This Catamaran Has An All-Black Exterior To Fire Up Its Solar Panels

Boat designers usually steer away from the color black, opting for a white finish to keep the sun’s rays at bay and cool down the engine and cabins. 

 
However, VisionF Yachts believes the more heat, the better—its new 80 BLCK has a counterintuitive matte-black paint job.
 
The shade isn’t just to help the vessel stand out from the rest in the dock. It has a real purpose: to attract the sun.

As such, the 78-foot black boat takes to the water to attract as much heat and light as possible, which it will then channel to the solar panels that light it to power itself up.

The catamaran is entirely built of aluminum, and it uses the metal to cool itself in the water to prevent overheating.

Outside of solar energy, the boat is a hybrid powered by twin Volvo Penta IPS 1050 engines. It has a top speed of 18 knots, or owners can choose to cruise at 12 knots instead to save fuel. It also has a 2.6-foot draft that makes it ideal for docking in smaller bays that other catamarans and yachts can’t get into. 

80 BLCK is fit to charter a family, or a party of eight, out on the ocean for a holiday with an open deck, lounge spaces, a fully equipped kitchen, a dining room, and four bedrooms.

The interior has a 360-degree view of its surroundings and has been decked out in crisp white upholstery and dark wood details, with ambient light setting the mood for its guests.

The boat can also undergo expansions to bring the party of eight people up to 12.
 
On its deck, the catamaran also comes with a Williams jet tender and jet ski.

VisionF doesn’t state how much it costs, but given its innovative technology, a crisp interior, and a jet ski thrown in with the deal, one can expect it might be a little out of the average person’s budget.
 
 

[via Robb Report and Yacht Harbour, images via VisionF Yachts]