Technical tests for the Mobula

Then we told you about our programme for 2024 and our XXL ambitions for this major year for The SeaCleaners, in which these two Mobula boats are set to play a key role.

But the crucial and successfully validated stage between these 2 moments was the week of testing our two boats, to ensure their viability, their proper functioning and the effectiveness of the collection carried out on board.

These tests (or trials) took place in the port and harbour of Paimpol over a period of 5 days. That may sound like a lot, but it was a busy week and the tests were scrupulously carried out. So how and why did you test 2 Mobula? We’ll take you behind the scenes!

First of all, we inspect the boats and their hulls on land.

Once everything is in order on land, the boats are put in the water to test navigation (yes, first of all, to make sure they float!): the engines are working properly, they are manoeuvrable and manoeuvrable in all the required configurations, the steering, etc. In concrete terms, a defect identified on the hull is then taken into account.

In concrete terms, one defect identified on the Mobula 8.2 was a little too much weight at the rear of the boat, which was compensated for by drilling a hole in the bow to let enough water into certain watertight compartments of the hull, in order to lose buoyancy at the front and thus refine the overall balance of the boat.

We then move on to testing the pollution control systems: for the Mobula 8.2, this involves the suction and discharge system.

Many thanks to our teams and to the Efinor teams who braved the cold, rain, wind and fog to ensure that the Mobulas worked properly. Fortunately, no one fell overboard (but we have a special thought for those car keys that ended up at the bottom of Paimpol harbour).

So what’s next on the programme?

➡️ The Mobula 8.2 will be heading for Malaysia, first via … Switzerland! From 23 to 27 April, The SeaCleaners will be in Geneva for a week of presentations, awareness-raising and collection demonstrations. More information to come very soon on our website and our networks, so stay tuned. The Mobula 8.2 will then be sent to its area of operation, Kota Kinabalu on the island of Borneo in Malaysia. Just as we did when we arrived in Bali, we are in the process of forging relationships with as many players as possible to roll out a programme combining collection, awareness-raising and scientific research.

➡️ The Mobula 10 will leave directly from France for Indonesia, this time in an area quite far from Bali: Ambon Bay. While we are keen to work with local players as we did in Bali, we can already take advantage of existing relations with the Indonesian Ministries of the Environment and the Sea to be operational as soon as possible in this new area.