Who needs a traditional bridge console when you’ve got three huge, state-of-the art
55-inch monitors, plus a fully integrated control system? Join us as we visit the wheelhouse of an extraordinary vessel.
Photo (top): M. Paradisi for Baglietto.
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Summary Console-free bridge systems are becoming the norm on superyachts and many commercial vessels. Technological advances in monitor technology have enabled the development. Furuno Italia designs such systems, incorporating monitors from Hatteland Technology. Superyacht Baglietto T52 features the solution. |
Monaco Yacht Show hosts the world’s greatest collection of superyachts. This year, Hatteland Technology was invited to come and see our products in action on some truly special vessels.
Excited about the opportunity, we were soon headed for the south of France and the Principality of Monaco. There, a lineup of 120 superyachts, 50 luxury tenders, and an untold number of related products awaited us.
The famous event did not disappoint.
There were stunning yachts as far as the eye could see; a never-ending row of pearly whites, as if the bay itself was grinning. Some so grand the stretch between stern and bow would be an appropriate race distance for Usain Bolt.
But superyachts are more than impressive exteriors. Everything about these vessels is extraordinary.
With that in mind, we set out to uncover what the heart of the vessel — the wheelhouse — looks like in this corner of the maritime industry. Where better to learn than on board the magnificent Baglietto T52 — alongside the company that supplied its integrated bridge system.
Above: Exploring the bridge of the Baglietto T52, with Furuno Italia.
The video is also available in 4K (YouTube).
Discovering what superyacht builders desire for the bridge
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Furuno Italia
Learn more at furuno.it |
The Baglietto T52 is a 52-meter Italian masterpiece, and considered one of the most innovative yachts on display at the 2023 Monaco Yacht Show. Its hybrid propulsion system was a key reason, but also the bridge system challenges convention.
It was designed by Furuno Italia, a leading manufacturer of marine electronics and navigation systems.
We met up with their General manager, Mr. Massimo Bugli. He had arranged for a visit on board the T52, so that we could see the installation for ourselves, and learn more about the requirements of the yacht builder industry.
“In this market, aesthetics is very,
very important.”
Having carefully placed our shoes on the edge of the dock, we boarded the Baglietto. As we advanced towards the bridge, it was impossible not to stop and admire the craftsmanship. The T52 is an immaculate vessel that represents the diligence with which such yachts are built, and also how the category has evolved since the turn of the millennium.
Above: Rear view of the Baglietto T52.
He pointed to one of the perhaps most consequential developments: The abandonment of single-function monitors in favor of multi-function systems.
As we entered the wheelhouse of the T52, it became clear what he was referring to. Three huge 55-inch, floor-mounted 4K monitors (HATTELAND® Series X MVD) sit just below the windshield. In the center of the room are three chairs, or control stations rather, from which the captain and two officers can operate all the onboard systems.
“Each monitor can display the full spectrum
of instrumentation (…)”
The console-free bridge concept satisfies three key criteria for the crew and the yacht designers respectively: Ease of use, safety, and aesthetics.
Above: Three 55-inch monitors from Hatteland Technology make up an integral part of the
Furuno bridge on board the Baglietto T52.
The advent of big, interactive touchscreens allows you to retire most of your physical buttons, and the casings that house them. They provide crystal clear visualization of essential instruments, such as radars and charts, and their sleek appearance is exactly what gets the luxury market excited.
– In this market, aesthetics is very, very important, Mr. Bugli asserted.
He was backed by Mehdi Bounoua, Sales Director EMEA at Hatteland Technology, who reminded us of what a bridge console used to look like.
– There was quite a mix of technology on a bridge in order to meet the full list of requirements installation by installation, and in some cases they looked a bit cumbersome, some even a bit industrial. But over the last 15 years we’ve seen some great steps forward in glass-bridge solutions in the luxury boat segment. But this in front of us, is something else! he said.
On board the Baglietto T52. From the left: Mr. Mehdi Bounoua, Sales director EMEA, Hatteland Technology,
and Mr. Massimo Bugli, General manager, Furuno Italia.
What the console-free bridge means for the mariner
It has been said that great design is the marriage of aesthetics and functionality. For the console-free bridge, the functional gains are as significant as the visual qualities.
– We’re seeing the console literally move out. In its place, big, floor-mounted screens become the mariners’ interfaces. They get to sit in their chair, elevated, with an unobstructed view of the horizon while referencing an array of very large high-resolution screens, showing them all that they need to see, Mr. Bounoua explained.
–You could argue it’s another nail in the coffin for paper charts. These large screens, with their high resolution and multi-touch surfaces, are really becoming worktables.
Above: The innovative bridge of the Baglietto T52.
Though dominated by touchscreens, the new bridge concept isn’t completely stripped of physical buttons. The captain and the officers operate the monitors remotely, from their workstations. Buttons and track wheels let you keep your eyes on the monitors or the horizon.
“You could argue it’s another nail in the coffin
for paper charts.”
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💡 Did you know? An Integrated Bridge System (IBS) is a system that combines and operates all the navigation devices of the bridge. This includes radars, ECDIS, chart systems, automation, CCTV systems, and all the other systems normally present on the bridge. |
Above: Mr. Massimo Bugli demonstrating how to operate the bridge
via the captain’s console and its “islands” as he calls them.
– From here I have universal control. I can control the bridge — all the functions using a single trackball, he said while rolling the trackball around to demonstrate his point.
He clicked a button.
– I now control the ECDIS, simple. And…let’s say I want to control the radar…
“I can toggle between functions with the push of a button.
It’s incredibly simple to use.”
He swiveled the trackball, there was another click and the radar view popped up.
– As you can see, I can toggle between functions with the push of a button. It’s incredibly simple to use, he said.
Why Furuno Italia chooses Hatteland Technology
Modern vessels incorporate vast computer networks. Considering the selection of tools and data now available to crew and captain, ease of use is a highly desired trait for the mariners.
– The request from boat builders, captains and designers is a fully integrated solution. They want a single workstation from which they can control all the bridge systems – navigation and non-navigation. And they want their monitors to be as big as possible, Mr. Bugli said and laughed.
Mr. Bounoua acknowledged the trend and believes we’ve only seen the beginning. Through his daily interactions with clients across segments, he sees wheelhouses in all categories getting fewer, but bigger display units.
– Our products have evolved greatly thanks to the superyacht industry, which requires big monitors that both look stellar and perform to the highest maritime standards. That simply wasn’t available a few years ago, but we’re there now and demand is growing across all our maritime segments for these solutions, he said.
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💡 Did you know? Learn more about the making of maritime monitors: Type approval and testing |
To Furuno and Massimo, monitors are a vital part of the systems they design. As such, they leave nothing to chance when making their selection and that is why they invariably choose Hatteland Technology as their partner:
– The monitors are the key points of the bridge because all the visualisation of the information is on the monitor. First of all, it’s important that the monitor is type approved, as we design systems for 300 GT plus yachts. Then there is the monitor’s performance, the full dimming for readability in all light conditions, its versatility, durability and in this case, the design, Bugli explained.
– Hatteland Technology monitors check all the boxes.
To learn more about Furuno Italia, visit furuno.it.
For more information about Baglietto, visit baglietto.com.
Further reading:
Meet Mehdi, our man in the Mediterranean
An introduction to computer networks on board ships
What is a smart ship?
TEMPEST certified display solutions protects classified information