Mochi Craft Long Range 23 in Power and Motoryacht

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BASE PRICE |E3,430,000(European price only)STANDARD POWER | 2/550-mhpMAN D0836 LE 423 dieselinboards OPTIONAL POWER | 2/800-mhpMAN R6 800 CR diesel inboards

SPECIFICATIONS | Length overall: 75'6"Beam: 20'6"Draft: 5'2"Weight (w/ standard fuelload): 192,140 lbs.Fuel capacity: 2,061 gal.Water capacity: 528 gal. >>>

MOCHI 23M HYBRID

BY CAPT. RICHARD THIELBY CAPT. RICHARD THIEL

PMYP-090100-MOCHI.qxp 11/20/08 12:42 PM Page 74QWSIM261

PMYP-090100-074.pgs 11.20.2008 12:51 BLACK YELLOW MAGENTA CYAN

EXCLUSIVE | MOCHI 23M HYBRIDPMY TESTED

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January 2009 Power & Motoryacht 75 ■ ■ ■

Of all the boats I’ve ever tested, only a few were really new. That’s not surprising.Boatbuilders are, after all, a cautious lot, and for many reasons—mostly finan-cial—they’re often unwilling to risk doing anything really different. But theMochi Craft Long Range 23 I tested in Italy can fairly be called not just new butrevolutionary. It’s the first of a line of long-range, expedition-style cruisers from

a builder heretofore known for sporty, lobsterboat-in-an-Italian-sort-of-way, coastal cruis-ers, a daring departure in itself. Then there’s the 23’s hull, not just new but unlike any-thing I’ve ever seen. And if that’s not enough, the 23 also comes with variable-ratio,fly-by-wire steering and twin anti-rolling gyrostabilizers or ARGs.

SILENTREVOLUTIONARYSILENTREVOLUTIONARY

Mochi Craft reinvents the long-range motoryacht, and theresult is a thundering silence.

Mochi Craft reinvents the long-range motoryacht, and theresult is a thundering silence.

PMYP-090100-R2-MOCHI.qxp 11/24/08 5:02 PM Page 75QWSIM261


But what really sets this boat apart is her power: anoptional diesel-electric hybrid drive system with five oper-ating modes. In Zero Emission Propulsion Mode, port andstarboard banks of lithium-ion batteries power two electricdrive motors, while in Zero Emission Non-propulsionMode (at anchor) all of the ves-sel’s electrical equipment canoperate for extended periods offjust these batteries—no engineor genset. In Diesel PropulsionMode, twin 800-hp MANs simul-taneously propel the boat andrecharge the batteries; plug-inmode recharges them fromshore power. In a fifth permuta-tion, which can be employed inthe event of a diesel-enginebreakdown, the operational die-sel recharges the batteries whilethe two electric motors powerthe props.

Before explaining how all thisworks, it’s fair to ask why anyonewould want such a system. Cer-tainly the hybrid option addscomplexity, cost (approximatelyE25,000), and weight (about 3.5tons). It doesn’t reduce the ves-sel’s carbon footprint unless youplug into shore power, and thenonly marginally. If the mains dothe recharging it’ll cost roughlyanother 2.6 gph per engine. No,the real advantage is silence.The two Zero Emissions Modesallow you to motor to an anchor-age, stay there utilizing all of thevessel’s amenities—air conditioning and ARGs included—and return to port without starting an internal-combustionengine. In other words, without disturbing anyone on oroff the boat. And you should be able to do this through atleast 2,000 cycles before the batteries need attention.

How far can you go and how long can you stay? Thatdepends on your speed and how much electrical equip-ment you use. But here are some guidelines based on cur-rent ferrite battery technology. (Cobalt batteries, availablein a year or so, will significantly improve these numbers.)On batteries alone (Zero Emission Propulsion Mode) theboat can run for 11⁄2 hours at 8 knots or three hours at 5knots. At anchor on batteries alone (Zero Emission Mode

Function), it can draw about 20 kVA for 81⁄2 hours. Ofcourse it’s possible to increase these numbers by running adiesel to supplement the batteries.

Here’s another way to look at it: You ghost out of a har-bor on electric for 30 minutes at 5 knots, stay on the hook

for eight hours using 16 kVA, then ghost back to the har-bor at 5 knots for 30 minutes, and still have some chargeleft over.

How does it work? There are three main components:an electric motor/generator (packaged and supplied byZF) between each MAN diesel and its marine gear, the bat-tery bank outboard of each diesel with a total capacity of400 amp-hours at 500 volts, and a refrigerator-size invert-er/battery charger on the forward bulkhead, dedicated tothe lithium-ion batteries. (Twenty conventional batteriesprovide engine start and house current and are charged inthe conventional manner.) Touch screens control the elec-trical portion of the hybrid system while separate ZF dual-

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D >>

C >> Whether you have crew or not,you’ll appreciate the spacious galley.

A >> Big picture windows on either sidehave opening ports to let in fresh air.

B >> Light washed oak makesareas like the VIP bright and airy.

D >> This sure doesn’t look much likeyour typical long-range cruiser, does it?



binnacle electronic controls on the bridge, pilothouse,and wing stations each control the diesel and electricmotors.

Changing from one propulsion mode to another is rela-tively simple and takes about 30 seconds. Entering electric-drive mode triggers an electric clutch on each gear thatdisengages the diesel from the electric motor; activatingthe diesel re-engages the two. You cannot operate oneside’s diesel and electric motors simultaneously.

Running under electric power is eerie. The propulsionsystem produces no sound; whatever you hear is made by

air and water. Acceleration is leisurely:Standing start to top speed (6.7 knots,although Mochi expects to eventuallysee 7 or 8) took 35 seconds. (On dieselour 23 hit more than double that inabout 25 seconds.) One oddity is therelationship between throttle setting andspeed. Full throttle produced 6.7 knots;half throttle dropped that by only 0.6knots, and 20-percent throttle still gener-ated 5 knots. As for recharge, the diesels

alone can restore both fully depleted banks in about fourhours; shore power takes about 12.

Under diesel power, the 23 feels like any similar boat,with two exceptions. Since the MANs are more powerfulthan the electric motors—600 kW versus 90 kW—she’sfaster—faster even than a conventional displacement ves-sel. Given a waterline length of 66'8", the 23 has a theoreti-cal hull speed of 10.95 knots. Yet I measured a top speedof 14.6 knots. How so?

The reason is the hull, the Ferretti Wave Efficient Yachtor FER.WEY. Created by the 136 engineers and 73 naval

architects of the Ferretti Group’s AdvancedYacht Technology (AYT) division, it’s atransplaning hull form. Features include abulbous bow, relatively flat midsections, andaft sections that warp into extremely deeppropeller pockets—so deep, the boat can siton her keel with neither rudders nor pro-pellers touching bottom. Equally remark-able is the flat running angle: a maximum

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CONDITIONS: Temperature: 70°F; humidity: 50%; wind: 5 mph; seas: 1'-2'; load: 1,000 gal. fuel, 250 gal. water, 11 people, 500 lbs. gear.Speeds are two-way averages measured w/ Stalker radar gun. GPH taken from MAN electronic display. Range: 90% of advertised fuelcapacity. Decibels measured on A scale. 65 dB is the level of normal conversation.

OUR NUMBERS >>>

STANDARDEQUIPMENT (EURO.BOAT ONLY): 20-hpbow thruster; 2/2,500-watt anchor windlasses;2/700-watt warpingwinches; airconditioning; BoseLifestyle 38 home-theater system; 880-lb.davit; NAVIOPmonitoring system w/touch screen; NavNetsystem w/ 2 colordisplays, Furuno 48-mile

radar, chartplotter,depthsounder, and GPSw/ repeater; SimradAP24 autopilot andIS20 speed depth andwater temp w/repeater; electric MSDs;17- and 13-kW FischerPanda gensets; bowstabilizing fins; 2/Anti-Roll Gyros; 2/24-voltinverters TEST ENGINES:2/800-hp MAN R6-800diesel inboards

TRANSMISSIONS/RATIO: ZF/3.00:1PROPS: 36.5x44 6-blade nibralSTEERING:SteerCommandelectronic, variable ratioCONTROLS: ZFelectronicOPTIONALEQUIPMENT ONTEST BOAT:Navisystem 85 NT;satellite TV; upgrade toSimrad AP28 autopilot;

upgrade to BoseLifestyle 48; captain’scabin; automotive-stylestereos and speakers ineach cabin; teak sole onupper deck and bridge;upgrade to 2/ 35-kWFischer Panda gensets;upgrade to Furuno 3Dbridge display; Furuno 3MFD 12" bridgerepeater; hybridpropulsion PRICE AS TESTED: E3,680,000

RPM MPH (KNOTS) GPH MPG (NMPG) SM RANGE NM RANGE DECIBELS TRIM (DEGREES)

100012501500175020002250

8.3 (7.2)10.0 (8.7)

12.0 (10.4)13.2 (11.5)15.2 (13.2)16.7 (14.5)

7.913.222.234.450.878.8

1.05 (0.91)0.76 (0.66)0.54 (0.47)0.38 (0.33)0.30 (0.26)0.21 (0.18)

1,9391,4061,003

712555393

1,6861,222

872619483342

626365676870

0.0-0.5-1.0-0.50.01.0

Like all control points, the 23’s wing stations have

two controls: one for diesel, one for electric.

Ferretti’s AYT division designed the FER.WEY hull to

exceed typical displacement speeds. Note the lack

of a secondary hull wave on this tank-test model.



MOCHI 23M HYBRIDMOCHI 23M HYBRID


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Above: The main-deck helm looks like any other

except for the two sets of engine controls

and the Prius-like touchscreen control panel

(close-up below) located to right of the wheel.

Even at 5'10'', the author has plenty of

headroom in the 23’s well-lit engine room.

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Left to right: one of two banks of yellow lithium-ion

batteries; the electronic control that engages/dis-

engages electric drive; the inverter/charger for the

lithium-ion batteries as seen from the control room.




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Mochi Craft Long Range 23 in Power and Motoryacht