Italian yacht designer Gian Paolo Nari and marine consultant Lorenzo Cappugi have developed a 19.9-metre barge concept intended to operate on European inland waterways and undertake coastal passages.
The contemporary barge platform measures 4.85 metres in beam, with a full-load draught of 1.20 metres and a maximum air draught of 3.40 metres. The dimensions are intended to comply with the Freycinet gauge used across much of Europe’s canal network.
Four versions have been outlined: Vega, Aura, Obsidian and Lumina. Vega, Aura and Lumina use full-beam main-deck layouts to maximise interior volume, while Obsidian retains external side decks. All four incorporate an aft bathing platform.
Cantieri Navali di Termoli, also known as Italian Vessels, has joined the project as engineering and potential construction partner.
The proposed structure combines a steel hull with an aluminium superstructure and is being engineered towards CE Category C or B certification, extending its intended use beyond inland waters.
Hybrid system propulsion
Propulsion is based on a series hybrid system with two 80kW electric motors and a 45kW generator.
Battery banks, rooftop solar panels and shore power are intended to allow zero-local-emission operation in urban waterways, although battery capacity, speed, range and fuel consumption have not been disclosed.
The developers describe the vessel as a ‘floating penthouse’, combining residential space with owner-operated cruising and no requirement for permanent crew.
The lower deck includes an open-plan saloon, dining area and galley, a forward owner’s cabin and a guest cabin that can convert into a study. Technical equipment is concentrated aft, while a raised pilothouse provides 360-degree visibility.
Nari and Cappugi said the project was conceived to move ‘from continental waterways to the open sea’, combining the operational constraints of canal navigation with the space planning associated with contemporary motor yachts.
One proposed sun-deck configuration includes a landing area for a passenger eVTOL aircraft.
The designers present this as a future intermodal option rather than equipment available for current operation.
