Apparently, not enough superyacht owners are buying submersibles. And Netherlands-based U-Boat Worx wants to do something about it. The outfit behind some of the most popular compact underwater vehicles in the market just announced the Super Yacht Sub 3, a three-person submersible built specifically for the superyacht crowd.
Designed to serve as a regular fixture on a superyacht, the sub can be transported right on the yacht, ready to launch whenever those on board are drunk enough on expensive champagne to want to explore the ocean’s depths. It comes with a flexible lifting arrangement, too, that allows it to adapt to any crane configuration, making it easy to deploy into underwater adventures.
Billed as “the most compact three-person submersible ever built,” the Super Yacht Sub 3 measures 7.7 x 11.1 x 5.6 feet (h x l x w), making it easy to park somewhere on a yacht’s deck or in an integrated garage. It can be configured to explore depths of up to 1,000 feet for up to 12 hours, with six battery-powered thrusters propelling it against the strongest currents the seas can offer. In the surface, it can travel at speeds of 4 knots; underwater, it can ride at 3 knots. The sub is driven using a gamepad-like MANTA controller that can be operated by any of the three people in the cockpit.
The three-seater cabin positions two passengers in front and the main pilot in the back, with luxurious leather seats, climate control, and the “best unobstructed underwater view” for everyone inside. As with the company’s other submersibles, it comes with a full range of safety features, including a beacon system, emergency release buoys, maximum depth protection, and up to 96 hours of life support.
The Super Yacht Sub 3 will be available 2015. Price starts at €1.75 million.