InTheBite

Seakeeper Ride Eliminates up to 70% of Boat Pitch/Roll

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A Seakeeper Ride installed on the back of a boat.

FORT MYERS, Fla. (August 1, 2022) – Seakeeper, the leader in marine motion control, launched its newest product, Seakeeper Ride, marking the company’s first product deviation from its line of gyrostabilizers.

Its introduction established a new underway stabilization category, a Vessel Attitude Control System (VACS). VACS derives from the Attitude Control Systems (ACS) used in aerospace crafts to control pitch, roll and yaw underway.

“Seakeeper has always been committed to bringing disruptive technology that represents a wholesale change from what’s currently available,” said Seakeeper President and CEO Andrew Semprevivo. “Seakeeper Ride isn’t an incremental improvement; it transforms what it feels like to be on a running boat. We’re drastically changing the boating experience … again.”

Eliminating up to 70% of underway pitch and roll motions that often cause uncomfortable slamming, this revolutionary device contributes to increased safety and providing comfort, control and confidence to all on board.

How It Works

Seakeeper Ride controllers mount to the boat’s transom below the waterline. Using proprietary inertial sensing hardware and software, the system takes 1,000 measurements per second to understand the boat’s behavior in all three axes. It then commands deployment of the custom-designed rotary blades, making 100 adjustments per second as fast as 300 mm/s. The lift it creates manages vessel motion instantaneously.

Additional benefits include:

  • List Control | Never allows vessel list from movement onboard, wind, uneven load while underway, and/or prop torque
  • Auto Trim | Uses a customized Trim Command Curve to automatically match the optimal running angle at any given speed
    Hole Shot Control | Increases acceleration to get the boat on plane faster, improving fuel economy during the transition to planing. The operator never loses sight of the horizon.
  • Coordinated Turn | Automatically adjusts the heeling angle of the boat during turns

Admirers of the Seakeeper Ride

Chris-Craft Boats, Scout Boats and Sportsman Boats are joining in as exclusive launch partners. Soon, the product will become standard equipment across a wide range of models.
“The Seakeeper Ride system is the next big thing in boating,” said Chris-Craft Boats Vice President of Engineering Ron Berman. “In my years in the industry, I have never experienced a system that improved the ride, handling, and predictability of operating a boat in the way Seakeeper Ride does. All of us at Chris-Craft are looking forward to offering our customers a superior boating experience.”
“We are proud to be a part of the launch of Seakeeper Ride,” said Sportsman Boats President Tommy Hancock. “My team’s first demo really blew us away. I have been in the marine industry since 1984 and can honestly say that Seakeeper Ride is the one of the best innovations I’ve ever seen, giving boaters a far superior experience on the water. This is going to be an industry standard.”

Models To Buy

At launch, three products with varying blade sizes will be available: Seakeeper Ride 450 for boats 19-26 feet (MSRP: $4,500), Seakeeper Ride 525 for boats 27-30 feet (MSRP: $7,500) and Seakeeper Ride 600 for boats 31-35 feet (MSRP: $10,500). In September 2022, the product will be available on select models from Sportsman Boats, Chris-Craft Boats and Scout Boats. But there are plans to increase OEM offerings in the coming year, as well as retail sales for DIY installation.
“Seakeeper has been a wonderful partner for many years,” said Scout Boats President Dave Wallace. “When I was made aware of the new Seakeeper Ride system and then given the opportunity to test it, I soon realized that this would be a game changer in our industry. Seakeeper has brought to boating what the automatic transmission brought to automobiles.”

 

A pair of Seakeeper Rides installed on the back of a boat resting on a truck.

About Seakeeper Ride

Seakeeper Ride is the first-of-its-kind Vessel Attitude Control System (VACS). It eliminates up to 70% of pitch and roll underway to dramatically improve the performance of vessels up to 35 ft. A segment of Seakeeper, Inc., the global leader in marine motion control, the company was launched in 2022. Today, it is based in Fort Myers, Florida. For more information, visit ride.seakeeper.com.

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