The 63-foot Spirit of the Sound was the first hybrid research vessel in the United States, with its BAE HybriDrive engines operating on battery power and an ultra0low-sulphur fuel. The vessel boats an Incat Crowther displacement catamaran design with a unique maritime application of BAE system’s hybrid power system which has been carefully modified to perform in a humid, salty environment. Solar panels on the top deck power the VHF radios. A 30-amp shore plug-in charges a 24-volt battery backup system, which powers computers while the boat is at the Norwalk dock.
McKay provided the marine switchboards and electrical design for this vessel.