Silent-Yachts upped the ante on submersible tech for superyachts in January when it announced that the new Silent 120 Explorer will have solar power to recharge a U-Boat Worx Nemo sub, along with an Xcraft XP4 aircraft—what the builder calls “two of the latest must-have toys for remote voyaging.”

The first Silent 120 Explorer is under construction now, with delivery expected in 2024. “We build catamarans, which means more beam and more space,” says company founder and CEO Michael Köhler. “We also build our boats with solar power and electric propulsion, and that means we don’t have to give a lot of space to an engine room, which means we gain room for things like a gym or extra tender storage.”

News of the Silent 120 Explorer comes at a time when submersible companies continue to announce news of their own. U-Boat Worx says it’s planning to deliver 15 Nemo submersibles this year from the Netherlands. One- and two-seater models are available, priced at about $593,000 and $642,000, respectively. The company’s goal is to have 1,000 submarines in operation by 2030.

Triton Submersibles, meanwhile, has welcomed Bridgewater Associates founder Ray Dalio and Academy Award-winning filmmaker James Cameron to the company. Dalio is the founder of OceanX, which helps scientists explore the oceans. Cameron, in addition to having made blockbuster films such as Titanic and Avatar, is an underwater explorer who has visited some of the world’s most challenging underwater spots.

“More than 80 percent of our oceans are unexplored,” Cameron said. “There are mysteries to solve, new discoveries to make and critical knowledge to acquire.”

U-Boat Worx Nemo: A Truly Personal Submersible

The Nemo from U-Boat Worx is available in one- or two-person configurations. It can dive to 330 feet at a speed of up to 3 knots underwater, and it weighs about 5,500 pounds, making it an option for superyacht owners who want to explore below recreational scuba depths without engaging in more intensive underwater expeditions. The helm is set up so a trained pilot can temporarily hand over controls to anyone.

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Triton Submarines, which makes submersibles used aboard superyachts, has two new members of its company: Academy Award-winning filmmaker James Cameron and billionaire hedge-fund manager Ray Dalio.

The announcement was made at an event marking the 10-year anniversary of Cameron’s Deepsea Challenge expedition, which included his submersible trip to the Mariana Trench, the deepest place on the planet.

Dalio, along with his son Mark, is co-founder of OceanX, a philanthropic initiative that supports scientists who are exploring the ocean and bringing it to the world through media. The organization owns the OceanXplorer vessel, which carries a pair of Triton 3300/3 MKII submersibles that have been used to create content for brands including the BBC and National Geographic.

Cameron, whose films include Titanic, has made more than 75 deep submersible dives and visited the wreck of the Titanic33 times.

“We’re entering an exciting new age of technically enabled ocean exploration reliant on a new suite of marine vehicles, advanced imaging systems and other tech that will propel ocean science,” Cameron stated in a press release. “More than 80 percent of our oceans are unexplored. There are mysteries to solve, new discoveries to make and critical knowledge to acquire.”

How deep can Triton’s submersibles dive? The company says its submersibles can reach depths of about 36,000 feet.

Where to learn more: visit tritonsubs.com

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If you’re feeling a bit disoriented, that’s perfectly normal. We haven’t quite reached the crossover point where Capt. Nemo’s sub Nautilus from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea becomes reality in the world of submersibles, but it sure does feel like we’re starting to get close.

Recent months have seen two of the world’s premier builders of submersibles—Triton Submarines in Florida and U-Boat Worx in the Netherlands—unveil submersible designs that can go deeper, hold more people and include more features than ever before. The new models are expanding everyone’s ideas about what is possible for undersea research, entertainment and just plain having fun while exploring underneath the yacht. Some of the designs look more like underwater laboratories or cruise ships than what we’ve come to expect from submarine launches in the recent past. Others are being purpose-built by owners with specific ideas about how they want to interact with the undersea environment.

The most surprising design is the Under Water Entertainment Platform, which U-Boat Worx unveiled in May. The UWEP can hold as many as 120 people in a 1,600-square-foot space, operating at depths of more than 650 feet, running nonstop for 24 hours. The platform is big enough to, say, create an underwater gym, casino or restaurant.

“The UWEP will shake up both the submarine and hospitality industry, and lead the way in bespoke underwater events,” U-Boat Worx CEO Bert Houtman says. “We will not only present a stellar experience for the most discerning clientele, but also a business opportunity that will benefit entrepreneurs and contribute to our understanding of the oceans.”

Contributing to our understanding of the oceans is also a driving force behind recent innovations at Triton Submarines, where the 7500/3 Aurelia began sea trials in May. It’s able to carry three passengers to depths of 7,500 feet and will be part of the research program aboard the 600-foot exploration vessel REV Ocean, joining that boat’s existing submersible, Aurora. Triton says that Aurelia is the world’s deepest-diving three-person acrylic submersible.

“With both Aurelia and Aurora now in service, we have the best tag team in the world for conducting cutting-edge ocean science, education and communications,” REV Ocean’s CEO Nina Jensen says.

Triton also announced in May that, following a pandemic delay, its DeepView 24 submersible is now open to the public ($60 per adult, $40 per child) for 30-minute dives in Vietnam, in what the company is calling the most significant commercial-tourism submersible launch of the past two decades. That sub can dive to more than 300 feet and will bring guests up close to shipwrecks, marine life and a “dive show.”

For yacht owners who might be thinking about adding similar experiences to their personal or charter programs, Triton also recently announced a partnership with Shadowcat to create a 78-foot catamaran support yacht that can carry a Triton 3330/3 submersible.

“Clients around the world can now enjoy the simplicity, elegance, excitement and safety of exploring the ocean in a Triton submersible supported by a craft that can be operated affordably, but with absolutely no compromises in terms of its capacity to do the job it was built for,” says Patrick J. Lahey, president of Triton Submarines.

At the same time, U-Boat Worx is pushing forward with its flagship Nexus series, which includes nine- and seven-person models. The Nexus can dive to more than 650 feet and, according to the company, has 25 percent more interior space than competing models. Lithium-ion batteries let the sub operate for as long as 18 hours, performing as many as 10 dives per day. For guest comfort during entry and exit, the Nexus has what U-Boat Worx says is the largest hatch ever incorporated into the design of a submersible this size.

“For passengers of all ages, the entire boarding process has been streamlined, in keeping with U-Boat Worx’s vision that everyone should be able to experience the oceans in a safe and comfortable manner,” the company stated when announcing the new model.

That’s quite an ambitious thought, given that it wasn’t until 2007 when the first submersible was carried aboard a yacht. It was a Triton 1000/2 aboard the 164-foot Trinity Mine Games, and it was heralded as a uniquely adventurous experience for anyone lucky enough to charter the yacht. Here we are, just 15 years later, talking about $60 rides for the general public and underwater promotional events for new products.

Will it really be that long before somebody decks out a sub similar to what Jules Verne described in 20,000 Leagues? A common room that doubles as a museum can’t be too far off, filled with cases for the display of marine animals, shells and other finds.

Built for REV Ocean

The Triton 7500/3 was built for REV Ocean, a 600-foot vessel that’s used for research, exploration and charter. Aurelia, as this Triton 7500/3 is christened, is equipped with science sampling, storage, recording and filming equipment. It will be launched and recovered from the mothership with a 12-ton A-frame crane, which, in itself, is designed to be strong enough to lift the sub while its crew complement of three people is still on board.

A Sub By Any Other Name…

A public competition was held to decide the name of the new sub aboard REV Ocean. The winner was Ivar Ruijten of the Netherlands, who suggested Aurelia because it means gold or “the golden one” (from the Latin aurum) and because Aurelia aurita is a common moon jellyfish that crew are likely to see through the sub’s glass.

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The folks at Triton Submersibles say they decided to “throw out the rule book and no longer be bound by the constraints of traditional geometries.” The result: the Triton 660/9 and 660/7 AVA models, which can take nine or seven passengers, respectively, to a depth of 660 meters (or about 2,165 feet) in a flexible layout that allows everyone to see the same thing at the same time.

“Unlike in the previous generation of dual-hulled subs, where the pilot sits in the center with only a tiny viewport to look through, the AVA’s pilot has full visibility and sits in the center of the passengers, allowing everyone on board to see the same thing,” according to Triton. “This allows the pilot to curate the dive and act as a guide as well, narrating the experience for those on board.”

Three of these AVA subs had already been sold by press time, with one headed to a cruise ship, one bound for a resort and one destined for a private yacht. There’s no word yet on how the owners plan to configure the interiors, but creative thinking is likely to produce ideas that are new to us all.

Ready For A Party: Interior Features

The Triton 660/9 and 660/7 AVA models have interiors that can be configured in lots of different ways—and then reconfigured for other purposes in between each dive. Features that can be incorporated include integrated lighting, a high-fidelity surround sound system and air conditioning. As a result, guests can use the subs for anything from traditional undersea exploration to hosting dates or parties in a fish-filled environment.

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Triton Submarines has introduced the Triton 13000/2 TE, or Titanic Explorer. The company says it’s the deepest-diving acrylic pressure-hulled manned submersible ever produced—and has gull wings.

Able to dive to about 13,000 feet beneath the water’s surface, the Triton 13000/2 TE is designed for deep-ocean exploration and marine-life research.

The gull wings can be retracted for streamlined ascent and descent, or for maneuvering in tight spaces. When the gull wings are extended, they serve as a platform for lighting, cameras or scientific observation.

“When we started thinking about the design of the Triton Titanic Explorer, we knew the unique visual capability of being the deepest diving acrylic hulled sub would need to be countered by the darkness at depth,” Triton Principal Design Engineer John Ramsay stated in a press release. “What’s the point of going down if you can’t see anything when you get there? So, we developed the gull wings to counter just that. They are equipped with lighting and cameras so you can essentially light your subject from one angle while shooting from the other, and even adjust the position of the wings for dexterity, control and maneuverability. It’s a remarkable advancement, particularly for filmmakers, researchers or scientists who are using the vehicle.”

The Triton 13000/2 TE also has a Silent Glide feature that can be used during video filming. According to the company, it “ensures that delicate species or free-floating objects remain undisturbed.”

See-through styling: According to Triton, the acrylic separating occupants of the submersible from the ocean becomes virtually invisible once immersed, providing panoramic views with zero distortion.

For more information, visit: tritonsubs.com

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Being the first person to see something is an experience that can surpass all others, create exhilaration that borders on euphoria and, maybe most important, win every dinner-party conversation for a decade. Craig Barnett, the sales-and-marketing manager for Triton, says the desire to have that kind of experience is a key reason why so many yacht owners want personal submarines.

“Once you have your Ferrari and your yacht and your private jet, and you’ve traveled the world, it’s all about augmenting your reality,” he says. “How can you enhance your experience? With a yacht, you’re scratching the surface of the sea. With a sub, you’re discovering a whole new level.”

In fact, according to insiders at Triton as well as U-Boat Worx, yachtsmen are embracing more than just the spirit of adventure. They’re ordering semicustom and custom submarines the same way they look beyond production yachts to custom builds, wanting to have a half-dozen or more friends and family members underwater with them, as well as fineries that range from leather interiors and Bluetooth sound systems to Champagne chillers and more.

U-Boat Worx alone is now offering 100 options on its various sub models, and Triton is seeing yacht owners outfit subs in increasingly interesting ways. Hulls No. 9 and 10 are now in build of the Triton 3300/3, which is the company’s most popular model, able to dive with three people (including the pilot) to 3,300 feet. “You can fit them out with extra cameras and all that stuff for documentary filmmaking,” Barnett says. “You can load them up with ­scientific instrumentation. We have one owner who uses it for archaeology and salvage. They’ve been practical and useful. Now, in the past 18 months, we did the concept and engineering with Aston Martin to take the sub into the serious luxury realm. It’s not just a fanciful idea. We intend to build them. That will happen.”

The rise in popularity of submarines is coinciding with increased interest in expedition and support yachts, which clients and yacht builders have been embracing for a number of years now. The current generation of yachtsmen is looking beyond ports such as St. Barth’s and Monaco; they want the ability to cruise far, far beyond the ­traditional itineraries that their parents enjoyed in the Caribbean and Mediterranean. About 100 explorer yachts of at least 80 feet length overall are in build today, Barnett says, and in May, the Monaco Yacht Club hosted the first conference focused on expedition-style yachting. Charter clients also are looking for go-farther opportunities, such as spending a week aboard the 254-foot expedition yacht Legend in Antarctica, where charters come with a submarine.

Victor Vescovo

In April, as part of the Five Deeps Expedition to reach the deepest points in each of the five oceans, Victor Vescovo (above) became the person who has dived the deepest in human history. He was aboard a Triton submarine specially built for the cause, one that—unlike some previous ­specialty subs—could be used like the space shuttle, going down and up and back down again to explore. “It opens up a whole other level,” says Craig Barnett, sales-and-marketing manager for Triton. “That sub could dive every day for as long as we had supplies, provisions and a weather window.” And with the Five Deeps Expedition scheduled to conclude this year, the sub is already on the brokerage market, ready for a new owner to take possession as early as ­September. The asking price, Barnett says, is $48.9 million, which includes the 223-foot ­research vessel the sub loads onto for transport. Meanwhile, Triton is using its R&D knowledge from the project to inform new models. “We made some major breakthroughs,” ­Barnett says, “and that will affect ­everything we do in the future.”

“It’s such a big and growing sector,” Barnett says. Today’s yachtsmen “want to do the Northwest Passage, go to remote areas in the ice, have exploration and adventure, and with that desire for unique experiences comes the submersibles.”

As consumer demand for private subs has grown, so has the variety of subs available and the options for designing and outfitting them. U-Boat Worx offers 20 models within five series, while Triton offers nearly a dozen models within three series. Both ­companies have lighter-weight models designed specifically for crane loading on and off superyachts or support vessels.

And while yacht owners a decade ago thought of a personal sub as a utilitarian toy that came off a production line, today’s owners are thinking about them more in the ways they think about custom-built tenders.

“You want a continuity of experience between the yacht and the submersible,” Barnett says. “We can of course paint the exterior any color you want, and now we can work with the interior designer of your yacht. If you want white, carbon fiber and sporty, we can do that. If you want wood and classic with matching leathers, we can do it that way. It’s the same as with outfitting a luxury tender.”

Costs for anything customized of course come in a range, and the same is true of today’s ­submarines. Triton’s entry-level model goes for $2.7 million, while its largest sub—a seven-seater—retails for $5.25 million.

Barnett says yacht owners see those prices as being in line with, say, a customized helicopter that lands on the bow.

In fact, he says, the way subs are discussed aboard yachts could soon rival the way owners talk about their onboard choppers: “I can see submersibles potentially becoming as popular on yachts as helicopters. Maybe not every yacht has one, but every yacht gets built with the capability to have one on board. You would order your ­helicopter, and then order your submarine.”

The Rise of Submarines Aboard Yachts

2008
J.D. Ducanes, captain of the 164-foot Trinity Mine Games, trains on a Triton 1000/2 (carrying two ­people to 1,000 feet). It becomes the first private submarine available to guests aboard a charter yacht.

2012
Triton receives an order to build its third 3300/3 (carrying three people to 3,300 feet) for use on a superyacht, within a few months of the first 3300/3 doing its maiden dive off Grand Bahama.

2019
With explorer yachts surging in popularity, Dutch yacht builder Oceanco unveils a 345-foot concept design with room for not one, but two submarines, along with a helicopter and a land vehicle.

The post Personal Submarines: Luxury in the Deep appeared first on Yachting.

Recently Triton Submarines in conjunction with EYOS Expeditions and Victor Vescovo of Caladan Oceanic held a press conference at the Manhattan headquarters of the Discovery Channel to announce an exciting new project. Vescovo will be piloting Triton’s 36000/2 submarine down to the deepest points of all five oceans.

The name of the project is The Five Deeps Expedition and it features the first commercially certified, manned submersible capable of going all the way to the bottom of the ocean — approximately 11,000-meters deep. The expedition will take Vescovo to places never before seen by the human eye. The sub, which is called the Deep Submergence Vehicle (DSV) Limiting Factor, will be toted around the world aboard a support vessel named Pressure Drop. The five deeps that the submarine will visit include the Puerto Rico Trench in the Atlantic (8,648 meters), the South Sandwich Trench in the Southern Ocean (8,428 meters), the Java Trench in the Indian Ocean (7,725 meters), the Mariana Trench/Challenger Deep in the Pacific (10,898 meters) and the Molloy Deep in the Arctic (5,599 meters).

Notably, Vescovo will also explore the Pacific’s Tonga Trench, which has been marked to within 100 meters of the Mariana Trench, and which could possibly become the new deepest known part of the ocean if there’s an uncharted dip in the bathymetry. It’s very exciting stuff. “If I do find that place in the Tonga Trench,” Vescovo said with a smile, “the first thing I’m going to do is call James Cameron.”

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Triton 1650/3 LB submersible

Triton Submarines has begun construction on the first 1650/3 LP submersible, which is scheduled for a September 2016 delivery.

The Triton 1650/3 LP is designed to fit within a standard superyacht tender garage and to be launched with a typical overhead davit. The sub’s height is 5.9 feet, and her crane weight is 8,818 pounds.

She can take a pilot plus two guests as deep as 1,650 feet. And because the sub is built with main ballast tanks, guests can board and disembark from a yacht’s swim platform instead of being inside the sub during the launch or recovery process.

“The Triton 1650/3 LP is the natural evolution of our personal submersible line for the superyacht industry,” Triton CEO L. Bruce Jones stated in a press release. “We engineered it to allow a pilot and two guests to explore the ocean depths in an air-conditioned, safe, one-atmosphere environment while sparing the owner the expense of retrofitting his yacht with a special A-frame davit or running a separate support vessel.”

What it’s made from: an acrylic pressure hull mounted in a partial steel enclosure.

Where to learn more: at www.tritonsubs.com

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Triton 1650/3 LP submersible

Triton Submarines has begun construction on two new models: the 1650/3 LP and the 3300/1 MD.

The 1650/3 LP—which dives to 1,650 feet, holds three people and has a low profile—was designed to meet increasing demand from yacht owners who want to carry a sub in their tender garage without having to refit the space. Triton developed a design that reduces the sub’s height to just shy of 6 feet and its weight to 8,580 pounds, “resulting in a vehicle that can be integrated into many yachts in the existing fleet without requiring modification to the tender garage or lifting systems,” according to a press release.

Also new is the Triton 3300/1 MD, which dives to 3,300 feet, holds one person and offers minimum displacement. It is the company’s smallest, lightest vehicle and is meant for use with larger Triton submersibles during salvage work, filming projects and scientific research.

Lear more at www.tritonsubs.com.

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Brilliant Boats and BB Yacht have delivered Thunderbird 2, a 70-foot superyacht shadow boat designed to carry a three-person, 8-ton, Triton 3300/3 submersible.

Thunderbird 2 has a hydraulic platform built to launch and recover the sub as well as other toys, as well as to handle the array of battery chargers, oxygen stowage and transfer systems required to use the submersible.

Fully loaded, Thunderbird 2 has a draft of less than 3.6 feet, giving her access to many locations that are too shallow for superyachts. She is built in lightweight aluminum with an interior of balsa, honeycomb and Forex.

Interior décor is by Miami-based Karine Rousseau with two cabins for a total of four guests. A day head, office and entertaining spaces are on the main deck. Insulation reportedly keeps sound levels on the lower-deck accommodations at 65 decibels — the level of normal conversation — at full speed. On the main deck, noise at full speed reaches 72 decibels.

Power is a pair of 900-horsepower Yanmar 8SY engines paired to Hamilton 521waterjets, providing a top speed of 22 knots and transatlantic range at 10 knots.

A sistership is now being built with delivery available by summer 2015. Learn more at www.brilliantboats.net.

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