Seakeeper’s largest gyro stabiliser debuts at Sanctuary Cove

Twin Disc (Pacific) has installed its largest-ever gyro stabiliser system into a luxury cruiser for an Australian owner.

A Seakeeper M21000 gyro has been installed into New Ocean 68 “MV Komotion” for its owners Bruce and Julie Scott.

The shining luxury boat will take pride of place in the Twin Disc on-water display at the Sanctuary Cove international Boat Show in May.

Twin Disc (Pacific) Managing Director Glenn Frettingham said the M21000 is the largest gyro stabiliser in the Seakeeper range and is more commonly seen in superyachts. Some even use multiple units.

“This is an ideal single installation for this model and has worked perfectly for the Scotts,” he said.

“Resonant boat roll is the most disorienting contrast with our normal experience and the least desirable motion on a boat. It is uncomfortable, tiring, and probably the greatest cause of seasickness.”

“Komotion” was delivered to the Scotts mid last year and went on public display for the first time at the Sydney International Boat Show in late July.

“She has been a superb craft from day one and handles well in all sea states,” said Bruce Scott. “We decided to add the stabiliser to make the ride even more comfortable and particularly to offer great stability at anchor.

“We often entertain on board ‘Komotion’ around Sydney Harbour and all our guests are impressed on how stable our boat is, even when another boat passes by.

“It’s an incredible piece of equipment that has transformed ‘Komotion’ from a great boat to an amazing boat.

“The Seakeeper has done everything the Twin Disc team said it would do, including improving the stability at speed. It really has exceeded our initial expectations by a long way.”

Unlike fin-type stabilisers, the Seakeeper works equally well when a boat is motionless and could be subjected to roll from swell and other boat wakes.

Bruce Scott is delighted with the result.

“The gyro adds a new dimension to our boating,” he said. “It begins its work just half an hour after we turn it on and we can feel the result the instant the stabilising action kicks in.  Its exceptionally low power requirement of just two to three kilowatts means we can leave it running continuously at rest or underway without undue drain on the electrical systems.”

The M21000 is designed to actively stabilise most vessels with displacements up to 90 tons.

Employing the principles of gyro-dynamics, Seakeeper vacuum-sealed gyro stabilisers exert a powerful righting force that virtually eliminates boat roll without any need for drag-producing or damage-prone fins. Seakeeper’s unique state-of-the-art motion control system actively regulates the hydraulic braking system to ensure the anti-roll torque is maximised for all hull designs and for the ever-changing operating and sea conditions.

The vessel is also fitted with the acclaimed Twin Disc Express Joystick System (EJS), integrating with Twin Disc proportional hydraulic thrusters for precise control while at slow speeds such as docking and manoeuvring in a marina.

The popular Seakeeper M8000 gyro model will also be on display at Sanctuary Cove.

Glenn Frettingham said that dozens of this model gyro have been sold and installed in the Pacific region to both new construction and retrofits since release in February 2011.

Twin Disc (Pacific) has also announced the release of the new Seakeeper MX, available for smaller boats in 11-13 metre range.

Twin Disc (Pacific) is exclusive distributors for Seakeeper in the Asia Pacific region.