New crane solution

Since we eventually would like to be able to carry a 7 ton sub, we need a pretty strong crane.

We've been looking at hydraulic cranes but they are not cheap and the location, while acceptable, did leave us with kind of a big ugly object in the line of sight forward.

Since we have a pretty strong forward mast anyway, our designers at Herman Jansen made this suggestion - a boom - and we like it a lot. It's a lot more affordable while able to carry higher loads. It also looks a lot better we think.

Now we're going to find a way to do the same for the tenders on the platform aft.

We can't use the same set up behind the mast because it would reduce the safe area to land a helicopter. Maybe a small hydraulic low profile (stiff) boom crane after all? We'll figure something out.

An expedition vessel without a sub?

Right. Impossible! So, we plan to make this vessel sub ready in order to accommodate it once we can afford one. We already have a model in mind. The 3-person Triumph from SeaMagine.

This is without doubt the ultimate toy to have. But it's actually not a toy! It's a fully ABS classed submarine, capable to go down to 457 m (1500 ft). Yep. Serious stuff. With a serious price tag too.

The photo below shows the sub placed on a platform at the stern but we would place it on the main deck in front so we don't increase the length of our vessel with would affect us in our Panama Canal transits.

We'll be ready for it but for the time being, this $ub will have to wait.