Power Boat Magazine

Cruise Craft Explorer 625

Cruise Craft Explorer 625

Author : Barry Tyler

Going Exploring

Having put to bed the complete re-vamp of their bowrider side of the expansive Cruise Craft range, next in line for Nichols Bros was their cuddy range. Some models are to receive a cosmetic make-over to bring them into line with the very latest market expectations, in instances such as their latest Cruise Craft Explorer 625 however, it was a complete new ‘generation’ upgrade from stem to stern for what would be the largest boat in their Explorer Series.

The second boat in the Cruise Craft range to fully comply with level one of the new buoyancy regulations, this Cruise Craft Explorer 625 model replaces the legendary Explorer 600, arguably one of the most popular Cruise Craft models ever made. Nichols Bros knew what they wanted to do to improve their ‘old’ model, and they figured the only appropriate way to keep the boat still in proportion – was to start with a new model rather than simply lengthening the old 600. Ostensibly the Explorer range is fishing orientated, seriously fishing orientated, so they needed to incorporate even more of the one most important pre-requisite to a fisherman – space. Especially in a boat of this size and stature that fits so conveniently into the ‘bluewater’ category. It is this bluewater aspect in fact that is of paramount importance to the Cruise Craft team, for as CEO Kevin Nichols so rightly points out, “Our boats are perceived as one of the top offshore platforms, and when you fish the outer reefs it is a long way home when the weather changes as it can do, so dramatically and so quickly,” he said. “We owe it to the people who buy our boats, to provide them with the very latest in hull design and thinking, so they can fish these reefs relaxed in the knowledge they are in safe hands when the weather cuts up.”

‘Just a Fishing Boat’ It is in fact what I felt was the ultimate insult to describe this boat as just a ‘fishing boat’, for it was a lot more than that. Yes, it had a large cockpit, courtesy of the extra length Nichols mentioned, plus the helm is further forward in this new model too, further accentuating the size of the ‘self- draining’ cockpit – but there was so much more to this boat that so purposefully leads it into the ‘family’ boat category also. Non-fishing items such as carpet, windscreen grab-rail, stern eyes, step-thru transom upright, transom boarding ladder, deluxe seats, on S/S frames, upholstered storage bins, cabin shelving – all combined well with optional extras such as folding rear lounge, cabin lining, and the rocket launcher Targa arch and bimini. While these were nice features for fishermen they are not necessarily mandatory. But in a ‘family’ situation they may be just the items to ‘tip the scales’ and get the family interested in boating and fishing also. From the moment you stepped aboard you were left in no doubt this was still a fairly serious fishing boat, despite their slight attempt to disguise the fact. No duck-boards, a boarding ladder that folded up right out of the way, an uncluttered portofino platform if you did need to get right to the stern to retrieve your fish, a remote deck-wash hose, transom live-well, padded coaming faces, cockpit lighting, recessed grab rails above these, good wide coaming tops that were comfortable and wide enough to sit on, recesses for fire extinguisher and EPIRB, full-length cockpit side pockets for storage of rods (in special racks) and incidentals, and as already alluded to, a good big uncluttered cockpit working area.

cruise craft 625 explorer specifications

The rear in particular, of this new Explorer model, was a real work of art – quite different – and the real bonus was it would appeal to both the fisherman as well as the family situation. Most obvious was the walk-thru transom aperture that could be closed off by the swinging door. Below this door there was a storage locker and beside it a natty fold-down or entirely removable, rear lounge. Not full width obviously, so as to not interrupt the concept of the walk-thru transom, but it was a brilliant ‘family orientated’ feature that in no way encroached into the space required by serious fishermen, at the rear of the boat. With the seat folded down the actual backrest then doubled as a coaming pad – a pad incidentally that blended in well with equally deeppadded coaming pads along each side. The significant bait station, out of the way of passengers’ heads, and the outboard when it trimmed right up, complemented the ‘fishing’ ideal nicely. The Seats Are Back When talking of changes to the Explorer, perhaps one of the most obvious was the return of the old style of Cruise Craft seat configurations. ‘Back by popular demand’, these seat frames were in fact a direct response to a significant demand from buyers who suggested the stainless steel frames were practical as a substantial and strong mounting point for the seats, a great feature for passengers to hang onto in rougher seas, and a great space-saving area to put bulky items like chilly bins. Out of the way of foot traffic, tie them around the frame and they don’t move. While the helm area was only very slightly higher than usual, these frames were a great way of securely mounting the associated higher seat level.

cruise craft 625 explorer specifications

The extra height in the helm area also provided the added bonus of great cover from the elements, in bluewater conditions – either when standing or seated. This is after all the main logic behind the cuddy style of boat, but through clever design styling in this instance Nichols Bros have been able to

make the concept less obvious from a side profile perspective. The seating was good, the wellappointed dash, complete with four different levels of electronics, BRP instrumentation, was just what any discerning owner could ask for, and the seating position in relation to the rest of the boat and remotes and the like, was also good. The seats understandably only slide back or forward, for as Nicholls suggests, “Our customers are too busy catching fish way out to sea, to have time to turn the seats around and sit down!” Between the seats and ahead of the underfloor 240-litre fuel tank, was a huge underfloor fish bin, or alternatively wet storage or even perhaps an ice box. The only thing in the helm area I wasn’t happy with was the non-feedback rotary cable steering – too light in my opinion, but Nichols informs me hydraulic steering is available, if you prefer it. Perhaps the best feature of the helm area though, enhancing dramatically the aesthetic appeal of the boat, was the overhead protection.

cruise craft 625 explorer specifications

A very serious and beautifully built rocket launcher Targa arch, a folding example at that, so you could get it into a lowslung garage (height on trailer is 2.43m) if need be, supported an equally substantial bimini structure that fully enveloped the entire helm. Add the front and side clears, and you were completely cut off from the elements, and if you wanted more shade further back in the cockpit there was even a slide-out extension kit available, as an extra. Extending the vessel’s usage outside the parameters of a dedicated fishing vessel, the Explorer offered as another ‘extra’, an extension kit to the bimini that completely enveloped the cockpit, transforming the Explorer into a full camping situation. The whole concept of a cuddy cabin has been turned around too, with the space available down below in this example. This cabin (liner) module was great to sit in, for two adults, but with the addition of an infill and cushion you could very definitely stretch out and have a kip. The cabin was lined, had upholstered back rests and V-squabs, and featured one of the most sensible foot areas I have seen. Two levels of steps (one could accommodate a Porta-Potti if so desired), above the floor level, lead you up to an acceptable level from which to stand up through the overhead hatch and (easily) access the bowsprit and fairlead. You could walk around the outside if you so desired, for there was a split bowrail, indecently wide coaming tops and plenty to hang onto with the Targa arch.

Johnson Power

The stats of the rig included an overall length of 6.54m, a beam of 2.45m, a 240-litre fuel capacity, a rear deadrise of 20 degrees, and while the 625 model will handle the weight and power of a 200hp outboard, Cruise Craft recommends a 150hp outboard as the ideal package. In this instance the Explorer was fitted with a JL150PL 2-stroke, carburetted, 2589cc, V6 150hp Saltwater Series Johnson outboard, running a 17″pitch SST 3-blade Johnson propeller. Everyone seems to swear by 4-strokes in this day and age, for performance, speed, noise, pollution, you name it – but I have to say this 2-stroke engine was definitely the exception to ‘their’ rule. It was so quiet I thought initially it was a 4-stroke, sure it growled a bit when it got up and running, but to me there was nothing like the raw power and acceleration of a 2-stroke. This is not a small boat by any stretch of the imagination, and the engine is only mid-way through the horsepower range, but in my mind it was the perfect combination of boat and motor, power to weight, for an across the board all-rounder application. My GPS averaged out at a top speed of 42.3mph, and at that it ran at a nice level attitude, handled well, and held good directional stability through the chop and cross-seas. It turned well, especially when thrown aggressively into a turn, and manoeuvred well at low speed when berthing or pulling up to another boat.

cruise craft 625 explorer specifications

Stability at rest was a revelation, it is a big beam and with the reverse chines I suppose you would expect that, but this was way better than I expected with four of us standing up against the coaming – in a beam sea! The best part about the performance though, for me, was the bluewater ability of the hull. Taking its heritage from their ‘Outsider’ hull (Nichols Bros believe in using a generic underhull shape) the ride in bigger seas was very good, most predictable, softer riding and most importantly, reasonably dry. I say reasonably, as you had to expect some water on the screen, from the sea spray.

I mentioned this boat was the perfect combination of boat and motor, power to weight, but it is also the perfect combo cost-wise too – there is nothing wrong with a 2-stroke carburetted engine, in this day and age of outboards. As a boat it is pitched at the serious fisherman, but it is good enough in my opinion to be pitched directly at the family situation also, and especially for those who like to venture a little farther a field. It is well presented, attention to detail is exceptional, it handles and performs exceptionally well even with a midrange engine, and at $76,000 for a top of the range bluewater boat, it should be seen as good value for money.

Specifications

  • Model: Explorer 625
  • Standard Package: $76,385 (150hp Yamaha 4- stroke)
  • Price as tested: $94,568
  • Designer: Nichols Brothers
  • Builder; Extreme Boats
  • Material: GRP
  • Type: Cuddy Cabin
  • LOH: 6.215m
  • Beam: 2.45m
  • Rear Deadrise: 20 degrees
  • Hull Config: Deep-V mono-hull
  • Trailerable Weight: 1930kg(approx)
  • Engine Capacity: maximum 200 hp
  • Power Options: Outboard only
  • Fuel Capacity: 240-litre

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cruise craft 625 explorer specifications

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CRUISE CRAFT EXPLORER 625 CUDDY CAB

Cruise Craft Explorer 625 Cuddy Cab Review

EXPLORING NEW HORIZONS

Cruise Craft has long been known for quality across its whole range, which, if you take note at boat ramps, is predominantly made up of half-cabin Explorers and Outsiders. Cruise Craft Outsiders are revered by many as the ultimate all-rounder for fishing and family fun. Now, the recently released Explorer 625 cuddy has set the cat among the pigeons in the fishing boat market. According to Cruise Craft, many long-time owners of half-cabins are looking for cuddies now that the family has grown up. And that's where this new model comes in.

CHANGED DESIGN

The 625 Explorer Cuddy Cabin is based on the 600 Explorer, but has undergone a significant makeover as far as size and shape are concerned. There has been a slight extension in its hull length, and this has allowed for a more elongated cabin hatch for easier access to the anchor well. The footwell in the cabin has also been upgraded to provide a step up to give the crew more leverage when working the ground tackle. Or you could install a windlass. A Porta-Potti sits nearby, and a cushion infill and base drops between the V-berth to make a large bed for one - or two small people at a squeeze. A one-piece internal liner is used inside the boat, and the void between the two skins is filled with positive foam flotation - an intelligent safety feature. The anchor well hatch has also been upsized. At the helm, the dashboard has been widened by 100mm and the screen has been modified accordingly. It is fitted with toughened glass panels in front of skipper and passenger, and a strong stainless-steel grabrail traces the inside of the top edge. The dash makeover has allowed for large cabinet-type electronics such as Lowrance's LCX104c to be either flush- or bracket-mounted, and it also retains enough space for other instrumentation like a compass. This boat was fitted with a flush-mounted Lowrance X100 colour depthsounder and Global Nav 3300 monochrome chartplotter.

ACRES OF SPACE

The seating is adjustable forward and rearward but does not swivel; but there is ample room to move around the helm area, and the seat supports are skeletal rather than boxed in for extra room. While you might reckon this space could be better used for tackle stowage if it were boxed in, it was great for sliding in iceboxes, keeping them off the outer cockpit fishing deck. I could also see a Waeco-type fridge sliding under each seat. The sidepockets have padded fascias that allow feet to fit under when fishing from the gunwales, and the rear lounge lifts up for extra seating and to allow access to the fuel filters, oil bottle for two-strokes (which is filled via a port in the outer coaming) and battery setup. The transom boasts clean lines with a telescopic stainless-steel ladder recessed flush into the boarding platform, aft of the marlin door in the bulkhead. The 150hp Johnson two-stroke engine was fitted with non-feedback mechanical steering, which is being used increasingly by manufacturers these days. When trimmed correctly, the boat didn't suffer much from propeller torque-steer.

TOUGH STUFF

We took the cuddy 15km northeast off Jumpinpin Bar in SE Queensland and faced a pretty vicious metre-high chop all the way there. It was the sort of water that would turn you around if you had some time free the next day to give it another try. The Cruise Craft carved its way through at 30kmh throwing very little spray. After nearly six hours on the water there was just a hint of salt spray on the windscreen. Even with three hefty gentlemen aboard, there was room for a fourth; and when all three of us stood at one gunwale to pull the drogue, use the net and wind fish up, the Explorer listed only to a point where the opposite chine exited the water - and that's where it stayed, rock solid. Having spent plenty of time aboard the half-cabin Outsiders, the extra space in the 625 Explorer's cockpit was noticeable. With the seating slightly more than 200mm forward there was no noticeable adverse effects in relation to the boat's centre of gravity when on the plane either. The baitboard is at a fisho-friendly height, and it was nice to have those iceboxes stashed under the seat frames. It freed the deck up for some serious angling. Coming home we were running with the chop, which had moderated to more of a swell, cruising at 60kmh. There were a few big swells on the Jumpinpin bar, but they failed to broach the boat if you backed off the throttle. This is a safe, seaworthy boat, and even relatively inexperienced owners would have to do something really stupid to make it misbehave. Now that the kids are off your hands, it might be time to upgrade your current rig or perhaps spend some of your well-earned retirement funds on your first. It couldn't be better spent than on one of these boats, which hold their value very well on the secondhand boat market. Decked out for offshore work, this would be an excellent small gamefishing boat; and as we proved, it was pretty adept at putting us on a reef in fairly messy conditions. And yep, the fillets tasted great!

• Stable, dry and seaworthy • Versatile and fishing-friendly rig • A real offshore proposition • Very well fitted out

• Helm seating doesn't swivel • Vee-berth is really only big enough for one person

Specifications: Cruise Craft 625 Cuddy Cabin

Price as tested:  $61,995 Options fitted: 27meg radio, rear lounge, targa bimini, canopy and cockpit spotlights, sounder and GPS, baitboard, padded coamings, livebait pump, deckwash, trailer, boat and trailer registrations Priced from: $50,922

Material: Fibreglass Length (overall): 6.54m Beam: 2.45m Deadrise: 20° Towing weight: 1996kg

Fuel: 240lt Water: n/a Berths: Vee-berth w/ infill Rec/max hp: 175/200

Make/model: Johnson 150 Type: Carburetted V6 oil-injected two-stroke Rated hp: 150 Displacement: 2589cc Weight: 177kg Gearbox ratio: 1.85:1 Propeller: 17in stainless

SUPPLIED BY

Cruise Craft, tel (07) 3390 4877, email [email protected] or visit www.cruisecraft.com.au

Originally published in TrailerBoat #188

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Cruisecraft 625 Outsider V Explorer

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Thread: Cruisecraft 625 Outsider V Explorer

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Wazzup01 is offline

I am still investigating what new boat I want. I am pretty much sold on the cruisecarft in the 625 range. The question I now have is deciding between the outsider and the explorer. 95% of my fishing is done at night where depending on the fishing I may have a couple hours kip, generally fish with just 2 in the boat and occasionally 3 people. I also use it a couple of times a year taking the wife and kids out for a fish and a picnic. My biggest concern with the Explorer is not enough room in the cab. Any advice on both models and suggestions on which way to go would be greatly appreciated. Thanks Wazzup
Last edited by Wazzup01; 13-02-2011 at 09:41 PM . Reason: spelling

sleepygreg is offline

Re: Cruisecraft 625 Outsider V Explorer

Sounds like you would be better off with the explorer rather than the outsider. A bit more cabin room, and the outsider isnt really a practical 'walk around'. (not having a go at CC's.....have a 575 outsider sitting in the driveway)...If I was going to go for a 625....I would go the explorer for the same reasons you have stated. Greg

Angla is offline

You would really have to toss up the cabin space issue.. My 575 Outsider is a better walk around since I changed the Canopy to the Targa as there are more hand holds. With the Explorer you gain in deck space as the main advantage. I would go the Outsider in your case if you can afford the extra bucks Cheers Chris

outwide1 is offline

Gday mate,i have my 625 explorer for 5 years nowand swear buy it. You do lose abit of cabin space with the explorer compared to the outsider but gain so much fishing space at the rear of the boat. One thing a dealer isnt going to tell you is,by getting that extra fishing space which is alot more compared to the outsiders you are standing alot more forward to the bow and at times your ride can be alittle more ruffer then the outsiders. Now i have owend a 575 outsider which was good but limited to how wide we could go due to size and fuel range.I have also had the pleasure in riding in a 625 outsider and the 685 explorer and my 625explorer and cant speak high enough of them.All these vessels bar mine were owned by an embasserdore of the brand "Bill Corten"and you could contact him for advise.I will end by saying that i fish max 3 guys for 2-3 day overnighters up at double island up to 75km out and do it confortably.I sleep under my chair along side another guy under the oppisite chair while the other one is in the cabin with the supplys and it works well. Hope all this helps and look forward to you joining the team of the best manufactured boats in Australia. Cheers Mick
This is my rig OUTWIDE1.

Attached Images

Originally Posted by Wazzup01 I am still investigating what new boat I want. I am pretty much sold on the cruisecarft in the 625 range. The question I now have is deciding between the outsider and the explorer. 95% of my fishing is done at night where depending on the fishing I may have a couple hours kip, generally fish with just 2 in the boat and occasionally 3 people. I also use it a couple of times a year taking the wife and kids out for a fish and a picnic. My biggest concern with the Explorer is not enough room in the cab. Any advice on both models and suggestions on which way to go would be greatly appreciated. Thanks Wazzup WAZZUP You can't go wrong with either - brilliant hulls, brilliant offshore performance and outstanding factory behind them. I run an Outsider 625 with the full kit including 240 litre tank. Rest assured you can fish four people offshore from the Outsider. Having said that, I only go three up when Big Greggie at (115kg) and the Big Kahuna 120kg are on board with me (a lightweight at 95kg). Have spent plenty of time in both and yes, there is a bit more cockpit space in the Explorer. Whatever you buy, make sure you get a bowsprit ladder to make life easy at the ramp and at the beach. Don't forget to ask the bride and the kids for their thoughts ! Also have a look at teamcruisecraft.com.au to get thoughts and comments from owners. SUPERDAFF
Thanks for the feedback guys. I will just have to get the missus in each one and let her decide. Whatever way she goes I will still be happy.

smclaren is offline

You got a Mrs and kids ... and want to sleep on the boat during overnighters ? Outsider for you, Champ ! Yes ... a little less fishing space than the Explorer .. but the family will appreciate the comfort ... which in tern means a happier day out for them and more fishing time for you. Good luck !
Sunshine Coast - Kevlacat 5.2

John Buoy is offline

Originally Posted by smclaren You got a Mrs and kids ... and want to sleep on the boat during overnighters ? Outsider for you, Champ ! Yes ... a little less fishing space than the Explorer .. but the family will appreciate the comfort ... which in tern means a happier day out for them and more fishing time for you. Good luck ! Agreed Better family orientated and design for comfort. I've owned the explorer and driven a couple of outsiders insimilar conditions and the outsiders perform a little more softer than there counterpart, the extra forward weight of the outsider and further rear helms position is the reason why and also a must is trim tabs!! Regards Frank

fishfnq is offline

Have done a heap of research here and have oqned an Outsider 575 - for your requirements - go the Outsider for sure. if you said you wanted mainly fishing with the boys and only occasional day trips with the fam, then I would say go either. Good luck

Getout is offline

Outsider for sure. More cabin room, plenty of fishing space

CCDrifter is offline

Originally Posted by Wazzup01 I am still investigating what new boat I want. I am pretty much sold on the cruisecarft in the 625 range. The question I now have is deciding between the outsider and the explorer. 95% of my fishing is done at night where depending on the fishing I may have a couple hours kip, generally fish with just 2 in the boat and occasionally 3 people. I also use it a couple of times a year taking the wife and kids out for a fish and a picnic. My biggest concern with the Explorer is not enough room in the cab. Any advice on both models and suggestions on which way to go would be greatly appreciated. Thanks Wazzup I agree with a lot that has been said re the ride of the explorer. I had a 625 explorer before my current KC. I chose the explorer on the lure of such a large cockpit, but the down side is as mentioned the helm position is pushed quite a lot forward effecting both the ride quality and also with three decent sized blokes peering out over the windscreen can by quite wet at times as well. The cabin is quite small and really only suitable for 1 person. As mentioned we also slept 2 out the back and one up the front. All in all in comes back to how many overnight trips you plan on having as the outsider is far more suitable for this purpose. When you get into horsepower for the explorer I originally purchased the boat with a 150hp but upgraded a few years in to a 200HP and the diffence was outstanding so go the maximum power, not so much for top end speed just for general excelent performance. Good luck with your choice as both boats are fantastic. Nathan
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Cruise Craft Explorer 625 Review

cruise craft 625 explorer specifications

Issue: July/August 2005

Cruise Craft has a reputation for building outstanding boats and its latest, the Explorer 625, is no exception. If there’s one thing the Nichols clan do outstandingly well, it’s fishing boats with family use in mind. The sister boat to this one, the Outsider 625, has been with us since 2001, the year after its bigger sister the Outsider 685 won Modern Boating’s Fishing Boat of the Year. The following year, its little sister Outsider 575 took out Modern Boating’s overall Boat of the Year.

With this sort of heritage this test boat had a lot to live up to. It’s similar to its sister the Outsider 625 and follows Cruise Craft ‘s established practise of Explorer models being geared for fishing and Outsiders developed more for family use.

In either case, safety is paramount. To comply with positive buoyancy rules (soon to be introduced to Australia), our test boat, and indeed all new Cruise Craft boats, feature foam flotation material between its hull and moulded interior liners. This safety addition also has other positives. Foam filling makes the latest Cruise Craft boats quieter over the water and even ‘tighter’ in terms of stiffness and integrity. Structurally, Cruise Craft boats have always been ‘tight’, but the latest foam C filled vessels are tighter and quieter than ever before.

But there’s more… The large below deck storage compartment in the helm area, fitted to all Cruise Craft off shore fishers and commonly used to stow fish, also benefits from the foam filling. This turns the compartment into a very effective icebox to keep the fish even fresher!

The entire interior of the Explorer 625 is superbly finished with moulded panels.

The exception is the underside of the cabin roof. Some new Explorer owners will opt for the roof to be lined for aesthetic reasons, but even then, the interior of the boat will remain easy to clean.

Inside the cabin, the Explorer 625’s bunks aren’t long enough for adults to sleep on. This interior space is donated to the fishing room out in the cockpit.

The cabin is a place to store gear when fishing, and a retreat during family outings. Storage lockers beneath the bunks are lined too.

Cruise Craft ‘s home in southern Queensland is situated near several notorious bar crossings, that are constantly affected by strong south easterly winds, so ‘nice’ calm water is rarely a part of boating. For bar crossing safety the Explorer 625 has an armoured-glass windscreen and a self-draining cockpit. It also has a stout grab bar across the windscreen frame, plus grabbars strategically placed on the back of the helm and passenger seats, in case the crew needs to grab on quickly.

A pair of simple, yet comfortable, bucket seats mounted on stainless steel frames give ample storage space for tackle boxes, a small icebox with picnic goodies and maybe a bag full of towels and bathers.

It’s comfortable to drive the boat seated because the buckets have formed cushions and well placed footrests on the cabin bulkhead, but it’s even more comfortable standing. On fishing trips everyone tends to stand while travelling and the Explorer takes this into account. Four people can stand, two between the seats and the cabin bulkhead, and two more behind the seats using the grab bars on the back of the seats for security. The helm seat is adjustable and an adjusting slide for the passenger seat is an option.

For social use, the optional aft lounge makes sense. It fits the boat’s dual character neatly, because it can be stowed away flush into the aft bulkhead while fishing, or quickly folded out for the family.

A bait rigging/cutting board unit, which sits above the transom is an option few Cruise Craft boats leave the factory without. Next to this to port is the transom door. There’s also a folding ladder for boarding over the swim platform. To starboard there’s a big bait-well/live-well with some optional plumbing.

Upholstered cockpit coamings are standard. As are the side pockets with rod/gaff racks. You expect to be able to tuck your toes in under the side pockets of any fishing boat and you can in the Cruise Craft cockpit.

The stainless steel framed Targa/bimini top and rocket launcher seen in the photos are options you won’t want to do without. They provide protection from the sun, and the addition of clears between the bimini and windscreen make the helm area weatherproof when required.

The Targa top stows six rigged rods up out of the way and allows for mounting of radio aerials and a pair of outriggers. Undoing a couple of nuts and bolts lets you fold the Targa top back and reduce height of the screen frame should you need to get the boat and trailer through standard height garage doors.

Typically Cruise Craft, the anchor locker on the short foredeck is too small to hold a decent size reef pick, but serious reef anglers will deploy their anchor and float from a basket in the cockpit. For social anchoring though, soft bottom ground tackle stowed in the locker is easily accessible through the cabin hatch.

Performance

Out on the water, the Explorer shows it’s lost nothing during its transition from the hull shared with the Outsider 625. Like its sister, the hull lift s onto the plane with little fuss and planes at barely 8 knots, 8.2 knots in fact.

This low speed performance has earnt the boat an enviable reputation as a rough water performer. It is also interesting, in light of the popularity among anglers for four-strokes, that the older style twostrokes remain a cost effective power option for this rig. The 150hp Johnson is the latest ‘cleaned-up’ Bombardier version of an old favourite. And it retains a power to-weight ratio contemporary technology still strives to achieve, also coming with a competitive price tag. Perhaps a fourstroke, or new tech two-stroke would deliver better fuel economy and certainly lower emissions, if that’s an issue.

But for a boat destined to cross the coastal bars of southern Queensland, and spend a lot of time fishing off shore, the good ol V6 grunt has plenty going for it. Basic boat, motor, trailer packages start from $56,995. As tested, this top rig came in at $65,495 including a few options.

Queensland boat builders Nichols Brothers have been at the forefront of the Australian boating industry since Roy Nichols established the company in August 1946. The company launched the Cruise Craft brand in 1960 and its first fibreglass model in 1967. Today, Cruise Craft has around 14 Boat of The Year titles, and many other accolades to its credit. The Cruise Craft range includes walk-around, cuddy and half-cabin boats, bow-riders and runabouts. Around Australian boat ramps you will often see many of the original Nichols Bros timber cruisers and its first fibreglass models, still giving excellent service to current day owners.

The Cruise Craft Explorer 625 was powered by a 150hp two-stroke Johnson outboard. Perhaps a fourstroke, or new tech two-stroke, would deliver better fuel economy and certainly lower emissions if that’s an issue with any new buyer.

In calm seas with only light winds with two adults onboard Cruise Craft Explorer 625/ Johnson 150hp spinning a standard aluminium 17’prop recorded the following rpm-to-speed readings.

Speed to RPM: 3.2 knots @ 550 rpm, 8.2 knots @ 1850, 35.5 knots @ 5300.

Specifications

LOA: 5.79m LENGTH: 6.21m LOA: 6.54m BEAM: 2.45m DEADRISE: 20 degrees FUEL: 240lt MAX HP: 200hp REC HP: 150hp BASE PRICE: $56,995

+ Overall ride Open cockpit

– Short bunks

Story and Photos by Warren Steptoe.

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cruise craft 625 explorer specifications

This Nuclear-Powered Superyacht Is Longer Than the Titanic and Costs $700 Million

By Dan Avery

yacht in the water

A nuclear-powered gigayacht longer than the Titanic, with 22 state-of-the art laboratories and a 13-story “science sphere,” might sound like the floating headquarters of a criminal mastermind. But Earth 300 is actually a revolutionary exploration vessel designed to investigate climate change and other challenges that face our planet. Designed by naval architect Iván Salas Jefferson, founder of Iddes Yachts, the 300-meter vessel has a radically aerodynamic look. It’s been envisioned as an “extreme technology platform,” incorporating robotics, AI, and quantum computing to attract the best and brightest minds from a wealth of fields. A Davos on water, if you will.

Such a bold vision doesn’t come cheap—right now the price tag for the ship, being constructed by Polish naval architecture firm NED, hovers between $500 and $700 million. Designed to resemble Earth, the orb’s “science city” will house top climate scientists, who will use the ship’s state-of-the-art tech to develop innovative solutions.

boat in the water

The vessel is designed to house top climate scientists.

“We wanted to create a design that would inspire,” Salas Jefferson said in a statement. “When one looks at the sphere, we want them to be inspired to protect Earth. When one walks into the sphere, now housing the science city, and feels the action of all the ongoing scientific works, we want them to be inspired to become an alchemist of global solutions.”

Measuring 150 feet at its widest—almost the length of a football field—the sleek ship includes an extraordinary observation deck on the bow, a foredeck helipad to transport passengers to and from the vessel, and a selection of advanced underwater expedition vehicles for deep-sea exploration.

“The ship will introduce features found on cruise, expedition, research, and luxury yachts, but she will be none of them,” said Aaron Olivera, Earth 300 ’s chief executive. “We wanted to build the Olympic torch of global science, to expand our knowledge and understanding of the universe, both above and below the ocean’s surface.”

boat in the water city in background

The orb is the most striking design element of the yacht.

The project’s list of backers is impressive and includes IBM, Triton Submarines, EYOS Expeditions, and RINA, an international leader in maritime safety. TerraPower, the nuclear innovation company founded by Bill Gates, devised the technology for the onboard molten-salt reactor, which will provide zero-emissions energy.

Expected to launch in 2025, Earth 300 will have room for a complement of 160 scientists from a variety of disciplines, as well as 165 crew members and dozens of experts-in-residences and student researchers.

There will also be spots for 40 VIP guests, who will pay $3 million each for the privilege. That’s more than 10 times the cost of a seat on Virgin Galactic. With so many looking spaceward, why develop a cutting-edge seafaring vessel?

“The oceans are dying,” Salas Jefferson told Architectural Digest . “Having been born in Palma de Mallorca, I’ve seen it firsthand in the Mediterranean. Now is the time to reboot, reconnect, and redirect our planet’s destiny. Our oceans keep us—and our planet—alive, and Earth 300 ’s mission is to protect our oceans and ensure their health for generations to come.” Space may be the future, Salas Jefferson says, but “today, Earth is our only home.”

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Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest

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How is this nuclear-powered superyacht tackling climate change?

The Earth 300 will be 300m long.

The new superyacht, called Earth 300, will be free for scientists hoping to clean up our oceans and combat climate change.

It may look like something from the new James Bond film, but the Earth 300 is a nuclear-powered superyacht with bold ambitions.

Although it hasn’t been built yet, this carbon-free yacht is designed as a travelling laboratory for scientists to explore the oceans and tackle today’s biggest environmental problems. With room for 22 laboratories, 160 scientists and 20 students, the yacht will be powered by a Molten Salt Reactor - a new type of nuclear power that is 100 per cent emission-free.

There’s room for tourists, but at a price.

Designed by superyacht expert Ivan Salas Jefferson, the Earth 300 will also have room for 40 VIP guests who will pay a whopping $3 million (€2.5 million) for the pleasure of staying aboard the vessel. Scientists and students will either travel for free or at a reduced rate.

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Demand for superyachts has rocketed in the past 10 years, spurred on by the COVID-19 pandemic and the increase of the global ‘super rich’. The Earth 300 will be the biggest of the lot though, at 300 metres in length and 60 metres in height. That’s 31m longer than the Titanic.

With a futuristic, architectural design, the boat will include state-of-the-art weather visualisation labs, 3D printing labs and biosafety labs designed to handle viruses like COVID-19, according to Oliveria.

The Earth 300 will be the biggest of the lot though, at 300 metres in length and 60 metres in height. That’s 31m longer than the Titanic.

"Earth 300 will use global systems thinking, aboard the vessel we will explore the broadest spectrum of standpoints, bringing together the smartest and brightest minds to create an intelligence collective that is unrivalled in scope and diversity,” says Oliveria.

“It will hold 4 different communities - scientists, experts, students and private citizens.” It is this mix of citizens and scientists that the team hopes will produce radical new thinking in the fight against climate change.

Earth 300

Is the technology ready yet?

While the design of the Earth 300 is a futuristic one, much of the technology required has not come to market yet. Initially, the yacht will be powered by green fuels, as the Molten Salt Reactor is still in development. The reactor is being developed by Terrapower , a company backed by Microsoft billionaire Bill Gates.

Once it is ready, the reactor will be retrofitted, allowing the superyacht to be 100 per cent emission-free.

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After seeing the dying corals, he realised the world didn’t need another elite resort. Oliveria decided to change tack to work on the Earth 300, combining luxury travel and climate fighting science all in one place.

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The nuclear megayacht designed to save the world

nuclear powered yacht

A floating computer

If built, the new vessel would dwarf even the world's largest superyacht.

A global vessel

The Earth 300 is designed to be an emissions-free vessel.

Nuclear powered?

Designer Aaron Olivera says he hopes to power the vessel using experimental nuclear technology.

  • climate change

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Tickets for a nuclear-powered superyacht will cost $3 million for vips and be free to scientists and students selected to help study climate change.

  • The Earth 300 ship is designed to be emission-free and powered by nuclear energy.
  • Aaron Olivera, the CEO of Earth 300, wants to bring the "brightest and smartest" scientists aboard.
  • The ship is scheduled to set sail in 2025 with 160 scientists and 40 VIP guests.

You can hitch a 10-day ride on a nuclear-powered, emission-free yacht for the price of $3 million, or take the trip for free if you're a lucky student or scientist selected to be on board to help study the effects of climate change .

The yacht, called the Earth 300, will be a global icon for science, according to its website . The plan is for it to set sail in 2025 with 160 scientists on board from a variety of disciplines, 20 students, 165 staff, and 40 VIP guests who can each pay $3 million for their tickets. 

Aaron Olivera, the CEO of Earth 300, told Money FM he thought of the yacht and voyage in 2015, when he went scuba diving in the Maldives and saw dead coral that was killed by the overacidification in the ocean.

He then came up with the idea to bring the "brightest and smartest" scientists aboard a new-age ship to work together to come up with solutions to climate change .

The design of the ship, which will be powered by safe and sustainable atomic energy from a molten-salt reactor, has 22 "cutting-edge" laboratories that have artificial intelligence, robotics, machine learning, real-time data processing, and the latest quantum computer, according to the website.

"It's state-of-the-art science at sea," Olivera said on Money FM on April 9. 

Read more: Carnival and Royal Caribbean salaries revealed: From $32,000 to $383,000, here's how much the cruise industry's power players pay some of their employees

The vessel has a sleek look. It's 300 meters long, which is about three and one-third football fields, by 46 meters wide, translating to about 1 1/2 basketball courts, by 60 meters tall at its highest point, or about the height of an 18-story building.

"It's a vessel that's got the overall size of a cruise ship, but it's not a cruise ship. It's got the overall look of a superyacht, but it's not a superyacht," Olivera said on the radio show. "It's got the technology to rival an aircraft carrier, but it's not an aircraft carrier. It's going to have the endurance and the exploration skills of an explorer vessel, but it's not an explorer vessel. It's all of those put together in one package."

Before founding Earth 300, Olivera was the president of Falcon Royal Yachts, where he helped create two luxury megayachts designed by Porsche, according to his LinkedIn profile. Before that, he worked at Corporate Grand, creating elite dining and entertainment experiences for the ultrawealthy.

The CEO has "experiences in a myriad of industries, from training and development, to publishing, hospitality, retail and yachting," according to his bio on the Earth 300 website. 

When asked why he decided to create a ship to be the vessel for studying climate change, Olivera said, "The oceans are the beating heart of the planet. Without oceans , there cannot be any life."

But the proposal still has a ways to go.

Olivera has already funneled $5 million into the design, and European and South Korean shipyards are likely to carry out the construction, according to reporting from Entrepreneur . The news site said the total cost of the ship would be about $500 million to $700 million, with some funding coming from private investors.

"The idea was to design an object that would be able to capture everybody's imaginations on a global scale," Olivera said on Money FM, adding: "There's nothing like this."

nuclear powered yacht

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SuperyachtNews

By SuperyachtNews 17 Aug 2022

The Nuclear Equation

Developments across the marine industry suggest the idea of a nuclear-powered superyacht may not be as science fiction as it once sounded….

In the quest for zero emissions, different corners of the marine sector are closing in on nuclear power as a possible solution. The question of its utility for superyachts is gathering cautious momentum. However, concepts like Earth 300, released in 2021, seem too far-fetched to work, right? I thought so when I first saw it, but should we doubt this level of ambition from the superyacht industry? Or underestimate the potential of nuclear power on private vessels?

Recent nuclear-powered concepts from the cruise and commercial sectors seem more grounded in the reality of effectively reaching emissions standards. Associations with classification societies and attainable-sounding technological barriers imply that this may be a plausible option for the next generation fleet. One technology, in particular, is gaining momentum across the marine industry: The Molten Salt Reactor (MSR)

The IMO is targeting a reduction in carbon emissions from international shipping of 40 per cent by 2030, in comparison to 2008 levels, in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. This will require drastic solutions. In 2010, Lloyd’s Register began formulating new rules for nuclear-powered ships, saying it had received some approaches for developing nuclear vessels from various interested parties. Likewise, RINA is associated with the Earth 300 concept. 

The nuclear equation, when taken simplistically, seems clear. However, zero carbon emissions and decades-long operational timelines from a few kilograms of fuel, too many,  sound too good to be true. Nuclear detractors are quick to highlight the shortcomings;  the infamous incidents at Chornobyl in 1986, Three Mile Island in 1979 and Fukushima in 2011 have ensured that the mention of nuclear power has calamitous connotations. 

Nuclear-powered vessels have a military association. The USA, Russia, UK, India, France and China all have extensive nuclear-powered fleets. The energy efficiency of nuclear-powered ships bears reiterating. Using the US Navy as an example and comparing two aircraft carriers of the same size lays this out starkly.

The 321 m USS John F. Kennedy, and the 332m USS Dwight D. Eisenhower were launched seven years apart. The former ran on heavy fuel oil and at full operational speeds while running the flight deck it had a fuel consumption rate of roughly 4.5 tonnes per ship length travelled. While the latter, on its nuclear propulsion and with a similar operational profile, consumed an amount of fissile fuel the size of grapefruit in 20 years.

The fear of meltdown and the significant issue of nuclear waste disposal looms large over these traditional reactors. However, it is also worth reiterating that, according to a feature that first appeared in Forbes in 2020, The Nuclear Navy worldwide has logged over 5,400 reactor years of accident-free operations and travelled over 130 million miles on nuclear energy, enough to circle the earth 3,500 times. The annual radiation levels Navy crews were exposed to was also calculated at one thousand times less than the acceptable limits for a hospital radiology department. 

There may be another option, first developed nearly 60 years ago, that is seeing renewed attention from the marine industry. UK-Based Core Power is working with the Bill Gate affiliated Terrapower to develop a molten salt reactor (MSR) suitable for shipboard power production. MSRs present an intriguing possibility, and a quick physics lesson may be needed. 

If you didn't know that a nuclear reactor heats water, creating steam and turning a turbine don't worry, I didn't until embarrassingly recently either. I would wager that many people's knowledge received a significant boost after the enthralling HBO series Chernobyl aired in 2020 also. Controlling this nuclear reaction safely, and making use of more accessible fuels are the key issues that MSRs theoretically address.

The use of pressurised helium or water to cool traditional fission nuclear reactors is one of the most dangerous aspects of their operations, and a significant contributor to the risk of an explosive meltdown. MSRs overcome this by using a reactive core of nuclear material and molten salt. Salt liquefies at around 400C, and the rupturing of the core would see a drop in temperature and the near-instant solidification of the core preventing a meltdown. 

These reactors can also repurpose semi-spent fuels from other sources. There is a significant buzz about using thorium as a nuclear fuel to further boost the efficiency of MSRs. This naturally occurring element is three times more abundant than uranium in the earth's crust. Thorium itself will not split and release energy. When it is exposed to neutrons, it will undergo a series of nuclear reactions until it eventually emerges as an isotope of uranium called U-233, which will readily split and release energy the next time it absorbs a neutron. Thorium is therefore called fertile, whereas U-233 is called fissile.

Using dissolved thorium in MSRs seems like a promising prospect for the marine industry. I even received a press release recently that implied it may be the ‘silver bullet solution’ in the sector's quest for zero carbon. The expedition cruise concept ‘Thor”, and its twin “Sif” from Norwegian shipbuilder Ulstein, hope to combine these technologies. 

"Sif produces no emissions, so she can cruise in full-electric mode, and Thor would be its charging station. They are concepts right now and they might not be built in this way, but they start important discussions. We've been thinking about thorium as an energy source since 2008, but there is a stigma associated with nuclear power," says Ulstein chief designer Øyvind Gjerde Kamsvåg. 

"Although there are no thorium reactors up and running today it is a proven technology, with the earliest examples operating back in the 1950s and 1960s. However, that also means, unlike uranium, there’s currently no supply chain. But as thorium is around three times more abundant in the Earth’s crust than uranium – and there’s a lot here in Norway – it’s simply a matter of starting up the mining process. Every new energy source has to start somewhere. The barriers to utilising thorium are certainly not insurmountable,” Says Robert McDonald, Principal Engineer, Institute for Energy Technology (IFE). 

Despite these benefits of the thorium MSR, it is worth noting that this is not a new technology. The US military conducted an extensive development program with hopes to use the MSR to power long-range bombers. During their lifecycle, these reactors operated only 40 per cent of the time, compared to the average commercial reactor at 90 per cent. From 1945 to 1969 it was shut down 225 times, of these, only 58 were planned. 

One of the major limitations of an MRS is that the materials used to manufacture molten salt-reactor components must maintain their integrity in highly radioactive and corrosive environments at elevated temperatures. Currently, few alloys can survive these extremes. 

Still, as well as the Terrapower/Core Power project, South Korean shipbuilder Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) has partnered with Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) to develop MSR nuclear-powered vessels, with DNV exploring nuclear fission as a source of power.

The question of crewing these vessels is a daunting one. One of the contributing factors to the decommissioning of the first nuclear-powered commercial vessel, the USS Savannah , in the 1970s was the extreme wages needed to attract sufficiently qualified reactor engineers away from relatively more comfortable jobs overseeing land-based power stations.

A vessel without the need for constant bunkering, and with the significantly more efficient use of internal spaces without traditional fuel tanks has obvious benefits. A cruising range governed by provisions, waste and crew turnovers and not fuel is most definitely not limitless, however. As many expedition yachts will tell you, there is a long list of limiting factors beyond fuel that must be addressed. The imperfect history of the MSR should give the industry pause also. This would represent a technological jump beyond anything the superyacht industry has so far attempted and only addresses some of the many complex issues that surround the environmental impact of a superyacht. 

The utopian dreams of nuclear power providing power supplies that are  'too cheap to charge for' have not eventuated as predicted a couple of generations ago. Safety concerns are one factor. The complexities of physics and public perception are others. In an industry still grappling with how to effectively and safely crew today's expanding fleet, and with alternative fuels further complicating the situation for Flag and Class, the nuclear equation may still be a step too far to meet the impending emissions targets.

Hopefully, the commercial sector and cruising industries can outline a safe and effective platform to build from, and some of these 'crazy concepts' that were written off as too outlandish could become a zero carbon reality for a few superyachts. 

 References:

https://www.rina.org.uk/TNA_Nuclear_powered_ships_are_they_worth_their_salt.html

https://whatisnuclear.com/thorium.html

https://thebulletin.org/2022/06/molten-salt-reactors-were-trouble-in-the-1960s-and-they-remain-trouble-today/

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesconca/2020/11/09/international-marine-shipping-industry-considers-nuclear-propulsion/?sh=5091b494562c

https://whatisnuclear.com/msr.html

https://www.iaea.org/topics/molten-salt-reactors

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Is nuclear a viable option for the superyacht industry?.

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Actual reactors on superyachts probably aren't going to happen Jack. However superyachts running on nuclear "eFuels" will probably be a thing at some point (as will airliners and cargo ships running on eFuels). Nuclear efuels are liquid hydrocarbons such as methanol produced thermochemically from seawater using the high heat (~750C) that a 4th generation nuclear reactor like a molten salt reactor is able to provide. Current presurized water reactors can only provide heat around 300 celcius due to being water cooled (even under high pressure water starts to break down much above 300 degrees).

Floating molten salt power plants on barges do seem much more likely though:

https://www.seaborg.com/the-reactor

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Inmarsat to launch Fleet Safety

John Dodd, director of safety services at Inmarsat, hopes to change the way we think about GMDSS

2 years ago

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Scientists, students wanted to live aboard a crazy, nuclear-powered yacht.

Earth 300 could be the best way to get your feet wet practicing cutting-edge science.

nuclear powered yacht

  • Finalist for the Nesta Tipping Point prize and a degree in broadcast journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia.

earth300-vessel-02

An artist's rendering of Earth 300. 

Life aboard a research vessel often isn't the most luxurious experience, but a new initiative called Earth 300 aims to change that by building high-tech science facilities atop a 968-foot (295-meter), nuclear-powered mega-yacht.

It's basically a sustainable science cruise ship where certain super smarties might one day work and live for free.

Earth 300 founder and CEO Aaron Olivera says the project was inspired when he saw corals killed by ocean acidification while working on a project in the Maldives. He describes later looking out at the Mediterranean Sea and dreaming up the concept.

"I started thinking, how great would it be if we could inspire a global renaissance and bring together the smartest and the latest and greatest architects and artists and inventors and scientists of the day," Olivera said during an Earth 300 launch event shown in the video below.

Olivera was previously president of Royal Falcon Yachts, where he helped finance a mega-yacht project designed by Porsche. Now he hopes the yacht of his dreams could provide the perfect venue for his vision. The plan is to invite a diverse group of experts, researchers and regular citizens aboard to do work that advances the cause of global sustainability.

Earth 300 is designed to support more than 400 people living aboard, making it more like a cruise ship than a yacht. Olivera envisions over 160 scientists and students living and performing research on the ship for free.

Alongside scientists working in disciplines that include marine, earth, space, climate and atmospheric sciences, Olivera hopes to add "experts such as entrepreneurs, economists, engineers, artists, filmmakers and journalists" to the mix, creating a truly interdisciplinary floating research institution.

Scientific facilities aboard will include 22 labs equipped for everything from robotics to weather visualization to 3D printing.

Olivera worked with a designer to create a vessel that could be immediately recognizable in the hope it will become an international symbol of sustainability that helps draw more attention to the cause.

The design includes 20 VIP suites, half of which will be reserved for inspiring or unsung people who will cruise for free, and the other half will be leased out to wealthy tourists. Bloomberg reports the suites will be available for $3 million (£ 2.2 million, AU$3.9 million) for a ten day cruise, helping to fund the whole venture.

Olivera promised that research done aboard Earth 300 will be open source and available in real time for collaboration around the globe.

In keeping with the sustainability theme, the plan is for the vessel to be emissions-free and powered by an advanced type of small nuclear reactor that's under development by Terrapower, a company founded by Bill Gates.

But all this is pretty far off. Right now all we have is some artist's renderings and a vague plan. Olivera hopes to raise financing for the project in preparation for a maiden voyage currently scheduled for 2025.

No word yet on how to put your name in for consideration for that first voyage. Stay tuned, sailors.

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Nuclear-Powered Ships

(Updated October 2023)

  • Nuclear power is particularly suitable for vessels which need to be at sea for long periods without refuelling, or for powerful submarine propulsion.
  • Over 160 ships are powered by more than 200 small nuclear reactors. 
  • Most are submarines, but they range from icebreakers to aircraft carriers.
  • In future, constraints on fossil fuel use in transport may bring marine nuclear propulsion into more widespread use. So far, exaggerated fears about safety have caused political restriction on port access.

Work on nuclear marine propulsion started in the 1940s, and the first test reactor started up in USA in 1953. The first nuclear-powered submarine, USS Nautilus , put to sea in 1955.

This marked the transition of submarines from slow underwater vessels to warships capable of sustaining 20-25 knots submerged for long periods, independent of needing air for diesel engines to charge batteries.

Nautilus led to the parallel development of further ( Skate -class) submarines, powered by single pressurised water reactors, and an aircraft carrier, USS Enterprise , powered by eight Westinghouse reactor units in 1960. A cruiser, USS Long Beach , followed in 1961 and was powered by two of these early units. Remarkably, the Enterprise remained in service to the end of 2012.

By 1962 the US Navy had 26 nuclear submarines operational and 30 under construction. Nuclear power had revolutionised the Navy.

The technology was shared with Britain, while French, Russian and Chinese developments proceeded separately.

After the Skate -class vessels, reactor development proceeded and in the USA a single series of standardized designs was built by both Westinghouse and GE, one reactor powering each vessel. Rolls-Royce built Westinghouse-derived units for the UK Royal Navy submarines and then developed the design further to the PWR2.

Russia developed both PWR and lead-bismuth cooled reactor designs, the latter not persisting. Eventually four generations* of submarine PWRs were utilised, the last entering service in 1995 in the Severodvinsk class.

* 1955-66, 1963-92, 1976-2003, 1995 on, according to Bellona.

The largest submarines are the 26,500 tonne (34,000 t submerged) Russian Typhoon class, powered by twin 190 MWt PWR reactors, though these were superseded by the 24,000 t Oscar-II class (eg Kursk ) with the same power plant.

The safety record of the US nuclear navy is excellent, this being attributed to a high level of standardisation in naval power plants and their maintenance, and the high quality of the Navy's training program. However, early Soviet endeavours resulted in a number of serious accidents – five where the reactor was irreparably damaged, and more resulting in radiation leaks. There were more than 20 radiation fatalities.* Nevertheless, by Russia’s third generation of marine PWRs in the late 1970s safety and reliability had become a high priority. (Apart from reactor accidents, fires and accidents have resulted in the loss of two US and about four Soviet submarines, another four of which had fires resulting in loss of life.) In the US, UK and French navies there has never been a nuclear plant accident.

* The K-19 accident at sea in 1961 due to cooling failure in an early PWR resulted in eight deaths from acute radiation syndrome (ARS) in repairing it (doses 7.5 to 54 Sv) and possibly more later as well as many high doses. The K-27 accident at sea in 1968 also involved coolant failure, this time in an experimental lead-bismuth cooled reactor, and nine deaths from ARS as well as high exposure by other crew. In 1985 the K-431 was being refuelled in Vladivostok when a criticality occurred causing a major steam explosion which killed ten workers. Over 200 PBq of fission products was released causing high radiation exposure of about 50 others, including ten with ARS.

Lloyd's Register shows about 200 nuclear reactors at sea, and that some 700 have been used at sea since the 1950s. Other sources quote 108 reactors in US naval vessels in mid-2019. More than 14,000 reactor years of nuclear marine operation have been accumulated, Russia claims 7000 of these, and the US Navy has 6200 rector-years to 2021, with 526 reactors.

In 2021 the World Associationof Nuclear Operators (WANO) extended its peer-level pre-startup reviews – a normal procedure for power plants – to Russian icebreakers.

Nuclear naval fleets

Russia built 248 nuclear submarines and five naval surface vessels (plus nine icebreakers) powered by 468 reactors between 1950 and 2003, and was then operating about 60 nuclear naval vessels. (Bellona gives 247 subs with 456 reactors 1958-95.) For operational vessels in 1997, Bellona lists 109 Russian submarines (plus four naval surface ships) and 108 attack submarines (SSN) and 25 ballistic missile ones apart from Russia.

At the end of the Cold War, in 1989, there were over 400 nuclear-powered submarines operational or being built. At least 300 of these submarines have now been scrapped and some on order cancelled, due to weapons reduction programmes*. Russia and the USA had over 100 each in service, with the UK and France less than 20 each and China six. The total today is understood to be about 150, including new ones commissioned**. Most or all are fuelled by high-enriched uranium (HEU).

* In 2007 Russia had about 40 retired submarines from its Pacific fleet alone awaiting scrapping. In November 2008 it was reported that Russia intended to scrap all decommissioned nuclear submarines by 2012, the total being more than 200 of the 250 built to date. Most Northern Fleet submarines had been dismantled at Severodvinsk, and most remaining to be scrapped were with the Pacific Fleet.

** Late in 2019: USA 70, Russia 40, China 19, UK 10, France 9, India 3.

India launched its first nuclear submarine in 2009, the 6000 dwt Arihant SSBN, with a single 85 MW PWR fuelled by HEU (critical in August 2013) driving a 70 MW steam turbine. It is reported to have cost $2.9 billion and was to be commissioned in 2016. The second and slightly larger Arihant -class SSBN, the INS Aridhaman , being built at the Ship Building Centre in Visakhapatnam, was launched in 2017 and is due to be commissioned by 2022. It will have a more powerful reactor. Another three Arihant-class vessels launched by 2023 and then six SSBNs twice the size of Arihant class and six nuclear SSNs are planned, the latter being approved by the government in February 2015. The SSNs will be a similar size to Arihant-class SSBN and powered by a new reactor being developed by BARC. India is also leasing an almost-new 7900 dwt (12,770 tonne submerged) Russian Akula II- class nuclear attack submarine for ten years from 2010, at a cost of $650 million: the INS Chakra , formerly Nerpa . It has a single 190 MWt VM-5/OK-659B (or OK-650B) PWR driving a 32 MW steam turbine and two 2 MWe turbogenerators. A second Akula -class lease has been arranged.

The USA has the main navy with nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, while both it and Russia have had nuclear-powered cruisers (USA: 9; Russia: 4). The USA had built 219 nuclear-powered vessels to mid-2010. All US aircraft carriers and submarines are nuclear-powered. (The UK’s new large aircraft carriers are powered by two 36 MW gas turbines driving electric motors.)

The US Navy has accumulated over 6200 reactor-years of accident-free experience involving 526 nuclear reactor cores over the course of 240 million kilometres, without a single radiological incident, over a period of more than 50 years. It operated 81 nuclear-powered ships (11 aircraft carriers, 70 submarines – 18 SSBN/SSGN, 52 SSN) with 92 reactors in 2017. There were 10 Nimitz -class carriers in service (CVN 68-77), each designed for 50-year service life with one mid-life refuelling and complex overhaul of their two A4W Westinghouse reactors*. The Gerald Ford class (CVN 78 on) has a similar hull and some 800 fewer crew and two more powerful Bechtel A1B reactors driving four shafts as well as the electromagnetic aircraft launch system. It has an expected service life of 90 years. The Ohio -class SSBNs have a service life of 42 years.

* The seventh such vessel overhaul after 25 years is the Stennis , taking 4.5 years and costing $2.99 billion. It involves major upgrades to the propulsion plant, to the flight deck, catapults, combat systems and the island superstructure.

The Russian Navy logged over 6500 nautical reactor-years to 2015. It appears to have eight strategic submarines (SSBN/SSGN) in operation and 13 nuclear-powered attack submarines (SSN), plus some diesel submarines. Russia announced that it would build eight new nuclear SSBN submarines in its plan to 2015. Its only nuclear-powered carrier project was cancelled in 1992. It has one nuclear-powered cruiser in operation and three others were being overhauled. In 2012 it announced that its third-generation strategic submarines would have extended service lifetimes, from 25 to 35 years.

In 2012 construction of a nuclear-powered deep-sea submersible was announced. This is based on the Oscar -class naval submarine and is apparently designed for research and rescue missions. It will be built by the Sevmash shipyard at Severodvinsk, which builds Russian naval submarines.

China has about 12 nuclear-powered submarines (about 8 SSN type-93 Shang class and type-95 Tang class, about 6 SSBN type-94 Jin class and type-96), and was building 21 more. In February 2013 China Shipbuilding Industry Corp (CSIC) received state approval and funding to begin research on core technologies and safety for nuclear-powered ships, with polar vessels being mentioned but aircraft carriers being considered a more likely purpose for the new development. Its first nuclear-powered submarine was decommissioned in 2013 after almost 40 years of service. In June 2018 China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) requested bids from shipbuilders for the country's first nuclear-powered icebreaker. (Its first domestically-built aircraft carrier Shandong is conventionally oil-powered.)

France has a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier and ten nuclear submarines (4 SSBN, 6 Rubis class SSN), with six Barracuda class SSN coming online from 2021, Suffren being the first.

The UK has 12 submarines, all nuclear powered (4 SSBN, 8 SSN).

The occupational radiation doses to crew of nuclear vessels in very small. US Naval Reactors’ average annual occupational exposure was 0.06 mSv per person in 2013, and no personnel have exceeded 20 mSv in any year in the 34 years to then. The average occupational exposure of each person monitored at US Naval Reactors' facilities since 1958 is 1.03 mSv per year.

Civil vessels

Nuclear propulsion has proven technically and economically essential in the Russian Arctic where operating conditions are beyond the capability of conventional icebreakers. The power levels required for breaking ice up to 3 metres thick, coupled with refuelling difficulties for other types of vessels, are significant factors. The nuclear fleet, with six nuclear icebreakers and a nuclear freighter, has increased Arctic navigation from 2 to 10 months per year, and in the western Arctic, to year-round. In 2020 Rosatom said it has accumulated 400 reactor-years of operating experience with icebreakers.

The icebreaker Lenin was the world's first nuclear-powered surface vessel (20,000 dwt), commissioned in 1959. It remained in service for 30 years to 1989, and was retired due to the hull being worn thin from ice abrasion. It initially had three 90 MWt OK-150 reactors, but these were badly damaged during refuelling in 1965 and 1967. In 1970 they were replaced by two 171 MWt OK-900 reactors providing steam for turbines which generated electricity to deliver 34 MW at the propellers.  Lenin was retired in 1989 and   is now a museum.

It led to a series of larger icebreakers, the six 23,500 dwt Arktika class, commissioned from 1975. These powerful vessels have two 171 MWt OK-900A reactors delivering 54 MW at the propellers and are used in deep Arctic waters. The Arktika was the first surface vessel to reach the North Pole, in 1977. Yamal , commissioned in 1992, remains in service, with Sibir , Arktika , Rossija and Sovetskiy Soyuz decommissioned in 1992, 2008, 2013 and 2014 respectively. Nominal service life was 25 years (150,000 hours for the reactors), but Atomflot first confirmed 30-year life for it, then in 2020 following a service life extension programme, a further 50,000 hours was licensed, representing six years to 2028. The original  Arktika class were 148 m long and 30 m wide, and designed to break two metres of ice.

The sixth and largest Arktika -class icebreaker – 50 Years of Victory (50 Let Pobedy) – was built by the Baltic shipyard at St Petersburg and after delays during construction it entered service in 2007 (twelve years later than the 50-year anniversary of 1945 it was to commemorate). It is 25,800 dwt, 160 m long and 20 m wide, and is designed to break through ice up to 2.8 metres thick. Its propulsive power is about 54 MW.

For use in shallow waters such as estuaries and rivers, two shallow-draft Taymyr -class icebreakers of 18,260 dwt with one 171 MWt KLT-40M reactor delivering 35 MW propulsive were built in Finland and then fitted with their nuclear steam supply system in Russia. They – Taymyr and Vaygach – are built to conform with international safety standards for nuclear vessels and were launched in 1989 and 1990 respectively. They are 152 m long and 19 m wide, will break 1.77 metres of ice, and were expected to operate for about 30 years or 175,000 hours. OKBM Afrikantov was contracted to extend the operational lifetime of Vaygach to 200,000 hours, and the same was achieved for Taymyr . In 2021 Atomflot was working to extend the reactor life to 235,000 hours in both vessels.

In anticipation of decreasing ice and increased traffic, tenders were called for building the first of a new  LK-60 series of Russian icebreakers in mid-2012, as Project 22220 , and the contract was awarded to Baltijsky Zavod Shipbuilding in St Petersburg. The keel of the new  Arktika  was laid in November 2013, it was launched in June 2016 and it was due to be delivered to Atomflot by the end of 2017 at a cost of RUR 37 billion. In January 2013 Rosatom called for bids to build two more LK-60 icebreakers and a RUR 84.4 billion contract for the second and third vessels, Sibir and Ural , was let in May 2014 to the same shipyard, for delivery in 2019 and 2020. The project cost was quoted in mid-2016 at RUR 122 billion. Construction of the Sibir started in May 2015 and it was launched by the Baltic Shipyard in September 2017. The two RITM-200 reactors were installed at the end of 2017. A flag-raising ceremony was held for Sibir in January 2022 and the vessel has been escorting ships through ice in the Kara Sea and Gulf of Ob. Construction of Ural started in July 2016 and it was launched in May 2019.  Arktika was expected to be in service in 2019 but the date was pushed back to April 2020 due to a delay in manufacturing the steam turbines. It commenced sea trials in December 2019, but in February 2020 one of its propulsion motors was damaged by a short circuit, requiring complex replacement undertaken in September-October 2021. In November 2022 a flag-raising ceremony marked the  Ura l's entry to service and it was sent to the Kara Sea the following month for operational icebreaking. Construction of the fourth LK-60, Yakutia , started in mid-2020. In November 2022 the  Yakutia was launched into the water with a completed hull and is expected to be commissioned in 2024. Construction of the fifth icebreaker of Project 22220, Chukotka , began at the end of 2020 and is scheduled to be operational by the end of 2026. In total Russia plans to build seven vessels of this type with five either completed or under construction. Intended service life is 40 years. In February 2023 an agreement was signed between Baltic Shipyard and Atomflot for the construction of two more nuclear-powered icebreakers. The icebreakers have 60 MW of power (on shafts) and 40 years of expected service life, with commissioning scheduled for December 2028 and December 2030.

The LK-60 vessels are 'universal' dual-draught (10.5 m with full ballast tanks, minimum 8.55 m), displacing up to 33,540 t (25,450 t without ballast), for use in the Western Arctic year-round and in the eastern Arctic in summer and autumn. They are 173 m long, 34 m wide, and designed to break through 2.8 metre thick ice at up to 2 knots. Top speed is 22 knots. The wider 33 m beam at the waterline is to match the 70,000 tonne ships they are designed to clear a path for, though a few ships with reinforced hulls are already using the Northern Sea Route. There is scope for more use: in 2011, 19,000 ships used the Suez Canal and only about 40 traversed the northern route. This increased in 2013 – see below.

The LK-60 is powered by two RITM-200 reactors of 175 MWt each which together deliver 60 MW at the three propellers via twin turbine-generators and three electric motors. The LK-60 is designed to operate in the western Arctic – in the Barents, Pechora and Kara Seas, as well as in shallow water of the Yenissei river and Ob bay, for year-round pilotage (also as tug) of tankers, dry-cargo ships and vessels with special equipment to mineral resource development sites on the Arctic shelf. The Yamal LNG project is expected to need 200 shipping movements per year from Sabetta at the mouth of the Ob river. The vessel has a smaller crew than its predecessors – only 53. They will replace the older vessels Sovetskiy Soyuz and Yamal.

A more powerful Russian LK-120 (originally LK-110) icebreaker, Project 10510 , Lider ( or Leader ), will be powered by two RITM-400 reactors of 315 MWt each to deliver 120 MW propulsion through four 37 MW turbine-generators, four electric motors and four propellers. It is to be capable of breaking through 4.3 metre thick ice at 2 knots, or 2 m thick ice at 15 knots. It is for deep-sea use in the eastern Arctic and will be 209 m long, 50 m wide and with 13 m draft, with displacement of 69,700 dwt. Each of three planned vessels would have a crew of 127. Since they are too big for the St Petersburg shipyard, they are being built by the Zvezda Shipyard Complex in the Far East Primorye region near Vladivostok. Each vessel is expected to cost RUR 120 billion ($1.8-2.0 billion). A contract for the first one, Rossiya , was signed in April 2020, and the keel was laid in mid-2021. Commissioning is expected in 2028.

The LK-60 is too big for easy operation around the oil and gas fields, so Project 10570 is under development with an LK-40 intended for shallow water and the Arctic shelf, with a range of uses. It will displace 20,700 t and be 152 m long, 31 m wide, draft 8.5 m, using a single RITM-200B reactor of 209 MWt delivering 40 MW at the propellers. The reactor plant mass is 1453 tonnes.

Development of nuclear merchant ships began in the 1950s but on the whole has not been commercially successful. The 22,000 tonne US-built NS Savannah , was commissioned in 1962 and decommissioned eight years later. The reactor used 4.2% and 4.6% enriched uranium. It was a technical success, but not economically viable. It had a 74 MWt reactor delivering 16.4 MW to the propeller, but the reactor was uprated to 80 MWt in 1964. The German-built 15,000 tonne Otto Hahn cargo ship and research facility sailed some 650,000 nautical miles on 126 voyages in 10 years without any technical problems. It had a 36 MWt reactor delivering 8 MW to the propeller. However, it proved too expensive to operate and in 1982 it was converted to diesel.

The 8000 tonne Japanese Mutsu was the third civil vessel, put into service in 1970. It had a 36 MWt reactor delivering 8 MW to the propeller. It was dogged by technical and political problems and was an embarrassing failure. These three vessels used reactors with low-enriched uranium fuel (3.7-4.4% U-235).

In 1988 the NS Sevmorput was commissioned in Russia, mainly to serve northern Siberian ports. It is a 61,900 tonne 260 m long LASH-carrier (taking lighters to ports with shallow water) and container ship with ice-breaking bow capable of breaking 1.5 metres of ice. It is powered by a KLT-40 reactor similar to the OK-900 as used in larger icebreakers, but with only 135 MWt power delivering 32.5 propeller MW. It needed refuelling only once to 2003. It was to be decommissioned about 2014, but Rosatom approved overhauling it and the ship was returned to service in 2015. In 2019 it was used to ship fresh food from the Pacific across the northern sea route to Murmansk.

Russian experience with nuclear powered Arctic ships totals about 400 reactor-years to 2021. In 2008 the Arctic fleet was transferred from the Murmansk Shipping Company under the Ministry of Transport to Atomflot, under Rosatom. This became a commercial enterprise, with the 40% state subsidy of RUR 1262 million in 2011 phased out in 2014.

In August 2010 two Arktika -class icebreakers escorted the 100,000 dwt tanker Baltika , carrying 70,000 tonnes of gas condensate, from Murmansk to China via the Northern Sea Route (NSR), saving some 8000 km compared with the Suez Canal route. In November 2012 the Ob River LNG tanker with 150,000 cubic metres of gas as LNG, chartered by Russia's Gazprom, traversed the northern sea route from Norway to Japan accompanied by nuclear-powered icebreakers, the route cutting 20 days off the normal journey and resulting in less loss of cargo. It has a strengthened hull to cope with the Arctic ice. There are plans to ship iron ore and base metals on the northern sea route also.

In 2013 the Atomflot icebreakers supported freight transportation and emergency rescue operations along the Northern Sea Route (NSR), and freezing northern seas and estuaries of rivers. In the framework of the regulated activity paid for as per rates established by the Federal Tariff Service of Russia (FST), 151 steering operations were carried out for ships with cargo and in ballast to and from ports in the aquatic area of the NSR, including steering of ships with cargo for building Sabetta Port of JSC Yamal SPG to Okskaya Bay and steering of a convoy of Navy ships under a contract with the Ministry of Defence. Over the 2013 summer-autumn navigation season, 71 transit steering operations were carried out, including 25 foreign-flag ships. A total of 1,356,000 tonnes of various cargoes was shipped east and west through the aquatic area of the NSR.

In 2017 the World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO) for the first time carried out a corporate peer review of Atomflot, focused on safety culture. WANO routinely carries out such reviews of nuclear power plants worldwide.

Nuclear power and propulsion systems

Naval reactors (with the exception of the ill-fated Russian Alfa class described below) have been pressurised water types, which differ from commercial reactors producing electricity in that:

  • They deliver a lot of power from a very small volume and therefore most run on highly-enriched uranium (>20% U-235, originally c 97% but apparently now 93% in latest US submarines, c 20-25% in some western vessels, 20% in the first and second generation Russian reactors (1957-81)*, then 21% to 45% in 3rd generation Russian units (40% in India's Arihant ). Newer French reactors run on low-enriched fuel.
  • The fuel is not UO 2 but a uranium-zirconium or uranium-aluminium alloy (c15%U with 93% enrichment, or more U with less – eg 20% – U-235) or a metal-ceramic ( Kursk : U-Al zoned 20-45% enriched, clad in zircaloy, with c 200kg U-235 in each 200 MW core).
  • They have long core lives, so that refuelling is needed only after 10 or more years, and new cores are designed to last 50 years in carriers and 30-40 years (over 1.5 million kilometres) in most submarines, albeit with much lower capacity factors than a nuclear power plant (<30%).
  • The design allows for a compact pressure vessel with internal neutron and gamma shield. The Sevmorput pressure vessel for a relatively large marine reactor is 4.6 m high and 1.8 m diameter, enclosing a core 1 m high and 1.2 m diameter.
  • Thermal efficiency is less than in civil nuclear power plants due to the need for flexible power output, and space constraints for the steam system.
  • There is no soluble boron used in naval reactors (at least US ones) but boron may be a burnable neutron poison in the fuel.
  • A submarine reactor is required to withstand the shock and vibration experienced by all warships in active service due to ocean turbulence and enemy action.

* An IAEA Tecdoc reports discharge assay of early submarine used fuel reprocessed at Mayak being 17% U-235.

The long core life is enabled by the relatively high enrichment of the uranium and by incorporating a 'burnable poison' such as gadolinium – which is progressively depleted as fission products and actinides accumulate and fissile material is used up. These accumulating poisons and fissile reduction would normally cause reduced fuel efficiency, but the two effects cancel one another out.

However, the enrichment level for newer French naval fuel has been dropped to 7.5% U-235, the fuel being known as 'Caramel', originally developed for research reactors and providing the possibility for greater fuel density, so helping to minimize the increased size of an LEU-fuelled core. It needs to be changed every ten years or so, but avoids the need for a specific military enrichment line, and some reactors will be smaller versions of those on the Charles de Gaulle . In 2006 the Defence Ministry announced that Barracuda class submarines would use fuel with "civilian enrichment, identical to that of EdF power plants," about 5% enriched, and certainly marks a major change there.

Long-term integrity of the compact reactor pressure vessel is maintained by providing an internal neutron shield. (This is in contrast to early Soviet civil PWR designs where embrittlement occurs due to neutron bombardment of a very narrow pressure vessel.)

The Russian, US, and British navies rely on steam turbine propulsion, the French and Chinese in submarines use the turbine to generate electricity for propulsion.

Russian ballistic missile submarines as well as all surface ships since the Enterprise are powered by two reactors. Other submarines (except some Russian attack subs) are powered by one. A new Russian test-bed submarine is diesel-powered but has a very small nuclear reactor for auxiliary power.

Early Russian submarines were powered by VM-A PWRs using 20-21% enriched uranium fuel and producing 70 MWt. These had full-power core life of 1440 hours. The VM-2 then VM-4 reactors, also using 20% enriched fuel and most producing 90 MWt, followed it in second-generation Russian submarines, with twin units in larger vessels. Twin VM-5 PWRs, each 190 MWt and delivering 37 shaft MW, powered the third-generation SSBN vessels, with a single unit in the SSNs. The small Losharik submarine (Project 210, AS-12) is a specialist vessel capable of reaching great depths and has an E-17 PWR reactor.

Seven Russian Alfa- class submarines had a single liquid metal-cooled BM-40A or OK-550 fast neutron reactor of 155 MWt and using very highly enriched uranium – 90% enriched in U-Be fuel. The steam generator delivered 30 shaft MW. These vessels with titanium hulls were very fast, but had operational problems in ensuring that the lead-bismuth coolant did not freeze (at 125°C) when the reactor was shut down. Reactors had to be kept running, even in harbour, since the external heating provision did not work. The design was unsuccessful and all the vessels were retired early – the lead vessel in 1974 and all but one of the others in 1990. The reactor of the last vessel to be retired (K-123, redesignated B-123 in 1992) was replaced with a VM-4 PWR following a 1982 accident where liquid metal coolant leaked into the steam generator.

Russia’s K-27 was an experimental predecessor to the Alfa class with twin VT-1 or RM-1 lead-bismuth cooled reactors. After a few years' service it suffered a multi-fatality reactor accident in 1968, was laid up at Gremikha Bay, then scuttled in 1979. It now needs to be raised and dismantled there.

Russian cruisers have used twin KN-3 reactors of 300 MWt.

The US Navy's 1955 Nautilus had a S2W PWR with 93%-enriched fuel, 900-hour core life at full power delivering 10 MW shaft power. Its second nuclear submarine, USS Seawolf, SSN-575, had a sodium-cooled S2G power plant and operated for nearly two years (1957-58) with this. The intermediate-spectrum reactor raised its incoming coolant temperature over ten times as much as the Nautilus ' water-cooled plant, providing superheated steam, and it offered an outlet temperature of 454°C, compared with the Nautilus’ 305°C. It was highly efficient, but offsetting this, the plant had serious operational disadvantages. Large electric heaters were required to keep the plant warm when the reactor was down to avoid the sodium freezing. The biggest problem was that the sodium became highly radioactive, with a half-life of 15 hours, so that the whole reactor system had to be more heavily shielded than a water-cooled plant, and the reactor compartment couldn’t be entered for many days after shutdown. The reactor was replaced with a PWR type (S2Wa) similar to Nautilus .

For many years the Los Angeles -class submarines built 1972-96 formed the backbone of the US SSN (attack) fleet, and 62 were built. They are 7000 dwt submerged, and have a 165 MW GE S6G reactor driving two 26 MW steam turbines. No refuelling is required for the 33-year service life. About one-third of these are now retired.

The Seawolf SSN in service from 1997 has an S6N reactor driving 34 MW pump-jet propulsion. They are about 9300 dwt submerged and require no refuelling during their 30-year service life. Only three (of 29 planned) were built to 1995, due to the high cost – $3.5 billion each.

The smaller US Virginia -class SSN submarine first commissioned in 2004 has has a S9G reactor of about 210 MWt driving a 30 MW pump-jet propulsion system built by BAE Systems (originally for the Royal Navy). The reactor does not need refuelling for the 33-year service life and can operate with convection circulation without pumps. The vessels are about 7900 dwt submerged, and 19 were in operation by mid-2021, with more being built – a total of 28 from initial contracts. In 2019 ten larger Block V versions (25 m longer, 10,800 dwt) were ordered for delivery 2025-29, costing $22.2 billion for the first nine. These are effectively a new class. 

The 14 US Ohio -class SSBNs (and four converted to SSGNs for guided missiles) have a single S8G nuclear reactor of 220 MWt delivering 45 MW shaft power. These require mid-life refuelling at about 25 years. The 12 slightly larger Columbia class to replace these will require no refuelling, hence shorter mid-life maintenance (2 years instead of 4). They will have an S1B nuclear reactor with electric drive (without reduction gears) and pump jet propulsion. They have been developed in collaboration with the UK, which will deploy them as Dreadnought -class SSBNs.

In April 2021 BWX Technologies was awarded $2.2 billion in contracts for reactor components for Virginia - and Columbia -class vessels, over eight years. 

Unlike PWRs, boiling water reactors (BWRs) circulate water which is radioactive* outside the reactor compartment, and are also considered too noisy for submarine use.

* Radioactivity in the cooling water flowing through the core is mainly the activation product nitrogen-16, formed by neutron capture from oxygen. N-16 has a half-life on only 7 seconds but produces high-energy gamma radiation during decay.

Reactor power ranges from 10 MWt (in a prototype) up to 200 MWt in the larger submarines and 300 MWt in surface ships such as the Kirov -class battle cruisers. A figure of 550 MWt each is quoted for two A4W units in Nimitz- class carriers, and these supply 104 shaft MW each ( USS Enterprise had eight A2W units of 26 shaft MW and was refuelled three times). The Gerald Ford -class carriers have more powerful and simpler A1B reactors* reported to be at least 25% more powerful than A4W, hence about 700 MWt, but running a ship which apart from the steam turbnine propulsion is entirely electrical, including an electromagnetic aircraft launch system or catapult. Accordingly, the ship has about three times the electrical capacity of Nimitz -class. Ford -class A1B reactors are designed to be refuelled in mid-operational life of 50 years.

* This is a ‘Bechtel’ reactor since it has taken over Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory from Westinghouse, and Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory from GE. These have always provided naval power reactors.

The smallest nuclear submarines are the six French Rubis -class attack submarines (2600 dwt) in service since 1983, and these use a CAS48 reactor, a 48 MW integral PWR reactor from Technicatome (now Areva TA) with 7% enriched fuel that requires refuelling every 7-10 years.

The French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle (38,000 dwt), commissioned in 2000, has two K15 integral PWR units of 150 MWt scaled up from the CAS48 design driving 61 MW Alstom turbines and the system can provide five years running at 25 knots before refuelling.

The Le Triomphant class of ballistic missile submarines (14,335 dwt submerged – the last launched in 2008) uses these K15 naval PWRs of 150 MWt and 32 shaft MW with electric drive and pump-jet propulsion and operating cycle 20-25 years.

The Barracuda -class (5300 dwt submerged) or Suffren -class attack submarines have hybrid propulsion: electric for normal use and pump-jet for higher speeds. Areva TA (formerly Technicatome) supplies 150 MWt reactors based on the K15 for the six Barracuda submarines, delivering about 21.5 MW shaft power. The first was due to be commissioned in 2020. Refuelling interval is about ten years. As noted above, they will use low-enriched fuel – about 5-6%.

nuclear powered yacht

French integral PWR system for submarine (steam generator within reactor pressure vessel)

UK: The Rolls-Royce PWR1 of about 78 MWt was used to power the first 23 British nuclear submarines. It was based on the Westinghouse S5W reactor, one of which was provided by the US Navy in 1958 under a mutual defence agreement. The PWR1 with high-enriched fuel required refuelling every ten years or so. The four British Vanguard -class ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs) of 15,900 dwt submerged have a single PWR2 reactor with two steam turbines driving a single pump jet of 20.5 MW, implying a reactor power of about 145 MWt.

UK Astute -class attack submarines of 7400 dwt submerged also have a PWR2 reactor of 145 MWt driving two steam turbines and a single pump-jet of 20.5 MW. The first of seven vessels was commissioned in 2010, and five were delivered by mid-2021 at a cost of £1.65 billion each. New versions of this with 'Core H' will require no refuelling over the life of the vessel, about 25 years*. In March 2011 a safety assessment of the PWR2 design was released showing the need for improvement, though they have capacity for passive cooling to effect decay heat removal.

* Rolls-Royce claims that the Core H PWR2 has six times the (undisclosed) power of its original PWR1 and runs four times as long. The Core H is Rolls-Royce's sixth-generation submarine reactor core.

The PWR3 for the  Vanguard  replacement  Dreadnought -class SSBNs will be largely a US design – presumably based on the 210 MWt S9G in the  Virginia -class – but using UK technology. It will be more expensive to build but cheaper to maintain than the PWR2. All UK submarine reactors use highly-enriched fuel, obtained from the USA.

Russia: Since 1959 Russia has used four generations of PWRs in its civil fleet:

  • OK-150 in the Lenin until 1966 (3x90 MWt).
  • OK-900 subsequently in the Lenin (2x159 MWt), OK-900A in the main Arktika -class icebreaker fleet (2x171 MWt).
  • KLT-40 in the Sevmorput (1x135 MWt), KLT-40M in two Tamyr class icebreakers (1x171 MWt), and KLT-40S (2x35 MWe) in the Akademik Lomonosov floating nuclear power plant (FNPP).
  • RITM-200 in the LK-60 generation of icebreakers (2x175 MWt), RITM-200M in the second generation FNPP (2x50-55 MWe), and the RITM-400 under development for LK-120 icebreakers (2x315 MWt). The RITM-200B (209 MWt) is also being developed for smaller icebreakers.

The OK series of reactors was developed separately from VVER power reactors, by OKBM Afrikantov. They were originally designed not to be refuelled. The KLT and RITM designs are also from OKBM-Afrikantov.

Russia's main submarine power plant is the VM-5 PWR with OK-650 steam generator unit of 190 MWt, using 20-45% enriched fuel. This set-up is usually known simply as an OK-650 nuclear power system. The large ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs) and cruise missile submarines have two of these with steam turbines together delivering 74 MW, and its third-generation attack submarines (SSN) have a single VM-5 plus OK-650 unit powering a 32 MW steam turbine.

The fourth-generation  Borei -class SSBN with single 195 MWt OK-650 power plant is the first Russian design to use pump-jet propulsion. A fifth generation naval reactor is reported to be a super-critical type (SCWR) with single steam circuit and expected to run 30 years without refuelling. A full-scale prototype was being tested early in 2013.

Russia’s Project 885 Yasen-M class SSGN is said to be equivalent to the US Virginia class and will replace the Akula class. It is 13,800 dwt displacement and has a KTP-6 nuclear reactor of about 200 MW, an integral PWR. The Yasen class used a OK-650 system.

Russia's large Arktika -class icebreakers launched 1975-2007 use two OK-900A (essentially KLT-40M) nuclear reactors of 171 MW each with 241 or 274 fuel assemblies of 45-75% enriched fuel as U-Zr alloy and 3-4 year refuelling interval. They drive steam turbines and each produces up to 33 MW at the propellers, though overall propulsive power is about 54 MW. The two Tamyr class icebreakers have a single 171 MW KLT-40M reactor giving 35 MW propulsive power. Sevmorput uses one 135 MW KLT-40 unit producing 32.5 MW propulsive, and all those use 90% enriched fuel. (The now-retired Lenin's first OK-150 reactors used 5% enriched fuel but were replaced by OK-900 units with 45-75% enriched fuel.)

Most of the Arktika -class vessels have had operating life extensions based on engineering knowledge built up from experience with Arktika itself. It was originally designed for 100,000 hours of reactor life, but this was extended first to 150,000 hours, then to 175,000 hours. In practice this equated to a lifespan of eight extra years of operation on top of the design period of 25. In that time, Arktika covered more than 1 million nautical miles.

For the next LK-60 generation of Russian icebreakers, OKBM Afrikantov developed a new reactor – RITM-200 – to replace the KLT design. Under Project 22220 this is an integral 175 MWt, 53 MWe PWR with inherent safety features and using low-enriched uranium fuel (almost 20%) in 199 cermet fuel assemblies. Two reactors drive two turbine generators and then three electric motors powering the propellers, producing 60 MW propulsive power. Refuelling cycle quoted at 6-7 years, or at 65% capacity factor refuelling is every 7-10 years, overhaul at 20 years, over a 60-year operating lifetime. TVEL started making the fuel in 2016, with 4.5 TWh service life from each load (which would be 42% capacity over 7 years), but in 2020 the quoted service life is 7 TWh or 75,000 hours. The mass of two units is 2200 tonnes. The first icebreaker to be equipped with these ( Arktika , named after the lead Arktika-class icebreaker) was launched in 2016 and finished commissioning in 2020. The design concept allows for a third reactor to feed into motive power. The reactors with four integral steam generators (12 cassettes) are made by ZiO-Podolsk.

The RITM-200B is a version for single use in smaller icebreakers. It is 209 MWt and produces 40 MW propulsive power. Its dimensions are 6x7x16 metres and mass is 1453 tonnes. Service life is 40 years.

The barge-based version is the RITM-200M (see floating nuclear power plants section below). The land-based version is the RITM-200N.

The integral RITM-400 reactors powering the LK-120 icebreakers will be 315 MWt, 120 MWe each with two delivering 120 MW propulsion through four electric motors. Core energy content is 6.0 TWh over service life before renovation at 160,000 hours, with 10-year refuelling interval. The fuel is a new design.* The reactor plant mass will be 3920 tonnes for two and their containment will be 8.2 x 9 x 17 metres each. Service life is 40 years.

* Rosatom reports: "Unlike RITM-200 reactors that have hexagonal fuel assemblies with spacer grids and cylindrical fuel rods, RITM-400 units will have a channel-type core with cylindrical-shaped fuel assemblies and self-spacing complex-profile fuel elements."

The KLT-40S is a four-loop version of the icebreaker reactor for floating nuclear power plants which runs on low-enriched uranium (<20%) and has a bigger core (1.3 m high instead of 1.0 m) and a shorter refuelling interval of 3-4.5 years. A variant of this is the KLT-20, specifically designed for floating nuclear power plants. It is a two-loop version with the same enrichment but a 10-year refuelling interval.

OKBM has supplied 460 nuclear reactors for the Russian navy, and these have operated more than 6500 reactor-years.

Russia’s planned Shtorm aircraft carrier (Project 23000) will be fitted with RITM-200 reactors.

China developed its first submarine nuclear power plant in the 1970s, with some Russian help. The two-loop 300 MWe Qinshan reactor commissioned in 1994 is said to be based on early submarine reactors. The Type 91 Han -class SSN and Type 92 Xia class had a single PWR of about 58 MWt, probably based on Russia’s OK-150 and delivering about 8.2 MW shaft power. The Type 93 Shang -class SSN and Type 94 Jin -class SSBN have one or two PWRs of about 150-175 MWt total delivering about 25 MW shaft power. The Type 95 SSN and Type 96 Tang -class SSBN have improved reactors possibly with reverse-engineering from US civil equipment, but little is known of them. At least in earlier reactors, China is believed to use low-enriched uranium fuel.

India's Arihant (6000 dwt) SSBN has an 82.5 MWe PWR using 40% enriched uranium driving one or two 35 MW steam turbines and delivering about 12 MW shaft power. It has 13 fuel assemblies each with 348 fuel rods, and was built indigenously. The reactor went critical in August 2013. A 20 MW prototype unit had operated for several years from 2003. Further vessels in the class are expected to have a 100 MWt PWR reactor.

Brazil's navy was proposing to build an 11 MWt prototype PWR by 2014 to operate for about eight years, with a view to a full-sized PWR version – 2131-R of 48 MWt – using low-enriched uranium being in its 6000 tonne, 100 m long SNBR submarine to be launched by 2025. Apparently none of these plans have proceeded very far. Argentina’s Bariloche Atomic Centre is considering similar plans, for a TR-1700 submarine with nuclear power.

UK nuclear submarine layout

Dismantling decommissioned nuclear-powered submarines has become a major task for US and Russian navies. After defuelling, normal practice is to cut the reactor section from the vessel for disposal in shallow land burial as low-level waste (the rest being recycled normally). In Russia the whole vessels, or the sealed reactor sections, sometimes remain stored afloat indefinitely, though Western-funded programmes are addressing this and all decommissioned submarines were due to be dismantled by 2012. By 2015, 195 out of 201 decommissioned Russian submarines had been dismantled, and the remainder as well as 14 support vessels were to be dismantled by 2020. Decommissioned British submarines are laid up, France has dismantled several of its retired submarines at Cherbourg.

For the USS Enterprise , after defuelling was completed in December 2016, the eight reactor compartments and associated piping were removed and shipped to Hanford for burial with the submarine reactor compartments.

Marine reactors used for power supply, floating nuclear power plants

A marine reactor was used to supply power (1.5 MWe) to a US Antarctic base for ten years to 1972, testing the feasibility of such air-portable units for remote locations.

Between 1967 and 1976 an ex-army US Liberty ship of about 12,000 tonnes built in 1945, the Sturgis (originally Charles H. Cugle ) functioned as a floating nuclear power plant (FNPP), designation MH-1A, 
moored on Gatun Lake, Panama Canal Zone. It had a 45 MWt/10 MWe (net) single-loop PWR which used low-enriched uranium (4-7%). It used 541 kg of U-235 over ten years and provided power to the Canal Zone for nine years at 54% capacity factor. The propulsion unit of the original ship was removed and the entire midsection replaced with a 350 t steel containment vessel and concrete collision barriers, making it about 2.5 m wider than the rest of the ship, now essentially a barge. The containment vessel contained not only the reactor unit itself but the primary and secondary coolant circuits and electrical systems for the reactor.

There are credible anecdotal reports that decommissioned Russian nuclear submarines have been used to provide electricity for remote communities and for oil exploration companies in Siberian Arctic regions, probably in the 1980s. 

In the 1970s Westinghouse in alliance with Newport News shipyard developed an Offshore Power Systems (OPS) concept, with series production envisaged at Jacksonville, Florida. In 1972 two 1210 MWe units were ordered by utility PSEG for offshore Atlantic City or Brigantine, New Jersey, but the order was cancelled in 1978. By the time NRC approval was granted in 1982 for building up to eight plants, there were no customers and Westinghouse closed down its OPS division. Westinghouse and Babcock & Wilcox are reported to be revisiting the concept.

Floating power plants are well-established, especially around Africa. Turkish company Karpowership has 25 such vessels supplying over 4000 MWe and with more than 54 GWh delivered. The largest powerships supply 470 MWe.

Russia has built at St Petersburg the first of a series of floating power plants for its northern and far eastern territories. Two OKBM KLT-40S reactors derived from those in icebreakers, but with low-enriched fuel (less than 20% U-235), are mounted on a 21,500 tonne, 144 m long  barge. The refuelling interval is 3-4 years onsite, and at the end of a 12-year operating cycle the whole plant is returned to a shipyard for a two-year overhaul and storage of used fuel, before being returned to service. This first unit is designated as a floating power unit (FPU) to take in the cogeneration aspect supplying 210 GJ/h for desalination (40,000 to 240,000 m 3 /d capacity claimed). See also information paper on Nuclear Power in Russia .

Second-generation Russian FNPPs, known as Optimised Floating Power Units (OFPUs), will have two 175 MWt, 50 MWe RITM-200M reactor units, each with 241 fuel assemblies in a larger reactor vessel. These are lighter but more powerful than the KLT-40S, and thus on a smaller barge – 12,000 tonnes, rather than almost twice that. The mass of both reactor units is 2600 tonnes. Refuelling will be every 12 years over a 60-year service life. They can each supply 730 GJ/h thermal power. Four of these have been ordered to supply 330 MWe to the Baimskaya copper mining project south of Bilibino and Pevek from 2028.

China has two projects for FNPPs. In October 2015 the Nuclear Power Institute of China (NPIC), a China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) subsidiary, signed an agreement with UK-based Lloyd's Register to support the development of a floating nuclear power plant using CNNC’s ACP100S reactor, a marine version of the multi-purpose ACP100. Its 310 MWt produces about 100 MWe, and it has 57 fuel assemblies 2.15 m tall and integral steam generators (287°C), so that the whole steam supply system is produced and shipped as a single reactor module. It has passive cooling for decay heat removal. It has been subject to the IAEA Generic Reactor Safety Review process. Following approval by the NDRC as part of the 13th Five-Year Plan for innovative energy technologies, CNNC had planned to start building its ACP100S demonstration floating nuclear plant in 2016, for 2019 operation, but this has been delayed. Lloyd's Register will develop safety guidelines and regulations as well as nuclear standards consistent with offshore and international marine regulations.

China General Nuclear Power Group (CGN) announced in January 2016 that development of its ACPR50S reactor design was approved by the NDRC as part of the 13th Five-Year Plan for innovative energy technologies. Construction of the first demonstration FNPP started in November 2016, with electricity generation expected to begin in 2020. CGN then signed an agreement with China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) apparently to provide power for offshore oil and gas exploration and production, and to “push forward the organic integration of the offshore oil industry and the nuclear power industry,” according to CNOOC. The ACPR50S is 200 MWt, 60 MWe with 37 fuel assemblies and two loops feeding four external steam generators. Reactor pressure vessel is 7.4m high and 2.5 m inside diameter, operating at 310°C.

Earlier, SNERDI in Shanghai was designing a CAP-FNPP reactor. This was to be 200 MWt and relatively low-temperature (250°C), so only about 40 MWe with two external steam generators and five-year refuelling. This project has probably given way to the CNNC/NPIC one, though the reactor is similar to CGN’s ACPR50S.

In South Korea, KEPCO Engineering & Construction is developing the BANDI-60S as a 200 MWt/60 MWe two-loop PWR particularly for floating nuclear power plants. In September 2020 KEPCO signed an agreement with Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering to develop offshore nuclear power plants. The BANDI-60S is described as ‘block type’ with the external steam generators connected directly nozzle-to-nozzle. Initially the SGs are conventional U-tube, but KEPCO is working on a plate and shell design which will greatly reduce their size. Apart from the SGs, most main components including control rod drives are within the pressure vessel. Primary pumps are canned motor, and decay heat removal is passive. There are 52 conventional fuel assemblies, giving 35 GWd/t burn-up with 48-60 month fuel cycle. Burnable absorbers are used instead of soluble boron. Design operating lifetime is 60 years. The reactor vessel is 11.2 m high and 2.8 m diameter. In October 2023 the American Bureau of Shipping issued an in-principle approval for the nuclear power barge design.

Canadian commercial marine nuclear power developer Prodigy Clean Energy signed an agreement with NuScale Power in May 2021 to support business opportunities for a marine-deployed power station using the NuScale SMR. This followed three years of cooperation on conceptual design and economic assessment for floating nuclear power plants. 

Future prospects

With increasing attention being given to greenhouse gas emissions arising from burning fossil fuels for international air and marine transport, particularly dirty bunker fuel for the latter, and the excellent safety record of nuclear-powered ships, it is quite conceivable that renewed attention will be given to marine nuclear powered ships, it is likely that there will be renewed interest in marine nuclear propulsion. The world's merchant shipping is reported to have a total power capacity of 410 GWt, about one-third that of world nuclear power plants.

With a new focus on powering ships with hydrogen or ammonia, nuclear power also has a potential role in providing the hydrogen. See information page on Hydrogen Production and Uses .

Container ships deliver around 90% of all goods globally. With around 53,000 merchant vessels, the global shipping industry is one of the largest greenhouse gas emitters globally, producing approximately 1 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) – while consuming around 6% of the total global oil production annually – accounting for about 3% of all greenhouse gas emissions. As the graph below shows, if the global shipping industry were a country, it would be the sixth largest emitter of CO 2 globally.

Annual highest carbon dioxide  emissions by country 2020

Annual highest CO₂ emissions by country 2020

In 2018 the International Maritime Organization (IMO) adopted the aim of reducing greenhouse gas emissions from shipping by 50% by 2050, compared with 2008. It estimated that shipping accounted for 2.6% of the world CO 2 emissions. In 2017 global bunkering totalled 8.9 EJ, with 82% being heavy fuel oil and the balance marine gas oil and diesel. In 2018 the global shipping fleet had a capacity of 2 Gt and it transported 8.9 Gt of freight. Russia’s 61,900 tonne Sevmorput is the only nuclear-powered freighter in service.

The head of the large Chinese shipping company Cosco suggested in December 2009 that container ships should be powered by nuclear reactors in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from shipping. He said that Cosco was in talks with China's nuclear authority to develop nuclear powered freight vessels. However, in 2011 Cosco aborted the study after three years, following the Fukushima accident.

In 2010 Babcock International's marine division completed a study on developing a nuclear-powered LNG tanker (which requires considerable auxiliary power as well as propulsion). The study indicated that particular routes and cargoes lent themselves well to the nuclear propulsion option, and that technological advances in reactor design and manufacture had made the option more appealing.

In November 2010 the British maritime classification society Lloyd's Register embarked upon a two-year study with US-based Hyperion Power Generation (now Gen4 Energy), British vessel designer BMT Group, and Greek ship operator Enterprises Shipping and Trading SA "to investigate the practical maritime applications for small modular reactors." The research was to produce a concept tanker-ship design, based on a 70 MWt reactor such as Hyperion's. Hyperion (Gen4 Energy) had a three-year contract with the other parties in the consortium, which planned to have the tanker design certified in as many countries as possible. The project included research on a comprehensive regulatory framework led by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), and supported by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and regulators in countries involved.

In response to its members' interest in nuclear propulsion, Lloyd's Register has rewritten its 'rules' for nuclear ships, which concern the integration of a reactor certified by a land-based regulator with the rest of the ship.* The overall rationale of the rulemaking process assumes that in contrast to the current marine industry practice where the designer/builder typically demonstrates compliance with regulatory requirements, in the future the nuclear regulators will wish to ensure that it is the operator of the nuclear plant that demonstrates safety in operation, in addition to the safety through design and construction. Nuclear ships are currently the responsibility of their own countries, but none are involved in international trade. Lloyd's Register said it expected to "see nuclear ships on specific trade routes sooner than many people currently anticipate."

* Chapter VIII of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), 1974 gives basic requirements for nuclear-powered ships. In 1981 the IMO adopted the Code of Safety for Nuclear Merchant Ships, Resolution A.491(XII), which is still extant and could be updated.

In 2014 two papers on commercial nuclear marine propulsion were published* arising from this international industry project led by Lloyd's Register. They review past and recent work in the area of marine nuclear propulsion and describe a preliminary concept design study for a 155,000 dwt Suezmax tanker that is based on a conventional hull form with alternative arrangements for accommodating a 70 MWt nuclear propulsion plant delivering up to 23.5 MW shaft power at maximum continuous rating (average: 9.75 MW). The Gen4Energy power module is considered. This is a small fast neutron reactor using lead-bismuth eutectic cooling and able to operate for ten full-power years before refuelling, and in service last for a 25-year operational life of the vessel. They conclude that the concept is feasible, but further maturity of nuclear technology and the development and harmonisation of the regulatory framework would be necessary before the concept would be viable.

* Hirdaris et al, 2014.

In 2021 it was suggested that modular molten salt reactors of about 100 MWt would be particularly suitable for marine propulsion due to ambient operating pressure and low-enriched fuel. Shipping company X-Press Feeders has invested in UK-based Core Power , which is promoting modular molten salt reactors for marine propulsion. Since 2020 Core Power has been involved with Southern Company and Terrapower in the USA developing the molten chloride fast reactor as a marine MSR which would never require refuelling during its operational life.

In June 2021 Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) announced that it would partner with Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) to develop compact molten salt reactors to power ships as well as market offshore power plants. In January 2023 SHI completed a conceptual design for the CMSR Power Barge – a floating nuclear power plant based on compact molten salt reactors. The design of between 200 MWe and 800 MWe, developed by Danish company Seaborg Technologies, would have an operational lifetime of 24 years. SHI plans to commercialize the CMSR Power Barge by 2028.

Apart from naval use, where frequency of refuelling is a major consideration, nuclear power seems most immediately promising for the following:

  • Large bulk carriers that go back and forth constantly on few routes between dedicated ports – e.g. China to South America and NW Australia. They could be powered by a reactor delivering 100 MW thrust.
  • Cruise liners, which have demand curves like a small town. A 70 MWe unit could give base-load and charge batteries, with a smaller diesel unit supplying the peaks. (The largest afloat today – Oasis class, with 100,000 t displacement – has about 60 MW shaft power derived from almost 100 MW total power plant.)
  • Nuclear tugs, to take conventional ships across oceans.
  • Some kinds of bulk shipping, where speed may be essential.

In mid-2021 the World Nuclear Transport Institute (WNTI) announced the launch of the Maritime Applications & Nuclear Propulsion Working Group, to discuss and develop rules frameworks for the deployment of next-generation reactors at sea. This is to include nuclear propulsion, floating nuclear power plants, offshore small modular reactors used for hydrogen production and maritime transport of SMRs.

There is a school of thought which says that using nuclear reactors to power ships raises too many questions around port access and security, so the main role of nuclear power for shipping is to make hydrogen and ammonia as carbon-free fuels. One estimate is that producing enough ammonia to fuel the world’s container ships and bulk carriers would require 2300 TWh/yr, nearly as much as total nuclear generation today and more than total wind generation.  

The OECD International Energy Agency's Energy Technology Perspectives 2020 in its Sustainable Development Scenario projects about 12% of marine transport being fuelled by hydrogen and 55% by ammonia by 2070, mostly in internal combustion engines rather than fuel cells, with these fuels increasing slowly from 2030 and more rapidly from 2050. Fuel cells with hydrogen are likely to be confined to short-range shipping due to storage costs.

In October 2020 Canadian Nuclear Laboratories was awarded a contract by Transport Canada to develop its Marine-Zero Fuel (MaZeF) assessment tool to analyse the energy ecosystem of marine transport. This to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in line with the IMO 2018 target ( i.e. a 50% reduction by 2050, compared with 2008). It will include different technologies that can be used for the production, storage and handling of hydrogen for marine vessels.

Notes & references

General sources.

Jane's Fighting Ships, 1999-2000 edition J Simpson 1995, Nuclear Power from Underseas to Outer Space , American Nuclear Society The Safety of Nuclear Powered Ships , 1992 Report of NZ Special Committee on Nuclear Propulsion Rawool-Sullivan et al 2002, Technical and proliferation-related aspects of the dismantlement of Russian Alfa-class submarines, Nonproliferation Review , Spring 2002 Honerlah, H.B. & Hearty, B.P., 2002, Characterisation of the nuclear barge Sturgis, WM’02 conf, Tucson C. Thompson, Recovering the Kursk, Nuclear Engineering International  (December 2003) Mitenkov F.M. et al 2003, Prospects for using nuclear power systems in commercial ships in Northern Russia, Atomic Energy 94, 4 Hirdaris S.E et al , 2014, Considerations on the potential use of Nuclear Small Modular Reactor (SMR) technology for merchant marine propulsion, Ocean Engineering 79, 101-130 Hirdaris S.E et al , 2014, Concept design for a Suezmax tanker powered by a 70 MW small modular reactor, Trans RINA 156, A1, Intl J Maritime Eng, Jan-Mar 2014 Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program, Office of Naval Reactors, Occupational Radiation Exposure From Naval Reactors’ Department of Energy Facilities , Report NT-14-3, May 2014 Rosatom 2013 Annual Report US Navy propulsion systems Ford class aircraft carriers Naval Aviation Enterprise Air Plan Newsletter 33, Nov 2013 Ole Reistad & Povl Ølgaard, Russian Nuclear Power Plants for Marine Applications , NKS (Nordic Nuclear Safety Research), April 2006 Vladimir Artisiuk, Rosatom Technical Academy (Rosatom Tech), SMR Technology Development in Russia and Capacity Building Supports for Embarking Countries, presented at the IAEA Technical Meeting on Technology Assessment of Small Modular Reactors for Near Term Deployment held on 2-5 October 2017 in Tunis, Tunisia Viktor Merkulov, Analysis of advanced nuclear technologies applicable in the Russian Arctic , IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, Volume 180, conference 1, 012020 (August 2018) Joint Stock Company 'Afrikantov OKB Mechanical Engineering', RITM brochure (2018) Peter Lobner, 60 Years of Marine Nuclear Power: 1955-2015 , Part 4: Other Nuclear Marine Nations (August 2015) Peter Lobner, Marine Nuclear Power: 1939-2018, Part 2A, United States - Submarines (July 2018) Jeremy Gordon, Propelling Decarbonisation , Nuclear Engineering International (February 2021) Modular Molten Salt Nuclear Power for Maritime Propulsion , The Maritime Executive (14 May 2021) Magdi Ragheb, Nuclear Naval Propulsion (September 2011) Thomas Nilsen, Nuclear Reactors in Arctic Russia , The Barents Observer (June 2019) Navy Virginia (SSN-774) Class Attack Submarine Procurement: Background and Issues , Congressional Research Service (19 October 2021)

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Because as radical as the design is – this cantilevered observation deck, that glassy spherical superstructure – the role of the Earth 300 is truly revolutionary.

Founder and CEO Aaron Oliveira found his calling in avant-garde cruise ships when he visited the Maldives in 2015.

Taking time off from his day job, developing upmarket tourist resorts, Oliveira went scuba diving and was heartbroken to see the man-made bleaching of coral reefs for the first time. Realizing in an instant that ‘the world doesn’t need another resort’, he challenges himself to work to inspire civilization in the fight against climate change.

Oliveira envisions an iconically beautiful floating science hub, where cutting-edge experiments by the world’s most ingenious researchers take place in a super-prime luxury environment. How can such a craft be funded?

Oliveira’s daily stock in the business, by wealthy tourists. And he’s gambling that 2025 will well fall upon itself for the chance to celebrate the holiday in the presence of scientific greatness.

That’s what this mildly sinister circle on the back is all about – a thirteen-story science section, consisting of 22 state-of-the-art laboratories that conduct cutting-edge research in a variety of disciplines such as climate science, AI . Medicine, and marine biology.

Naturally, customized equipment has been decked out along with the latest gear like 3D printers to prepare. A fleet of underwater ships tucked into their slender hulls will help 160 scientists gather data, while one of the first working quantum computers – arguably the first ocean model – will crunch the numbers.

The international media, the theory goes, will be so moved by this seafaring faculty that it will help inspire a wave of bold thinking on climate change.

When success after success is shared with individuals and institutions through Earth300’s generous open-source data-sharing model, the discussion will spread. But the ship’s complement won’t be the only white-coated nerds on test tubes.

Banking each trip will be 40 or so high-rollers, who will spend $3 million for the privilege of a ten-day cruise in the lavish suites of Earth 300, each with a plush balcony. There will also be separate cabins for the crew and staff of wealthy passengers.

A more modest class of lucky VIPs – or ‘Very Interesting People’, as Earth 300’s breathless press release calls it – will ride for free.

Oliveira aspires for artists, activists, explorers, economists, and students alike to take their place at the dinner table with resident boffins and billionaires. Imagine Greta Thunberg hooking up with Obama while Elon Musk has a drink.

Anyway, designer Evan Salas Jefferson hopes his diverse guests thrown together in such a spectacular setting will collectively be nothing less than an ‘alchemist of global solutions’.

Apart from Earth’s fleet of 300 experiments – perhaps no different than the kind you’d find on the International Space Station – the ship itself would represent a giant leap forward in maritime architecture.

Quantum computing at sea is an ambitious enough prospect in itself. But the vessel’s power plant – a so-called ‘molten salt reactor’ – would be a game-changer if they pulled it off.

Viewed by some – the Bill Gates -funded firm TerraPower – as a potentially revolutionary technology , the molten salt reactor holds the promise of safe nuclear power for power-hungry self-contained applications. Like big fancy ships.

The molten salt reactor has few moving parts, and almost no cost is incurred, which makes it far safer than conventional nuclear power plants. It also assisted operating at normal, ambient atmospheric pressure.

This means that several tons of heavy external nuclear hardware can be removed. If Oliveira and his team successfully manage this one aspect of their plan, it will serve as compelling proof of concept and inspire much-needed decarbonization in the marine economy.

Which, for context, is currently responsible for over a billion tons of CO2 emissions every year. So how excited should we really be? Critics say the Earth 300’s onboard quantum computer isn’t worth the trouble.

Especially now, when high-speed satellite connections and remote data centers provide more than enough processing power at a significantly lower cost. The notion that any government would approve a civilian boat with a nuclear reactor is also a bit hypothetical.

New Zealand, for one, banned nuclear-powered craft in 1984. Laboratories certainly need to rest frequently, a time-consuming logistical headache on a ship that will likely earn most of its life on a distant stay.

Earth 300s First Voyage, As You Ask, is a deluxe circumnavigation of Antarctica. Other skeptics take a peek at Oliveira’s ambitious schedule.

His project has some tough engineering hurdles that have to be overcome in less than five years. And there’s the cost, which Oliver’s team believes will be no more than $700 million, but experienced nuclear hands think closer to $3 billion.

Nevertheless, legitimate backers such as IBM have temporarily aligned themselves with the mission. And with basically every single climate scientist shouting that the time for action is now, this kind of big-ticket out-of-the-box thinking should probably be encouraged.

As the non-Russian Aaron Oliver himself puts it: ‘We are living at a pivotal moment in human history, facing the greatest challenge to civilization since the beginning of mankind.’

‘We believe that scientists deserve to be treated like rock stars – because they are. ‘Imagine an object that propels people around the planet … capturing people’s attention but also their hearts and imaginations. ‘Where we come together and solve problems… a place to dream and dare.’

Now there is a man who has the burden of ambition. what do you think Will the answer to solving climate change be found in the form of a thirsty Instagram flex crafting important research? Do let us know in the comments.

————————————

Thanks for reading till the end. Comment what’s your opinion about this information “The World’s First Nuclear-Powered Superyacht”.

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8 thoughts on “The World’s First Nuclear-Powered Superyacht”

Looks like a strippers cheap high heel shoe upside down.

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Quantum computer and the nuclear salt powered submarine sound very speculative. I just hope it’s all safe that’s my concern. It will work or it won’t.

I meant super yacht not submarine excuse.

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  • Hybrids & EVs
  • Marine & RVs

A boat with Electric on the side on the water.

This $500,000 Electric Yacht Can Cross Oceans on Solar Power Alone

People are switching from gas-powered cars to EV s to fight climate change, but cars are just one source of emissions. All types of vehicles, including planes, trains, and boats, emit emissions . This applies to yachts that the rich lounge on. That’s why there’s a $500,000 solar-powered yacht available right now.

A boat with Electric on the side on the water.

A total transition away from fossil fuels

Cars undoubtedly are responsible for a large chunk of emissions, but focusing too much on cars may ignore the other offenders. Fortunately, there are alternatives in almost every sector. For example, electric planes are pretty hard to do, so it may take a while before passenger planes go electric. 

That being said, boats can easily go electric. Boats have been powered by electricity for some time. This is precisely how nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and submarines work. Their nuclear reactors create electricity, which allows them to travel forever. Obviously, it’s not a good idea to have nuclear-powered yachts. But, solar power is an excellent alternative. 

That’s why there are already a couple of electric yachts on the market. However, one of the newest and better ones seems promising. Here’s a look at the Aquanima 40, which its creator, Azura Marine, claims can cruise the oceans non-stop.

How the Azura Marine Aquanima 40 works

Since it’s solar-powered, it’s going to need solar panels. To get the most out of those panels, they’re going to need a lot of real estates to work with. That’s why the Aquanima 40 doesn’t look like a traditional yacht. According to Electrek , this solar-powered yacht has 10 kW worth of solar panels in total. They’re all placed on the roof of the yacht, which is rectangular and flat. There’s a ladder that’ll allow folks to climb onto the roof, too.

A 60 kWh battery pack will support that 10 kW solar panel array. Together, they’ll power the two 10 kW electric motors. Just like in a regular EV, those motors aren’t going to need much maintenance. They may need to be serviced roughly every 20,000 hours, but that’s longer than the amount of time most people spend on their yachts, according to Electrek.

Furthermore, there’s also an extensive rain catchment system, a water maker, and an air conditioning water recovery system. Electrek said that these features would make it so that folks won’t have to stop at a port to refill water. When combined with that solar-powered system, the Aquanima 40 can keep cruising as long as there’s food on board. 

Other features of this solar-powered yacht

As far as specs go, its overall length is about 43 feet, and its beam is just under 20 feet wide. There are four cabins, and they should be able to accommodate eight people in total, according to Electrek. Since this is a luxury yacht that costs over $500,000, it’s full of luxurious amenities that people would expect from a yacht. That includes a “fully equipped galley,” WiFi connectivity, and even a tiny electric dinghy. 

That said, there are some pros and cons that come with an electric yacht. It can travel 100 nautical miles in a day without stopping, and that isn’t too fast for a boat. But, since it’s an EV, it’ll be very low impact. According to Electrek, it has “no noise or vibration, no smells, no polluting emissions and no disturbance of marine life.”

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nuclear powered yacht

Letter to the Editor

Maritime’s Nuclear Option: There’s so Much More

I would like to make to some enhancements to the detailed article entitled Molten Salt Reactors, Maritime’s Nuclear Option featured in the September edition of Maritime Reporter & Engineering News.

The article features the Ulstein concept for a thorium molten salt reactor in what is essentially a mobile charging station for other zero emissions vessels - it is a hybrid floating nuclear power plant and ship. I would like to give some additional context to the information presented in the article.

Marinized nuclear reactors have been deployed in both naval and commercial segments for some time. But their wide scale commercial deployment rests on being able to address to following:

Nuclear reactors have powered naval ships since the US Navy lunched the submarine Nautilus in 1955. According to Lloyd’s Register around 100 naval reactors are in use today. Naval technology is largely based on second generation pressurized water reactors.

Commercial pressurized water nuclear reactors have already been tested in marine applications. The U.S. flagged Savanah sailed between 1962 and 1971, the German Otto Hahn between 1968 and 1977 and the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries built Mutsu between 1974 and 1992 in Japan. Undoubtedly the most experienced country in terms of commercial nuclear reactors is Russia. Starting with the icebreaker Lenin , commissioned in 1959 and decommissioned in 1989, there are currently six operational icebreakers and three under construction in Russia. The cargo vessel Semporput is also active. In addition to marine propulsion, Russia is home to the Akademok Lomonsov FNPP and is building for more floating power barges. One of the disadvantages of the pressurized water reactors is the need to return to a safe port every few years for the removal of spent fuel and refueling with new few. The handling of these fuels needs to be carried out in secure facilities to manage proliferation and safety concerns. The second disadvantage of pressurized water reactors is the requirement of a large safety zone around the reactor in case of a reactor incident or failure.

China is also developing pressurized water reactor-based designs. China National Nuclear Corporation, through China Marine Nuclear Power Development Co. and China General Nuclear Power have both announced plans to build floating nuclear power plants based on their respective small, pressurized water reactor designs at CSSC shipbuilding yards. CGN has also tested the newbuilding market for a 30,000 deadweight tonnes icebreaker. CSSC is also developing its own proprietary floating nuclear power plant design based on pressurized water reactors derived from a nuclear submarine design.

In addition to developments in Russia and China, marinized pressurized water concepts, mainly for FNPPs are being developed in South Korea (Korea Electric Power Corporation/Daewoo Shipbuilding & Engineering), and the USA (NuScale/Prodigy Clean Energy/Kinetrics and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology).

To broaden market take-up of nuclear technology, technologies featuring longer fueling cycles, walk-away safety and proliferation resistance and cost competitiveness are required. Many see Generation IV small, modularized reactors (SMR) as the answer to these challenges.

Of the six Generation IV reactor concepts, the SMR concept most often highlighted as suitable for marine applications is the molten salt reactor (MSR). Several MSR concepts are being developed in Europe, the USA, Canada, Russia, China and India. These reactors operate in either uranium/plutonium or thorium/uranium 233 fuel cycles or as trans-uranium burners carried in either fluoride or chloride coolants.

The U.S.’s Matringale is developing the shoreside ThorCon floating nuclear power plant featuring two MSRs with a four-year refuelling cycle.

Denmark’s Seaborg Technologies is developing a compact Gen-IV molten fluoride salt reactor with a 12-year refuelling cycle. Built in modules and aimed at deployment on floating power plants, the design is ongoing, and ABS issued a Feasibility Statement for the MSR in 2020, the first step in the five phase New Technology Development process. A commercial prototype is planned for 2025 and power barge serial production from 2026. Seaborg is partnering with Korean shipyards and the Korean nuclear industry.

MSR designs featuring chloride salts allow for longer refuelling cycles, estimated at 20-30 years. Based on TerraPower’s MSR design, the UK’s Core Power is developing an MSR fuelled by chloride salts that is aimed specifically at marine applications. Designed for ship propulsion, Core Power plan to initially deploy its MSRs on floating production units that produce hydrogen-based shipping fuels, such as ammonia.

South Korea’s Ulsan National University of Science and Technology is leading a consortium of industry and university partners to develop a Gen-IV fast spectrum SMR with a 40-year fuel life for deployment as marine propulsion and in floating nuclear power plants.

Regulatory and licensing issues mean that MSR concept development will be long. Demonstration projects are possible after the middle of this decade and commercial solutions may be seen before the end of the decade, although it is more likely to see the technology developed at scale in the 2030s. Finding suitable solutions to the challenges of deploying marinized nuclear reactors will offer some shipping and offshore segments an interesting choice in the zero emissions vessel tool box.

Best Regards Philip Lewis, Director of Research, Intelatus

Maritime Reporter Magazine

Read the 2024 Pathogens Project report

Earth to CNN: No, a nuclear-powered superyacht won’t save the world

By Dawn Stover | September 28, 2021

Design for a 300-meter-long superyacht

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Who knew that a sexy nuclear superyacht could save us from climate catastrophe? That was the awesome news from CNN’s travel desk yesterday.

CNN wasn’t alone. Forbes , BBC Science Focus Magazine , and a host of other media outlets have previously hailed the world-rescuing potential of what CNN described as “an emissions-free megaship that will pit together climate scientists and the wealthy in a daring quest to save the planet.”

“Pit together” sounds like an apt description of a would-be merger between luxury tourism and climate action. You can put those two things together in a sentence, but in the real world they mix about as easily as oil and water.

And there’s another big problem with the plan for this overhyped 300-meter-long vessel and its global research: Earth 300 , as the $700 million superyacht is called, will be powered by a molten salt nuclear reactor that doesn’t exist yet and won’t be certified for at least five years. The company’s website illustrates the reactor with a scale model of an experiment done in the 1960s at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

The website also says the scientists onboard Earth 300 will have the world’s first ocean-going quantum computer. But that, too, has yet to be built.

Meanwhile, the climate crisis needs immediate attention. “We really are out of time,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned this month.

While they wait for a modular nuclear reactor that might never come, the developers of Earth 300 say they will use green synthetic fuels. These are liquid fuels derived from coal or natural gas in a process that captures carbon. However, they are much more expensive than fossil fuels. Aaron Olivera, the entrepreneur behind Earth 300 , told CNN he plans to “eventually” retrofit the yacht with a reactor being developed by the UK company Core Power in collaboration with TerraPower, a US nuclear engineering firm chaired by Bill Gates.

Globally, there are at least 171 motorized megayachts that are 75 meters (246 feet) or more in length. Jeff Bezos, the world’s richest man, is rumored to be buying a superyacht so big that it will have a dock for its own “support yacht.” Eclipse , an even bigger superyacht owned by Russian-Israeli billionaire businessman Roman Abramovich, has its own missile defense system. The largest yacht currently operating, Azzam , is 180 meters (590 feet) long and consumes 13 metric tons of fuel per hour at its top speed of 33 knots. That’s about 0.01 miles (or a little over 50 feet) per gallon.

Earth 300 would be much bigger.

And the customers Olivera would like to attract—the wealthiest people in the world—also tend to have the world’s largest carbon footprints, thanks in no small part to their habit of traveling aboard superyachts and private airplanes. According to calculations by two researchers at Indiana University , a superyacht with a permanent crew and helicopter pad is “by far the worst asset to own from an environmental standpoint.”

Earth 300 ’s luxury suites will each rent for $300,000 a day, which presumably will cover the personnel and expenses needed to operate the ship and its 22 scientific laboratories. But construction won’t begin until 2025 at the earliest, and any groundbreaking scientific discoveries or billionaire epiphanies that could help stabilize the climate are even further into the future.

Construction is already delayed on another 600-foot-long yacht that will combine climate research with charters for paying customers. Financed by Kjell Inge Røkke, a Norwegian billionaire who made his fortune in fishing and oil drilling, REV Ocean will investigate climate change and ocean acidification, plastic pollution, and overfishing, but the nonprofit project is at least three years behind schedule.

Who will be aboard these superyachts? CNN asked Olivera which famous people he’d like to host on his future ship, and he named Elon Musk, Michelle Obama, Greta Thunberg, Naomi Klein and Yvon Chouinard. Like the superyacht itself, some of those potential guests seem more aspirational than realistic.

Wealthiest 1% produce double the combined CO2 emissions of poorest 50%. "We have got to cut over-consumption and the best place to start is over-consumption among the polluting elites who contribute by far more than their share of carbon emissions." https://t.co/0bEwESnE9O — Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) April 13, 2021

Greta Thunberg doesn’t take airplanes or motor yachts. Elon Musk doesn’t take vacations. And Bill Gates may be hurt that he’s not on the A-list.

Together, we make the world safer.

The Bulletin elevates expert voices above the noise. But as an independent nonprofit organization, our operations depend on the support of readers like you. Help us continue to deliver quality journalism that holds leaders accountable. Your support of our work at any level is important . In return, we promise our coverage will be understandable, influential, vigilant, solution-oriented, and fair-minded. Together we can make a difference.

Keywords: CNN , Earth 300 , superyachts Topics: Climate Change , Columnists , Nuclear Energy , Nuclear Risk , Opinion

guest

An absurd idea, the money much better spent on more prosaic but proven solutions like promoting regen Agriculture. If they start to ask for shares, we know it is something else … PS Don’t knock LFTRs.

Mark Lehnhoff

think “Snowpiercer”!

(But rather than a train running on and on thru a frozen wasteland, we get yachts sailing on and on upon oceans of warmed-up water.)

Neil Ruedlinger

I think the true purpose of such a super yacht is as a literal show boat for promoting the so-called ‘green’ liquid biofuel(s). For such a project to be taken seriously, its entire construction should not consume any drop, gram or Pascal of any carbon based fuel. The recycling, mining, smelting, casting, any materials processing, transportation of raw materials and components, then systems integration, final assembly and super yacht launching should be done with completely renewable energy sources. Initially the propulsion system should be powered with Perovskite Solar Cell based Photo-Voltaic panels and Icelandic design wind power generators with high …  Read more »

As a follow up to my previous comment (which I couldn’t add because my editing time window expired) was: One prominent type of salt under investigation (also potentially for use in LFTR) is FLiBe, which was the subject of a March 1999 research paper by Lockeed Martin sponsored researchers L. C. Cadwallader and G. R. Longhurst as a potential plasma facing coolant for Thermonuclear Fusion Reactors. This paper explores to a good level of detail, the Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety issues to be addressed when working with FLiBe salt. This is one area of investigation that may benefit …  Read more »

Eric k gautreaux

We have carbon free ships. They are powered by sail.

nuclear powered yacht

Dawn Stover

Dawn Stover is a contributing editor at the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. She began her career at Harper's magazine and worked... Read More

nuclear powered yacht

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NR-1: The Smallest Nuclear Submarine In US Military History

S ubmarines are typically built to house a sizeable crew, given the amount of time they're expected to serve beneath the ocean's surface. There was one, however, that turned that concept on its head. The Deep Submergence Vessel NR-1 - simply NR-1 , for short - was a Cold War-era vessel designed and built by the US Navy. At 45 meters long, she was the smallest nuclear-powered submarine in the history of the US military.

Why was the NR-1 constructed?

The origins of NR-1 date back to the Cold War . Among those who were instrumental in the submarine's construction was Adm. Hyman Rickover, the director of the US Naval Reactor Office who spent three decades overseeing the development of nuclear-propulsion.

Rickover had envisioned a fleet of mini submarines to perform search and rescue/recovery operations, as well as underwater research. He also ordered that the vessels avoid being allocated as warships, to avoid the oversight a typical ship would have under the US government's various bureaus.

While the intention was for numerous Deep Submergence Vessels to be built, NR-1 wound up being the only one, due to budget constraints. What's more, she was never officially commissioned, despite seeing service in the depths of the world's oceans.

NR-1 was constructed by General Dynamics' Electric Boat Division in Groton, Connecticut.

The submarine was just 45 meters long and had a displacement of 400 long tons . Given this, she could only house a crew of around 10-13, who remained onboard the vessel for up to a month. There were no bathing facilities, nor a kitchen, so they had to live off of frozen TV dinners and bathe once a week with a bucket of water. As well, they had to burn chlorate candles to ensure they had an adequate supply of oxygen.

NR-1 was powered by a single nuclear reactor and one turbine generator. These, paired with the submarine's two propellers and four ducted thrusters, produced speeds of up to 4.6 MPH, rather slow when compared to other underwater vessels operated by the Navy. NR-1 was so slow, in fact, that she needed to be towed out to sea by a surface vessel.

Given her intended purpose, NR-1 featured sophisticated computer and sonar systems, a claw for recovery operations, three view ports, a basket to deposit items located on the seafloor, bottoming wheels, exterior lighting, a television periscope, a TV and still cameras, and a manipulator that could be fitted with different cutting and gripping tools.

Searching for the remnants of the Space Shuttler Challenger

NR-1 underwent sea trials in August 1969. Over the course of the 1970s and '80s, she conducted classified operations, in which she collected items from the seafloor. The details of one that occurred in 1976 were shared with the public and involved the submarine recovering parts of an AIM-54A Phoenix-equipped Grumman F-14 Tomcat that had been lost from the deck of an aircraft carrier.

In 1986, the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded just over a minute after launch , resulting in the deaths of its entire crew and marking the first time a Space Shuttle was destroyed in a mission incident. NR-1 was part of the recovery effort, tasked with identifying and recovering parts of the spacecraft.

Another notable mission occurred in 1995, when NR-1 and her support ship, the MV Carolyn Chouset , were used to explore the wreck of the HMHS Britannic . The sister ship of the RMS Titanic had sank off the coast of Greece after hitting a German sea mine in World War I . The submarine was perfect for the task, given her ability to hold steady in position for extended periods of time.

Deactivation and salvage

In 2008, NR-1 was deactivated at her home base in Groton, after which she was sent to Portsmouth Naval Shipyard for de-fueling and Puget Sound Naval Shipyard for scrapping. Five years later, in November 2013, it was announced that salvaged pieces of the submarine would be put on display at the Submarine Force Library and Museum, in Groton.

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A number of those who served aboard NR-1 are still alive, and upon learning about her salvage shared stories of their time as crew members. While unable to share specifics about their operations, given the classified nature of their work, they've all said that the submarine was one of their most fascinating assignments.

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Five arrested following protests at Electric Boat property in New London

Electric boat protests in New London

NEW LONDON, CT (WFSB) - Five people were arrested following protests at Electric Boat in New London Monday morning.

The people. identified as 61-year-old Ellen Grady, 62-year-old Jaqueline Allen, 65-year-old Scott Scaeffer-Duffy, 71-year-old Mark Scibila-Carver, and 73-year-old Frank Kartheiser, were blocking the driveway entrances in protest of the building of 12 new Colombia-class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines.

According to New London police, the individuals stood behind connected life sized wooden cut outs of J. Robert Oppenheimer to block the driveway.

The five people were then taken into custody without further incident.

They were all charged with 1st degree trespassing and disorderly conduct.

They were all released on non-surety bonds with a court date of March 15th in New London.

Anyone with information regarding this incident can contact the New London Police Department at 860-447-5269.

Anonymous information can be submitted via the New London Tips 411 system.

Copyright 2024 WFSB. All rights reserved.

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Russia-Ukraine war: ICC issues arrest warrants for Russian commanders accused of planning strikes on Ukraine energy grid – as it happened

Arrest warrants issued for Lt Gen Sergei Ivanovich Kobylash of the Russian armed forces and Adm Viktor Nikolayevich Sokolov of the Russian navy. This live blog is closed

  • 1d ago Closing Summary
  • 1d ago ICC issues arrest warrants for two members of Russian military for missile campaign against 'Ukrainian electric infrastructure'
  • 1d ago Trust among allies remains 'unbroken' says German defence minister after military leak
  • 1d ago Ukraine claims it has sunk another Russian warship in Black Sea
  • 1d ago Opening summary

 A high voltage substation stands partially destroyed after it was hit by a missile strike in October 2022.

ICC issues arrest warrants for two members of Russian military for missile campaign against 'Ukrainian electric infrastructure'

The international criminal court in The Hague has issued arrest warrants for two senior Russian military figures who are accused of being responsible for a missile campaign targeting Ukrainian energy infrastructure between October 2022 and March 2023.

The arrest warrants are for Lt Gen Sergei Ivanovich Kobylash of the Russian armed forces, and Adm Viktor Kinolayevich Sokolov of the Russian navy.

In a statement, the court said it “considered that there are reasonable grounds to believe that the two suspects bear responsibility for missile strikes carried out by the forces under their command against the Ukrainian electric infrastructure from at least 10 October 2022 until at least 9 March 2023.”

It continued: “During this time-frame, there was an alleged campaign of strikes against numerous electric power plants and sub-stations, which were carried out by the Russian armed forces in multiple locations in Ukraine .”

The court added it “considered that the alleged campaign of strikes qualifies as a course of conduct involving the multiple commission of acts against a civilian population” and that “there are reasonable grounds to believe that the suspects also bear responsibility for the crime against humanity of ‘other inhumane acts […] intentionally causing great suffering, or serious injury to body or to mental or physical health’”

Russia does not recognise the court . It signed the Rome statute, which governs the ICC, in 2000 but never ratified the agreement to become a member. It formally withheld its signature from the founding statute of the ICC in 2016, a day after the court published a report classifying the Russian annexation of Crimea as an occupation.

The court has previously issued arrest warrants for the Russian president, Vladimir Putin , and Russia’s commissioner for children’s rights, Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova in relation to the forced deportation of children from Ukraine to Russia,

Closing Summary

That’s it for today’s live coverage of the war in Ukraine .

Germany’s defence minister, Boris Pistorius, has said their investigation into the military leak has found communications systems were not compromised and maintains that trust remains “unbroken” among allies.

“A serious mistake happened here that should not have happened,” Pistorius told a press conference. “The reason the phone call could still be recorded... is due to an individual user error,” he said.

Germany’s defence minister said that one of the generals on a military conference call on Ukraine that was intercepted by Russia may have broken security protocol by using a non-secure line to dial in.

Pistorius said the 38-minute phone call held over the platform WebEx that was subsequently leaked by Kremlin-controlled TV, had not been intercepted by an individual Russian spy but was most likely the result of a random sweep of insecure data on the sidelines of the Singapore airshow. One of the participants dialled in from his hotel room, and either his mobile phone or an insecure connection in his hotel provided the vulnerability, Pistorius said.

Ukraine claimed on Tuesday that its forces had destroyed a Russian military patrol ship on the Black Sea near the Crimean peninsula , annexed by Russia 10 years ago. Ukraine’s military intelligence spokesperson Andriy Yusov said the ship had been hit previously but was destroyed after the overnight attack by maritime drones.

The international criminal court in The Hague has issued arrest warrants for two senior Russian military figures who are accused of being responsible for a missile campaign targeting Ukrainian energy infrastructure between October 2022 and March 2023. The arrest warrants are for Lt Gen Sergei Ivanovich Kobylash of the Russian armed forces, and Adm Viktor Nikolayevich Sokolov of the Russian navy.

Russia has strengthened its military forces in the north and west of the country to counter what Moscow perceives as a build-up of NATO forces near Russia , defence minister Sergei Shoigu said on Tuesday. In response to Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine , Finland has joined NATO and Sweden is on the point of doing so. NATO is this week conducting a military exercise called Nordic Response 2024 which it says will involve more than 20,000 soldiers in Norway, Finland and Sweden and will focus on collective defence.

The European Commission on Tuesday proposed a new 1.5 billion euro ($1.63 billion) defence industry programme , which would be financed from the European Union budget for the period between 2025 and 2027. The new programme calls on the 27 EU member states to procure at least 40% of their defence equipment collectively by 2030.

Britain has urged a reluctant Berlin to supply long-range Taurus missiles to Kyiv despite an embarrassing leak to Russian television of a top-secret call involving German air force officers who said UK troops were “on the ground” in Ukraine .

Ukraine is pressing up to 10 EU member states to allow the extradition of criminals to the country, including suspects involved with the Wagner group and those accused of large-scale corruption. Andriy Kostin, the prosecutor general of Ukraine, will tell EU justice ministers gathered in Brussels on Tuesday that the country has addressed concerns over security and conditions for prisoners on remand awaiting trial during a war.

Russia accused Western ambassadors in Moscow of meddling in Russia’s internal affairs by attending the funeral of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, saying their behaviour raised questions about the point of such envoys.

France has invited foreign and defence ministers from Ukraine’s main allies and the NATO Secretary General to participate in a video call on Thursday aimed at showing a “united front” and coming up with concrete proposals to boost support for Kyiv.

President Emmanuel Macron faced a backlash from many Western allies after he openly discussed the idea of sending Western troops to Ukraine at a Paris-based conference on Ukraine last week.

A follow-up conference had been scheduled to take place in Paris with ministers and senior diplomats from some 28 countries, but that was shelved for a video call amid the criticism that the meeting was too rushed.

“The debate that followed reflects only partially the reality of the discussion in Paris and should not overshadow our collective determination to support Ukraine,” according to the invitation seen by Reuters.

The invitation, sent to ministers on behalf of France’s foreign and defence ministers, is also addressed NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell. Both of them had not been invited on Feb. 26. Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba will also participate by video call, diplomats said.

Moldova’s national intelligence agency warns against “unprecedented” Russian interference as the country gears up for a referendum on joining the European Union and a presidential election.

The intelligence and security services released a report Tuesday saying it has gathered data indicating Russia plans to launch vast hybrid attacks against Moldova through 2024-2025 to try to bring the former Soviet republic back under Moscow’s influence.

Head of the SIS, Alexandru Musteata, said in a press conference that Russia sought to undermine the democratic polling this year in the eastern European country. Moldova was granted EU candidate status in 2022. The presidential election is set to be held in the fall.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy welcomed the International Criminal Court decision on Tuesday to issue arrest warrants for two top Russian commanders over alleged war crimes.

“Every Russian commander who orders strikes against Ukrainian civilians and critical infrastructure must know that justice will be served. Every perpetrator of such crimes must know that they will be held accountable,” he said on X.

Russia has strengthened its military forces in the north and west of the country to counter what Moscow perceives as a build-up of NATO forces near Russia , defence minister Sergei Shoigu said on Tuesday.

In response to Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine , Finland has joined NATO and Sweden is on the point of doing so. NATO is this week conducting a military exercise called Nordic Response 2024 which it says will involve more than 20,000 soldiers in Norway, Finland and Sweden and will focus on collective defence.

“Against the background of a build-up of NATO’s military potential near the Russian borders, the expansion of the alliance through the accession of Finland and, in the future, Sweden, we have taken steps to strengthen the groupings of troops in the north-western and western strategic directions,” Shoigu told top generals, without providing details.

The war in Ukraine has triggered the deepest crisis in Russia’s relations with the West since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, and President Vladimir Putin has warned the West that it risks provoking a nuclear war if Western troops are sent to fight in Ukraine. (

Here are the latest images from Ukraine and elsewhere:

View from a Soviet war memorial over the city of Sviatohirsk and the Siverskyi-Donets river. The Russians in 2022 occupied territory across the river

The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for two high-ranking Russian military officers on charges linked to attacks on civilian infrastructure in Ukraine .

The court announced warrants Tuesday for Russian Lt. Gen. Sergei Ivanovich Kobylash. He was commander of the Long-Range Aviation of the Aerospace Force at the times of the alleged crimes. Also wanted is Russian navy Adm. Viktor Kinolayevich Sokolov, who was the commander of the Black Sea Fleet.

They are wanted for the war crime of directing attacks at civilian objects and causing excessive incidental harm to civilians or damage to civilian objects. And for the crime against humanity of inhumane acts.

Poland’s president Andrzej Duda has said that the Nato exercises currently being carried out in eastern Europe show “Poland is ready to implement our obligations arising from collective defence at any time”.

Speaking alongside president of Lithuania, Gitanas Nausėda , near Gniew in Poland, Reuters reports Duda said the exercises showed the readiness to defend the territory of Nato, including Poland, Lithuania and the Baltic states.

These are our joint exercises that strengthen the security of Nato’s entire eastern flank. Poland is ready to implement our obligations arising from collective defence at any time, it is determined. Lithuania can count on us that if there was such a need, Polish soldiers would stand shoulder to shoulder with Lithuanian forces to protect every inch of land from an enemy attack. This is a serious test for the soldiers, but it shows their excellent preparation and our readiness to move forces from west to east in response to a possible attack on Nato forces in our part of Europe.

Lithuanian president Gitanas Nausėda (C-L) and Polish [resident Andrzej Duda (C) listen to a German soldier at a display during the Nato Dragon 24 military exercise on 5 March.

Tuesday’s exercises involved crossing the Vistula River with tanks and armoured vehicles from various Nato countries at a point that is 340 meters wide. It is part of the Steadfast Defender exercises, with about 90,000 troops taking part.

The head of Moldova’s Information and Security Service has Russia is planning fresh attempts to meddle in the country’s internal affairs by provoking protests, interfering in upcoming presidential elections, and disrupting plans to join the European Union.

Alexandru Musteata said his agency had intercepted a record level of activities by the Russian security services since 2023 and expected more destabilising actions this year and next.

“Russian intelligence services intend to interfere in the election processes this year as well,” Reuters reports Musteata told the media.

“We have information that attempts are being made to compromise a referendum on the European integration, interfere in the presidential elections, as well as discredit government institutions and politicians who support Moldova’s accession to the EU.”

Last week pro-Russian officials in the breakaway Moldovan region of Transnistria appealed to Moscow for “protection” . Transnistria, which borders Ukraine to the east, has maintained autonomy from Moldova for three decades with support from Russia, which has more than a thousand troops stationed there.

Kate Connolly

Germany’s defence minister has said that one of the generals on a military conference call on Ukraine that was intercepted by Russia may have broken security protocol by using a non-secure line to dial in.

Boris Pistorius said the 38-minute phone call held over the platform WebEx that was subsequently leaked by Kremlin-controlled TV, had not been intercepted by an individual Russian spy but was most likely the result of a random sweep of insecure data on the sidelines of the Singapore airshow. One of the participants dialled in from his hotel room, and either his mobile phone or an insecure connection in his hotel provided the vulnerability, Pistorius said.

Speaking to journalists in Berlin on Tuesday morning, Pistorius said that disciplinary measures were being looked into, as the participant had contravened rigid security guidelines by not using a secure, authorised connection.

Polish media reported Tuesday that three unidentified objects looking like weather balloons have been found in the country’s northeast, and some of them had Cyrillic inscriptions. The objects were in Poland’s Mazury lake district, between 20 kilometers and 100 kilometers (12 miles and 60 miles) from the border with Russia’s exclave of Kaliningrad. Private radio RMF FM said none of the balloons had any special devices attached to them. Emilia Plawska of local police in Szczytno told the media that the military had been notified and would inspect the objects. A spokesman for the regional police, Rafal Jackowski, said there have been “many” incidents with meteorological balloons in the area. Poland supports neighbouring Ukraine in its war against Russia and accuses Moscow of waging a hybrid war against Poland.

French president Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday said it was time for Ukraine’s allies to step up, stressing now was not the time to be cowardly.

“We are certainly approaching a moment in our Europe where it will be appropriate not to be a coward,” Macron told French expats living in Prague, Reuters reports.

Macron faced a backlash from many Western allies after he openly discussed the idea of sending Western troops to Ukraine at a Paris-based conference on Ukraine on Feb. 26.

In a reference to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Macron said on Tuesday that France and the Czech Republic were “well aware that war is back on our soil (in Europe), that some powers which have become unstoppable are extending every day their threat of attacking us even more, and that we will have to live up to history and the courage that it requires.”

Macron did not elaborate on this.

During his Prague visit, Macron is also expected to discuss support for plans announced last month by the Czech Republic, backed by Canada, Denmark and others, to finance the rapid purchase of hundreds of thousands of ammunition rounds from third countries to dispatch to Ukraine.

The European Commission on Tuesday proposed a new 1.5 billion euro ($1.63 billion) defence industry programme , which would be financed from the European Union budget for the period between 2025 and 2027.

The new programme calls on the 27 EU member states to procure at least 40% of their defence equipment collectively by 2030 and aims to have the value of intra-EU defence trade to represent at least 35% of the EU defence market, it added.

Read more from my colleague Lili Bayer reporting in Brussels for our Europe Live blog:

Lisa O'Carroll

Ukraine is pressing up to 10 EU member states to allow the extradition of criminals to the country, including suspects involved with the Wagner group and those accused of large-scale corruption.

Andriy Kostin, the prosecutor general of Ukraine, will tell EU justice ministers gathered in Brussels on Tuesday that the country has addressed concerns over security and conditions for prisoners on remand awaiting trial during a war.

He declined to name the EU member states that have concerns but it is known that several countries including France, Austria and Finland recently refused to send suspects back to Ukraine to face justice.

About 700 extradition orders had been issued by Ukrainian courts since the war started, he revealed.

Among the requests are a demand for the founder of a neo-Nazi operation associated with the Wagner group accused of being involved in terrorism, who was found to have entered Finland under an alias.

  • Ukraine war live

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CruiseCraft Boats For Sale in Australia

Found 56 listings.

  • New CruiseCraft Boats For Sale
  • Used CruiseCraft Boats For Sale

CruiseCraft Outsider 685

Cruisecraft Outsider 685

Amazing 2008 685 Cruisecraft Outsider with all the perks 2021 (Still have 3 years Warranty) - ...

  • 23' / 7.01m
  • AU $110,000

CruiseCraft Outsider 625

Cruisecraft Outsider 625

BRAND NEW MOTOR WITH ONLY 12 HOURS ON THE CLOCK | Available now for delivery Australia wide is ...

Member of BIA

  • 20' 6" / 6.25m

CruiseCraft Explorer 600 1981

Cruisecraft Explorer 600 1981

1981 cruisecraft very good condition for age, Has all equipment for outside fishing lowrance ...

  • 19' 8" / 6.00m
  • 1981 approx

CruiseCraft F360S -2022MY

Cruisecraft F360S -2022MY

The F360S is as versatile as they come. Built off our proven 568 hull, enjoy your days whether ...

  • 18' 8" / 5.68m
  • AU $114,990

CruiseCraft Spirit 470sr

Cruisecraft Spirit 470sr

BOAT WITH BOAT TRAILER FOR SALE o 1996 Cruise Craft Spirit 470 SR. o One Owner. o Well ...

  • 14' 9" / 4.50m

CruiseCraft Explorer 625

Cruisecraft Explorer 625

This 2005 blue water craft is in outstanding condition and is powered by a 2007 Suzuki 200Hp, ...

CruiseCraft Runabout

Cruisecraft Runabout

3 months rego Evinrude engine (Does not work) 12 month trailer rego ...

  • 14' 5" / 4.40m
  • 1985 approx
  • AU $1,000 Or nearest offer

CruiseCraft Explorer 575

Cruisecraft Explorer 575

O Make: Cruise Craft o Model: 575 Outsider o Year: 2010 o Length: 5.75 Metres (6.07 ...

  • 18' 10" / 5.75m
  • AU $62,990 Or nearest offer

CruiseCraft F360S

Cruisecraft F360S

KEEP READING THIS ADD... IF YOU ARE IN THE MARKET FOR A NEW FIBREGLASS CENTRE CONSOLE ...

  • AU $119,950

CruiseCraft Stinger 506

Cruisecraft Stinger 506

White CruiseCraft runabout on registered trailer, 6 seater, 60HP Mecury Outboard (2013 Model), ...

  • 16' 5" / 5.00m
  • 1990 approx
  • AU $6,800 Now reduced

CruiseCraft Explorer 685ht

Cruisecraft Explorer 685ht

2013 Crusie Craft 685 HT fitted with 2019 300hp Yamaha. Vessel has been garaged its entire ...

  • 23' 7" / 7.20m
  • AU $150,000 Ono

CruiseCraft Executive 800 Flybridge Cruiser - low engine hours

Cruisecraft Executive 800 Flybridge Cruiser - Low Engine Hours

FOR SALE - $43,900 or nearest offer (no ridiculous offers or swaps thanks). Australian ...

  • 26' / 7.92m
  • 1986 approx
  • AU $43,900 Or nearest offer

IMAGES

  1. Cruise Craft Explorer 625

    cruise craft 625 explorer specifications

  2. Cruise Craft Explorer 625

    cruise craft 625 explorer specifications

  3. CRUISE CRAFT EXPLORER 625 HARDTOP REVIEW

    cruise craft 625 explorer specifications

  4. Used Cruisecraft Explorer 625 "distinction" for Sale

    cruise craft 625 explorer specifications

  5. Cruise Craft Explorer 625

    cruise craft 625 explorer specifications

  6. 2014 Cruisecraft Explorer 625

    cruise craft 625 explorer specifications

COMMENTS

  1. PDF 625 EXPLORER 625 625

    and comfort. The Explorer 625 features a raised deck line, so as to provide a heap of space in the cabin. Under the flowing line of the cabin, and fitted forward of the helm, is a cabin that features a fully moulded interior. This delivers very smooth, neat lines that ensures the Explorer 625 is easy to use and easy to own.

  2. Cruise Craft Explorer 625 Review

    The Cruise Craft Explorer 625 was powered by a 150hp two-stroke Johnson outboard. Perhaps a fourstroke, or new tech two-stroke, would deliver better fuel economy and certainly lower emissions if that's an issue with any new buyer. ... Specifications . LOA: 5.79m LENGTH: 6.21m LOA: 6.54m BEAM: 2.45m DEADRISE: 20 degrees FUEL: 240lt MAX HP ...

  3. CRUISE CRAFT EXPLORER 625 HARDTOP REVIEW

    Ideal cruise speeds on the Cruise Craft 625 are between 3500 and 4500rpm, ranging between 18.8 and 24kts. Again fuel consumption is good considering the size of the boat and motor: 19.4lt/h at 18.8kts and 34lt/h at 27kts. Wide open throttle on the 200hp produces an impressive 39kts at 5800rpm, which is more than enough on the top end for me.

  4. Cruise Craft Explorer 625

    Johnson Power. The stats of the rig included an overall length of 6.54m, a beam of 2.45m, a 240-litre fuel capacity, a rear deadrise of 20 degrees, and while the 625 model will handle the weight and power of a 200hp outboard, Cruise Craft recommends a 150hp outboard as the ideal package. In this instance the Explorer was fitted with a JL150PL 2 ...

  5. PDF 625 EXPLORER 625 HT 625

    Cruise Craft's HardTop range has expanded with the launch of the new Explorer 625 HT. This is an all weather boat that provides unprecedented cover in foul weather, plus vital protection from the scorching sun while at sea. The generous full height hardtop is a Cruise Craft work-of-art. The clean, smooth interior lines are

  6. PDF 625 575 500

    Explorer, will make your fishing trip all the more successful. With a proven blue water CruiseCraft hull, your trip offshore will be smooth and easy. And once the rods are out and the fishing action hits, the big stable cockpit will allow you to focus on landing big fish. Go offshore, go sport-fishing with an Explorer. 625 " 575 " 500 EXPLORER ...

  7. Fishing Monthly Magazines : Cruise Craft 625 Explorer

    The 625 Explorer follows the Cruise Craft tradition of always striving to achieve excellence in design and performance. Test Boat supplied by Cruise Craft. Specifications. Make/model - Cruise Craft 625 Explorer. Construction - Fibreglass. Length - 6.215m. Beam - 2.45m. Weight - 2100 kg (BMT) Dead rise - 20° Fuel - 240 litres underfloor. Rec HP ...

  8. Cruise Craft 625 Explorer (Furuno) Review

    Cruise Craft's 625 Explorer fitted the bill with a number of attributes that were too good to go past. With many of the electronics company sales representatives driving smaller 4WDs, the gross boat-motor-trailer weight of 2300kg put this model on the money - tow-capability wise. ... Specifications: Furuno Cruise Craft 625 Explorer ...

  9. Cruise Craft 625 Explorer

    Cruise Craft's 625 Explorer fitted the bill with a number of attributes that were too good to go past. With many of the electronics company sales representatives driving smaller 4WDs, the gross boat-motor-trailer weight of 2300kg put this model on the money - tow-capability wise. Go bigger in the length overall and instead of looking down the ...

  10. Cruise Craft Explorer 625 HT

    Facsimile: (07) 3390 5756. Mobile telephone: 0419 676 170. Website: www.cruisecraft.com.au. Read the latest Boatsales Network news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at the Boatsales Network's mobile site. Or download the all-new App. Cruise Craft Explorer 625 HT Review Cuddy / Half-Cabin Fishing.

  11. Cruise Craft Explorer 625 Cuddy Cab Review

    Cruise Craft Outsiders are revered by many as the ultimate all-rounder for fishing and family fun. Now, the recently released Explorer 625 cuddy has set the cat among the pigeons in the fishing boat market. According to Cruise Craft, many long-time owners of half-cabins are looking for cuddies now that the family has grown up.

  12. Any Cruise Craft owners out there?

    Cruise craft are hand built boats and are up there with top boats like Haines Hunter. Very comparative and really between the two its just options and a few small differences that make it either or for your choice. ... I've owned the 575 Outsider and now the 625 Explorer which as stated on an earlier post has been optioned up beyond retail ...

  13. Cruisecraft 625 Outsider V Explorer

    I am still investigating what new boat I want. I am pretty much sold on the cruisecarft in the 625 range. The question I now have is deciding between the outsider and the explorer. 95% of my fishing is done at night where depending on the fishing I may have a couple hours kip, generally fish with just 2 in the boat and occasionally 3 people. I also use it a couple of times a year taking the ...

  14. Cruise Craft Explorer 625 Review

    The Cruise Craft Explorer 625 was powered by a 150hp two-stroke Johnson outboard. Perhaps a fourstroke, or new tech two-stroke, would deliver better fuel economy and certainly lower emissions if that's an issue with any new buyer. ... Specifications . LOA: 5.79m LENGTH: 6.21m LOA: 6.54m BEAM: 2.45m DEADRISE: 20 degrees FUEL: 240lt MAX HP ...

  15. Downloads

    Explorer 625 - 2005; Explorer 625 - 2010; Explorer 625 HardTop - 2013; Explorer 657 - 2020; Explorer 657 HT - 2020; Explorer 685 - 2010; Explorer 685 HardTop - 2013; ... By submitting this form, you are consenting to receive marketing emails from Cruise Craft Boats, 58 Anton Road, Hemmant QLD 4174, AU You can revoke your consent to receive ...

  16. cruise craft 625 explorer specifications

    Cruise Craft Explorer 625. Author : Barry Tyler. Going Exploring. Having put to bed the complete re-vamp of their bowrider side of the expansive Cruise Craft range, next in line f

  17. 3 Cruise Craft Outsider 625 Boats for Sale in Australia

    2001 Cruise Craft Outsider 625. $62,500* Excl. Govt. Charges Walkaround / Centre Cabin; 20.4ft (6.21m) V-Hull; Family, Fishing, Leisure, Fibreglass; Get BoatFacts Report Private Seller Boat QLD. Contact seller View details View more Previous Next. 19. 2011 Cruise Craft Outsider 625 ...

  18. CruiseCraft 625 Boats For Sale in Australia

    22' 10". 6.95m. New. POA Available to order. Find a full range of CruiseCraft 625 Boats For Sale in Australia. New and Used boats for sale.

  19. Outsider 625

    Fishing with your family or your mates, the mid sized Outsider 625 is the big performing, fully featured blue water fishing boat. With this rig you can comfortably fish four up, and still have plenty of space to land game fish. This is a thoroughbred sports fishing machine with the credentials to travel long distances in safety and comfort.

  20. Cruise Craft Boats

    The Explorer 720 Hard Top is the flagship model of the Cruise Craft fleet of premium offshore boats. The Explorer 720HT delivers huge fishing capability and huge comfort to match. With a large fishing area, convenient underfloor kill tanks, a large dash plus more…. This boat is the number 1 choice for Australian offshore fishermen.

  21. CruiseCraft Boats For Sale in Australia

    Cruisecraft Explorer 625. This 2005 blue water craft is in outstanding condition and is powered by a 2007 Suzuki 200Hp, ... LOCATION: Regional Ballarat VIC, Victoria 20' 6" / 6.25m; ... Cruisecraft Explorer 575. O Make: Cruise Craft o Model: 575 Outsider o Year: 2010 o Length: 5.75 Metres (6.07 ... LOCATION: Adelaide Lonsdale SA, South ...