Superyachts usually come with an extensive set of “toys”, ranging from jetskis to helicopters. Feadship designed the aft deck of its 54.9-metre explorer yacht Shinkai to accommodate such a toy: a three-seater submarine. The submarine was designed by Dutch U-Boat Worx and can dive to depths of 480 metres.
The owner of Shinkai, meaning deep sea in Japanese, had allegedly already ordered a U-Boat Worx C-Researcher 3 when signing the contract with Feadship. So Feadship had to design the yacht to fit the submarine.
To facilitate the owner stepping straight into the sub from the master suite, Shinkai’s aft deck sits flush with the submarine hatch for a neat and flawless finish. For further convenience, the C-Researcher 3 is the world’s first submersible fitted with an elevator to lower passengers into their seats. In addition to being able to reach depths of 480 metres, it can remain submerged for up to sixteen hours.
All U-Boat Worx subs have a single lifting point, which allows for safe and quick launch and recovery. Aboard Shinkai, this is further enhanced with a man-riding crane installed on the yacht’s aft deck. With an almost 8-metre reach, the heavy-duty crane can deploy and retrieve the 6.9-tonne submarine with ease.
Shinkai
In October, the custom Feadship yacht Shinkai made its first trip as it was moved from the Feadship yard in Aalsmeer to the outside dock for final outfitting ahead of sea trials and delivery later this year. The submarine is among new additions to the yacht, which also include a striking mast and a gyroscope system for stability.
Also read: Feadship fits 55-metre explorer yacht Shinkai with gyroscope system
