At the Finnish manufacturer Oceanvolt, the Servoprop is an electric motor + saildrive unit with a variable pitch propeller. Thus the power of the electric motor is restored at best. The propeller can also be feathered to limit its drag. And above all, when sailing under sail, the hydro generation is adjusted according to the speed of the sailboat to offer the maximum load.
A big Servoprop
For the time being, the Servoprop was only available in a 12 kW model under the name Servoprop 15. This made it possible to replace combustion engines with a maximum power of about 30 hp. This power barrier has just been broken as the manufacturer has announced the HighPower Servoprop 25 which uses the same technology, but with a 25 kW motor. From now on, this model will be able to replace combustion engines of 60 to 70 hp. This opens up the market for large sailboats up to 70 feet.
A variable pitch propeller
With its variable pitch propeller, the HighPower Servoprop 25 can be installed with the propeller facing forward or backward. Mounting a saildrive with the propeller facing forward increases the efficiency of the hydro generation, as well as the propulsion. Traditionally, saildrives are mounted with the propeller facing aft to allow for propeller folding, but this reduces the efficiency of the system.
Always in 48 volts
For safety reasons, Oceanvolt has deliberately stayed with a 48 V system. Indeed, one solution to increase the power of the small Servoprrop would have been to increase the electrical voltage. But high voltages are much more difficult to manage, especially on a boat. Thus the installation is not only safe, but also compatible with other components of the boat's energy network.
Already in test
The first yacht to receive a HighPower Servoprop 25 is an X-Yacht XC 47 on which the device will be tested, but there is already talk of another installation on a Baltic 65... For the general public, the new Servoprop will be available from the end of 2023.
