|
|
|
Looking across 2 wheels |
Port wheel with instruments |
Center instrument console
with chart, radar & sail control |
Steering
Adèle can be steered either mechanically
or hydraulically. The mechanical steering is through
either of the two wheels (diameter. 160 cm) at the outside
steering stations.
The hydraulic steering is a Tenfjord rotating system with two
pumps (placed in a sound insulated box under the aft cockpit),
of which one pump is enough to handle the rudder, which provides
redundancy. The hydraulic steering is via three joysticks, one
at each steering position in the cockpit and one in the deckhouse.
We tend to use the wheels and the mechanical steering when sailing,
as you have a very good feeling of the yacht and get an immediate
feedback from the wheels to your hands. The wheels have a gearshift,
so in hard weather you can use a lower gear to still be able
to control the yacht.
When motoring or manoeuvring in harbours she is normally steered
hydraulically by one of the joysticks.
The autopilot also works via the hydraulic
steering either with the gyrocompass (with a dedicated
magnetic compass as a back-up), or it can steer Adèle on a constant wind angle through
the B&G wind direction information..
When the mechanical steering is used the total hydraulic system
is disconnected to prevent any friction taking away any of the
feeling for the man at the wheel.
To turn her in harbours and anchorages we normally use the bow
and stern thrusters in combinations. They can be controlled from
both the outside steering positions and also from the same portable
control panel that controls the bow anchors.
Sail Controls
All the captive hydraulic winches and other adjusters are controlled
from the centre console in the main cockpit. The controls that
surround the screen were either the radar or chart picture. They
are displayed individually or both overlaid on top of each other.
The foresails and mainsail can also be controlled from a panel
at the forward deckhouse or alternatively from remotely controlled
instruments that the crew can carry with them so that they can
position themselves were they see the shape of the sail best.
Propulsion system
Adèle has one engine, Caterpillar 1000 hp @
2100 rpm with free standing Mekanord gearbox. The power take
offs at the back of the gearbox drive two hydraulic pumps for
bow- and stern thrusters as well as the remaining hydraulic systems.
The controllable pitch propeller is a Korsor CP 18-RS with water
lubricated propeller shaft installation.
The gearbox has an integrated pitch control and pitch/gear and
rpm are controlled remotely via Mekanord electric remote control
system at both steering wheels in cockpit and at the control
station in the main deckhouse. Engine controls are placed at
all three stations above.
Adèle has dry exhaust system.
Electric and Hydraulic Power Control
We have three generators; two larger that
provide 65 kW electric output plus hydraulic power and
a third “night generator” that
only provides electric power (35 kW). The main engine has
also two hydraulic pumps to give hydraulic power. Finally we
can get hydraulic power from electric 3-phase pumps. This can
be used e.g. when in harbour and connected to shore power and
we want to use a limited hydraulic function like launching
the boarding ladder.
Engine and generators can be started from either steering position
including the inside one in the deckhouse and of course also
from the engine room. If we know that we will do a complicated
manoeuvre (e.g. tacking, gibing or reefing) that will demand
a lot of hydraulic power for the winches, we can start a second
generator and dedicate it to the hydraulic system before we initiate
the manoeuvre. Otherwise one generator can supply both electric
and hydraulic power for the yacht.
Navigation
We can see the computerised charts both in the deckhouse and
on the centre console in the cockpit. We can have the radar picture
overlaid or separate. We can also have weather information and
navigational warnings received via Navtex directly inserted into
the charts.
On the port side of the deckhouse we have a separate station
for planning our sailing, where we on a separate computer can
find anchorages and put in waypoints, which are then transferred
to our sailing computer. The captain can do the same thing on
his computer in his office and I can also do it in my library.
And finally we can show the chart of our present position on
the television screens on board.
Touch Screen Control System
All our control and alarm systems are centralised to a touch
screen system controlled from the control room, the main deckhouse
or the crew mess. This system provides information relating to
engine, generators, hydraulics, electric systems, water, fuel,
oil, grey and black water, fire fighting, bilge systems and much
else.
But even with all this computers and electronics, we still carry
literally thousands of paper charts that occupy lots of storage
area and we have both a sextant and normal magnetic compasses.
