Luiz De Basto,

De Basto Designs, on Project Shark

I feel we have broken new territory here and turned a blue-sky concept into a reality. While there are many, many interesting design details, I want to mention two small examples: the aft deck umbrellas and the helideck stairs.

The owner’s brief specified two large, offset umbrellas on the upper deck aft, port and starboard. The traditional solution would have been to have a supplier fabricate removable shades and poles. Those poles tend to be heavy and need to be moved to somewhere belowdecks to be stowed. I proposed a hinged L-shaped pole, rotating sideways at the base. The overall shape of the L matches the deck corner perfectly. When in the up position, it offers the same convenience as a regular offset umbrella with an off-center pole. When it’s time to lower the umbrella, it simply rotates down and disappears into the deck corner—no need to carry it anywhere. As an added advantage, it can also be rotated from the other end of the L, so it can come from the side or from the back of the deck. It can be raised from both ends. It is really cool.

The helideck required stairs for access. The only location possible was through a shape that, incidentally, is a really important feature that defines the overall profile. I could not simply remove that shape to make an opening for the stairways. The solution was to create a couple of hatches, one per side, with pantographic hinges. When closed, the overall profile is not disrupted. The added advantage is that during takeoff and landing of the helicopter, they remain closed, protecting the owner’s deck below from wind and noise. luizdebasto.com