Jump to content

GIGA-YACHTS


TheLorax

Recommended Posts

Its not always about how many hours you have to get jobs, its about who you know and whether you have done a decent job along the way to give yourself a good name - you might be surprised to hear that my first job in the Cearibbean I got with only about 1000 hours. Like I have told many people on these forums and people I have met over the years when they are starting out, always keep in contact with people along the way and dont be an ass or burn any bridges along the way! It's a very small industry.

 

James 28 - I have to somewhat agree with you, that those are some pretty high requirements for a SIC position. I guess it's a pretty highly sought after position and you would be well taken care of, and like a lot of people I have met with these yachts, being a pilot and A&P will get you the job that bit quicker! Sounds like one of those sweet jobs where you dont stay on the yacht the whole time, only when the owner is aboard the yacht. Being a Seattle job advert, maybe its Mr. Bill Gates or Paul Allen himself!! Based on a quick search related to the job, they definitely have a fleet of aircraft with jets and helicopters. You never know!?!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Kc135Delta,

How is the design for your yacht coming along? Have you decided to go for a helicopter? How big are you going to go? Where are you looking to build?

 

It's not often I get to talk yachts and helicopters in one place, so that's where the enthusiasm comes from!

 

I'm acctually building two boats. A 60+ meter 'mothership' and then another 'shadow boat' dedicated to toys. European builds for both of them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Maybe it was a builder suggesting the two boat concept to you, but it would be more expensive both for build and upkeep to have two boats and two crews with four engines and twice as much fuel, than one slightly larger one that can carry everything in the first place. Smart design and clever storage is where the designer earns his money. There is definitely a reason why the majority of owners do all-in-one boats rather than the mother and shadow set up. Many owners have more than one boat, but they can all operate independently.

 

Are you drawing your inspiration from the Golden fleet concept with the Golden Odyssey, Golden Osprey and it's Golden Shadow?

For those that don't know, (I imagine Kc135 is familiar) Golden Odyssey is a 264' private yacht that has toys and tenders carried on a the Golden Shadow which is it's dedicated supply ship. The Shadow is a 219' private scientific research ship in it's own right, and while it doesn't have a dedicated helicopter, it has a helipad and a Cessna 208 Caravan seaplane (called the Golden Eye). It also houses a full medical suite with operating theatre, and a decompression chamber. The Golden Osprey is a 97' sportfisher.

 

If you go slightly bigger, to say 65m, then it sneaks into sizes that we build. And I think we have build slots available in a year or so, which most yards don't.

 

Devonport Yachts

www.devonportyachts.com

+44 1752 605665

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm acctually building two boats. A 60+ meter 'mothership' and then another 'shadow boat' dedicated to toys. European builds for both of them.

 

Are you planning to flag the vessels in the US or with a flag of convenience? Your crew documentation requirements will be different depending on where the boat is registered. Do you have tonnage estimates yet?

 

There is a big market now for retired offshore supply vessels for conversion to "Shadow" boats. I know a little about these so if you have any questions give me a shout. A conversion would probably be far less expensive than a new build, especially for a utility/support vessel.

 

 

Don't forget the thrusters!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Keith, you're mentioning the OSV conversions has reminded me of a great superyacht called Lone Ranger, (owned by Peter Lewis, former CEO of Progressive Insurance) she used to be an ocean going tug but was converted into a true go anywhere yacht.

 

It may well be better value to convert an existing ship rather than build new. It would certainly be a really interesting project to convert a work boat like that, and there would be fewer restrictions on the type of helicopter you could use on board due to the increased deck space. A hangar wouldn't look out of place on a former commercial ship either. Lone Ranger has a beauty that comes from the fact that she is so capable and powerful. And a cool factor in that her oversize bunkers give her a range of 38,000 miles!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sorry to sort of hi-jack this thread and pertain it to yachts and their helicopters (rather than jobs on them), but save from starting a new thread there's nowhere else to put this!

 

Have a look at this proposed yacht helipad...

 

This is the sort of ideas that designers are coming up with now (which we engineers have to make happen)... so expect to land on something like this in the future!

 

This is not the maddest idea I've seen proposed for a yacht, but I'm not at liberty to divulge the others... yacht owners are very secretive!

 

I personally think its a good concept, not sure how much room there would be below decks for maintenance though.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...