Challenge:
When Wave International launched its Wavestream bilge filtration systems in 2000, convincing boat builders to invest in environmental protection presented a significant challenge. Sunseeker UK was one of the first production boat builders to understand the environmental value of incorporating filtration systems into their vessels which would prevent oil, diesel and other contaminants from entering oceans and waterways.
Solution:
Wave International and its UK distributor Halyard worked closely with Sunseeker to integrate Wavestream bilge filter systems into its craft. Wavestream filters contaminated bilge water by capturing oil and other pollutants such a chemicals, paint particles, microfibres and microplastics within a replaceable filter cartridge before the water reaches the vessel’s discharge outlet. Only clean water to a standard of 5ppm (parts per million) is discharged overboard.
Crucially for a yacht manufacturer such as Sunseeker, the system can be integrated into the vessel as part of its standard specification, rather than left to the owner to source and install later.
Sunseeker’s engineering team worked with Wave International and Halyard to establish the appropriate installation and maintenance arrangements, helping make environmental protection a practical part of yacht ownership.
Outcome:
Wavestream bilge filters have now been fitted as standard across Sunseeker’s range for approximately 20 years, demonstrating how environmental protection can become an established part of a manufacturer’s engineering approach, rather than an optional afterthought.
For Sunseeker, Wavestream provides an additional measure to help reduce the risk of oil and other pollutants being discharged into the marine environment. For yacht owners, it offers a practical means of managing bilge water contamination as part of responsible vessel maintenance.
Sunseeker International says: “We worked closely with Wave International and Halyard to understand how the Wavestream bilge filter system could be integrated into our craft. It was critical that it was fully approved, reliable, compact and easy to install, and also positioned where users can easily change the filters on an annual basis.”
