Grain de Sail – The Sustainable Cargo Ship Sailing with Victron Blue Power

An innovative sailing vessel combining climate-friendly trade with advanced energy solutions from Victron Energy. Discover how solar panels, wind turbines, and smart power systems make transatlantic voyages possible with no carbon footprint.

The sustainable cargo ship Grain de Sail is expected to return home to France mid-week after completing its maiden voyage to America. Trading in wine, coffee, and cocoa, Grain de Sail is a cargo ship with a difference – she leaves no carbon footprint.

The company behind the vision

The vessel is owned by the company Grain de Sail, based in Morlaix, France. The company roasts coffee and produces chocolate sold through over 650 retailers, with a turnover of approximately 5 million euros and full-time employment for over 50 staff.

Together with his four-person crew, Captain Loïc Briand set sail on November 18 with 15,000 bottles of French organic wine destined for New York – over 3,000 nautical miles away – where he arrived 28 days later after encountering 15-meter waves and four storms.

After leaving New York on December 28, the journey continued through the Caribbean to Central America to load 33 tons of cocoa mass (future voyages will also load coffee) before returning across the Atlantic to St Nazaire for customs clearance, and then on to its home port of St Malo in France.

Victron Energy – Power systems for the challenges of the sea

As expected, Grain de Sail produces and stores its own sustainable electricity via a robust and reliable power system designed for the harsh marine environment.

The installation from Victron Energy includes professional marine components, such as an Isolation Transformer that provides power safety without the risk of galvanic corrosion. Two 5 kW Quattro Inverter/Chargers supply AC power to main loads such as fresh and seawater pumps, electric stove in the galley, and air conditioning in the cargo hold.

Technical details of the energy system

Three SmartSolar MPPT charge controllers collect solar energy from three solar arrays and store it in ten AGM batteries. A 1000A Lynx Shunt monitors the energy flow. An Orion Tr DC-DC converter makes it possible to power 12V navigation equipment from the vessel's 24V system. A battery isolator allows two battery banks to be charged from one generator without the risk of incorrect manual switching.

• The anchor winch is powered by 24V and is 2700W
• Twelve solar panels produce 24V/2.1 kWp
• Two 24V shaft generators provide 1200W
• Two wind turbines at 24V/400W each
• Two 24V generators provide 8.4 kW via the auxiliary engine (115 hp)
• Ten 12V batteries of 265Ah each, divided into two banks
• Emergency transmitter for Global Maritime Distress has its own 130Ah battery

Sustainable trade – An adventure for the future

The idea behind this bold venture is to show that sustainable global trade can be profitable. Importing raw materials by sailing ship literally offers an adventure for both importer and consumer!

Grain de Sail is a modern version of an old schooner – 22 meters long, built in aluminum in 2019 by Alumarine Shipyard, with the capacity to transport 50 tons of cargo in its air-conditioned cargo hold.

This import/export venture has been planned for a long time, and a larger vessel with double the cargo capacity is expected to begin service in 2023.