Secrets of the superyachts

You don’t need £££millions to give your boat a little luxury – just borrow ideas from the world’s superyacht builders, says Jake Kavanagh

Stolen ideas from the superyacht yards to give you a little luxury

Asuperyacht is generally described as being a vessel of more than 24m in length, and usually requires a professional crew. If your yacht is less than that (which is likely, as only a few superyacht owners read PBO) you don’t need millions of pounds to stretch your hull to join the jet set – just equip it a bit differently.

If you get the chance to look round a superyacht at a boat show, or better still see one in build or under refit, you’ll recognise many of the materials and techniques used on much smaller craft, be it power or sail.

Vinyls, hardwood veneers, electrical conduits, piping, two-pack paint systems and teak decking are all deployed on superyachts on a similar principle to mainstream production boatbuilding. It’s the way they’ve been used, of course, plus the sheer scale involved, that make these magnificent yachts such head-turners.

The market for these new builds is doing very well, with notable growth in ice-class explorer yachts. These are designed to go pretty much anywhere, with polar charters becoming increasingly popular. In these wilderness locations a toughened hull, long-range tanks and energy selfsufficiency are key priorities.

As a practical boat owner, the bit you’ll find most interesting is what you don’t see. Look past the gold plated taps, the marble bathrooms, and the priceless art to appreciate how the builders have crammed so many complex systems behind the décor and used their ingenuity to meet an owner’s needs.

Typical examples would be how the Dutch yard Moonen hid a powerful crane in a bulwark to launch a mini submarine, or how another Dutch yard, ICON, created a hangar in the foredeck to take a swing-wing seaplane.

Whether you aspire to own a five-deck superyacht or a 26-foot GRP cruiser, some of the ideas you’ll see here will be equally effective on both.

This means you can ‘superfy’ your yacht without an eight-figure builder’s bill. It’s just a matter of adapting the idea, or embracing the principle, and knowing which suppliers can meet your budget – Gucci or Aldi.

A concept graphic for a modern superyacht from Dutch builders Icon, complete with a built-in aquarium. You can use some of the ideas found on this awesome monster on your own boat – but without the seven figure running costs

FAR LEFT ‘Explorer’ yachts are gaining in popularity. Here is a former icebreaker being converted into a ‘go anywhere’ pleasure vessel at ICON’s yard. LEFT Meanwhile a new ‘ice class’ is in build with the Italian yard San Lorenzo