The Beneteau booth at the recent Miami International Boat Show & Strictly Sail showcased Dometic Marine's revolutionary SailVac(TM) Vacuum Holding Tank system, now listed as an option by the manufacturer for several of its yachts. Winner of a 2011 SAIL Magazine Pittman Innovation Award, Dometic's SailVac is the world's first vacuum holding tank for sailboats. At the show, visitors to the Beneteau booth were impressed by the system's exceptional water-efficiency which lengthens cruising time between pump-outs.
Speaking on the innovative new system during Miami, Wayne Burdick, President of Beneteau USA said, "Today people are generally more environmentally conscious, wanting to ensure they live in a green and good way and sailors in particular are ahead of anyone else on that. The integration of Dometic's SailVac Vacuum Holding Tank aboard our boats adds a significant extension to cruising time for sailors, so that they don't have to worry about getting to pump-out facilities as often, enabling them to enjoy the ocean for much longer."
In developing the SailVac, Dometic Marine's engineering team worked closely with Beneteau USA to design a product which met the yacht builder's requirements for a modern and efficient toilet and holding tank system that fitted the footprint of its mid-size sailboats. Due to the electrical, freshwater and space restrictions of sailboats, especially in the 30ft - 50ft category, it has not previously been possible to install a toilet and holding tank system similar to those enjoyed aboard powerboats of the same size.
"The cooperation with Dometic during the development of the system has been great. Dometic's engineers collaborated with our team to create a solution which fits specifically within our footprint, which will enable us to offer the SailVac on just about every model that we will be building," concluded Burdick.
View the SailVac Holding Tank video.