Yamaha Harmo - new this fall

On Tuesday, Yamaha Marine's US division officially unveiled the Harmo electric harness.

The electric suspended propulsion system was presented as a concept at METSTRADE back in 2016. The unit was recently tested in Japan. It will now be available on the US market for 18 months.

Yamaha Harmo and technology

The engine was first shown on September 16, 2021 at the Genoa International Yacht Show.

Harmo is the world's first outboard motor to use rim propeller drive technology.

RIM is a new type of mover. In it, the propeller is part of the electric motor and is not mounted on the hub, but in the rim. We will talk about rim-driven in our future articles!)

“Harmo is the ideal system for limited-power boats or for combustion-engine boats,” said Ben Speciale, President of Yamaha Marine USA.

“Ultimately, our shipbuilding customers must decide how to integrate Harmo into their boats. We are looking forward to the result. "

An electric motor that drives a large four-blade water pump impeller is mounted outside the boat's transom in a low-profile hull. It does, however, look more like a sterndrive than a traditional outboard.

Integrated digital electric steering and Yamaha Helm Master EX joystick provide a total steering angle of 140 degrees. This will provide exceptional handling. The 74 degree tilt angle allows the water pump impeller (impeller) to remain out of the water when not in use.

The Yamaha Harmo is powered by a high-performance low-resistance 3.7kW motor and a 48V battery. The system generates 225 lb. static thrust. This, by the way, is roughly equivalent to the horsepower of a 9.9hp gasoline outboard engine. 

For example, the runtime depends on the number, size and types of batteries. There are configurations with one or two motors. The motor unit weighs 121 lbs. The system can effectively assist in boat steering up to 32 feet.

Yamaha claims that while their design is widely used in thrusters, this is the first outboard to use rim drive technology. 

At least initially, the motors will only be sold to shipbuilders as OEM equipment and not through dealers or repair yards.

24.09.2021