It is quite possible that a work assignment on board "Nebula" will permanently change the expectations of many crews. The twin-hulled vessel from Astilleros Armon sails the seas as an escort vessel for a 100-metre format, but clearly offers far more than just a floating transporter. "A crew member who has been working on yachts for years told me that he hoped newcomers would never start here," says Kirsten Schwalgien with a laugh, "because they would get the wrong idea of what a crew interior is like.
The German interior architect and designer based in Barcelona has crowned the Shadowyacht genre in several respects with this almost 70 metre yacht. Starting with the layout and interior fittings: extra-wide beds, large cabins and then this saloon - an XL lounge with additional retreats, including a soundproofed telephone booth with bench and table. "The customer didn't want the crew to feel second-class on board," explains Schwalgien, "he wanted the areas to have the same quality as on the mother ship." The small rooms are particularly important, as many crew members study or continue their education on the side. "They can be used for meetings, a card game or a Zoom call with the family," she says, listing the possibilities.
No wonder the crew is happy about it and the feedback so far has been positive. The designer also attached great importance to the lighting in the cabins; several moods can be set remotely. Daylight also streams in abundantly thanks to the generously sized windows, even in the crew mess. "It's amazing," says Schwalgien with conviction, "the room has a long glass front that is usually only found in owner's areas."
XL storage space plus helipad on board the "Nebula"
Following "Hodor" (66.20 m, 2019) and "Wayfinder" (67.90 m, 2021), "Nebula" is the third Cat from the northern Spanish shipyard's support vessel series, and it also takes up the basic principle of a practical XL storage space plus helipad. This is already evident in the efficient hull designed by Incat Crowther, an Australian heavyweight in the world of floating commercial vehicles. The big plus on board "Nebula" is of course the heli-garage, which benefits in particular from the 15.90 metre wide aluminium construction and, true to the Schwalgien principle of "honest design", is anything but hidden.
"We still talk in the team about the fact that we designed the yacht around the hangar," reports the studio boss. The dark grey painted box sits enthroned like a container at the stern and extends over two floors of the superstructure. The volume is so immense that the Airbus H145 that it carries can stand in it fully operational, with the rotor blades completely folded out. "The hangar was planned as an air-conditioned 15 by 12 metre box with a height of up to 4.50 metres," explains Pascal Schumacher, Project Manager at Yacht Naval Architects (YNA). The team led by director Christoph Kuhnert is based in Hamburg and coordinated the project with the owner's representatives from Waterproof, implemented the design ideas and also held the reins during the realisation of the shade.
A big step in the styling of the "Nebula"
In terms of styling, however, "Nebula" goes a big step further. The outer lines are angular in keeping with the type, but feature an elegant two-colour contrast with a dark and a very light grey. In addition, there is the striking decorative stripe that runs halfway up almost the entire length: "The orange colour was requested by the customer as an accent," explains Kirsten Schwalgien. It goes without saying that the colour continues to shine inside, used selectively on the number plates of the doors, on the main bed covers, table frames or the narrow acrylic strips that hold the books on the shelves.
Oliver Design from Bilbao adorns its reference list with the interior. A shadow yacht doesn't have to look like a superyacht, but it must have character, an identity, including for the people who work on it. According to Schwalgien, the interior shouldn't always be white or beige either; she doesn't even know "where the fear of colour in the yacht sector comes from". There is too much colour from time to time, but in some projects you can do more "without going completely over the top".
How a good overall concept comes together
The key to a good overall concept is to outsource the interior and exterior to a design team: "It makes sense and looks much more harmonious in the end." Overall, the importance of this is slowly being recognised in the scene. In the past, Schwalgien often sat in meetings and heard comments - even from other designers - such as: "It's just a shadow boat, the look isn't that important." Schwalgien sees it completely differently: "How can it be unimportant? This is a product costing millions of euros, and customers spend most of their time looking at their support yacht, much more often than at their yacht." Fortunately, the situation has improved, and the Spaniard-by-choice says quite clearly: "We have built a B interior, but we have started talking about B-Plus. Because the standard is much higher than normal for these ships." For her, the question remains as to how much A-interior is needed at all; many customers today come from the tech industry and don't want a classic yacht interior. They don't live like that at home either. The new Shadowyachts are one way to get things moving.
The fact that functionality and design go well together is also evident in the 12.30 metre long tender, which Schwalgien's team "designed inside and out". Built by Compass Tenders in the UK, the catamaran can carry up to 15 passengers and can reach a top speed of 40 knots with the help of Yanmar engines plus Hamilton waterjets. It looks like a miniature version of its mother, the Shadow Cat. The fact that Cat also means cat in English provided the inspiration for an original name. "Many friends call me Kitty," explains Kirsten Schwalgien. "Then it started with Kitty and Shadow Cat and finally Shadow Kitten." Compass and then the owner then adopted the name, which means shadow kitten. The fact that the "little one" displaces a good ten tonnes and has to be hoisted over the side onto the aft deck by crane is a minor matter.
Technical data
- Length over everything: 68,20 m
- Length (waterline): 66,00 m
- Width: 15,90 m
- Material: Aluminium36 Gross Tons
- Displacement (empty): 782 t
- Gross tonnage: 2136 Gross Tons
- Material: Aluminium
- Range @ 12.5 kn: 5000 nm : 21.5/14 kn
- Engine power: 2 x 2832 kW
- Speed (max./journey): 21.5/14 kn
- Range @ 12.5 kn: 5000 nm
- Generators: 2 x Scania, 426 kW
- Fuel: 288 000 l
- Fresh water: 14 466 l
- Guests/crew: 20/12
- Exterior design: Schwalgien Yacht Design
- Interior design: Schwalgien Yacht Design
- Project management: Yacht Naval Architects
- Shipyard: Astilleros Armon, 2022
