How do you deliver a boat from one country to another? As it turns out, you put them in an even bigger boat that makes the trip.
When it comes to taking boats across the continents, the float-on-float-off Yacht Express from Dockwise is the undisputed king and the largest of its kind. A semi-submersible, it sinks into the water in order to pick up two dozen or so yachts that it can carry across its deck. Once they reach the delivery spot, it submerges again to allow each watercraft to be driven off.
The large transatlantic delivery boat measures 686 feet long, with a beam that’s 106 feet high. Deck space for all the passenger boats (by that, we mean boats that act as the passenger) is 541 feet long and 102 feet wide. Balancing is accomplished by four main ballast pumps, while cargo handling is performed by a T-crane with an outreach of 50 feet.
Since it delivers full yachts with people who will drive it out once it touches the delivery point, the Yacht Express comes with a full list of amenities, including complete cabins, fitness room, swimming pool and other facilities that may or may not be also present in your actual boat. Hell, now I want my own yacht just to be able to ride it in one of these!
I always thought it was suspicious that I saw plenty of luxury yachts by the pier but never a single one crossing the ocean. Now, I know why!
[Dockwise via Boing Boing Gadgets]