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With the third generation of Vector stabilizer fins for boats,
Sleipner
has found the best shape to keep the boat stable both when it is stationary at anchor and when sailing. We saw how they make their patented fins and tested them in the Norwegian Sea a few miles off Fredrikstad, where the company’s offices and factories are based. Here’s how it went.
Stabilization systems were, until a few years ago, an exclusive feature of vessels of a certain size. In recent years, however, we have seen a major evolution in this area, with several manufacturers taking advantage of increasingly efficient technological solutions to investigate stabilization systems suitable for smaller vessels.
A stabilization system is an infrastructure that counteracts and attempts to nullify boat movements (mainly roll and pitch) in order to improve comfort and safety of those on board. Simply put, it is a system that tries to keep the boat as still as possible, somewhat like the smartphone stabilizer popular among those who use it to shoot videos and movies, which helps keep the frame steady even when you are moving. These systems go into action according to boat speed, height, and length of the wave.
There are basically two types of stabilization systems for boats: gyroscopes and fins. Systems of the first type, which are very effective when the boat is stationary, require fairly invasive installation on board and are not effective while sailing. Gyroscopes take advantage of precession, a motion generated by the rotation of the device, and need a lot of space; therefore, they are generally installed only during the construction phase of the vessel. Instead, the fins are installed on the hull, so they can be safely retrofitted, and they act in two different manners depending on whether the boat is stationary or moving. In the former case, the fins move to reduce the roll of the stationary boat, but in the latter case they use the tilt with respect to the water to generate a force that keeps the trajectory stable.
Sleipner is a Norwegian company based in Fredrikstad that started its business over 100 years ago (in 1908) with the production of marine engines, and has specialized since the 1980s-with the“Side Power” line” – in maneuvering propellers. After establishing itself as a leader in the thruster market, Sleipner decided to take a further leap forward by throwing itself into the world of stabilizers. After launching the first flat fins a few years ago, Sleipner came up with a very unique fin shape for its model called “Fin Vector.”
Le fins Vector, compared to flat fins, are even more effective when sailing at high speeds because they can generate lift and a force equal to the square of the boat’s speed, while the gyroscopes have (for structural reasons) a limit force beyond which they cannot generate opposition to motion. As seen in the graph below, Vector fins manage to push most of the force in the vertical direction, minimizing that broken down in the horizontal direction (which can create unwanted movements such as yawing and swaying.
As a result, Vector fins are up to 50 percent more efficient than flat fins, and they also generate less resistance to boat motion, allowing us to minimize fuel consumption and loss of speed when we do not want to use the system. It took considerable effort and study, requiring more than 10 years of research to perfect the shape of this fin. Sleipner’s own engineers, from the very first launch of a stabilizer fin, have been looking for the most effective way to redirect the force produced by the fin. Indeed, if the flat fin makes it possible to eliminate roll, the force parallel to the sea still produces undesirable motion to the boat. From there began a phase of study that culminated in the unveiling of the third generation of Vector fins, which thanks to this new shape reduces unwanted movements produced by the flat fin by 55 percent.
The additional innovation that Sleipner engineers have perfected concerns the fin actuator, which is no longer available only as a hydraulic system, but also as an electrical system. The benefits in this regard are many. First, hydraulic actuators produce (albeit minimal) noise, which is cancelled by up to 92 percent in the case of electric actuators, thanks to a complex system that prevents vibrations from spreading around the boat.
In fact, a special patented seal isolates the mechanical movement of the gears from the engine, and allows the passage of noise on board to be minimized. The system also takes advantage of the Harmonic Drive harmonic reducer for the torque motor that powers the movement of the fins. This is a much needed innovation in the market, as this new system is easier to install and maintain, can move 360 degrees, is completely silent, and is also greener because it eliminates the presence of any hydraulic parts. However, it should be mentioned that the operation of Vector fins is not affected by the type of actuator, whether electric or hydraulic.
The new Vector fins with electric actuator are available in six different sizes:
We hand-tested the strength of the stabilizers
Sleipner
aboard a Fairline Squadron 65 equipped with the new third-generation electrically actuated Vector fins. The test conditions, as can be seen in the photo, were quite prohibitive, but they did not frighten Sleipner’s engineers.
Fairline Phantom 65 è il nuovo yacht sportbridge (20 metri)
On board the boat were Ronny Skauen – CEO of Sleipner Group – and CCO Marius Torjusen, who set up all the instruments to detect the performance of the stabilizers and explained how they would measure it. We would compare a predetermined period of time (3-4 minutes) spent on board with the stabilizers off with a same period spent on board with the stabilizers on. All while standing still in the middle of the sea, thus simulating a situation one would have with the boat at anchor in the roadstead.
The first comparison (in red the movements recorded with the stabilizers off, in green those with the stabilizers on) shows that the stabilizers reduced the roll angle by 86 percent. That’s a very high number, but it’s just a number; we can assure you that the feeling on board-especially venturing out on the flybridge through ice and snow-changes markedly when the stabilizers are in operation. One can also decide the “degree of stabilization” of the boat by acting on the system through the chartplotter interface. You can choose whether you want higher invasiveness (and more stabilization) or lower invasiveness, depending on the situation.
While I do not particularly suffer from seasickness, I empathized with those who suffer from this condition, and perhaps are averted from using the boat for this reason. Thanks to the stabilizers, these people can really reduce their suffering by a lot, and live life on board almost with normalcy.
After all, Sleipner ‘s engineers confided in us that none of the owners who decide to install a stabilization system are willing-even on future boats-to give it up. We are really curious to see how far this kind of technology will spread on boats in our seas, considering that Italy is already one of the main markets for Sleipner, which recently opened its Italian office in the province of Lucca.
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