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JUNE 2017 / POWER & MOTORYACHT 67Boating allows us to capture the best of all
worlds, letting us experience nature through
a pleasing combination of technology and
free will. If you want a simplifi ed way to think
about how this works, consider that there
seems to be an inverse relationship between
technology’s complexity and the ease of the
user experience. Th ink about it: Since our
mobile devices have gotten more and more
user friendly over time (and cell phones have
become smart phones), the technology inside
has become substantially more sophisticated.
To a degree, the same goes for boats.
Whether it’s the safety of the systems, or the
effi ciency of the craft , or the comfort she
off ers, the technology bears the brunt of the
work. It’s what we do with it that can make
the real diff erence in the experience.
When I sea-trialed the Greenline 36, my
eyes opened to new benefi ts of embracing
technology, and I think immersion in the
novelty of it can serve to inspire. Th e Green-
line 36 is the fi rst new model introduced by
a new ownership group of Greenline Hybrid,
SVP Yachts, and the company seems to want
to make the most of fi tting together people
and technology.
Full disclosure: I am intrigued by the idea
of a hybrid-powered boat, and have long
been a fan of the concept behind Greenline
boats since the principals at J&J Design
founded the brand in 2009. But the appeal for
me is not because of the “green” implications,
though that certainly doesn’t hurt. What
I like most are diff erent operating modes
(including silent, emission-free, electric-
powered running) that give a boater choices.
Th ere’s a back-to-nature feel to it that could
be a real gamechanger.
Greenline Hybrid, under its new own-
ers, is now full steam ahead, with a full line
under 50 feet LOA, including the new 36 and
refreshed “legacy” models: 48, 40, and 33. For
larger yachts, SVP has four models planned,
ranging from 57 to 90 feet under a division
called Ocean Class Yachts. Th e company phi-
losophy is to use smart design and technol-
ogy to improve energy effi ciency on board,
from the hull to the hardtop solar panels.