If you spend a lot of time out on the water, you know just how wonderful and soothing an experience being out at sea can be. Of course, for even the most experienced seafarer, there are times when the waves and the roughness of the ocean can become a little bit too much. This is why it’s important that anyone who owns a yacht or boat takes whatever steps they can to eliminate the side-to-side rolling that often induces seasickness—it will help you and all your guests have the best possible experience when out on the water.
This is where the gyro stabilizer comes in. For anyone who wants the best possible boating experience on their personal yacht, a gyro stabilizer is a must-have piece of equipment, as it is extremely effective in reducing boat roll. In addition, the product consumer relatively little energy, and is also quite compact, meaning it can be easily installed on your boat.
Here’s some information you should know about gyro stabilizers and why you should work with a yacht services provider in Fort Lauderdale, FL to get one installed on your watercraft.
All about gyro stabilizers
The general idea behind the gyro stabilizer goes back many years. Small and midsize boats and yachts would often use special fins or keels that were externally mounted below the waterline of the vessel. However, this could create some extra drag, which reduced speed and would result in tanking fuel economy. This is why the gyro stabilizer was developed—to provide that extra stability without crushing performance or efficiency.
There are three main manufacturers of stabilizers you’ll find on the market: Mitsubishi, Seakeeper and Veem. Mitsubishi and Seakeeper will give you the largest variety of units, including stabilizers for vessels of a smaller size.
You’ll also find both active and passive control systems with a gyro stabilizer. A passively controlled gyro system must be turned off in extremely rough conditions to prevent it from damaging itself, as the system must be optimized for a certain level of wave energy. An active system does not require this sort of fine tuning, but, as the name suggests, it does require much more active, hands-on operation.
But in general, all types and brands of gyro stabilizers exist to provide you with the same primary benefits, offering greater stability when you’re out on the water, while still preventing issues with fuel economy or loss of speed or other performance metrics. Ultimately, if you go online and do your research into the available brands and types of gyro stabilizers, you’ll find it hard to go wrong, so long as you’re able to meet your needs and get a gyro that complements your boat well.
If you’re interested in learning more about gyro stabilizers and their benefits, we encourage you to contact our yacht services company in Fort Lauderdale, FL today with any questions you have for our team. All of us at Starboard Yacht Group look forward to working with you and answering your questions!