Mystic Cruises has announced that the World Explorer will use hydrojet technology to minimize underwater noise in hopes of not scaring sea life away when visiting remote destinations. Hydrojet technology was initially developed for naval warships, and Mystic claims to be the first cruise ship to use hydrojets.
Two Schottel SPJ 82 Pump Jets can propel the ship at a near-silent cruising speed of five knots. Sailing under the Mystic Cruises brand, the World Explorer – and the sister-ship the World Voyager, launching in 2020 – incorporates the hydrojet drive among many innovations that help maximize safety and minimize the ship’s environmental impact when bringing guests to some of the world’s most remote destinations, the cruise line stated.
Atlas Ocean Voyages’ World Navigator, launching in 2021, will also be equipped with the propulsion system and other innovative technologies. Atlas Ocean Voyages is the distributor of Mystic Cruises in North America and both are subsidiaries of Mystic Invest Holding.
“Our goal is to build one of the cleanest, safest and quietest ships in our category,” said Mário Ferreira, chairman of Mystic Invest Holding, in a prepared statement. “We designed our cruise ships to bring our guests closer to and experience more of a destination, while ensuring that we do our part to help sustain these unparalleled places so we can bring future generations to enjoy them too.”
Unlike propellers, hydrojets diminish vibrations and cavitation, significantly decreasing underwater noise. Sea life is highly sensitive to noise – which travels farther and louder in water – and tends to scatter when they hear propeller-only, propulsion ships. Each hydrojet pumps water in and out to produce drive and, like azipods, can be directed 360 degrees in order to navigate the ship along pristine shorelines or dynamically position by GPS without the use of the ship’s twin four-blade propellers.
The ships will also have FarSounder’s forward-looking sonar installed at the front of the 1B-Ice Class certified hulls to ensure safe navigation through harbors, rivers, and ice fields.
Each ship is also equipped with two C25:33L8P main engines and a Bergen C25:33L6P auxiliary dual generator. These connect to a low voltage AFE “SAVeCUBE” power electric system, which, according to Mystic, will provides maximum fuel efficiency while operating at variable speeds and consumes as low as one-fifth the marine diesel oil compared to conventional engines.
Atlas Ocean Voyages is described as a “Luxe Adventure” cruise brand that is creating a community of new world explorers by delivering authentic and thrill-seeking, once-in-a-lifetime experiences in the world’s most sought-after and remote destinations.
Opening for reservation in Jan. 2020, Atlas Ocean’s first ship, the World Navigator, will start sailing in 2021. She will be joined by sister-ships World Traveller, World Adventurer, and World Seeker in 2022 and 2023.
