With increasing rules and regulations relating to how superyachts deal with their on-board sewage, captains, owners and yacht management teams need a compact solution to deal with the issue. In environmentally sensitive cruising areas, which an increasing number of adventurous superyachts are visiting, as well as in busy harbours and charter hotspots, getting this side of the yacht’s systems spot on is essential. ECOmar’s comprehensive range of retro-fitable units offers just what a superyacht needs. We’ve been speaking to Mike Sommerfeld, director of Aquamarine, UK agents for Tecnicomar, the manufacturer of ECOmar, about what the makes system so attractive.

What are the advantages of the ECOmar system for superyachts?
It’s compact and competitively priced. It’s also fully certified and allows you to process black and grey water to international standards.

How easy is the system to retrofit?
Extremely easy – we have retrofitted many systems to Princess and Sunseeker yachts, for example, and it can be used on any superyacht. It is very compact and quiet so can be installed in an engineroom space or even, on smaller yachts, below the forward accommodation.

What has the feedback from superyacht captains been like?
They love that it’s a fit-and-forget solution. If they put the system into automatic mode, it will work automatically and process the waste on board. When finished, it will clean itself until it needs to treat again. This is a real low-maintenance solution that requires very little input from captain and crew, which is always a good thing. Another key point for captains is that some marinas in the Med will turn you away if you do not have a way of treating the waste on board – and that means an unhappy owner or charter guests.

Does the product meet environmental regulations worldwide?
ECOmar is system type-approved by Lloyd’s Register in compliance with IMO/MARPOL no. MEPC. 159 (55) and European directives (MED) 96/98/EC and subsequent amendments. It’s also accepted by the US Coast Guard.

What are the basic costs of the product?
As an example, an Ecomar 20 costs £11,592 ex VAT for treatment from one tank, but there are plenty of units in the range so there will something for your yacht.

If I want to know more?
Aquamarine is the UK dealer for all ECOmar products. Its team of trained specialists have been installing ECOmar treatment plants for the past ten years to all different types of craft. Visit aquamare.co.uk or give one of our specialists a call on +44 (0)1752 604603.