Feadship fitted the Explorer with a mast that extends the angular Vitruvius exterior and which Philippe Briand worked out in the usual detail. A submersible with a displacement of 7.2 tonnes will also be delivered to "Shinkai". Already on deck is a crane with a span of almost eight metres, which also moves the saloon tender and the owner's car. Equally unusual is a gyro stabiliser from Gyro Marine measuring three by three metres and weighing 23 tonnes. The background is as follows: the highly experienced owner wants to sail the Northwest and Northeast Passage and does not want to run the risk of finding it difficult to get his submarine on deck in certain waters. Nevertheless, the tank deck is designed in such a way that movable external fins could be retrofitted. Feadship installed the transducer of a WASSP sonar in the ice-class steel hull.
The 55-metre explorer, whose interior was created on the computers of Boutsen Design, will next set off on sea trials on the North Sea in autumn.
Sören Gehlhaus
Stellvertretender Chefredakteur BOOTE EXCLUSIV
