As a color, green has a multitude of shades. There is the dark green of a forest primeval, and there is the pale green of Caribbean waters at the edge of an island.
But when it comes to environmentally friendly boats, there are even more shades of green. There is completely green, such as the new Horizon SunCat, a totally sun-powered catamaran bay launch that cruises all day without using a drop of fuel.
In a lighter shade of green is the Horizon Vision 74 Cockpit Motor Yacht, which combines an array of design and system features to reduce operating power requirements. Whether you're judging the 74 by conventional standards or by eco-friendliness, she's a winner on both counts.
The Horizon Group, which is the corporate umbrella over the Vision series, as well as other lines such as their Bandido longrange cruisers and the larger Elegance yachts, has been actively investing in the green side of new product development and, to that end, this latest Vision 74 has been upgraded to include four solar panels atop the pilothouse.
These panels aren't large enough to power the entire yacht, (that would require some serious panel acreage!) but they are enough to reduce the generator usage and the reliance on diesel fuel or shorepower during the night hours. The panels produce 180 watts of power each, which is used to charge emergency backup batteries for the electronic systems in case of a serious electrical failure. In addition, the solar panels power LED lighting throughout the interior, plus rope lights in the overhead and stairwells, and the yacht nameplates.
