Hinckley Yachts Introduce SilentJet Propulsion System

The boatbuilders and engineers at the Hinckley Company are no strangers to electric propulsion. In fact, the company launched their 100% electric powerboat “Dasher” back in 2017. But the new “SilentJet” system they’ve just announced is quite different to what they pioneered back then. It’s a hybrid system that uses electric propulsion to power a Picnic Boat 40 S—silently—in certain situations. And diesel propulsion to provide significant speed and range in others.

“We know our clients want what’s next, and they also want common sense solutions,” says Geoff Berger, CEO of The Hinckley Company. “The electric Dasher turned heads as all our new models always do, but the practicality of going any distance on electric given the best current technology wasn’t ideal for our clients. With SilentJet you can travel farther with the hybrid diesel system than with Dasher’s electric platform. Furthermore, we learned that electric powered water jets are much quieter and produce less vibration than traditional propellers. To deliver a truly silent cruising experience that feels almost like sailing, we knew our water jet propulsion system was the best fit.”

According to the American company, Hinckley started conceptualizing a hybrid solution shortly after the launch of their all-electric Dasher in 2017. And they collaborated with marine hybrid experts at Twin Disc to develop a system that could be integrated into Hinckley’s JetStick control system and feature automatic components that had not been available before.

“By collaborating with Hinckley to implement a complete hybrid solution, we advanced our development with a proven builder who embraces electric and hybrid technology,” says Twin Disc Vice President - Hybrid Engineering, Mike Gee. “Twin Disc focused on Hinckley’s needs and tailored our technology and software to provide an automatic mode that seamlessly manages diesel/electric operation. The functionality perfectly complements Hinckley’s already existing user-friendly control system.”

“With SilentJet, you glide away from the dock and cruise through the harbor in total silence,” says Scott Bryant, Hinckley’s Vice President of Sales & Marketing. “When faster speeds are desired or the battery requires charging, the diesel engine comes on automatically, replenishing the battery in just 30-45 minutes. Since all the electrical loads on the Picnic Boat can be supported by the battery while at anchor, there’s no need for a noisy generator. It’s a complete paradigm shift in the onboard Hinckley Experience.”

According to advance reports, a Picnic Boat 40 S’s cruising speed will be seven knots with the SilentJet engaged. Range is at least an hour (at seven knots, and up to 90 minutes at 5.5 knots), and the Picnic Boat 40 S cruises at 35 knots (depending on load) under diesel power.

I hope to test this new technology for myself soon so stay tuned for more information.