Oceanco has delivered the 111-metre superyacht Leviathan to Oceanco’s new owner Gabe Newell. The yacht stands out in terms of comfort and propulsion as well as its use as a scientific research platform. And while most details about yachts usually remain confidential, this time Oceanco is lifting the lid on how this yacht came into being.
Leviathan, formerly known as project Y722, is a 111-metre diesel-electric yacht that represents a new philosophy of yachting: one that places greater purpose on how yachts are built, operated and owned. Thanks to close cooperation between Oceanco, its design team, co-makers, Lateral and YTMC, Leviathan incorporates innovative solutions to enhance seakeeping and onboard comfort. This includes a combination of hull testing and optimisation, technical platform configuration and focused efforts to reduce noise and vibration.
‘From the very start, we knew nothing about [Leviathan] would be done in a traditional way,’ says Oceanco CEO Marcel Onkenhout. ‘We were welcomed into the team alongside Gabe and everyone who would ultimately be involved in operating her. It is this level of collaboration that sets Leviathan apart from anything we’ve built before. We’re incredibly proud of the way she was developed, and following her successful sea trials, we can now say she’s the most comfortable yacht ever designed, built, and delivered by Oceanco.’
Also read: Oceanco expands its Zwijndrecht facilities
Owner closely involved
The project brought together the owner, Gabe Newell – working closely with YTMC and Y.CO – alongside the Oceanco Design team, Mark Berryman Design, the Leviathan crew and a network of co-makers and suppliers. Newell was closely involved throughout the design development and build. As a lasting symbol of the collective achievement behind Leviathan, a glass panel engraved with the names of nearly 3000 contributors is installed in the main staircase.
‘Working with the team at Oceanco is incredibly enjoyable and a lot of fun; everybody is professional, creative and dynamic,’ Newell comments. ‘We knew we were asking for unusual things, and Oceanco embraced it with open arms. Not only have we designed a very unusual yacht that leans into Oceanco’s strengths of innovation and design, but the team has also been willing to collaborate with us on evolving the process.’
Minimising cleaning and new decking compound
Bead-blasted stainless railings and synthetic handrails reduce the need for polishing. Even the off-white exterior paintwork was selected to help minimise cleaning.
In a collaborative effort between Bolidt, Oceanco and the crew, the compound used for the decking was specifically developed for Leviathan to improve heat dissipation.
Also read: Oceanco launches 111-metre Leviathan
Extensive model testing
During the development phase, Oceanco and Lateral worked with MARIN to undertake extensive model testing, to optimise seakeeping and onboard comfort. Leviathan’s hull represents the latest evolution of Lateral’s DE-Series, a hull form family that originated with the D-Series, first developed in 2010.
Since then, custom evolutions have been applied across multiple projects and continuously refined in close collaboration with MARIN. The DE-Series has been specifically engineered to meet the performance demands of large yachts operating at moderate speeds with podded propulsion.
Leviathan’s seakeeping performance, both at anchor and underway, has been achieved through comprehensive model testing focused on optimising beam, waterplane shape and GM targets to optimise roll period and roll comfort. To further enhance performance, a seawater ballast system was incorporated, enabling the yacht to maintain optimal loading conditions.
With a natural roll period exceeding twelve seconds, and a stabilisation system combining Quantum MagLift and XT Fins, Leviathan delivers superior onboard comfort across a wide range of operating conditions.
Custom propellers
Leviathan is equipped with two ABB DO980P Azipods, with the design prioritising noise and vibration comfort while maintaining an optimal balance with propulsion efficiency. The Azipod arrangement and custom five-blade propellers were carefully engineered in close collaboration with ABB to deliver ultra-low pressure pulse levels.
Model-scale cavitation testing enabled precise tuning of the final propeller design to meet exact performance targets. In parallel, the stiffness of the steel Azipod foundations was optimised to minimise both high- and low-frequency hull vibrations.
Also read: Alewijnse becomes part of Oceanco Group
Battery system and forward placed engine room
A 5.5 megawatt-hour battery system enables silent nighttime operation, enhancing onboard comfort. Its peak shaving capabilities also support optimal engine performance, improving fuel efficiency and reducing engine running hours and extending maintenance intervals.
Thanks to Leviathan’s diesel-electric drive, the engine room is positioned further forward than on a conventional yacht of this size. This allows greater flexibility in layout, enabling more guest accommodation to be positioned aft – an area traditionally occupied by the engine room and typically one of the most comfortable parts of the yacht in terms of motion.
To maintain smooth operation in higher sea states, the hull doors use an innovative adjustable hinge developed by Winel that stays horizontal to the deck, avoiding slamming and reducing crew intervention.
Operability and reliability were critical for the owner’s technical team. ‘Building redundancy into auxiliary systems and electrical architecture was key to helping the crew maintain seamless service and operations without added pressure,’ says Dan Morgan, Managing Director of YTMC.
Noise reduction
Additional efforts were made to reduce other onboard noise sources. For example, extensive lab testing was conducted to study how sound from a central ventilation unit travels through HVAC ducting into cabins.
‘We built a full-scale mock-up of all components and measured noise levels,’ says Deniz de Koningh, Project Director at Oceanco. ‘These results were used to fine-tune our acoustic models, which we then applied across the entire yacht. This level of research and optimisation has never been done at this scale before.’
Window noise was also addressed through lab testing. ‘We analysed how external vibrations translate into internal noise and optimised both the construction and the way the windows were integrated into the yacht to minimise sound transmission,’ adds de Koningh.
A custom air filtration and monitoring system from VFA Solutions – a specialist in air cleaning and purification – was integrated to improve onboard air quality. Leviathan is among the first yachts to implement this system at such scale and complexity.
Also read: Yacht builder Oceanco under new ownership
Platform for scientific research
Leviathan joins Inkfish, an organisation run aboard Newell’s fleet of vessels which support scientific research and marine exploration. Inkfish provides researchers with access to remote environments and technology on their vessels. One of the offerings Inkfish has is the full ocean depth submersible on R/V Dagon, which has already been to the deepest known parts of the ocean and continues to make breakthrough discoveries with every dive.
Leviathan is the latest addition to the Inkfish fleet, with onboard facilities designed to accommodate scientific activities. These include a fully equipped dive centre, laboratory, and an onboard hospital – occupying the space traditionally reserved for a beach club. A 3D printing workshop allows the crew to produce spare or replacement parts onboard, supporting self-sufficiency during extended or remote cruising.
‘Yachts have great potential to serve as platforms for scientific research,’ says Newell. ‘It’s about recognising that you’re part of a broader community and ensuring the yacht’s presence adds value to the communities around it.’
Leviathan’s main characteristics
- Length: 111m / 364ft
- Beam overall: 17.8m / 58ft
- Gross tonnage: 4970 GT
- Exterior design: Oceanco
- Interior design: Mark Berryman Design
- Naval architecture: Oceanco & Lateral Naval Architects
- Owner representative: Y.CO & YTMC
- Builder: Oceanco
- Propulsion type: Diesel-Electric
- Top speed: 17.6 knots
- Cruising speed: 13 knots
Picture (top): Oceanco has delivered the Leviathan to Oceanco’s owner Gabe Newell.
