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HIGH POWER III

HIGH POWER III is a 70.0 m Motor Yacht, built in Italy by Rossinavi and delivered in 2011.

Her top speed is 18.5 kn, her cruising speed is 16.0 kn, and she boasts a maximum cruising range of 7500.0 nm at 10.0 kn, with power coming from two Caterpillar diesel engines. She can accommodate up to 12 guests in 6 staterooms, with 19 crew members. She has a gross tonnage of 1642.0 GT and a 13.2 m beam.

She was designed by Tommaso Spadolini , who has designed 118 other superyachts in the BOAT Pro database.

The naval architecture was developed by Axis Group Yacht Design , who has architected 2 other superyachts in the BOAT Pro database, and the interior of the yacht was designed by Salvagni Architetti , who has 292 other superyacht interiors designed in the BOAT Pro database - she is built with a Teak deck, a Steel hull, and Aluminium superstructure.

HIGH POWER III is in the top 5% by LOA in the world. She is one of 116 motor yachts in the 70-80m size range, and, compared to similarly sized motor yachts, her cruising speed is 1.16 kn above the average, and her top speed 0.66 kn above the average.

HIGH POWER III is currently sailing under the Cayman Islands flag, the 2nd most popular flag state for superyachts with a total of 1390 yachts registered. She is currently located at the superyacht marina Port Adriano, in Spain, where she has been located for 1 week. For more information regarding HIGH POWER III's movements, find out more about BOAT Pro AIS .

Specifications

• Name: HIGH POWER III
• Previous Names: NUMPTIA
• Yacht Type: Motor Yacht
• Builder: Rossinavi
• Naval Architect: Axis Group Yacht Design
• Exterior Designer: Tommaso Spadolini
• Interior Designer: Salvagni Architetti

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HIGH POWER III

• High Power Iii

Italian-Designed Superyacht Loaded with Charter-Inspired Amenities

VESSEL SPECIFICATIONS

Toys and tenders.

2 Yamaha VX Cruiser waverunners Waterskis Wakeboards Grand piano 7.2 meter Colombo Super Indios 24SL tender 7.1 meter Castoldi jet tender NDM rescue tender 2 Sea-Doo Explorer II Seabobs Towed water toys Floating bathing pool (jellyfish proof) Kaleidescape audio/visual system Gym Glass elevator

PRESENTING HIGH POWER III

Motor yacht HIGH POWER III is one of the largest yachts available for hire. Specifically, for Mediterranean yacht charter vacations.

The 70-meter superyacht HIGH POWER III looks sharp. She features a stylish, dignified exterior overall design.  Therefore, she is a beauty on the Cote d’Azur.

Custom-built by the Rossi Navi shipyard, motor yacht HIGH POWER III is an elegant Mediterranean yacht charter vessel, joining the ranks of sophisticated vessels like SEVEN SEAS and TALISMAN C . The Italian-built megayacht boasts a navy blue hull and a powerfully-styled superstructure. The luxurious interior was designed by Salvagni Architetti of Rome, with exterior naval architecture by Axis Group Yacht Design, and an exterior design by Design Studio Spadolini, Florence.

ACCOMMODATIONS

The vessel can accommodate up to 12 guests. Moreover, in 6 suites. She carries a crew of 18 to ensure all charter guests a relaxed, ultraluxurious yacht experience. The full-width master suite owner cabin is situated on the main deck and features a king-sized bed, his and her dressing rooms, and curved marble bath with two rainforest showers. The VIP suite with a super-queen berth is located on the bridge deck while 3 guest cabins with queen-sized beds and 1 guest cabin with twin beds are located below.

ENTERTAINMENT

State-of-the-art Kaleidescape audio/visual equipment provides on-demand entertainment options. In specific, via Sky TV and video-on-demand in all guest cabins. In addition, bathrooms, the main dining room, media lounge, gym, and sundeck.

The yacht has many amenities. For instance, a glass elevator that runs from the lower deck to the Spa deck and a floating bathing pool (jellyfish-proof).  In addition, a Grand piano in the main saloon.

HOW TO BOOK YOUR YACHT CHARTER

In conclusion, book motor yacht HIGH POWER III for your own private luxury yacht charter vacation today. Contact your yacht charter brokers at 1-800 Yacht Charters at 305-720-7245.  Alternatively, complete our online inquiry form at https://www.1800yachtcharters.com/book-now/ .

We will be in touch with you right away to plan  The Superyacht Experience™  for you!

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Motor Yacht HIGH POWER III (ex Numptia) is a 70 metre Rossi Navi vessel launched from the Italian shipyard in Viareggio in April, 2011. Superyacht HIGH POWER III was designed by Design Studio Spadolini and her interior design is the creation of Studio Salvagni.

Accommodation offered by the stunning motor yacht HIGH POWER III is for 12 guests in 6 luxurious and comfortable cabins.

The Rossi Navi FR020 hull HIGH POWER III (ex Numptia) has a steel hull and marine grade aluminium superstructure. The 70 metre M/Y HIGH POWER III is powered by twin 3516 B DITA-SCAC Caterpillar engines. Numptia can reach a top speed of over 16 knots and a cruising speed of 15 knots, at a full load. Her large tanks holding 200,000 litres of fuel and 40,000 litres of water enable her to have a long cruising range.

The 70m displacement HIGH POWER III yacht features stunning, curvaceous lines with a dark navy blue hull and white superstructure. Large windows and floor-to-ceiling glass sliding doors ensure a smooth indoor/outdoor flow and excellent views.

HIGH POWER III Specifications

L.O.A.: 70 m. max breadth: 12.5 m. displacement: 1440 Ton design speed: 19 Knt range: 6000 nm propulsion engines: Diesel Engines 2 X CAT 3516 construction material: hull type: Steel & Aluminium concept: Displacement

Design Studio Spadolini: "The superyacht yacht Numptia has been designed with a very exhaustive brief from the client. All details for the external part of the yacht build has been studied with the client and yacht owner and always in accordance with his specific requests. Smooth inside/outside communication, in the formal and guess area, with large glass sliding floor to ceiling doors (every thing according to rules). An other special feature can be found in all the service crew passage ways that are studied for the extensive use of industrial food troleis. Rossinavi, Yachtcad Technical project, Axis Naval Engeneer, Studio Salvagni Interior design

Yacht Accommodation

HIGH POWER III can accommodate a maximum of 12 guests in 6 cabins.

Amenities and Extras

We do have available further amenity, owner and price information for the 70 m yacht HIGH POWER III, so please enquire for more information.

HIGH POWER III Disclaimer:

The luxury yacht HIGH POWER III displayed on this page is merely informational and she is not necessarily available for yacht charter or for sale, nor is she represented or marketed in anyway by CharterWorld. This web page and the superyacht information contained herein is not contractual. All yacht specifications and informations are displayed in good faith but CharterWorld does not warrant or assume any legal liability or responsibility for the current accuracy, completeness, validity, or usefulness of any superyacht information and/or images displayed. All boat information is subject to change without prior notice and may not be current.

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ENDEAVOUR | From US$ 371,980/wk

SALUZI | From EUR€ 480,000/wk

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• HIGH POWER III

Yacht, IMO 1011367

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The current position of HIGH POWER III is at West Mediterranean reported 1 min ago by AIS. The vessel is en route to ES PORT ADRIANO , and expected to arrive there on Apr 24, 11:30 . The vessel HIGH POWER III (IMO 1011367, MMSI 319216000) is a Yacht built in 2011 (13 years old) and currently sailing under the flag of Cayman Islands .

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Map position & weather, recent port calls, vessel particulars.

HIGH POWER III current position and history of port calls are received by AIS. Technical specifications, tonnages and management details are derived from VesselFinder database. The data is for informational purposes only and VesselFinder is not responsible for the accuracy and reliability of HIGH POWER III data.

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The 70m luxury motor yacht “High Power III” was refitted by Fassmer in two stages, during the winters of 2013/2014 and 2014/2015.

The extensive and complex refitting activities affected nearly every part of this elegant superyacht. An excellent and high-quality performance, a close and professional cooperation with the owner’s representatives, and an accurately timed working schedule have been key parts of this ambitious refit project.

Fassmer is a dynamic family-owned shipyard in its fifth generation. The internationally successful company is active in six business areas: Shipbuilding , Boats and Davits , Deck Equipment , Wind Power , Composite Technology and Fassmer Service .

Our clients appreciate the close cooperation with research institutes, innovative in-house design and engineering, modern production facilities and a worldwide service network.

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The World's First Hydrogen-Powered Superyacht Has a $644 Million Price Tag

By Nick Mafi

Superyachts seemed to be among the last modes of (luxe) transportation to bend toward the growing consumer demand for eco-friendly engine designs. But if news from last week’s Monaco Yacht Show served as a bellwether, the industry meant to cater to the wealthiest among us made a progressive splash with the unveiling of Aqua, the world's first hydrogen-powered superyacht.

Designed by the Dutch firm Sinot Yacht & Architecture Design, Aqua is a nearly 400-foot-long vessel that's run entirely by a renewable energy source. "Water is the eternal fuel of life, the life-sustaining force that makes planet Earth habitable," says Sander Sinot, founder of the firm that bears his name. "Water is soft, yet at the same time it cuts through hard rocks." It was this appreciation of water that helped the firm find balance between the natural world and the technological. The propulsion system is made up of two 28-ton vacuumed tanks that each contain liquified hydrogen which are stored at -423 degrees Fahrenheit. Along with being eco-friendly, hydrogen-based energy means for a quieter experience aboard the ship in comparison to traditional engines. That said, there will be backup diesel generators handy should the captain ever need them.

The infinity pool aboard AQUA. 

There was much confusion on Monday if there was already a buyer who had paid the hefty $644 million price tag. Reports spread throughout the internet that billionaire Bill Gates had purchased the superyacht, rumors that proved to be false. Yet readers couldn't be blamed for believing such reports, as images show Aqua to include its own infinity pool, helipad, spa, and gym—amenities meant to attract billionaires such as Gates.

An aerial view of the superyacht shows how close passengers can get to the water, as well as the cascading design of the infinity pool.

Sinot and his team designed the vessel to safely bring passengers as close to the water as possible. "Water is relaxation; it makes us calmer and more creative," Sinot comments. "We wanted to provide those on board with the closest possible proximity to the water. The aft deck features an innovative series of platforms cascading down towards the sea, while a large swim platform allows all passengers to enjoy the optimal experience of accessing the water at sea level."

One of the bedrooms inside of Aqua shows a minimalist aesthetic. 

Aqua can reach speeds of up to 19.5 mph and features enough room for 14 guests and 31 crew members. The firm plans to complete the vessel by 2024.

By Katherine McLaughlin

By Charlotte Collins

By Joyce Chen

The SW105 POWER OF 2 yacht is third unit of this series and was commissioned by a keen sailor who was looking for an ocean-going yacht for sailing the world and exploring very remote locations in comfort and total safety.

SW105 Power of 2 yacht has a twin rudder system which combined with the lifting keel (3-5m) allows access to remote shallow ports and anchorages. With the keel down this configuration provides excellent upwind light air performance. The Deck Saloon configuration of this ocean-going yacht offers a protected guest cockpit and an ample deckhouse where guests can enjoy the all-round sea views when seated in the saloon through elegant and panoramic 270° windows.

Elegance and functionality are the leitmotifs of SW105 Power of 2 yacht deck. Her fixed bowsprit with an integrated anchor arm makes for easy anchoring and her clean deck layout with efficiently engineered systems make for “easy sailing” in any condition. The mainsheet is managed through a high load captive winch and a recessed traveller, while the jib and staysail sheets run below deck. The rig features a furling boom with systems that are designed for easy handling of the halyard.

SW105 Power of 2 yacht’s interior features Southern Wind’s most popular layout with the owner’s cabin forward. Three comfortable en suite guest cabins are amidships with crew quarters and galley aft. One of the two twin guest cabins can be converted into a double cabin, a real bonus for a yacht of this kind. The style of the interior is essential and modern. Her oak furniture together with stainless steel details create a warm atmosphere on board.

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Professional BoatBuilder Magazine

An aluminum expedition catamaran.

By Dieter Loibner , Apr 5, 2022

With 110′ LOA, a 35′ beam, and 45′ (33.5m, 10.6m, and 13.7m) of bridge clearance, the H-2 catamaran seeks to make a case for U.S. custom boatbuilding.

Hauling toys beyond the horizon is the raison d’être for a rugged go-anywhere catamaran designed and built in the U.S., a notable exception in the world of big yacht projects.

Gunboat might have left town, but there’s another big catamaran under construction in its old facility in Wanchese, North Carolina. It’s called H-2 , short for Hippocampus 2 , a stout 110-footer (33.5m) that liberally and intentionally quotes from the expedition/workboat vernacular. It’s built from aluminum and was conceived to go to the back of the beyond, where adventure beckons and Vessel Assist doesn’t operate. Aside from commodious and cushy accommodations, the boat offers grid autonomy, ocean-crossing range, and cargo capacity to match the mission of hauling a 26 ‘ (7.92m) tender, a 17 ‘ (5.8m) skiff, a two-person submarine, a four-seat ATV on the main deck, and a small helicopter on the flight deck aft.

The boat was commissioned by Brian Schmitt, 67, a real  estate executive in the Florida Keys, who pilots his own plane to commute to the Bahamas, where he keeps Hippocampus , his current 57 ‘ (17.37m) cold-molded wood/epoxy catamaran. I asked him about the jump from 57 ‘ to 110 ‘ . “I never thought I’d have the ability to do that in my own boat until probably the last few years,” he replied, adding that “it would be 120 ‘ [36.58m] if I had to do it today.”

Its predecessor, Hippocampus, built in wood/epoxy, was launched in 2003. At 57′ (17.37m), it is about half as long as H-2, but with 22,500 miles under its keels, it was a useful starting point for designing the new vessel.

Wearing shorts and a shirt with the new boat’s name and logo to our meeting, Schmitt talked openly about his project, which he manages as attentively as his real estate brokerage with 130 agents. Communication is his thing, responding to e-mail questions in near real time (in ALL CAPS) and talking to contractors directly. No project manager.

A passionate diver who habitually explores remote and exotic locales, Schmitt said he was happy with the first Hippocampus , which has three staterooms and cruises at 15 knots on twin 370-hp Yanmars. “It was the vehicle that got our 17 ‘ tender wherever we needed it.” But running the little boat 60 or 70 miles a day lost its charm. “One of the things I wanted was a twin-engine tender that would have more room for dive gear. That ended up being a 26 ‘ Calcutta, so I needed a bigger mother ship.”

With accelerating climate change, the carbon footprint of ships and large yachts is under scrutiny, but hydrocarbons still win when speed, range, and payloads are priorities. While H-2 doesn’t break the mold there, Schmitt pointed to the project’s virtues as a U.S. domestic build. “You can’t complain about global warming when you’re flying around in your G500 jet that’s contributing more CO2 emissions than anybody else in the world,” he said. “You can’t complain about all the boats being built in Germany, The Netherlands, and Italy, and then go buy a boat [there].” Schmidt wanted to build locally, keeping jobs and money in the U.S. Besides, he noted, this approach simplified communications and enabled him to personally check on progress during COVID. Perhaps most importantly, he could pick a team of trusted and compatible mates to turn his dream into a boat.

The vast build hall left vacant when Gunboat left Wanchese, North Carolina.

He selected John Marples, a fellow pilot, inventor, and multihull specialist for the design and Felix Herrin to build H-2 . Both men had worked for him on Hippocampus , and their familiarity helped when meeting today’s challenges, such as damaging trade tariffs that drove up aluminum prices, and a pandemic that killed millions, wreaked havoc on global supply chains, and caused labor shortages in industrial sectors. These factors have conspired to delay H-2 ’s launching by roughly two years and counting.

Advantage Aluminum

A key decision early on was to build in aluminum, which promised a robust structure but required extra steps to deal with corrosion and noise mitigation. “Construction was reduced to something simple—a V-bottom deadrise model, stretched out,” Marples explained. “There wasn’t any benefit to round bilges on an aluminum boat. You’d have to add internal structure to support the flat panels, and it drives the cost and difficulty of construction way up. We’re talking about a speed-to-length ratio of 2 or less, which is not a big deal. His current boat would do a speed/length of about 3, so the extra length means that you’re never really pushing the boat that hard, so shape was not a huge consideration.”

Marples and Herrin go back at least three decades to their mutual acquaintance with naval architect and boatbuilder Dave Dana, who assisted Marples with the hull design for Admiral Pete , a catamaran passenger ferry still serving Puget Sound. Herrin works with different construction materials, but having built crew boats for Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) at Sea Force in Palmetto, Florida, he has spent considerable time with aluminum.

Taking a break during IBEX 2021 are builder Felix Herrin (left) and owner Brian Schmitt. H-2 is their second joint project with designer John Marples.

The structural components on H-2 are 5083-H32 alloy aluminum plate and extrusions of 6061-T6 alloy. Scantlings, materials, and weldment comply with the American Bureau of Shipping’s (ABS) 2016 design guidelines for pleasure motoryachts. Hulls and wing structures have transverse frames and bulkheads spaced on 36 “ (0.91m) centers. Those frames are supported by substantial centerline vertical keels (CVKs) welded atop twin 3 “ x 8 “ (76mm x 203mm) solid extruded-aluminum-bar keels. Intermediate subframes in the forward and aftermost hull compartments strengthen the hulls for operating in ice. Schmitt indicated he wants to traverse the Northwest Passage. For the same reason, there’s 3⁄8 “ (10mm) plate running the length of the boat above and below the waterline.

The topside and underwing plating is primarily ¼ “ (6mm), with areas of 5⁄16 “ (8mm) to strengthen slamming zones in the bow. The main deck plating is also 1/4 “ while the foredeck plate is specified at 5⁄16 “ . The bottom plating is 5⁄16 “ in the aft two-thirds of the hull and 3⁄8 “ forward. “We built all the frames and bulkheads first, then scarfed together the keel sections [and] lined those up on the bunks that we built on,” Herrin explained. “We welded the CVK on top of the keel, then started installing frames.”

Hulls and wing structure have transverse frames and bulkheads on 36″ (0.91m) centers. The hulls are supported by centerline vertical keels.

Herrin said he changed aluminum suppliers midway through the project, sourcing from Bayou Metal Supply , an ISO 9001:2015–certified distributor in Slidell, Louisiana. “We sourced the material from Greece and from domestic suppliers,” said Taylor Smith, who handles Bayou’s sales. Tariffs, he said, did not slow down business much, but the aluminum cost more. “Felix sent cut files. We had the material in inventory, we cut it, processed it on a router, and shipped it on time. Everything flowed well.”

Naval and structural engineering and detailing was contracted out to Van Gorkom Yacht Design in Portsmouth, Rhode Island. “My first responsibility was looking at structures,” Geoff Van Gorkom said. “Given that this is an aluminum yacht, we can do literally all the structures in 3D and have all the metalwork precut before it came into the yard. All the frames and longitudinals and all the primary structure were precut, which saved huge amounts of time.” Van Gorkom said he uses Rhino 3D and some of the numerous modules such as Orca 3D for hydrostatics and hydrodynamics, and 2D AutoCAD to produce construction details.

Helping save time and money, 3D-modeling allowed frames, longitudinals, and the primary structure to be cut before being sent to the building site.

Van Gorkom observed that H-2 is not a fussy high-performance vessel that needs minimum weight to achieve maximum speed. Besides ABS guidelines that address torsional loads in catamaran structures, he also consulted A.L. Dinsenbacher’s paper “A Method for Estimating Loads on Catamaran Cross-Structure” ( Marine Technology , Vol. 7, No. 4, October 1970) to estimate load conditions in beam and quartering seas. “This is going to be a very stiff boat. It’s going to be a very strong boat simply because it has to be, and that was one of the criteria that Brian put out there right from the very start of the project. The boat is sturdy and stout, a strong expedition yacht.”

Van Gorkom also engineered the setup for a folding deck crane housed under a flush hatch in the helideck on the port side to launch and retrieve the two-man submarine or the ATV. “It’s basically an enclosure that opens up, so the crane extends out,” he explained. “It comes up on a telescoping pipe to swing out and pick up something from the side of the boat.” It required support from beams on each side of the crane and cutting a slot in the helideck for the lifting bridle so the loads can move inboard or outboard. On the starboard side, the 5,500-lb (2,492-kg) Calcutta tender is an even heavier load moved by twin overhead beam cranes. The 17 ‘ Twin Vee is launched and retrieved from the foredeck with a 2,500-lb-capacity (1,153-kg) crane.

Catamarans are known to be weight-sensitive, so how will H-2 handle the weight of all the toys and high superstructure? The arch over the flybridge is 33 ‘ (10.05m) above waterline, Van Gorkom confirmed. “Add another 10 ‘ [3.05m] for the radar, mast, etc., so a comfortable bridge clearance would be around 45 ‘ [13.7m].” Marples conferred with Van Gorkom about the effect of the added weight on the center of gravity, which was deemed “almost imperceptible,” Marples remembered. A quick calculation suggests that a 5,500-lb deck load is equal to only 1.57% of a full-load displacement given as 350,000 lbs (158,550 kg).

High Power, Low Noise

Van Gorkom hired engineers at HydroComp to evaluate the design’s hydrodynamics and propulsion systems, including the influence of hull-shape parameters and demi-hull spacing on resistance. HydroComp also offered a speed-power prediction to aid with engine selection and recommended optimum shaft rpm and propeller parameters. Technical director Donald MacPherson, who prepared the report, outlined the process and findings: “Particularly interesting for this project was the use of its novel analytical distributed volume method [ADVM] for the vessel’s resistance modeling. This 2D technique (between parametric methods and CFD) uniquely allows for assessment of the influence of local sectional area curve regions (such as ‘shoulders’ or inflections) in wave-making drag. It also directly evaluates the effects of catamaran hull spacing.” HydroComp helped optimize the hulls by identifying the regions that contribute most to wave-making drag, and securing a 3% reduction in total drag at the design speed by making what MacPherson called “very minor changes to the immersed volume distribution.”

Rob Ayers works on the installation of the starboard engine’s Evolution Marine Shaft System that will be fitted with a 36″ (0.91m) five-blade propeller.

That simulation was mapped to benchmark performances of four similar catamarans, and the process was run for two design variants, followed by a propulsion simulation for partial-load conditions. The hull-spacing study concluded that the originally designed 35 ‘ (10.7m) beam remained suitable despite the boat being 20 ‘ (6.1m) longer than originally drawn. The chosen propulsion system comprises two MTU 10V 2000 M96, 1505-mhp diesels with ZF 3000 flange-mounted marine gears, providing an estimated top-speed range of 20–22 knots, cruising speeds of 12–15 knots, and 10–13 knots for long-range voyaging. Actual performance will be established during sea trials.

The recommended propeller specifications developed by HydroComp were for five-blade models with 36 “ dia­meters. HydroComp applied Prop­Elements, a wake-adapted propeller-analysis tool, to determine the advisability of installing a nozzle or shroud to restrict transmission of pressure pulses to the hull and to create a more uniform inflow. This would reduce interior noise but would increase appendage drag and power demand. Schmitt said he will wait to see if cavitation or prop noise is an issue before making a final decision.

He invested heavily in noise and vibration mitigation, knowing that an aluminum boat won’t provide the natural sound-dampening of a wood/epoxy structure like that of his first Hippocampus . Consulting with Soundown of Salem, Massachusetts, Schmitt wanted to replicate what worked well on his old boat, starting with the Evolution Marine Shaft System, in which the prop shaft runs in an oil-filled tube and uses roller and needle bearings instead of standard water-lubricated bearings. “You have a lot less shaft noise, but one of the primary benefits of an integral thrust bearing is that it transmits all the thrust directly into the hull, as opposed to pushing on the gearbox or the engine and gearbox combination,” said Sam Smullin, Soundown’s marketing and quality assurance manager. “It allows for a much softer engine mounting, so you reduce the noise from the shaft itself and get a much quieter engine installation, which reduces structure-borne noise.” Because of the relative weight sensitivity of catamarans, Smullin said, “it’s particularly important to do a really good job on the driveline.” His father, Joseph Smullin, president of Soundown and J&A Enterprises Inc., an engineering firm for noise and vibration control, estimated that this could reduce driveline noise levels by 5 dBA to 10 dBA compared to a conventional system.

Clemente Perez, one of Herrin’s build crew, works on the interior. The extensive sound and thermal insulation includes foam sprayed into the cavities.

Soundown also looked at the two 38-kW Northern Lights gensets, which have double-isolation mounts to reduce structure-borne noise. The firm also recommended structural changes to ensure that the mount foundations were as stiff as possible.

Energy from propulsion or generator engines invariably transmits to the boat structure and then resonates through big, flat panels like bulkheads, decks, ceilings, and liners, causing the familiar vibrating rattle. To dampen those vibrations, Herrin said he used Roxul, a lightweight, semi-rigid stone-wool insulation for fire resistance and sound control. His crew also sprayed cavities with Dow Froth-Pak, a quick-cure polyurethane foam for thermal insulation, and installed Sylomer (a microcellular PUR-elastomer) between the structural components and the floors, walls, and panels. “We glued the Sylomer, which is kind of a spongy foam, to the structure of the boat, and then the plywood of the subfloors and walls are glued to that,” Herrin explained, adding that this created a floating interior without any fasteners.

The plywood, called QuietCore, is a composite sandwich panel comprising marine plywood skins and an acoustic damping layer that converts acoustic energy into small amounts of heat that are dissipated. Soundown claims that an 18mm (0.7 “ ) QuietCore bulkhead can reduce noise transmission by up to 10 dBA, an audible reduction 50% greater than with regular marine plywood of equal thickness.

Electricity for a Small Town

Going off grid on H-2 does not mean anyone will suffer, as long as the electrical system keeps powering the boat’s myriad house loads—hydraulic Maxwell windlasses and thrusters; a Webasto air-conditioning system; two full-size stand-up freezers, two refrigerator freezers, and two under-counter refrigerators in the galley, all by Vitfrigo; Krüshr compactors for recyclables and garbage; Headhunter sewage-treatment system; Alfa Laval fuel-polishing system; two FCI watermakers; a complete set of Garmin navigation electronics with full redundancy; and a Böning vessel control and monitoring system.

Two Northern Lights 38-kW gensets are the heart of H-2’s AC system, which also includes a 37-kW Atlas inverter to connect to shore power in foreign ports.

Much of the AC side was designed and specified by Ward’s Marine Electric in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in cooperation with OceanPlanet Energy of Woolwich, Maine, and principal Bruce Schwab, who helped design and integrate the DC components. “Today there’s a big trend in the industry to use shore-power converters as inverters and superlarge lithium-ion battery banks to provide power, at least temporary power, for major loads like air-conditioning, chiller plants, and things like that,” said Ward Eshleman, chairman of Ward’s Marine Electric. “So, rather than using only smaller inverters and synchronizing them and stacking to get additional kW, the trend for the larger vessels is to use shore-power converters as inverters. There is an inverter bus in the main switchboard.”

True to its go-anywhere mission, H-2 was fitted with an Atlas 37-kW inverter to connect to shore power in places that do not serve 60 Hz, 240V single-phase power. “We can take anything from 90V to 400V and pretty much anything from below 50 Hz to the 60 Hz and single- or three-phase,” Herrin explained.

Eight GTX24V315A-F24 lithium-ion batteries from Lithionics are split between a house bank that can run all DC loads for at least 24 hours, and an emergency bank to operate critical DC loads—display screens, radios, nav lights—for 24 hours. The boat is equipped with 10 Solara Ultra-S 160W panels paralleled in two groups of five each, connected to two Victron SmartSolar MPPT 100/50 solar controllers to charge the house bank. Given enough sunshine, solar and battery power should be “capable of running lights and refrigeration but not air-conditioning or heating,” Schmitt said. “Since we will likely spend most of our time in the tropics, we did not believe that solar power alone could do the job we needed.”

OceanPlanet Energy specified four Victron Buck-Boost DC-DC converters, two for each engine, to help charge the house bank from the starter batteries without having to modify the engines’ stock alternators, which would have voided the warranty. “The converters activate based on the input voltage from the starting batteries,” Schwab explained. “With lower rpm, the alternators would not produce enough current to feed both converters without the starting-battery voltage dropping, turning the converters off. Then the voltage will rise, the converters turn on again, drop the voltage, turn off…over and over. Staggering the input voltage cut-in, hopefully starting the converters one at a time, will more smoothly supply power to the house bank across the engine/alternator rpm range.”

OceanPlanet Energy specified the DC system including DC/DC converters and hefty battery banks to power house loads and critical electronics.

There are two 4,500-watt 240V split-phase engineroom-ventilation fans connected to two Victron Quattro 5-kW 24V inverter-chargers configured for 240V/120V split-phase AC loads. They can accept AC inputs from two sources (shore power or generators) and automatically connect to the available source. “In the event of a grid failure or power disconnect, they take over the supply to the connected AC loads by inverting from the Lithionics house-battery bank,” Schwab said.

“It’s more complicated than that,” according to Herrin. “Typically, we’re going to be operating with the A-bus and the B-bus tied together, so we can power everything with one generator. The B-bus actually passes current through the Victron inverter-chargers on its way to the load. We have the ability to split the A-bus and the B-bus and run the A-bus on one generator and the B-bus on the other in the few instances we’re exceeding the capacity of one of the generators. If we lose both generators, then the essential loads are still going to be carried,” meaning engine vents or water pumps.

Redundancy and emergency backups also figured largely in the deliberations of John McKay, manager of the Switchgear Systems Division at Ward’s Marine Electric and point man for this project.

One of his challenges was limiting the voltage drop in the estimated 53 ‘ (16.2m) cable run between engines, which in an emergency allows the starboard engine to be started from the port battery and vice versa. “For a starter group, you can allow a 20% voltage drop,” McKay said and noted that starting the engines requires 720 amps, while the gensets needed only 200 amps. “I was keeping the 720-amp current between 7% and 11% voltage drop, getting up to some pretty good-sized copper. Some sections of the run were 240mm2 [500MCM] cable.” Knowing that the boat is capable of going to high latitudes, McKay recalled his youth and the frigid winter mornings in Massachusetts, “where you can crank a diesel all day long at a low rpm, and it’ll never start. You just need to turn it over one or two times at a higher rpm, and it’ll be running. So, I was making certain that the starter was going to crank at the highest rpm possible and not lose it all to voltage drop.”

Protecting Assets and Finishing the Job

No matter how fast or how far H-2 will travel, corrosion caused by galvanic current between dissimilar metals, by stray currents or by electric fault, is an enemy that needs to be kept in check. That’s the calling of Ted Schwartz, who runs Electro-Guard (Mount Shasta, California). He’s one of the country’s foremost experts on cathodic protection, and also served on ABYC’s E2 Cathodic Protection Project Technical Committee.

“We designed the system and supplied all the equipment and steered them through the installation,” Schwartz said. It’s a 15-amp impressed-current-cathodic-protection (ICCP) system, model 715 A-2, with three anodes and two reference cells. Regarding the boat’s Evolution shaft system with driveshafts running inside an oil-filled tube, Schwartz said: “It was a real challenge because you can’t actually make contact with the propeller shaft on the inside of the boat.” He consulted with Soundown and found a solution. “At the coupling on the inboard end of the tube, a bit of the shaft stuck out through the seal,” Swartz said. “There’s this coupling that Soundown built that fastens to the shaft, and we asked them to provide a surface on that coupling where we could put our silver slip rings on [to provide an electrical connection] to protect props and shafts.”

Every anode can deliver up to 5 amps of current using its own current controller that receives a signal from the main controller, which determines exactly how much current each anode will put out. The entire system consists of three anodes, three current controllers, the main controller, and a separate monitoring station connected to the controller by signal cable. Later, Schmitt also ordered a backup system employing aluminum sacrificial anodes.

On catamarans, the company installs a reference cell aft near the prop of each hull, and an anode on the aft section of each hull, and one anode amidships on the inboard side on one hull.

Chromate, two layers of epoxy, copious amounts of fairing compound, and various primers rendered the surface fair and ready for a yacht-quality paint job.

At the time of this writing, the vessel had been shot with chromate and two layers of epoxy before approximately 500 gal (1,893 l) of fairing compound and 325 gal (1,230 l) of various primers rendered the surface fair and ready for a yacht-quality Alexseal paint job with 35 gal (132.5 l) light ivory, 24 gal (91 gal) stark white, and 2 gal (7.6 l) cordovan gold. Parallel to the exterior, construction was on the home stretch with installation of the crew quarters and the saloon overhead. On the systems side, pressure checks were performed for hydraulics and plumbing.

Since H-2 is a much larger and more complex vessel than the original Hippocampus , with a multitude of systems that need to be managed, monitored, and maintained, I was curious how many crew Schmitt was planning to hire to help run his new boat. He said he consulted with captains and headhunters, and “the consensus is three or possibly four at most. I just completed my 100-Ton Masters and will build time on the new boat as well. We won’t charter and are not accustomed to being cooked for or served or having our beds made and all that. So mostly I’m looking for a qualified captain and engineer to maintain the systems.”

Little surprise that a hands-on operator like Schmitt does not want to cede too much of the game he loves to play. But as big, bold, and broad-shouldered as H-2 will be when she finally emerges from the old Gunboat shed in Wanchese, the proud owner is quick to remind anyone that it’s still “a vehicle to get the toys wherever.”

H-2 : The Designer’s View

H-2 ’s owner, the adventurous Brian Schmitt, has dived into deep caves to see submerged caverns, hand-fed large sharks that would normally view him as food, and spent years in his off-time exploring Caribbean archipelagos in Hippocampus, his current 19-year-old 57 ‘ (17.4m) power catamaran. Nearing retirement age, he gave the order for his “ultimate” yacht.

The foldable hydraulic deck crane to launch and retrieve a two-man electric submarine or an all-terrain vehicle required cutting a slot in the helicopter deck for the lifting bridle.

The first talk about the new design was between the owner, the builder, and me. As we discussed the mission of the boat, it became clear that it would fall into the category of expedition vessel with more guest staterooms, more range, and more room for equipment than his old boat. Brian defined the function of the vessel as a carrier for a 26 ‘ (7.92m) twin-outboard catamaran, an outboard skiff, a small car, and a small helicopter, which needed a flight deck. This vessel was to be used with family and guests while also serving as an operations base for outbound travel by air, land, or sea.

Aside from commodious accommodations, a key requirement was comfortable motion on rough seas. This was to be a catamaran, like his current boat, which offers extensive real estate afloat in a seagoing vessel. The only restriction for the new design was a beam no greater than 35 ‘ (10.6m) to fit the largest Travelift.

The trade-off for overall beam width involves room versus roll motion. A wider catamaran responds more quickly to roll in seaways but with less amplitude, whereas a narrower beam rolls more slowly with slightly more amplitude. The slower roll is preferable as long as overall roll stability is maintained. Roll in catamarans is unlike roll in single-hulled vessels. Because the vessel is supported by two buoyancy chambers (hulls) with distance between them, motion has little to do with roll inertia, but rather with response of the hulls to the seaway. Each hull responds to a passing wave independently by heaving (up/down) and rolling, which is a circular motion around the center of gravity (CG) that translates to lateral motion when standing above the CG, especially high up on the bridge. Power catamarans, unlike sailing catamarans, do not require wide hull spacing to generate righting moment (to support a sail plan), so they can have closer hull spacing, which still preserves sufficient stability, slows wave-response roll characteristics, and takes up less space in port.

One of the expected routes for this vessel is the Northwest Passage over the top of North America. Boats venturing there can expect floating ice, so we added thicker hull plating at the waterline and an ice-separation chamber on the cooling water intakes. We also designed the hull to give the propeller protection by positioning it behind a deep canoe-stern afterbody with no exposed shaft. A rudder horn, below the propeller extending aft from the hull, adds support for the rudder and protection for the prop. This configuration is useful as a hedge against the possibility of grounding. In fact, this boat can be careened on the beach between tides if necessary for repairs. The hull includes a strong, deep, vertical keel structure that allows for blocking anywhere along its length.

Speed and range became the largest determinates of the design. A maximum range of 4,000 miles at 15 knots (enough to cross the Atlantic Ocean) was proposed. Catamarans are easily driven at modest speeds due to lack of significant wave resistance by narrow hulls. A preliminary speed prediction analysis showed that we would be in the ballpark with about 1,400 hp (1,050 kW) and 5,000 gal (18,925 l) of diesel per hull. The final installed fuel capacity is 12,500 gal (47,313 l).

The general arrangement plan shows crew quarters in the hulls, three guest cabins, office, saloon, and galley on the main deck and owner’s suite on the bridge deck level.

A totally new design normally goes through a lengthy proposal and critique cycle between designer and client, especially if the client is knowledgeable and involved. The vessel’s first iteration started at 90 ‘ (27.43m) LOA, but it became evident that it needed more length to relieve a number of ills. After adding 10 ‘ (3.05m) we saw improvements, but it wasn’t until the 110 ‘ (33.5m) length proposal that we felt all the requirements had been satisfied: more slender hull shape, more open interior space, and better placement of machinery and tankage. The flight deck for the helicopter became larger, and the forward superstructure fairings gave the boat a sleeker look. And at 110 ‘ we achieved an efficient length versus waterline beam ratio that reduced wave drag and fuel consumption at the target cruise speed.

While beam remained at 35 ‘ , lightship displacement increased significantly to 230,000 lbs (104,190 kg). Accommodations now include crew quarters for four persons in the bows; three double guest cabins and a ship’s office forward; a large saloon amidships with adjacent galley, and a dive and a storage locker aft on the main deck. The upper deck is arranged with a full-width-bridge steering station forward, protected by a Portuguese bridge, and a master stateroom with en suite bathroom aft. The flight deck extends aft of the master stateroom. Access to the upper deck is by either a staircase from the foredeck, an interior staircase adjacent to the ship’s office, or by stairs from the starboard side deck.

The largest variable weight on the boat is fuel, so the tankage is located amidships to minimize its influence on trim. Engine and machinery rooms aft of the tankage take up the remaining spaces all the way to the transoms. Other amenities include a utility area aft of the crew quarters port side with storage and washing machines, and a walkway through the tank spaces and enginerooms to the boarding decks at each transom. Another late addition is the flying bridge to aid with shallow-water operation by improving the vantage point to see coral heads and other obstructions. Its protective bimini serves as a mounting platform for lights and antennae.

—John R. Marples

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Yamaha’s F25 is still the lightest 25-horsepower outboard on the water—two stroke or four stroke. Its portable design and class-leading power-to-weight mean 25 horses can boldly go where they’ve never gone before. Jons. 14-foot aluminum fishing boats. The bed of your truck.

High-Power Portable Specs

Our 432-cc 25-hp portable outboard features a streamlined, portable design and class-leading power-to-weight. While its 25 percent lighter than its previous design, it still packs exciting features like battery-less EFI. Pull-start models can now take advantage of this feature, plus the system is designed with an automatic decompression device to require even less effort for manual starting.

Our 432-cc all-new 20-hp portable outboard-built on the same award winning platform as the F25 and sharing its SOHC in-line design and streamlined intake manifold, delivers solid power. Not only that, but it’s one of the most fuel efficient in its class. At just 126 pounds, it’s suitable for lightweight craft such as aluminum fishing boats, tenders and inflatables.

Our 362-cc 15-hp portable features a SOHC in-line, two-cylinder design.  Its single carburetor and CDI Microcomputer Ignition System make it one of the most fuel-efficient in its class. At just 111 pounds, it’s suitable for lightweight craft such as aluminum fishing boats, tenders and inflatables.

Interested In A High-Power Portable?

Garden State Yacht Sales is your premier destination for Yamaha Outboard Engines. Discover the power, reliability, and innovation of Yamaha’s world-renowned marine engines right here. Whether you’re a seasoned boater or a newcomer to the water, our expert team is dedicated to helping you find the perfect Yamaha Outboard Engine to suit your needs.

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POWER OF 2 yacht NOT for charter*

34.59m  /  113'6 | southern wind | 2019.

Owner & Guests

Cabin Configuration

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Special Features:

• RINA (Registro Italiano Navale) classification
• Interior design from Nauta Design
• Sleeps 8 overnight

The 34.59m/113'6" sail yacht 'Power of 2' was built by Southern Wind in South Africa at their Cape Town shipyard. Her interior is styled by Italian designer design house Nauta Design and she was delivered to her owner in April 2019. This luxury vessel's exterior design is the work of Nauta Design.

Guest Accommodation

Power of 2 has been designed to comfortably accommodate up to 8 guests in 4 suites. She is also capable of carrying up to 5 crew onboard to ensure a relaxed luxury yacht experience.

Range & Performance

Power of 2 is built with a composite hull and composite superstructure, with composite decks. Powered by 1 x diesel Cummins (QSB 6,7 MCD) 305hp engines running at 2600rpm, she comfortably cruises at 9 knots, reaches a maximum speed of 12 knots. She was built to RINA (Registro Italiano Navale) classification society rules.

*Charter Power of 2 Sail Yacht

Sail yacht Power of 2 is currently not believed to be available for private Charter. To view similar yachts for charter , or contact your Yacht Charter Broker for information about renting a luxury charter yacht.

Power of 2 Yacht Owner, Captain or marketing company

'Yacht Charter Fleet' is a free information service, if your yacht is available for charter please contact us with details and photos and we will update our records.

Power of 2 Awards & Nominations

• Boat International Design & Innovation Awards 2020 Outstanding Exterior Sailing Yachts Finalist
• Boat International Design & Innovation Awards 2020 Best Interior Design: Sailing Yachts Finalist
• Boat International Design & Innovation Awards 2020 Best Naval Architecture: Sailing Yachts Finalist
• The World Superyacht Awards 2020 Sailing Yachts Nomination

NOTE to U.S. Customs & Border Protection

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S/Y Power of 2

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The huge solar storm is keeping power grid and satellite operators on edge

Geoff Brumfiel

Willem Marx

NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of solar flares early Saturday afternoon. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says there have been measurable effects and impacts from the geomagnetic storm. Solar Dynamics Observatory hide caption

NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of solar flares early Saturday afternoon. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says there have been measurable effects and impacts from the geomagnetic storm.

Planet Earth is getting rocked by the biggest solar storm in decades – and the potential effects have those people in charge of power grids, communications systems and satellites on edge.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says there have been measurable effects and impacts from the geomagnetic storm that has been visible as aurora across vast swathes of the Northern Hemisphere. So far though, NOAA has seen no reports of major damage.

The Picture Show

Photos: see the northern lights from rare, solar storm.

There has been some degradation and loss to communication systems that rely on high-frequency radio waves, NOAA told NPR, as well as some preliminary indications of irregularities in power systems.

"Simply put, the power grid operators have been busy since yesterday working to keep proper, regulated current flowing without disruption," said Shawn Dahl, service coordinator for the Boulder, Co.-based Space Weather Prediction Center at NOAA.

NOAA Issues First Severe Geomagnetic Storm Watch Since 2005

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"Satellite operators are also busy monitoring spacecraft health due to the S1-S2 storm taking place along with the severe-extreme geomagnetic storm that continues even now," Dahl added, saying some GPS systems have struggled to lock locations and offered incorrect positions.

NOAA's GOES-16 satellite captured a flare erupting occurred around 2 p.m. EDT on May 9, 2024.

As NOAA had warned late Friday, the Earth has been experiencing a G5, or "Extreme," geomagnetic storm . It's the first G5 storm to hit the planet since 2003, when a similar event temporarily knocked out power in part of Sweden and damaged electrical transformers in South Africa.

The NOAA center predicted that this current storm could induce auroras visible as far south as Northern California and Alabama.

Extreme (G5) geomagnetic conditions have been observed! pic.twitter.com/qLsC8GbWus — NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center (@NWSSWPC) May 10, 2024

Around the world on social media, posters put up photos of bright auroras visible in Russia , Scandinavia , the United Kingdom and continental Europe . Some reported seeing the aurora as far south as Mallorca, Spain .

The source of the solar storm is a cluster of sunspots on the sun's surface that is 17 times the diameter of the Earth. The spots are filled with tangled magnetic fields that can act as slingshots, throwing huge quantities of charged particles towards our planet. These events, known as coronal mass ejections, become more common during the peak of the Sun's 11-year solar cycle.

A powerful solar storm is bringing northern lights to unusual places

Usually, they miss the Earth, but this time, NOAA says several have headed directly toward our planet, and the agency predicted that several waves of flares will continue to slam into the Earth over the next few days.

While the storm has proven to be large, predicting the effects from such incidents can be difficult, Dahl said.

Shocking problems

The most disruptive solar storm ever recorded came in 1859. Known as the "Carrington Event," it generated shimmering auroras that were visible as far south as Mexico and Hawaii. It also fried telegraph systems throughout Europe and North America.

Stronger activity on the sun could bring more displays of the northern lights in 2024

While this geomagnetic storm will not be as strong, the world has grown more reliant on electronics and electrical systems. Depending on the orientation of the storm's magnetic field, it could induce unexpected electrical currents in long-distance power lines — those currents could cause safety systems to flip, triggering temporary power outages in some areas.

my cat just experienced the aurora borealis, one of the world's most radiant natural phenomena... and she doesn't care pic.twitter.com/Ee74FpWHFm — PJ (@kickthepj) May 10, 2024

The storm is also likely to disrupt the ionosphere, a section of Earth's atmosphere filled with charged particles. Some long-distance radio transmissions use the ionosphere to "bounce" signals around the globe, and those signals will likely be disrupted. The particles may also refract and otherwise scramble signals from the global positioning system, according to Rob Steenburgh, a space scientist with NOAA. Those effects can linger for a few days after the storm.

Like Dahl, Steenburgh said it's unclear just how bad the disruptions will be. While we are more dependent than ever on GPS, there are also more satellites in orbit. Moreover, the anomalies from the storm are constantly shifting through the ionosphere like ripples in a pool. "Outages, with any luck, should not be prolonged," Steenburgh said.

What Causes The Northern Lights? Scientists Finally Know For Sure

The radiation from the storm could have other undesirable effects. At high altitudes, it could damage satellites, while at low altitudes, it's likely to increase atmospheric drag, causing some satellites to sink toward the Earth.

The changes to orbits wreak havoc, warns Tuija Pulkkinen, chair of the department of climate and space sciences at the University of Michigan. Since the last solar maximum, companies such as SpaceX have launched thousands of satellites into low Earth orbit. Those satellites will now see their orbits unexpectedly changed.

"There's a lot of companies that haven't seen these kind of space weather effects before," she says.

The International Space Station lies within Earth's magnetosphere, so its astronauts should be mostly protected, Steenburgh says.

In a statement, NASA said that astronauts would not take additional measures to protect themselves. "NASA completed a thorough analysis of recent space weather activity and determined it posed no risk to the crew aboard the International Space Station and no additional precautionary measures are needed," the agency said late Friday.

People visit St Mary's lighthouse in Whitley Bay to see the aurora borealis on Friday in Whitley Bay, England. Ian Forsyth/Getty Images hide caption

People visit St Mary's lighthouse in Whitley Bay to see the aurora borealis on Friday in Whitley Bay, England.

While this storm will undoubtedly keep satellite operators and utilities busy over the next few days, individuals don't really need to do much to get ready.

"As far as what the general public should be doing, hopefully they're not having to do anything," Dahl said. "Weather permitting, they may be visible again tonight." He advised that the largest problem could be a brief blackout, so keeping some flashlights and a radio handy might prove helpful.

I took these photos near Ranfurly in Central Otago, New Zealand. Anyone can use them please spread far and wide. :-) https://t.co/NUWpLiqY2S — Dr Andrew Dickson reform/ACC (@AndrewDickson13) May 10, 2024

And don't forget to go outside and look up, adds Steenburgh. This event's aurora is visible much further south than usual.

A faint aurora can be detected by a modern cell phone camera, he adds, so even if you can't see it with your eyes, try taking a photo of the sky.

The aurora "is really the gift from space weather," he says.

• space weather
• solar flares
• solar storm

4 dead as severe storms hit Houston area; hundreds of thousands lose power in Texas

Emergency crews in southeast Texas were clearing debris and assessing flooding on Friday after powerful storms tore through the state , killing at least four people and knocking out power to nearly 800,000 customers.

The winds — which reached 100 mph — were reminiscent of 2008's Hurricane Ike , one of the costliest natural disasters in American history, Houston Mayor John Whitmire said in a briefing Thursday. A widespread 3 to 6 inches of rain fell north of Houston, with one of the highest totals reaching around 6.9 inches in 24 hours near Romayor.

The storm also battered New Orleans overnight, with severe thunderstorms and flooding possible again through Saturday morning, according to the local branch of the National Weather Service .

In Texas, the destruction was evident even before sunrise, with high winds tearing out windows of high-rise buildings in downtown Houston and inundating the region with flooding. Streets were littered with glass, electrical lines and other detritus.

“I know that many people lived through, and are still living through, scary situations with the terrible strong winds that blew across our county tonight," Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said in a statement Friday morning.

"Damage assessments are ongoing, and we cannot know how long it will take to clear debris without those assessments completed, but from initial reports the debris looks very significant," Hidalgo said.

Classes were canceled for the 400,000 students in the Houston Independent School District.

Officials urged all but essential employees to work from home if possible, and the Houston Police Department told residents to avoid traveling downtown.

Two of the four people who died in Texas were killed by falling trees, while a third died when a crane blew over, Houston Fire Chief Samuel Peña said at a news briefing. No information was given about the fourth. Whitmire said a possible fifth death is being investigated, but it’s not yet clear if it was related to the weather.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott thanked emergency personnel in a statement, saying work is ongoing to assist communities affected by the storms.

“Our hearts are with the families and loved ones of those who tragically lost their lives due to severe weather in Southeast Texas, and we remain in contact with local officials to do everything we can to protect Texans and help our communities recover,” Abbott said.

At one point, more than 900,000 customers were without power statewide; that remained true for around 670,000 as of 3 p.m. CT,  according to poweroutage.us . Nearly all of those were in Houston’s Harris County.

Heat and humidity in the city will ramp up into the weekend, which could lead to health concerns if power is not restored quickly. Temperatures could be as high as 91 degrees with a heat index of 97.

Across Houston, photos and videos on social media showed intense flooding and downed trees, as well as toppled electrical towers and power lines .

In a video posted to Facebook , rain was seen leaking into Minute Maid Park, where the Houston Astros play. Another video showed baseball fans leaving the stadium amid the bad weather.

Strong winds appeared to have blown off roof panels at a Hyatt Regency Hotel in Houston, a video posted to X showed. Other footage shared on the platform showed blown out windows in a building in the city's Wells Fargo Plaza.

Whitmire described downtown Houston as a “mess” and warned that “many roads are impassible due to downed power lines, debris, and fallen trees.” 

Firefighters were removing live wires from Route 290 and most city traffic lights were down, he added. 

In Louisiana, the severe weather knocked out electricity for some 215,000 customers, many in and around New Orleans. Around 115,000 remained without power as of Friday morning.

A swath of the southeast coast, stretching from Louisiana, through Mississippi, Alabama and into the Florida Panhandle, was under a flood watch early Friday.

The National Weather Service said in an afternoon update that unsettled weather, including the possibility of excessive rainfall and severe thunderstorms, will persist across the Southeast through Saturday.

Around 7 million people along the central Gulf Coast remain under flood watches.

“A few tornadoes, scattered damaging winds, and hail all appear possible over the central/eastern Gulf Coast area,” according to the National Weather Service.

The agency also noted a risk of severe thunderstorms in portions of the northern Plains through Friday evening.

Rebecca Cohen is a breaking news reporter for NBC News.

Alexander Smith is a senior reporter for NBC News Digital based in London.

Denise Chow is a reporter for NBC News Science focused on general science and climate change.

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Ship That Hit Baltimore Bridge Had 2 Electrical Failures Before Departure

A report from the National Transportation Safety Board said crew members had adjusted the electrical configuration of the ship even before it left port.

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By Mike Baker and Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs

In the hours before a wayward cargo ship lost electrical power and knocked down Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, killing six people, the vessel suffered two blackouts while still in port, according to a preliminary report released on Tuesday.

In a 24-page summary of findings so far, investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board said the Dali cargo vessel had experienced at least two electrical failures on the day before the accident, causing the crew to adjust the configuration of the electrical system about 10 hours before setting out.

The investigators said they were still examining what effect the earlier repairs may have had. But they said it was apparent that the trouble that led to the accident began when the vessel’s electrical circuit breakers tripped, leading to a loss of propulsion and steering capacity.

Read the N.T.S.B.’s Preliminary Report on the Baltimore Bridge Collapse

The 24-page report includes investigators’ initial findings into the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge after it was struck by a container ship.

Investigators recounted the crew’s desperate efforts to restore electrical power and halt the ship’s drift toward the bridge. They described how one of eight maintenance workers still on the bridge that night managed to sprint to safety moments before the bridge collapsed.

To power the electrical supply, the 947-foot-long vessel had four generators driven by diesel engines. N.T.S.B. investigators tested the fuel being burned at the time of the failure and found no concerns about the quality.

Investigators said the electrical problems in port began when crews were working on an exhaust scrubber system on one of the diesel engines. A worker mistakenly closed an exhaust damper, stalling the engine and shutting off the generator. Workers restored power for a short period using another generator, but insufficient fuel pressure caused an electrical breaker on that generator to trip.

In the process of recovering from the blackouts, the crew switched from using their normal electrical circuit breakers to an alternative set of breakers, which were in use when the ship departed, the N.T.S.B. report found.

The vessel departed the Port of Baltimore around 1 a.m. on March 26 and traveled along a heavily used shipping channel that would take it under the Francis Scott Key Bridge. With all systems appearing to work properly, the senior harbor pilot in charge of the ship handed over control to an apprentice and stood by.

But as the ship approached the bridge, about six-tenths of a mile away, the alternative breakers suddenly tripped at around 1:25 a.m., according to the report, triggering a blackout that knocked out both the propulsion and steering. Crew members reported that the ship’s emergency generator started and that the crew was able to briefly restore electrical power. The senior pilot took control of the ship.

At around 1:27 a.m., after ordering the rudder to turn hard to the port side, the pilot ordered an anchor to be dropped. Around the same time, the ship suffered a second blackout after two more breakers tripped.

The crew was able to restore electrical power but was not able to restore the ship’s propulsion. As the authorities on the bridge rushed to close the bridge to traffic, the vessel drifted and ultimately crashed into one of the bridge’s supports at a little after 1:29 a.m. A crew member said he was releasing the brake on the port anchor as the bridge was already beginning to fall, and had to run to escape it.

Six of the eight construction workers on the bridge were killed. One was able to run to safety. Another plunged into the water in his truck but was able to escape and was rescued by a police boat about 15 minutes later.

Investigators were able to collect the ship’s data and speak with crew members, who all tested negative for alcohol. The F.B.I. has also launched a criminal investigation into the crash.

The accident has spawned questions in the shipping industry about how to better protect against such a disaster at a time when cargo vessels have grown much larger . Transportation officials have been re-examining structural protection systems on bridges, which in some cases are missing or flawed , that are supposed to deflect wayward ships away from bridge piers.

The N.T.S.B. said that along with continuing to investigate the design and operation of the Dali’s power system, it was also looking at whether there were adequate systems in place to protect the piers on the bridge from wayward ships. Its ultimate findings could include recommendations for possible mitigation measures, such as limits on vessel sizes or more extensive use of tugboats.

The cargo ship’s wreckage remains in the water. On Monday evening, crews working to dislodge the Dali set off dozens of small explosives placed around a huge section of bridge that had been blanketing the bow of the ship since the night of the collapse. The operation appeared to send the section of bridge into the water in a giant plume of black smoke. When the wreckage on top of the Dali is cleared, the ship will be refloated and brought back to the port.

Campbell Robertson contributed reporting.

Mike Baker is a national reporter for The Times, based in Seattle. More about Mike Baker

Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs reports on national stories across the United States with a focus on criminal justice. He is from upstate New York. More about Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs

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WEATHER ALERT

9 warnings in effect for 14 counties in the area

At least 4 killed after severe storm sweeps through houston area, deadly houston storms kill at least 4, causing widespread damage, 900k power outages and flash flooding.

Karen Araiza , Digital Content Lead , Houston

HOUSTON – The severe storms that slammed into Houston Thursday afternoon and evening killed four people, blew windows out of downtown high rises, caused widespread damage and shut power off to nearly 900,000 customers.

Mayor John Whitmire confirmed four people were killed and asked Houstonians to stay home tonight and “if you’re not an essential worker, don’t go to work tomorrow.” The mayor said the city is reaching out to the private sector and asking companies to let people stay home from work Friday so they can be off the streets and be home with their kids.

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During a press conference with Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, officials said they are investigating a possible 5th fatality.

HISD canceled classes on all campuses Friday due to damage.

LATEST UPDATE: School closings

“We had a storm with 100-mile-per-hour winds, the equivalent of Hurricane Ike,” Whitmire said, explaining how the storm went up 290, through The Heights and the city’s central business district.

RELATED: Powerlines toppled at US 290 near IH-610 after severe storm blows through

The biggest threat right now, he said, is traffic control. Most of the traffic lights across the city are down.

“We’re in recovery mode,” Whitmire said, adding it would take 24 hours to get things cleared and running in some areas, 48 hours in others.

Firefighters were taking live wires off highways, the mayor said, urging people to stay away from downtown because of the glass and debris.

“It’s all hands on deck tonight,” Whitmire said. “Downtown is a mess,” he said, “stay at home tonight, stay at home tomorrow.”

The number of outages overwhelmed CenterPoint Energy, which warned customers their outage updates “as well as our ability to provide estimated restoration times may be delayed or unavailable,” asking for patience.

RELATED: Close to 900,000 power outages reported across Harris County

The storm halted the Astros game and forced ground strops at both airports .

An army of tow truck drivers was out pulling cars off streets where drivers were no match for flash flooding.

At Postino’s restaurant on Post Oak, patrons abandoned happy hour and crowded into the kitchen, away from large windows as the dark clouds and rocketing rain moved through. A chorus of Emergency Alerts went off multiple times on phones warning people to take shelter immediately with Tornado Warnings extended at least three times.

• Click2Pins: KPRC 2 viewers share images as deadly thunderstorms move through Houston

DOWNTOWN DAMAGE

MORE PICTURES & DETAILS: DOWNTOWN DAMAGE

Damage reports coming out of Houston’s downtown area include roof damage to the Hyatt Regency , with rain and debris pouring into the lobby.

This is the Conejo Malo Club on Travis Street:

Conejo Malo Club downtown Houston!

In the Cypress near Towne Lake, what looks like a funnel cloud or possible tornado, but we won’t know until the National Weather Service assesses, most likely on Friday.

VIDEO appears to show funnel cloud in Cypress area

Stay informed with KPRC 2's Breaking News Alerts.

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About the Author

Karen araiza.

Houston bred and super excited to be back home! I grew up in The Heights with my 8 brothers and sisters and moved back in 2024. My career as a journalist spans a lot of years -- I like to say there's a lot of tread on these tires! I'm passionate about helping people. I also really love sharing success stories and stories of redemption. Email me!

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