Electrical
Imagine you’re strolling down the marina at night, press your remote control, the boat is unlocked and mezzanine lights turn on to show a pathway to the saloon door. You take a few steps inside, press the HMI touch screen, enter the pass code and gain full electrical access. You’re even greeted with a personalised welcome screen and vessel layout.
Quality electrical systems on board any vessel are paramount. No owner should ever have reservations in trusting the electrical systems on board their vessel. Cresta prides itself in knowing that when a boat leaves the yard its systems are safe, robust, reliable, serviceable and built to a globally recognised maritime standard.
Cresta’s platform for its electrical system is a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC). The PLC system is a renowned and trusted platform in the marine industry and is the common platform for the automotive, mining and aviation industries. PLC systems in the marine industry are more prevalent on large super yachts and shipping vessels, but as technology has evolved, systems have become smaller, more versatile and user friendly. Cresta vessels take advantage of this state of the art platform. The user interface is in the form of a HMI touch screen, eliminating the need for large unsightly switchboards in accommodation spaces. The touch screen is fully customised and programmed to each vessel and its capabilities are virtually unlimited. The PLC system is supplied by OMRON, one of the world’s most respected and well known electrical brands. Together, Cresta and OMRON provide global customer support, and technicians are equipped with all the necessary programming equipment, should you ever want to modify some of your original settings. They just plug and play.
All wiring on board a Cresta is of suitable size and marine type. Wiring is neatly laid and arranged in cable trays and conduits. Any wiring that passes through watertight bulkheads includes efficient means of watertight integrity and minimal sound transmission. All wire is labelled and coded at all panels, termination points and large equipment. All electrical equipment is marked with engraved name plates for ease of identification and servicing.
All metal components are bonded for corrosion. All electrical items are grounded with multiple earthed neutral (MEN) protection for vessel occupant’s safety. The vessels bonding and grounding systems include copper straps that are secured parallel to the entire centreline of the vessel.
The Cresta PLC system has pre-programmed features which can either sequentially start up or shut down. Like on your home computer you can select Start up, Shut down, Sleep or Hibernate. If you’re leaving the vessel for a long period of time at a marina on shore power you would simply select Hibernate and the system would know what equipment needs to run to keep the batteries charged and security systems operable.
When setting out to design and install any electrical system Cresta considers many factors. At the forefront is safety, serviceability and an easy user interface. Cresta’s PLC system at Lloyd’s International standard covers these factors and many more. All preserving and promoting Cresta’s indelible ethos, “Quality, Workmanship and Dependability since 1965”.
