Dutch shipbuilder DAMEN, in cooperation with its luxury yacht builder AMELS, has announced the sale of its second SeaXplorer – a highly customised 75-metre luxury expedition yacht with exceptional capability for heli-skiing, diving and other tropical and polar adventures.
The SeaXplorer 75 stands out with not only a dive centre and submersible hangar, but also a complete floating heliport for two aircraft.
“Together with his guests, our client plans to visit some of the most beautiful and remote areas of the world,” comments Commercial Director Rose Damen. “They will be skiing and snowboarding on pristine slopes like Kamchatka and submersible diving and sport fishing in Papua New Guinea and the Galápagos Islands. They will be in places with no supporting infrastructure, no roads and no heliports within range. So we designed the SeaXplorer 75 to carry out such complex operations with the highest level of safety, redundancy and autonomy.”
In accordance with the Owner’s requirements, DAMEN’s team of naval architects and engineers created the highly customised 75.15-metre SeaXplorer with a Gross Tonnage of approximately 2,500. The Owner will take delivery in the second half of 2020.
“Our designs in the SeaXplorer range are a great starting point to quickly create customised yachts for specific Owner requirements,” comments Mark Vermeulen, DAMEN Product Director. “The SeaXplorer 75 shares the range’s core attributes: compliance with the IMO Polar Code, the long periods of autonomy at sea, and the crossover of superyacht luxury with professional capability.”
The SeaXplorer 75 accommodates 12 guests as well as 25 crew and expedition staff. The full custom interiors will feature the finest luxury quality and finishing created by the Owner’s choice of interior designer. The layout includes plenty of outdoor spaces for al fresco dining and enjoying the sun and sea, SeaXplorer’s unique bow point observation lounge with panoramic views, and seven luxurious suites on Main Deck and Upper Deck.
SeaXplorer 75 Heliport for two helicopters
- Primary surface helideck for aircraft up to 5-tonne maximum take-off weight
- Fully certified for safe operations in a wide weather window: night, day and underway
- Standby surface to position a second/back-up helicopter with full rotation (plus, with its Bolidt synthetic teak, the standby surface can also be used for sun loungers, party tent, etc)
- Below-deck hangar for two helicopters – fully protected from the elements
- Below-deck snow room with changing area, gear store and pre-flight briefing
- Large aviation fuel tank and refuelling systems
- Pilot and guide accommodation
Why two helicopters?
Off-piste heli-skiing and heli-boarding are hugely popular among thrill seekers, but the sport is not without risk, even for the commercial operators flying from established helicopter bases with several aircraft. However, when you take your own helicopter into remote mountainous (often poorly mapped) terrain, far out of range of the nearest rescue services, landing at high altitude in low temperatures and unpredictable turbulence, with the possibility of poor visibility, avalanches, and loose objects or equipment getting caught in downwash, then having a back-up helicopter quickly becomes more of a necessity than a luxury.
Additional features of the SeaXplorer 75
- Swim Platform leading to Dive Centre (prep, changing, dry room, tank store and compressor room)
- Below-deck submersible hangar
- Below-deck toy store for jet skis, snowmobiles, etc
- Tender garage for 10.5-metre beach party lander
- Additional dive support tender and crew/rescue tender
- Wellness Centre
- Sun Deck jacuzzi
- Retractable zero-speed stabilisers for use in ice conditions
- Huge Tank Deck provisions stores and garbage management
Source: Damen