SUPERYACHT #13
Summer 2007
Article selected from our quarterly magazine dedicated to the largest
and most luxurious boats with information, interviews, technical
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Article by
Stefano Nicolini
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SUBMARINE ON BOARD
Among the equipment of the colossal 134-m (440-ft) yacht, designed by
Espen Oeino, with seven decks and 4,500 square meters of luxury
interior space that Fincantieri has started to build in its Muggiano
yard in Italy, there is a small submersible capable of plunging to 328
feet (100 m) below sea level.
The identity of the Owner to whom the
yacht will be delivered in the year 2010 has not leaked out but rumors
say he is a Russian entrepreneur. Among the 793 billionaires all over
the world, just 9% of them owns a yacht longer than 240 ft (70 m). One
of these multi-millionaires is another Russian Uncle Scrooge, Roman
Abramovich. His fabulous yacht Eclipse, under construction in the
Amburg-based Blohm & Voss yard, will be the biggest yacht in the world
measuring 548 feet (167 m) long and will include a small submarine
that, according to the English designer Terence Disdale, may be used
by the magnate in case he needs to secretly abandon the yacht.
Actually, the submarine is a Diving Delivery Vehicle, a vessel capable
of plunging to a depth of 115 feet (35 m) below sea level, where one
may have a taste of the marine natural wonders. If one decides to
explore them, in the literal sense of the expression, then a submarine
vessel specialized in challenging the abyss is needed. It is true that
Larry Elison, renowned founder of Oracle Software and great sea lover,
after making himself a present with the "Rising Sun", a 420 ft (128 m)
long superyacht, was then distracted by the acrobatics of a fighter
jet. Instead, other Owners of sizeable fortunes started to avert the
seduction of submarine "playthings" guaranteeing spectacular effects.
The American Paul Allen may be considered one of the pioneers of this
trend. Octopus, the 416 ft (127 m) megayacht of the co-founder of
Microsoft, is fitted with a ROV - a remotely-operated vessel. At the
beginning of February Allen went to the Antarctic with Bill and
Melinda Gates as guests, according to rumors, on the traces of two
historical wrecks of the polar exploration era: Larsen's Antarctic and
Shackleton's Endurance. Yet no one could confirm whether the Octosub,
the new 40-ft 10-passenger submarine, built by the Canadian
International Submarine Engineering, capable of navigating underwater
for several days at the depth of 1,312 feet (400 m) was onboard the
yacht. "1993 is the year in which for the first time a VIP bought a
submersible," reveals Bruce Jones and adds, "The U.S. Submarines," of
which he is founder and president "designs and builds deluxe vessels
for long-term submarine excursions. "Orders for the year 2007 are 5
Triton 1000, a 2-passenger vessel - 9.8-ft (3 m) long times 9.8-ft (3
m) wide, weighing 6,600 lbs. (3 metric tons) - with acrylic pressure
hull and a maximum speed of 2 knots" specifies the French associate
Jean Claude Carme "and 4 3-passenger vessels. All of them are capable
of navigating at 1000 ft (305 m) below sea level". The cost is
respectively of 1.44 and 1.65 million dollars, equipment excluded. "In
the next five years, we believe our models will attract 5% of the
market of yachts above 98 feet that are being built every year by the
world yacht industry", he proudly adds. The flagship of the US
Submarines is the Phoenix 1000, an enormous vessel, 213 feet (65 m) in
length, 1,500 tons of weight in air, with 5,000 square feet (460 sq m)
of deluxe interior space. The first unit costs almost 80 million
dollars and offers the thrill of diving to a depth of approximately
1,000 (300 ft) without depriving oneself of the comforts offered by
yachts such as, among others: color TV, videotape player, CD player,
ice-maker, microwave oven. The 12 guests accommodated in 6 cabins with
en suite bathrooms may use the comfortable ample saloon and dining
room of the main deck to familiarize with the unusual and fascinating
underwater panorama. The Phoenix 1000 is designed to carry a minisub
that not only extends underwater exploration to the depth of 2000 feet
(610 m) but may also take back to the sea surface 2 to 8 passengers in
case of need. Emotions similar to those promised by this top-notcher
of the abyss, guarantees Carme, were experienced by the passengers of
the first Nomad 1000 models -20 m (65 ft) long, costing 6.5 million
dollars - and of the Seattle 1000 -36 m (118 ft) long, costing 25
million dollars. These two models may be delivered respectively in 20
and 36 months. Those unwilling to wait so long or to invest such sums
to transform into reality the underwater adventures imagined by Jules
Verne, may turn to Silvercrest Submarines. This English yard offers
submersibles for any need and economic investment, included in the
price is the piloting course for the ordered vessel. The major snag in
the development of the sector of underwater leisure navigation may be
the lack of prototypes, which are extremely important for the
potential owner when deciding to buy a submersible. According to
market surveys, the Owners of megayachts worth over 150 million
dollars and divers, who are non-owners but privileged lovers of the
deep abysses, are the potential buyers of such vessels. Since 2006,
Undersea Hunter, a specialized diving Costa Rica-based operator,
offers divers during its cruises to the Island of Cocos and the
Colombian Island of Malpelo, an enthusiastic variety of dives onboard
its submersible Triumph to depths between 328 ft (100 m) and 1500 ft
(457 m) below sea level. At depths ranging from 800 ft (250 m) to 1200
ft (400 m) marine species, often hardly known by science, such as the
Prickly Shark Echinorhinus cookei, may be seen. The Triumph is 17 ft 6
in (5.34 m) long, is capable of navigating at 2 knots, its cabin - a
transparent sphere for three occupants - opens like a bivalve shell,
has a normal air supply of 6 hours, individual emergency breathing
devices and a reserve air supply for 3 days. The Triumph is not the
only gem of the Seamagine Hydrospace Corporation. The Ocean Pearl, for
example, was conceived for deep-sea leisure dives. It takes two
occupants to a maximum depth of 270 feet (82 m) and may be operated
from a large luxury yacht. The California-based company, specialized
in building two and three occupant submersibles, has vessels currently
operating in 5 countries with over 7,000 dives accumulated to date.
The new attracting and futuristic formula of the underwater pleasure
industry could not go unappreciated in Arab countries. Although it is
difficult to find confirmation to the words of the designer Paul
Moorhouse according to whom two Arab Emirates oilmen own submarines
with cabins, it is to be pointed out that the Dubai-based Nakheel
Corporation, owned by the Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem bought Seahorse
Marine from the Frenchman Herve Jaubert. The company, renamed Exomos,
is building the prototype Proteus, a finely designed vessel for 8
passengers with a fiberglass hull, intended to sail at 25 knots on the
sea surface and at 3 knots underwater - she can submerge to a depth of
up to 59 feet (18 meters). Passengers may sit either outside on the
seats fitted forward or inside, in non-pressurized areas. Estimated
cost of the Proteus is approximately 5 million dollars.
The immersion formula conceived by the San Francisco-based Hawkes
Ocean Technologies is revolutionary. Its vessels do not submerge
vertically as classical submarines do, but they fly toward the sea
bottom as airplanes, to which they may be likened even for their shape
- a fuselage fitted with small wings. The Deep Flight Super Falcon,
the newly born and the most precious jewel conceived by Graham Hawkes,
a world renowned specialist in submarine vessels, does original
underwater acrobatics when the pilot simply moves the joy-sticks. The
vessel moves away from the surface at a speed of 320 feet (98 meters)
a minute and is capable of returning to the surface twice as fast,
expelling ballast air contained in the ballast tanks. All Super Falcon
models are in composite material, the same material used for
spaceships and may accommodate 2 to 8 passengers in the acrylic dome-
shaped cabins which guarantee 360-degree breathtaking views of the
liquid environment. The contained cost of the Deep Flight Super Falcon
- 2 million dollars for the 6 passenger fully-fitted version, 750,000
dollars for the 2-passenger one - its extreme reliability and
operative range which does not require a mother ship, are the reasons
for its market success. The first two training courses offered by
Hawkes Ocean Technologies for 40 would-be pilots are fully-booked as
well as a third one, lasting three days, taking place in the Bahamas
at the cost of 15,000 dollars. The exciting futuristic age of pleasure
boating already started.
Where to buy the submarine
Hawkes Ocean Tecnologies, http: www.deepflight.com, e-mail: karen@deepflight.com, Tel. 001-415-256-9273; fax 001-415-717-9729
Exomos, PO Box: 261489, Dubai, Arab Emirates, Tel. 00-971-4-8835222, http: www.exomos.com, e-mail: info@exomos.com
Seamagine Hydrospace Corporation, 1420 North Claremont Blvd, Suite111-A, Claremont, CA 91711, USA, http: www.seamagine.com, e-mail: info@seamagine.com, tel. 001-909-626-6262; fax 001-909-626-7730
Nuytco Research Limited, 241 A East 1st Street-Rear, North Vancouver, B.C., V72 1B4 Canada, http: www.nuytco.com, e-mail: nrl@nuytco.com, Tel. 001-604-980-6262; fax 001-604-980-6236
U-Boat Worx, Oosterhoutseweg 77, 4816 KC Breda, The Netherland, http: www.uboatworx.com, E-mail: website@uboatworx.com, Tel. +31 6 29551347
U.S. Submarines, Inc, 21392 N. Circle Road, Suite 6; Rathdrum, ID 83858, USA; http: www.ussubs.com; e-mail: ussubs@ussubmarines.com, tel. 001-208-687-9057; fax 001-208-441-7478
Silvercrest Submarines, http: www.SilvercrestSubmarines.co.uk, e-mail: Sales@SilvercrestSubmarines.co.uk, Tel.-fax 0044-1285-760620
Where to sleep under water
Jules Undersea Lodge, Key Largo Undersea Park, 51 Shoreland Drive, Key Largo, Florida 33037; Tel. 001-305-4512353; http: www.jul.com; e-mail: info@jul.com; Located 33 feet below sea level, the Lodge accommodates a maximum of 6 guests starting from US$445 per person, per night, half board. The lodge is fitted with TV, telephone and stereo. Underwater marriages may be organized.
Underwater cruises with submarines
Undersea Hunters, P.O. Box 025216, Dept. 314, Miami, FL 33102-5216, USA - http: www.underseahunter.com, e-mail: info@underseahunter.com, Tel. 00-506-228-6613; Undersea Hunters, based in Costa Rica, is the first operator in the world specialized in diving trips capable of organizing underwater exploration of the underwater realm. Prices of the cruise at Cocos and Malpelo Islands, on board MV Sea Hunter - 115 ft long, accommodating 18 passengers in 6 double cabins and in 2 triple cabins - and on board MV Underseahunter - 90 feet long and accommodating 14 passengers in 7 double cabins - range from US $ 3,945 for a 10-day cruise to US$ 5,895 for a 15-day cruise. Prices do not include optional dives on the Triumph Deep Sea submarine, one pilot and two passengers, costing US$ 595, US$ 1,095, US$ 1,595 and US$ 2,495 dollars per person to dive respectively to depths of 330 ft (100 m), 700 ft (215m), 1000 ft (305 m) and 1,500 ft. (457 m).
Technical data of the two-passenger TRITON 1000
Dimensions - Length - 3.0 m (9.8 ft) - Width - 3.0 m (9.8 ft) - Height - 1.9 m (6.2 ft) - Height to lift point - 3.0 (9.8 ft) - Weight - 3,000 - kg (6,600 lbs) - Acrylic pressure hull ID - 1450 mm (57 in) - Acrylic pressure hull OD - 1610 mm (63.4 in) - Entrance hatch ID - 500 mm (19.7 in)
General - Payload - 205 kg (450 lb) - Depth - 305 m (1,000 ft) - Maximum speed - 2.0 Knots - Crew - Pilot plus one (1) passenger - Single lift point using four-part sling to frame - Water ballast system capacity - 50 kg (110 lb) - Main ballast system capacity - 1,100 kg (2,420 lb) - Certification - ABS +A1 manned submersible
Electrical - Main 24 Volt battery capacity - 2.64 kWh - Main 120 Volt battery capacity - 13.2 kWh - Main thrusters - Two (2) x 2 kW (2.68 hp) - Vertrans thrusters - Two (2) x 1 kW (1.34 hp) - Operational endurance - 6 hours (depending on profile) - Redundant PLC based control & monitoring system with touch screen Interface
Life Support - Standard metabolic oxygen make-up system with CO2 scrubbers - Main air system capacity - Two (2) x 17 liter @ 200 bar (3,000 psi) - Reserve air system capacity - One (1) x 17 liter @ 200 bar (3,000 psi) - Main oxygen system capacity - One (1) x 17 liter @ 200 bar (3,000 psi) - Reserve oxygen system capacity - One (1) 17 liter @ 200 bar (3000 psi) - Monitors - O2, CO2, temp, humidity, barometric pressure, depth, gas pressures
Emergency Equipment - First aid & sub tool kit - Manual drop weight release - Manual location buoy release - Built in breathing system (BIBS) - Lung powered scrubbers - Two (2) - Atmospheric sample pump with tubes - Self contained breathing apparatus - Two (2) - Emergency 24 Volt battery located inside spere - Emergency life support - 72 hours for crew of two (2) - Emergency CO2 absorbent - Four (4) Lithium Hydroxide canisters 3 kg (6.6 lb) each - Air Conditioning - Cooling capacity - 1.0 kW - Power consumption - 500 Watts - Water extraction - .5 liter/hour
Communication - Submerged - Dual frequency UWT system - Surfaced - VHF radio (interfaced to GPS) - Wireless Ethernet to surface vessel or RIB - Navigation - Depth gauge - Depth sounder - Fluxgate compass - Magnetic compass - Mechanical clinometers - Motion sensor (pitch and roll) - Xenon strobe with pressure and light sensor
Optional Equipment - Color imaging sonar Sonar - Multi-beam sonar - Manipulator - HD cameras - USBL system - Acoustic modem - Doppler velocity log - HID lights (Quartz Halogen standard)
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