When asked, Filippo Rossi Lynx Yachts Sales & Marketing Manager says “There is a lot of curiosity around this topic and we are receiving enquiries from all over the world. First of all, the owners want to understand the costs and the delivery time, but the main issue is always the capacity to accommodate a big rib or a limo tender on board. Usually a 50-60-meter yacht doesn’t offer the possibility to have a limo tender on board, and you can’t tow a limo tender, hence the shadow vessel is the right answer to this kind of need.”
The necessity for larger tenders or indeed a dedicated sport boat, multiple PWCs, All Terrain vehicles and more inflatables is pushing the limits of the superyacht. The support vessel is therefore the natural choice and provides the increase in capability the owner needs at a fraction of the cost of a larger superyacht.
A dedicated support vessel will certainly increase safety in terms of freeing up deck space and allowing your crew to safely and efficiently deploy the tenders and toys. It also allows you to tailor the equipment you load dependent on destinations, activities and guests demands.
It is however to remember these vessels are not just the load carrying donkey. Many owners demand the same level of luxury for the support vessel as they have on the mothership as they tend to spend a lot of their free time during the day on and about the support vessel. It is also important to note that owners demand the same level of crew quarters on the support vessel as they have on the mothership – they want to give both crew equal standing. Rossi from Lynx Yachts mentions that “ Every shadow vessel is a different project, based on the owner’s needs and wishes. If the client is not interested in speed we always suggest a steel hull. On the other hand, if the need for speed and related weight of the yacht is an issue, we suggest aluminum. Again, it is a choice of the client and we build the yacht around him.”
The aesthetics and technology going into support vessel development is on a par with the larger yachts, no expense is spared in the interior finishing, it’s just the outside deck areas that are designed for the storage of the larger tenders and array of toys. The vessels also lend themselves to having much large beach deck areas meaning a greater number of guests can join the fun, learn new watersports and parents can relax and be closer to kids in the water. These vessels can really take your yachting experience to a whole new level.