynarig go far beyond ease of use, however. \u2018What that means is we\u2019re constantly sailing with the perfect sail plan for wind conditions,\u2019 Justin goes on. \u2018We\u2019re never hemmed in by our sail plan to be forced to turn the engine on.\u2019\u00a0
\nThe significance of this is huge, allowing the sailing yacht to reach her full potential regardless of conditions. And in case of long stretches of light weather, Black Pearl has a backup plan.\u00a0
\nThe superyacht makes use of an intelligent regeneration system by trailing propellers in the water and producing electricity through the gear box. \u2018In essence it\u2019s a shaft generator. As we\u2019re sailing we can use that electricity to run the house load, or if there is more we can use it to charge the Energy Storage System (ESS).\u2019
\nThe result is that Black Pearl can claim to be entirely self-sufficient. Regenerating energy to run onboard operations or propel the yacht in the case of light wind conditions, there is virtually no need to use a drop of fuel thanks to a highly intelligent Energy Management System (EMS).
\nThe owner\u2019s insistence on sustainability as an in-built feature is apparent throughout. Not only is Black Pearl able to produce enough energy to run fully self-sustainably, not a drop of that energy is wasted. A comprehensive heat recovery system has been designed to convert excess heat from systems such as the generators and main engines to elsewhere on the yacht. \u2018We take the heat from any system that produces it, run it through the system and use it for a multitude of different things, from heating accommodation to the jacuzzi and showers.\u2019\u00a0
\nIncredibly though, it does not stop there. Justin and his crew are vigilant in their efforts to implement greener practices onboard Black Pearl, from a strict zero policy towards single-use plastics to the trialling of new \u2018eco-products\u2019. \u2018Where we can, we use the highest concentrate and largest size containers available,\u2019 he explains. \u2018The interior team recently went to an Ecover store – they take all of our containers and refill everything down there.\u2019\u00a0
\n\u2018The products themselves are also all proven to be friendly to marine life. We have a zero discharge sewage treatment plant onboard which is sensitive to PH levels and chemicals. The cleaning products we use have to be friendly to the sewage treatment plant and ultimately the environment.\u2019
\nEvidently Black Pearl\u2019s operations are in safe, sustainable hands. We were curious to know whether Justin had a sense of the same approach from elsewhere in the industry.
\n\u2018One thing we really see is marinas being super keen to recycle,\u2019 he says. \u2018It\u2019s great when a marina gets a hold of us and wants us in their marina because they\u2019re trialling their new green practices.\u2019\u00a0
\nJustin tells us of one traditionally commercial facility in Amsterdam, Eggerding Terminal, where the yacht passed through just last week. The facility, which has recently installed over 7000 solar panels to power its new shore power system, has traditionally catered to commercial ships but is looking to capitalise on the growing strength of Amsterdam\u2019s refit sector by appealing to large yachts. \u2018They were super enthusiastic to have us hooked up to their shore power system. It\u2019s a huge statement to say not only are we green, but we\u2019re attracting greener vessels too.\u2019
\nBlack Pearl certainly serves as the finest form of validation for the sustainable agenda. But has the superyacht inspired real change amongst other owners in the industry?\u00a0
\n\u2018We are constantly getting calls from captains whose owners are interested in refitting their old sail boats or building new sailboats. They want to know if they can exchange their battery banks for our lightweight ESS, how it is integrated in and so on.\u2019\u00a0
\n\u2018But what is really exciting is bridging the gap between industries. We have heard from the likes of Greenpeace as well as freight ships, to see how the Dynarigs work and if they are feasible for them.\u2019\u00a0
\nThe significance of this, that Black Pearl can \u2018give back\u2019 to the commercial industry for which the Dynarig was first designed, holds meaning for our entire industry. The owner himself, Justin adds, is extremely invested in this goal.\u00a0
\nThe example set by Black Pearl would never have been possible without the ambitions of her visionary Owner, as well as his realistic understanding of compromise. \u2018He\u2019s built a green vessel and he wants to operate it as such,\u2019 says Justin. \u2018When we have direction of where to go next, the time given for us to do it is very generous. He realises as a sailing ship we\u2019re at the mercy of the wind gods, and will encourage us as much as possible not to turn the engines on.\u2019\u00a0
\n\u2018It\u2019s taken a lot of hard work from a number of key players,\u2019 Justin adds. \u2018Derek Munro from Divergent Yachting has managed the build from day one, for example, and still works very closely with us to ensure Black Pearl is the industry leader in green practices.\u2019\u00a0
\nThis is the attitude that has come to define the team at the helm of Black Pearl. Justin and his crew are not interested in the easiest or quickest means of getting the job done, firm in the knowledge that setting an example requires intelligent solutions and determination. It is testament to the owner\u2019s vision and Captain and crew belief in it that Black Pearl continues to be such a wide-reaching source of inspiration today.<\/p>\n
\t Tom Van Oossanen \/ Oceanco <\/p>\n
\t Tom Van Oossanen \/ Oceanco <\/p>\n
\t S\/Y Black Pearl Captain On the World’s Greenest Superyacht <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
S\/Y Black Pearl Captain On the World’s Greenest Superyacht The iconic 106.7m superyacht Black Pearl has been dubbed the greenest and most technologically advanced sailing yacht in the world, not to mention the largest. We caught up with Black Pearl\u2019s … <\/p>\n