What does a person need who has a megayacht? Well that is easy: they need a tender vessel and a helicopter. The helicopter Support Yacht Independence is just the vessel to handle any job that its mother ship might need. In a collaboration with Sky Group/Monacair, the leading operator of yacht based helicopters, and Edmiston, Sterling/Scott Yacht Design have released details of their new concept. The reason for the creation of the Independence is that it has become increasingly obvious that they way in which Superyacht owners are using their ships is changing and that versatility is becoming ever more important. One of the ways these changes are being answered is the use of yacht tenders.
One of the most important chores is fueling a superyacht and that used to mean that you had you put in to a port facility to take on fuel, which took a lot of time, energy, and manpower away from the reason for being at sea, which is the voyage. As we all know the maximum range for any ship is dependent upon its fuel storage capacity, and a yacht tender can increase a yachts range by carrying that extra fuel and doing the porting to refuel. The Independence is perfectly designed for this duty because it carries a significant amount of extra tankage. This means that the superyachts master can continue to sail, while the Independence does the fueling and the porting.
Another way in which the superyacht tenders are being used is a scout vessel for its charge the superyacht. These scouting missions vary according to the circumstances of the owners adventure. Locating suitable anchorage for the superyacht is a very important task and it is easier as well as safer to send your tender ship ahead rather than the superyacht since some ports may not be large enough to handle a mega yacht, so you will need to find the right port. Locating a safe place other than a port to anchor the superyacht is important, because some coves or bays may not have enough depth to handle the hull, and the Independence is ideal for this task.
Last but not least it is probably very important for the owner of a mega yacht to have all of the proper transport and toys necessary to make his cruise both practical and enjoyable. The Independence is at the top of its game in this department as both a tender and a Helicopter Support Yacht. In addition to carrying things like tender boats, ski boat, Ribex’s, and Jetski’s, it can also carry a large helicopter such as the Augusta Grande 109 helo, and has its own high tech maintenance facility too. The Independence can also handle other large helicopters such as the EC 145 Bell or the Bell 429. The independence also has its own dedicated dive center for the owner, guests, and crew.
The Helicopter Support Yacht Independence is approximately 58 metres long and has an X shaped bow design. The beam of the Independence is 9.2 metres with 130 square metres of open deck space and a height storage capacity of 135 square metres. The Independence has two main engines driving a twin-screw propulsion system and has a transatlantic range that is economical at 14 knots, with a max speed of 18 knots when it employs its waterjet booster. The Independence has a crew of 14, but can accommodate up to and additional 20 on call staff from the superyacht. All of the materials and finishes that used aboard the Independence compare to crew level quarters aboard a luxury yacht.
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Sterling/Scott
Photo: sterlingscott.com