yacht bridge design

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Bridge of a Ship – Design And Layout

Ships are massive vessels spanning hundreds of meters in length and weighing thousands of tons. Being able to control and manoeuvre such a large vessel is of paramount importance.

How is it possible for a small crew to operate a ship of such gigantic proportions?

This is where the ship’s bridge comes in.

The bridge is the main control centre of a vessel, from where the captain and officers are able to man the entire operations of the vessel . It is generally located in a position with an unrestricted view and immediate access to the essential areas of a ship.

Historically, the bridge was a structure connected to the paddle house that housed the steering equipment . As it closely resembled an actual bridge, this name was given.

Even after paddle wheels became obsolete and were replaced with the latest technological advents, the term “bridge” still stuck. The master of the bridge is always the captain, who retains control and responsibility of the vessel while he is on board.

During the round-the-clock watch, the highest-ranking officer of the watch is generally placed in charge of the bridge. Only authorized personnel are allowed to enter this area and strict operating procedures must be followed at all times.

The bridge of a vessel houses the main steering equipment, navigation charts , communication systems , engine control as well as miscellaneous features. In addition, some bridges also have adjacent bridge wings, that house equipment for the stern and bow thrusters. These wings extend beyond the main bridge room and provide a clear, unobstructed view of the surrounding areas.

The bridge is always manned by an officer of the watch, who has the responsibility of manoeuvring the vessel and coordinating with the engine room. In general, an officer and a lookout are required to be present on the bridge, to prevent any untoward incidents.

For complicated manoeuvres, the captain of the vessel is often called to the bridge to take over controls. And in areas with a high-risk environment, pilots are often enlisted to guide the ship safely using their knowledge of the region. In addition to being the heart of the ship, the bridge is also used as a command centre and important documents are stored here.

The ship’s papers, permits, important documents, passports, cash for emergencies etc. are kept in safe located on the bridge. For this reason, the entrances into the bridge are often heavily fortified and provided with bulletproof glass to thwart pirate attacks .

In this article, we will take a look at the general layout of the bridge, the various components that are found here and the guidelines to be followed.

Layout and Design of the Bridge

The bridge of a ship is intended to be the heart of the vessel and must provide a clear and unobstructed view of the surrounding area. Even though a host of electronic and navigational equipment is found on the bridge, the primary purpose must be fulfilled.

Thus, the bridge is demarcated broadly into two regions- the area at the fore intended for clear observation, and the remaining area for controls and comms.

The observation region is enclosed at the fore by large glass panes, built to withstand storms and adverse weather conditions such as hale. Often, plexiglass structures are used and supported on steel or aluminium frames. Shades which can be lowered are also used so that visibility is not reduced when there is a bright light.

Along with the central observation deck, there are also bridge wings. These wings are structures that extend in a transverse manner out of the bridge. Present on the port and starboard side, their primary purpose is to increase the region of visibility, especially during complex manoeuvres such as port docking.

They also house the controls to the individual bow and stern thrusters present on each side. Thrusters are propellers located deep within the hull that provide a higher degree of control to the captain for precise turns and adjustments.

The bridge wings can be either open or closed depending on the type of ship. In most cases, the wings are kept open to allow for maximum visibility. In addition, there is communication equipment found on the wings so that information can be relayed back to the main bridge section. Entry to the bridge wings is restricted to only trained seamen and officers of the watch.

The remaining area of the bridge houses the main navigational, steering and communication equipment. Along with this, there are numerous controls that operate various parts of the ship remotely.

Several internal telephone lines connect the bridge directly to the chief engineer, captain, first officer and the engine room. This enables immediate action based on input from the watch officer.

The control area is built into different console units that are arranged in a semi-circular fashion on all sides of the bridges. This includes radar systems and steering controls that are manned by ship officers.

All equipment used onboard must be IMO certified and must have passed a series of tests intended to check their robust nature and ability to function for protracted periods of time. For safety purposes, fire extinguishers, flares and distress beacons are stored on the bridge.

For anti-piracy reasons, the entire structure is fortified and must pass stringent security checks, especially when sailing through regions such as the Horn of Africa or the Western Indian Ocean region. Although these are hotbeds of criminal activity, most commercial carriers are not allowed to carry firearms or weapons on board.

However, for extreme contingencies, the bridge controls a series of water pumps located all around the ship that thwarts any other vessel from getting too close. Also, special marshals are often hired to provide contracted security and usually keep their firearms on the bridge.

Steering and Engine Equipment on the Bridge

To steer the ship, controls to the rudder , engines and thrusters are present on one of the numerous consoles found in the bridge. Although primary control of the engines rests with the chief engineer or the officer in the engine room, it is an officer from the bridge who often issues commands to the engine room.

To increase speed, there is an engine telegraph that allows for a variety of speeds and even allows the propellers to be put in reverse. There are often different controls for the multiple engines on board. In addition to the engines and propellers, there are bow and stern thrusters that allow for a higher range of precise movements.

The thrusters are often controlled from the bridge wings so that better visibility is available. Thrusters provide steering as their primary function, as compared to power, unlike the engines.

Steering is primarily controlled through the rudder and thrusters, and the controls for both of them rest with the bridge. The rudder must be able to turn to 45⁰ to both the port and starboard side without colliding against the engines. In the case of azipods or integrated propulsion systems, a larger command centre is often used due to the highly sensitive nature of the equipment.

Azipods are an interesting technological invention that allows conventional engines to be integrated with rudders. Thus, a set of azipods are capable of achieving nearly 100% efficiency by turning in almost any direction. This removes the need for different controls for the propulsion and steering systems. In general, controls for the port side are colour-coded red, while the starboard side is often coded green. This allows for easier control by the officers and seamen.

Navigation and Communication on the Bridge

Navigation is a key component of a vessel that is the only means of getting the vessel safely from port to port. Basic navigation equipment includes a Global Positioning System (GPS), Navtex receiver, Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS), radar systems and communication channels.

Navigation is often controlled using charts that are used to plot routes. To ensure that the vessel stays on course, a combination of GPS and a compass system are used. The charts and equipment are stored in separate locations to ensure the compartmentalization of the bridge. In addition to this, binoculars are used in the daytime for sighting. However, when the weather is not clear, visibility is low or during the night, the radar must be used to accurately place and navigate the ship.

When using radar, a range scale must be used based on the speed and traffic around the vessel. Ships weighing more than 10,000 gross tons must use two radars for potting their course and navigation.

Automatic Radar Plotting Aid (ARPA), Electronic plotting Aids (EPA) and Automatic Tracking Aids (ATA) are also a must on such vessels. Alarms to warn about impending collisions, equipment failure etc. are also used to indicate errors. In certain zones onboard the ship, indicator lights are used to signal warnings.

Bridge Guidelines and Requirements

When at sea, vessels must maintain the strictest of protocols to ensure SOLAS and IMO regulations . As the bridge controls the entire ship, it is essential that the bridge and all equipment satisfy guidelines. For navigation purposes, the bridge must be located with a clear view both ahead and abeam. There must also be a minimum vision of 255⁰ present for the officer on watch (OOW), with at least 112.5⁰ visibility on both the port and starboard sides.

For the bridge wings, the side of the vessel must be clearly visible with 180⁰ on the side and 45⁰ to the opposite side. For the officer in charge of steering, 60⁰ on both sides is the minimum clear visibility.

Ships weighing more than 10,000 gross tonnages must include a single X band – 9 GHz frequency radar. This is according to IMO guidelines for navigation and steering. In case of any contingencies, alarms are positioned at all zones onboard the vessel. These alarms indicate failure of various equipment on the bridge.

In addition, failure or damage from other parts of the ship is also relayed back to the bridge for immediate action. If there is no response from the officer on watch, a backup alarm is signalled after a duration of 30 seconds. This backup alarm is sounded in the offices, mess and cabins indicating a need for assistance.

The Bridge of a Warship

Warships often have a number of bridges that serve multiple purposes. For instance, a navigation bridge houses all navigation-related equipment and charts. It is here that the actual route plotting is completed and relayed to the captain’s bridge. This bridge houses radars that are used for both navigation and military capabilities.

A captain’s bridge is also present, where the captain controls the vessel and the essential components of the warship. When the warship is a central vessel of a fleet or the flagship vessel, it usually has a separate Admirals bridge that is used for strategic and command purposes. Here, the control of the vessel is separated from the control of the vessel. The military staff controlling the fleet are usually housed within this bridge.

Bridge Simulator Systems

The bridge houses extremely sensitive equipment. Being able to successfully sail through a waterbody requires extensive training on the bridge. On average, officers spend years honing their skills before ever being given control of the bridge. In addition, since control over nearly every part of the ship is exercised from the bridge, only trained and authorized personnel are allowed to enter. For training purposes, it is not feasible to give a fresh recruit command over an entire vessel. This is where bridge simulators come into play. They are similar to airplane cockpit simulators but are considerably larger.

Most training institutes have their own simulators that enable recruits to practice on them before actually being deployed onboard a vessel. Several shipping companies also offer specialized simulation software that can be programmed to display a wide range of scenarios.

For instance, MARIN in the Netherlands manufactures and sells various simulation units that project realistic situations to the training officers. A select number of individuals are allowed into the simulator and are allowed to practice. Various types of simulators exist that can be used to test response under different visibility ranges. For instance, although the ideal range of sight must be 270⁰, certain simulators can be programmed to test the ability of the officers to handle a lower visibility range.

Bridge Equipment For Navigation And Control Of Commercial Ships

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About Author

Ajay Menon is a graduate of the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, with an integrated major in Ocean Engineering and Naval Architecture. Besides writing, he balances chess and works out tunes on his keyboard during his free time.

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Megayacht Integrated Bridge Systems

Anschütz engineers and supports most advanced, customized integrated bridge systems for megayachts, offering customers maximum flexibility in design as well as reliability and comfort in navigation.

We serve our megayacht customers as a trustful and competent partner in newbuilding or refit projects. Loaded with quality and innovation from across our portfolio, powered by the expertise and passion of our employees, and backed by the experience from more than 150 large megayacht projects.

Excellence in bridge integration

A well thought out bridge design contributes to an attractive wheelhouse surrounding, making the megayacht bridge a comfortable public area covering only indispensable devices for navigation and control.

In the center of the integrated bridge system, the Synapsis NX Integrated Navigation System (INS) makes navigation and bridge operations easier, more efficient and safer. Synapsis NX concentrates the central services of the bridge system and returns consistent sensor data, target designations and alerts, so that users interact with a single, harmonized system. This leads to less stress, better situation assessment, and confidence in decision making.

Using standardized components and modular, LAN-based system architecture opens up a wide range of seamless and lean design options. Built using standardized components only, we can also adapt the function of the bridge to the customer, at a high-quality level and at almost any project stage. Of course: our integrated bridge systems fulfill class requirements without compromises and meet current and future IMO standards.

Customer benefits

Multifunctional workstations for maximum availability of data and function
Advanced function of ECDIS and radar for comfort, efficiency and safety
Modern, standardized and intuitive user interfaces simplify operations
Integration of OEM systems (owner’s choice), e.g. by digital KVM matrix
Seamless design thanks to foil panels and 12” panel PCs integrating actuators formerly known from inhomogeneous hardware devices
19” racks allow separating the hardware from the bridge

Smart system architecture

Synapsis comes with a smart “next generation” system architecture – this is what the “NX”stands for. Synapsis NX Workstations can be easily configured according to customer’s individual requirements.

Multifunctional workstations

Synapsis NX consists of multifunctional workstations that use ultra-compact, powerful Small Marine Computers (SMC) with solid-state disk and passive cooling to increase reliability and lifetime. Customers can decide to run the software applications Radar NX, ECDIS NX and Conning NX or any combination in parallel on each computer. Configuration is done easily by software licenses. Solutions for enhanced situational awareness and security, including the integration of camera systems, and further third-party applications can be added as an option.

Bridge integration platform (BIP)

The Bridge Integration Platform (BIP) is the innovative, central software framework of the bridge system. It is part of each workstation and controls all central services of the navigation system, such as data distribution, system and sensor health status monitoring, redundancy and backup management, intelligent alert management, and settings. The BIP ensures the integrity of data as well as availability and consistent handling of data and alerts throughout the entire bridge system.

High performance radars

The NautoScan NX radar transceivers create a high-fidelity radar raw video, which is distributed to the bridge via redundant Gigabit LAN. The raw data processing on workstation level ensures high flexibility and optimized performance for collision avoidance or any other end-user application. The radar also supports an advanced radar video merge without quality losses and interference.

LAN-based data distribution

The NautoPlex Serial to LAN converters collect and convert all serial sensor data as well as status information to LAN. The workstations then have full access to the sensor data as well as to the raw radar videos via LAN, this makes the system even more flexible and scalable and also adds redundancy to the system. Moreover, cabling is more transparent and related efforts much reduced.

We support your dreams

Our “Yacht Crew” is an experienced and specialized team for all megayacht customers, offering competent and immediate support with regard to the special characteristics and needs which may arise during a megayacht project.

Our project managers put the individual design of the bridge in the foreground and harmonize it with ergonomics, space requirements and technical feasibility. When realizing the system design we take advantage of a close relationship with shipyards partners and local system integrators and, if required, our ability of in-house engineering and development.

We offer central service coordination, immediate spare parts supply, and worldwide maintenance and repair, as well as training and retrofit solutions for the whole life.

Customers value our flexible handling of customer needs, our reliable and firm order processing, and our commitment to deliver as promised.

Contact & Information

Do you wish to receive more information? Please follow this link to our Sales Network to find out your local point of contact.

Do you need technical assistance?

Please find our service contacts, worldwide service partner and request forms here.

Back to Synapsis Back to Product range

By SuperyachtNews 14 Jun 2016

Building bridges

Group technical editor tim thomas looks to the big screen to predict the future of the yacht bridge.….

If you’ve ever seen the 2002 film Minority Report, you can’t help but be bewitched by the so-called gestural interface that Tom Cruise manipulates with hand movements to access information and call-up videos from a database. Similar interfaces have featured more and more prevalently in cinema, from Johnny Mnemonic to The Matrix and others. It’s little wonder that this dream of future tech has been the inspiration for several of the companies working at the leading cutting edge of bridge design and technology for superyachts. In fact, when I spoke with a handful of these companies a couple of years back, they all enthused about advances in technology that could make such futuristic visions an actual reality.

Think about it. The humble yacht bridge has already evolved from a functional crew space to an area that is more refined in its design to cater for visitations visits by owners and guests. This is, in part, thanks to the tech of the equipment itself, and the advent of the integrated bridge. Gone are the days when a jumble of chunky equipment, each with its own control panel of mis-matched and positively stone-age switches, cluttered the console. Now we have smooth glass panels and large screens like a nod to a sci-fi spaceship conning station.

But what of the next step? Well, it appears that Minority Report’s vision of the future is about to become the now. Driven by a handful of owners who want to create the most advanced bridges yet seen on a superyacht, the tech is finally here to allow not only complete flush flush-glass horizontal and vertical surfaces with touch- and gesture gesture-controlled switching, but also large transparent screens that can be operated by gesture from both sides. Palladium Technologies is actually working on a live 128m project that will include all this and more – even a holographic display of the yacht in the centre of the bridge that can be manipulated and rotated by gesture.

The point, it seems, is that the owner wants not only to create not just a space to enjoy the functional running of the yacht – and the great view forward – but also to wow his guests with tech that can’t be seen anywhere else, except, of course, in films. Moreover, the advent of artificial intelligence, deeper systems integration and semi-autonomous operation will mean that the bridge of the future might not need to be manned at all. Imagine that – a space that serves as the command centre for the entire yacht, not just for navigation, that you and your guests can have to yourselves….

Of course, many will argue that such things will remain a pipe dream, and that the demands of Classification classification societies for particular standards of bridge equipment will mean that such futuristic bridges will face insurmountable hurdles. But as Palladium Technologies is doing on the 128m, the solution is simple – the primary equipment required by Class class will still be there, just hidden in the radio room. The bridge will comprise all the secondary equipment – and it just so happens that the yacht will be run from the secondary equipment most of the time. Simples.

With the Star Trek-esque bridge just around the corner – the 128m Palladium is working on is due to be completed within the next three years – we need to start looking for the next dream bridge. Head-up displays and augmented reality displays are already on the horizon, and Rolls-Royce is working on this concept with VTT Technical Research Centre for to produce a version for commercial shipping which it thinks will be a reality by 2025. So what will follow that? I think it’s time to raid the film archive again. I’ll take my popcorn sweet, please.

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Yachting World
Digital Edition

These extreme sailing superyacht concepts prove that the sky’s the limit

October 26, 2020

Feast your eyes on these sailing superyacht concepts. The future looks far-out, and it just might have sails, finds Sam Fortescue

For decades the superyacht world has undeniably been dominated by vast, fuel-guzzling motor boats. And, despite the elaborate marketing spiel of their designers and builders, many of them look remarkably similar from the outside: there’s a pointy end, a wedding cake in the middle, and pool and beach club at the back.

Refreshing, then, to see that many superyacht designers have neither given up on sail, nor on experimenting with form and function. When we spoke to some of the best-known names in yacht design, we received a very enthusiastic response.

First up, get ready to see a lot more catamaran designs. “Multihulls are the future of yachting concepts, simply because of sustainability,” says Espen Oeino, fêted designer of yachts such as 182m/600ft REV and 136m/446ft Flying Fox .

sailing-superyacht-concepts-Lobanov-Designs-Phoenicia-tender-view

Phoenicia has an articulated helipad that deploys once the curved boom is raised up against the aft mast

“To make something sustainable, you have to look at what you can do to reduce resistance and therefore power requirements. There the length-to-beam ratio is very important because slender hulls have a much better angle of entry at the bow, displacing water more efficiently.”

Following this logic, the first of his new 35m/115ft SpaceCat design is nearing completion in China, offering 300m2 of interior space and nearly 600m2 on deck – all balanced on lightweight, low-resistance aluminium hulls.

“People’s concept of what is beautiful is changing but it will need a bit of time,” he adds. “There’s an automotive parallel – it was the same thing with the first SUVs. In the end, though, a cat gives you a much better platform for coming up with interesting layouts.”

Article continues below…

future-catamarans-Galileo-2-concept-credit-beiderbeck-designs

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British designer Andrew Winch agrees on the point about sustainability. “The main focus of future sailing yachts will be minimising their environmental footprint to zero, to leave no negativity on the planet whatsoever,” he tells me. “The faster and lighter construction of catamarans and multihulls is a huge benefit to the integration of hybrid and electric propulsion, something that will continue to see extended growth for the foreseeable future.”

The right image

Many designers believe the green agenda will ultimately bring wealthy owners back to sailing yachts. French designer Mathis Rühl puts it like this: “In a world more and more threatened by climate change, debauchery and energy waste is negatively perceived. Wealthy people who care about their image and their impact have to deal with this paradox: how to enjoy the luxuriousness of the world without destroying it. Burning petrol must be avoided when the wind can be used!”

He also sees great advantages to the slim hulls of a catamaran or trimaran. It led him to design a 70m/230ft yacht with a radical semicircular superstructure balanced across three hulls. A 20m beam gives Wave Motion plenty of living space, including a sky deck and open deck space.

sailing-superyacht-concepts-Wave-Motion-trimaran-Mathis-Ruhl

Mathis Rühl’s striking-looking Wave Motion trimaran features his own design of WM2 wing-sail

Perhaps most strikingly, he would power the boat with a 20m/65ft dual wing-sail of his own devising, called the WM2. He has compared rig types including traditional flexible sails and the odd-looking Flettner Rotor for drag and efficiency and concluded that his design is the best performer upwind. Rühl reports that it is more than three times more efficient than a standard non-rigid sail.

A number of concept boats have looked in detail at the rig and concluded that the best option is one that’s already available. The Falcon or DynaRig is only really suitable for yachts over 60m/200ft, but its ease of handling makes it exceedingly attractive. Just one person is able to set sail, reef, tack or furl the sails thanks to the modular design, which breaks huge sail areas down into smaller chunks, and total computerisation of the unstayed rig. “It’s easier to start and stop,” explains Dykstra’s Thys Nikkels. “The percentage of time that you sail is much higher with this rig.”

Philippe Briand chose it for his mould-breaking 152m/499ft trireme design, originally penned for a Russian client. So did Bill Dixon for his 70m/230ft New Dawn. “Unlike a conventional rig which requires a small army of crew, this vessel can be commanded and operated single-handedly,” Dixon says. “The twin rigs offer a healthy sail area to displacement ratio and will assure an exhilarating sailing experience.”

sailing-superyacht-concepts-bill-dixon-New-Dawn

Bill Dixon’s New Dawn combines the features of a motoryacht with sailboat performance

New Dawn is billed as a game changer, and not just because of her regeneration potential of 75kW under sail, 60m2 of solar panels, ballasted centreboard and ability to motor at 9 knots under purely electric power. Dixon says the real novelty is to combine motoryacht features with sailboat performance.

“It’s clear that customers expect the comforts and space planning of motoryachts,” he explains. “They want ample entertainment spaces, a pool and large tenders. We have created this design on this premise rather from a traditional sailing yacht design approach. This does not mean she is not an efficient sailing yacht, in that department there is no compromise. This is a project that appeases the environmental consciousness of a potential owner.”

Roman galley roots

Briand’s design is on another scale altogether. A key plank in the client’s brief was to ensure there was a vast central gallery whose volume exceeded that of the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles – something he has achieved with room to spare. An astonishing 725m2 of glass and openings surround the gallery, while no fewer than three owner’s suites offer the choice between 180° views from the glass bow; the full 20m beam amidships; or an aft suite perched 14m above the water.

sailing-superyacht-concepts-Philippe-Briand-trireme

The brief for Philippe Briand’s trireme-inspired superyacht was to have a vast central gallery bigger than the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles

Lower deck beach clubs amount to more than 750m2 of real estate, plus room for pools, a helipad and more. Echoing the design of the Roman galley which inspired it, the yacht features dozens of hydraulically-operated ‘oars’ amidships, designed to move in time to the music on board.

“It is possible to imagine very different boats tomorrow,” Briand explains. “I foresee that boats will evolve towards even more efficiency, for sustainability’s sake. Also hybrid boats. We will assemble different energy sources, and wind energy should be the first. Wind by sails, motor by engines today. Tomorrow it will be motor by electric or by hydrogen.”

Interestingly, another designer has also drawn inspiration from the galley. Igor Lobanov’s design is called Phoenicia and features the same reverse bow, sloping down to a rostrum-like point at the waterline; it also picks up the motif of the raised ‘bowsprit’ and ‘bumpkin’ and recreates the effect of two decks of oars by aiming 33 ‘laser lights’ into the water at night.

sailing-superyacht-concepts-Lobanov-Designs-Phoenicia-moored

Pronounced reverse bow and exaggerated ‘bowsprit’ give an unmistakably trireme look to Phoenicia

Her four masts drop down through a great glass-walled gallery that dominates the main deck. She also employs something akin to a traditional staysail rig , complete with gigantic fishermen sails. Used by schooners and ketches, these sails resemble inverted jibs strung between the masts.

Despite the veneer of antiquity, both yachts feature ample shell doors to enlarge deck and living spaces. Phoenicia even has an articulated helipad, which unfolds from the roof of the raised owner’s suite when the curved boom is pinned up to the mast.

This is designed, “with the intention of creating the feel of ‘a house on the cliff’, with a balcony and panoramic windows that surround the space, leaving the views completely open to the vast open sea,” Lobanov explains.

He thinks the yachts of the future will be more automatic. “Probably there will be less crew on board, which may have a trickle-down effect on all the spaces, including water and food storage.”

sailing-superyacht-concepts-Lobanov-Designs-Phoenicia-saloon

A key design concept in Phoenicia is the long gallery with its all-round glass walls. Special Venetian blinds allow a game of light and shadows to create an arresting pattern inside

Inspired by nature

Even now, most yachts – whether sail or motor – are built using a linear arrangement of ribs, stringers, beams and plates, with the result that the space inside is often divided up into regular-shaped boxes. Some designers find this strange. “It’s not a hotel!” exclaims Ken Freivokh. “We’re very retrograde in terms of the structure. The bigger [yachts] get, the more they rely on one of post and beam: just columns and beams, like buildings were built.”

Freivokh, whose projects include everything from production sailing boats to the much-praised 107m Black Pearl , is desperate to get more organic forms and creative design into superyacht building. Taking an example from nature, he thinks that yachts could rely on the strength of a kind of ‘exoskeleton’, which would free up the interior to create more curved and open spaces without littering them with columns. Couple that with the emergence of structural glass, and you have a blueprint for a very different type of yacht.

But the problem is not just due to conservative shipyards and cautious classification bodies, according to Freivokh. Part of it is the owners themselves.

“It is quite typical that most owners when they’re briefing you make reference to existing projects,” he says. “If you ask an owner ‘why do you need a saloon on each deck? Why don’t you have a single saloon with double heights, and totally unique?’ Then the shipyard says how much they love the plans, but if we just did it like this… In the end, they point out it is £2m cheaper to use an existing technical platform, and that’s hard to resist.”

Briand says that every one of his superyacht clients starts from an existing yacht, not a blank piece of paper. “Sometimes those boats have been designed ten years ago,” he says. “Of course, this is not very positive for pushing us towards new technology. You have to make a long and difficult speech in order to convince them that progress in terms of technology is possible.”

sailing-superyacht-concepts-Dykstra-Naval-Architects-exo

Dykstra’s Exo concept borrows the idea of exoskeletons from nature to create wide open space below decks

Dutch J-Class maestros Dykstra published an ambitious design a few years back which made use of another exoskeleton design in a 46m/150ft concept called Exo. Produced as a collaboration with Claydon Reeves, it takes the root structures of a tree as its inspiration.

“Not only does the long vertical trunk represent the mast, but the root ball forms the hull, providing strength and the support for the vertical structure,” explains James Claydon. “We also considered the skeletal structure of small but strong creatures. In nature it is the exoskeleton, which provides the ‘chassis’ for these organisms.

“These exoskeletons do not employ straight lines but instead have twisting and turning curves which imbue the creature with optimal strength – their forms defined by millions of years of evolution. By setting aside some of the established thinking of past projects, we strived for a new aesthetic that was both attractive and buildable.”

sailing-superyacht-concepts-Dykstra-Naval-Architects-exo-saloon

Exo’s composite lattice enabled the interior to be completely opened up, with curved glass panels amidships to create a unique sensation of sitting on the waves. I asked Dykstra’s Thys Nikkels why he thought the concept wasn’t picked up, despite a positive reaction at the Monaco Yacht Show .

“Maybe we haven’t pushed the concept hard enough,” he shrugs. “It’s probably a piece of art in itself. That opened our eyes to what is possible in structures. I think the owners are ready for it, but are we as a market ready for it in a way the owner can contemplate it: ie cost?”

Squares and polygons

There is another design school which prefers brutally straight lines. Aspiring yacht designer George Lucian has garnered more column inches than many veterans with a series of increasingly radical designs, none of which have yet been built. The aptly named Origami is a sailing boat that is entirely composed of triangular and trapezoid shapes connected with hard angles, like the folds in a piece of paper.

sailing-superyacht-concepts-George-Lucian-origami

Folded paper is the inspiration for George Lucian’s Origami

This is a concept, so there is no attempt to work out how this craft would actually function, but it involves acres of glass and huge fold-out wings to offer a helipad close to water level. “I think the necessary technology and materials already exist, but all my projects would be very challenging to build, that is for sure,” he admits. “I really think that if one is going to put so much money into a project, it has to be recognisable, different, iconic.”

More recently, Lucian published a design for a motoryacht partly resembling a jumble of ice blocks, and making use of a kite to assist propulsion. Another headline-grabber put a 100m/330ft airship at the heart of the design for a yacht shaped like a wedge, her lines angling out of the sea like arrows.

Beiderbeck designs in Germany has put more intense studies into its design for a gigantic 200m+/660ft+ catamaran, named Galileo2. Capable of berthing an 80m/260ft yacht alongside her beach club, the boxy cat includes a host of innovative features such as marine thermal energy generation, which exploits the lower temperatures far below the surface of the sea, and methanol propulsion.

sailing-superyacht-concepts-beiderbeck-designs-Galileo2

Galileo2 is so large that it would have to be built in parts and assembled afloat. It has a 500m2 swimming pool, can carry 25 tenders, toys or submarines and can still do 22 knots

“This was a study to figure out what was possible; to figure out the step ahead of the next one,” says partner Immo Lüdeling. “It is a catamaran in a size that isn’t built yet; its own shadow vessel.”

Galileo2 is buildable now, but there were still unexpected design challenges. “Just the routes to walk get quite long – from the beach club up to the upper-deck saloon, for instance. Galileo2 has lifts to the bathing platforms.”

The bridge was another problem area on a boat with an 80m/260ft beam. “Our bridge can fly from one side to another, like on a very large crane where you have the crane house moving from one side to the other.” The boat is already sparking interest, including a serious enquiry about a smaller 120m/394ft version. “It’s half the size of Galileo2, but that means eight times less space.”

sailing-superyacht-concepts-George-Lucian-Fata-Morgana

Another of Lucian’s concepts involving trapezoid shapes

Limited only by imagination

Electric propulsion is one of the great hopes of the yachting world, but the question is how to get the power on board. In principle, methanol offers carbon-free electricity, although it is usually manufactured using fossil fuels. Stellar Dutch design house Sinot made waves last year when it published a design for 112m/368ft Aqua , using the technology.

Andrew Winch, designer of monster yachts like 156m/512ft Dilbar and 99m/325ft Madame Gu , has taken a different approach in work with Royal Huisman for a super-efficient 30.5m/100ft sailing monohull, where he favours using renewable energy. “The widened stern deck allows for increased underdeck storage in the stern-wings, allowing for the placement of fan-extending solar panels,” he explains. “The concept also has twin rudders and a canting keel for maximum efficiency, as well as twin electrical propulsion that can be used for the regeneration of power at anchor or while sailing.”

There are as many different concepts as there are designers, and while they all have their own take on the yachts of the future , they agree on one point. It will take daring owners to push the boundaries and help these concepts off the drawing board and into the water. Or, as Andrew Winch puts it: “The only limitation is the imagination of the client.”

First published in the October 2020 issue of Yachting World.

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6 Architects That Are Now Creating Designs for Superyachts

Owners tired of the same old yacht concepts are looking to residential and even retail architects for more inspired designs. it's working., julia zaltzman, julia zaltzman's most recent stories.

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Exciting yacht design doesn’t require reinventing the wheel. But a fresh view always helps. That’s why more yacht owners are looking for land-based architects and designers for their new build and refit interiors, preferring a cross-pollination of ideas over the tried and true.

The first owner to shy away from the traditional yacht designer set was billionaire Lukas Lundin, who tasked Italian architect Cristina Gherardi Benardeau to design the interior of the 274-foot Savannah . The Feadship, launched in 2015, is largely remembered as the first superyacht with a hybrid propulsion package. But the interior is just as radical.

Benardeau, a designer of retail space for Giorgio Armani and Christian Dior Couture, gave the 262-foot yacht the world’s first “Nemo lounge,” or a bubble in the hull where the owners and guests could see underwater. It also featured what looked like a floating superstructure, employing long strips of tinted glass inspired by skyscrapers. (The same visual trick was employed later in Oceanco’s 361-foot Jubilee .) Savannah was the first boat to receive full metallic exterior paint job to blend in with the ocean surroundings—an idea later seen on superyacht Kensho , when it delivered in 2022.

Since then, a number of owners and boatbuilders have employed residential architects to do interior designs, as well as offer exterior flourishes (though naval architects complete the structures and running surfaces.) Rome architect Achille Salvagni has done projects for Rossinavi and Azimut, Lord Norman Foster created a series that later became the YachtPlus fleet, Lazzarini & Pickering designed the Benetti Motopanfilo 37M, and next year, Matteo Thun & Antonio Rodriguez will show their talents on Azimut’s SeaDeck Series.

Even residential stalwarts like Zaha Hadid Architects can’t help but experiment with nautical projects. Following the 2016 reveal of the firm’s Unique Circle Yachts series, the studio collaborated with Vitruvius Yachts this year on Britain’s new “royal yacht” project. And more recently, the architects unveiled concept renderings for Oneiric , a proposed catamaran in collaboration with Italian shipyard Rossinavi.

From skyscraper to sea, here are six yachts designed by mainstream architects.

Amer F100, Architect Roberto Palomba

Architect Roberto Palomba has been designing houses for decades. His Milan-based studio, Palomba Serafini Associati, includes the Italian Consulate in Detroit, home décor and even tableware, among its past projects. His first yacht is the Amer F100, which features a unique “Glass Cabin” as the main salon. It was designed in partnership with Ludovica Serafini. “My aim was to change some standard boat elements to create something completely different,” Palomba told Robb Report during the yacht’s world debut at the Cannes Yachting Festival. “Certainly, our perspective offers a fresh look, an architectural vision rooted in the world of architecture and interior design, translated into the realm of yacht design.” The Glass Cabin is an architectural glass box that encases the main salon and formal dining area with windows that are larger than other yachts with similar dimensions. The garden creates openness, light and a continuous connection with the sea. Continuing the theme, reflective surfaces are used on the walls and ceiling across all social areas to bring more light in, while stairs joining the main deck to the bridge are topped by more glass, opening the heart of the yacht to blue skies.

‘Kensho,’ Jouin Manku

Kensho ‘s owner was a first-time yacht buyer who wanted a one-of-a-kind vessel. He looked beyond the pool of yachting talent for a designer who could create a signature statement inside the 246-foot Admiral. The owner eventually decided on Paris design house Jouin Manku, an experienced architecture and industrial design studio, without a single yacht to its name. Co-founder Sanjit Manku took the design brief and ran with it, eschewing traditional yachting layouts for high-volume and big sea views. Variations on the established interiors include lofty 8.9-foot-tall ceilings, open-plan cabin layouts (where the bathrooms are on display) and locating the owner’s salon—more akin to an observation lounge—to the upper deck where the captains’ wheelhouse is traditionally located. “We drew on our restaurant design experience to create an ambience and furniture that is practical yet opulent,” Manku told Robb Report . “The dining chairs have ski feet that make it easy for guests to slide in and out, and we incorporated flattering lighting rather than ceiling spotlights.” The end result is a stunning, personalized interior that is unique in yachting.

‘Carinthia VII,’ Bizzozero Cassina Architects

Refits are also getting design overhauls by non-yacht designers. Lürssen’s 318-foot Carinthia VII , first delivered in 2002 and designed by Tim Heywood, was sold in 2022 to a new owner. He called on Italian studio Bizzozero Cassina Architects for what turned out to be a major refit in a nearly record 300 days. The architectural studio is experienced in real estate, including a few of the owner’s private properties. But yacht refits are a recent addition to its portfolio. “The key to any project’s success is to know the person, their lifestyle and the way they think,” architect Paolo Bizzozero said. “Only with these three ingredients can you remedy a truly bespoke environment that works for them and for their life.” Key additions include a 1,334-sq. ft. sundeck, with a large dining table and teppanyaki grill. Equally impressive was the 39-foot-long glass-paneled swimming pool on the main deck (with two large televisions to view live sports), and a 968-sq. ft. air-conditioned gym on the bridge deck that also serves as a winter garden.

Contest G7CS, Bentley Interior

Bentley fans who dream of a book-matched yacht interior might look closely at the 67-foot Contest 67CS. Commissioned by a private client and launched in November, it is the first collaboration between Bentley and Contest Yachts. with all the design flair Bentley could bring to a yacht. Conceived to match the luxe design of a custom continental GT coupe, the sailboat features the same materials, motifs and craftsmanship on its cars and home designs, including the same hand-stitching found on the Bentley steering wheel and the yacht’s Malvern Chair. Bespoke one-offs include a bar and vanity unit, the captain’s chair and “Egg” table, and a sofa which was hand-built at Bentley’s engineering facility and finished in its signature trim. The brand’s iconic diamond-quilted hides were also included across entire yacht interior. Small details like the tissue box and drink coasters were created from scratch to match the owner’s taste.

‘Entourage,’ Diego Burdi, Burdifilek

Entourage , the second hull in Amels’ 60 Limited Editions range, is the owner’s second yacht. He had clear ideas about the functional layout of the boat, so he appointed commercial design firm Burdifilek to realize that vision. The Toronto-based co-founder, Diego Burdi, adopted a “marine design” approach. “I believe strongly that you should feel like you’re on a boat,” he told Robb Report . That is apparent in areas like the the lower-deck staterooms where the bulkheads hug the curve of the hull. Carved and layered wooden ceilings—a detail introduced from the owner’s experience in real estate—add drama and tactility. Most significantly, Burdi reversed the central stairwell and tucked it into the perimeter of the yacht to create a wider walkthrough and, in so doing, a work of art.

‘Symbiosis,’ Kurt Merki, Jr.

The 279-foot Symbiosis is Studio KMJ’s nature-driven introduction to the world of superyacht design. Unveiled at the Monaco Yacht Show, the 3,000 GT concept speaks to a rising trend for biophilic design with 10 nature-driven features. These include a “tree of life” planted on the main deck aft that stretches across two decks, a 1,000-sq. ft. irrigated lawn tended by a gardener and intended for both play and picnics, and a life-sized herbarium called “The Sanctum” where herbs, spices and vegetables can be cultivated. The Swiss designer Kurt Merki Jr collaborated with Axel Massmann, CEO of Yacht-Green, who acted as a strategic advisor on best practices to “green” the superyacht lifestyle. According to the designers, the natural elements are fully buildable. All it needs is an owner willing to take a leap.

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Designing Today’s Superyacht Marinas

Louisa Beckett is the former editor of Motor Boating, ShowBoats International, and Southern Boating magazines, and a longtime contributor to Dockwalk. Over her career, she has written about a wide variety of vessels ranging from Sea-Doos to superyachts, and has had many adventures on the water, including riding in a U.S. Coast Guard “rollover” boat in heavy surf off Cape Disappointment, Washington.

Captains, currents, and climate change all play a role in designing today's superyacht marinas...

As the global superyacht fleet continues to expand and the boats themselves keep getting bigger and beamier, the need for modern marinas to accommodate them is growing at a rapid pace. Today, it seems like the ribbon is being cut on a new superyacht harbor somewhere in the world several times a year. Many of these new marinas are part of a large, multi-use development built to be a destination in their own right, frequently incorporating residences, retail, restaurants, recreational facilities, and other public-access areas in addition to superyacht berths.

We spoke to several of the leading superyacht marina designers to find out what goes into creating a successful facility for today’s global market. We learned that while the primary goal of every superyacht harbor is the same — to provide safe, secure berthage to patron yachts along with a high level of service and amenities that will ensure their continued patronage — no two marina master plans are alike because so many variables factor into each marina’s design.

Market Assessment

First and foremost, the geographic location of a new superyacht marina, or an existing marina being redeveloped to accommodate today’s superyachts, plays a crucial role in determining its master plan. “One of the first things we do is a market assessment. That’s to fully understand who the users are going to be,” says Sam Phlegar, president, principal engineer for marine design and engineering consultancy firm Applied Technology & Management (ATM), which has designed many IGY marinas (ATM’s parent company), including Yacht Haven Grande in St. Thomas, USVI; Rodney Bay Marina in St. Lucia; and Fore Points Marina in Maine; along with other superyacht harbors in the U.S. and Caribbean. “Typically, larger yachts are homeported or they’re transient. If they’re visiting, you want to know where they are visiting from, where they are going to, and what their expectations are,” Phlegar says. ATM interviews yacht captains, cruising guide editors, and other marina operators. It even uses large-yacht tracking software to help determine cruising patterns in the area.

A major consideration is whether the marina property is “on the beaten path” or not. “It’s hard to drive a destination status if you are nowhere near the traditional cruising routes,” he says. Another consideration, he adds, is: “If you are going to be a homeport for charter yachts, you have to have excellent airlift.”

A major consideration is whether the marina property is “on the beaten path” or not.

The local power grid and road infrastructure, customs and immigration accessibility, and the capacity of other marinas in the region, and a host of other questions are answered by this preliminary survey. “The market assessment gets you to understand what that marina should be,” Phlegar says.

Feasibility Study

The physical characteristics of the marina property under development are just as important as its location — if not even more so. “Once market demand is confirmed, the next step in the marina planning process is confirming the physical feasibility,” says Eric Simonton, IGY executive vice president of real estate and business development, whose most recent marina project is IGY Málaga Marina, currently under construction in Málaga, Spain. “Ample depth and tranquility are key elements of a marina’s functionality and dredging and wave attenuation are expensive and often the gating factors from a financial viability perspective,” he says.

According to Mathieu Salomon, Camper & Nicholsons Marinas technical director — whose recent projects include consulting on the design of Dubai Harbour, which when completed will be one of the world’s largest marinas with more than 1,100 berths accommodating yachts up to 160 meters in length — a marina feasibility study typically will require “a number of surveys ranging from:

Bathymetric and topographic surveys
Environmental conditions such as wind, wave, and surge
Sedimentation surveys
Affection plan (official site plan issued by the government with survey coordinates designating the boundaries)
Concept designs for on-shore development.”

Local tidal variations, wave activity, and storm surge are among the most important factors to consider during the feasibility study, Salomon continues. “When you are designing a marina, one of the first pre-determined items is the quay heights, which are affected by a number of variables, such as astronomical tidal variation, extreme tidal variation, storm surge, and wave buildup.”

For example, he says, “In some parts of the Northern Atlantic, you may have up to 12 meters rise and fall of tide daily, while in the Med and Caribbean that is limited to 0.7 meters under normal atmospheric conditions. As a result of this assessment, the quay height can be determined, and the quay height determines a number of infrastructure considerations.”

A marina designer also needs to know the local tidal cycles in order to determine which type of docks to use.

A marina designer also needs to know the local tidal cycles in order to determine which type of docks to use. “Most megayacht facilities are in micro-tide environments, but some destination marinas are located in tidal waters,” Phlegar says. “A megayacht prefers a solid, non-floating dock, [but] when you have a larger-range tide cycle, then floating docks are many times preferred. Designing a marina is very, very site-specific — there are so many variables.”

Floating docks turned out to be the best solution for the new Hurricane Hole Superyacht Marina at Paradise Landing in Paradise Island, The Bahamas, which is being completely re-developed by owner Sterling Global Financial, Ltd. for a late 2021 opening. “We researched the market in North America and Europe, finding that Bellingham had the best product to manage our tidal change and provide flexibility for smaller boats along with superyachts,” says Brent Chapman, the company’s president and COO.

Climate Change

A superyacht marina designer must ensure the project can handle not only everyday wind, waves, and tides, but also extreme weather such as hurricanes or cyclones (in regions where they occur) and in future, the possible effects of climate change.

“Of course, we had to make sure that we could handle storm surges,” Chapman says. “The property is known as Hurricane Hole, and it actually is a hurricane hole — it’s always been a safe port in a storm. Still, the new seawall goes down 35 feet, and it is metal and concrete on top. The floating docks are designed for a 10-foot storm surge, which exceeds any historic hurricane in Nassau.”

“Climate change is a major consideration in designing any marina these days,” Simonton says. “The specter of climate change influences decisions regarding the types of docks to be used, as well as the freeboard and elevation of the docks. Upland facilities are being built to resist storm surge and sea level rise.”

“Predicted rising sea levels are an important consideration,” says Salomon. “We look at the worst environmental conditions for 100 years.” Luckily, however, he adds, “Today with hurricanes, the beauty is the superyacht knows long before and they get out of there.”

Future-Proofing

Considering the major investment required to design and build a superyacht marina today, no owner wants to see it be out-of-date tomorrow. So, part of the marina designer’s task is to “future-proof” the project against changing trends in the large-yacht market.

“Nobody’s got the crystal ball of that,” Phlegar says. “But we do take into account that boats tend to get beamier and longer over time. There are also catamaran-type vessels that are taking up more beam space within in the slips…. So, we try to build into the design as much flexibility as we can.”

For example, he continues, in the Caribbean, “We have side-tie dockage where you can have a 200-footer during the megayacht transient season, and in the summer, you can have three 70-foot sportfishers in the same spot they had the 200-footer. The challenge there is providing the power that would be needed for the different vessels…. You get creative and design power that can be stepped up or stepped down on the site.”

“Future-proofing marinas is all about having the flexibility to increase capacity,” Simonton adds. “Designing berths that can accommodate larger and larger vessels; designing utility service with the ability to add and expand capacity and maximizing Internet bandwidth are all ways to ensure that demand can be met in the future. We always have an eye 10 or 20 years out.”

Utilities and Service

When it comes to the utilities and other services that today’s superyachts demand from a marina, the designer typically will ask the captains what they prefer. For example, Salomon says, “Does a yacht prefer to have underwater moorings or mooring buoys? It’s not a binary question where it’s yes or no — there are different opinions. Ropes dirty and potentially scratch the boat, but some captains don’t like to navigate between mooring buoys. It is always interesting to hear captains’ opinions on the subject.”

Clean fuel delivered via high-speed fuel pumps or in-slip fueling, black- and grey water disposal, high-speed broadband Wi-Fi, and 24-hour security are all features that yacht captains and owners have come to expect. So is abundant shore power, the demand for which has grown exponentially over the years.

“There is a great deal of innovation in the marina sector right now with increased capacity and sophistication in the delivery of utilities and services. As vessels get larger and more sophisticated, the landside support facilities must keep pace,” Simonton says. “Delivering the amounts of power that are being requested by the market is a challenge these days. The top end of electricity demand has grown significantly. Fifteen years ago, a small handful of vessels in the world may have sought 600 amps of power. We now have clients requesting 2,000 amps or more.”

“The specter of climate change influences decisions regarding the types of docks to be used, as well as the freeboard and elevation of the docks. Upland facilities are being built to resist storm surge and sea level rise.”

When the marina is located on an island with limited power supply, delivering enough shore power can be one of the most challenging aspects of its design. At Hurricane Hole Marina, for example, “We’re investing multi-millions on the power infrastructure in terms of new equipment, backup generators,” Chapman says. “We are working with BPL (Bahamas Power & Light); we’ve built a main building for utility that will house the switch gear for Paradise Island…. We’ll have clean, reliable power for our yachts, our condominiums, and [our] commercial properties.”

New solutions to the power-generation problem may be on the horizon, Salomon says. “We are in the process of identifying a[nd] developing a multi-renewable energy provider that can generate power using the elements present in a marina, which [include] tidal, current, solar, wind, and wave.”

Crew Facilities

When it comes to marina design, “There are two elements that are part of the concept,” Salomon says. “The first is, what does the yacht require — power, fuel, water — the ‘hardware,’ I like to call it. These are the elements required for the boat to come in, berth comfortably, and be serviced. Second, and as important, are all the ancillaries for the crew. It goes from bars, shops, washrooms, very good Wi-Fi, to sports leisure facilities — squash court, tennis court, a pool. All these things will impact where the boat goes.” Just as a new superyacht design is often a compromise between owner areas and technical spaces, designing a superyacht marina typically requires a delicate balance between crew amenities and commercial properties — particularly if it’s a destination marina incorporating condominiums, retail, restaurants, public spaces, and more.

“A marina nowadays is rarely a standalone project. It’s normally part of a real estate development,” says Salomon. “A marina is waterfront property — it’s prime land. Any developer would rather put something there that will generate a return on investment.”

The scope of the dedicated crew facilities a marina must provide depends on its location, he continues. If the yacht harbor is in the Med port with established local hangouts for the yachting community, the crew usually can find their fun off-site. “In Monaco, in the evenings, they can socialize; they can meet their girlfriends, their partners,” Salomon says. “It’s a buzzing lifestyle.”

On the other hand, he says, “If you go to a remote island like Canouan, which is a project we built in 2014, it is very secluded, very quiet — the slogan is, ‘Where billionaires go to get away from millionaires.’ There aren’t many things to do, and the nearby resorts typically are restricted to their guests, so having facilities to entertain the crew is essential…. The captain is not going to want to stay there if his crew have nothing to do.”

“A marina nowadays is rarely a standalone project. It’s normally part of a real estate development,” says Salomon.

“In a perfect situation, the retail/restaurant offerings surrounding the marina can fully meet the needs of the crew,” Simonton says. “When that is not possible, for whatever reason — the offerings may not match the needs of the crew — the marina owner may step in and fill the gap with dedicated crew facilities. IGY also partners with local businesses to better meet the needs of captains and crew, often resulting in special, enhanced, or discounted services and offerings.”

The new Hurricane Hole Marina footprint houses multiple condominium towers, casual, and fine-dining restaurants, a gourmet grocery, and other retail stores. “The cornerstone is the marina,” Chapman says. “The marina will be secured so only the owners and guests of the yachts can actually get onto the dock. But the rest of the facility is open for the public. We are literally 120 steps from Atlantis…so there are lots of people who are walking around, looking for somewhere to go, something to eat.”

Despite the demand for commercial businesses on-site, he says, “We are building a dedicated lounge for captains, and a fitness facility for captains and crew, along with a pool. That’s where the trade-off comes in. As the owner and development manager, because this is such a long-term investment for us, we are motivated to just to make the best decision for the long run. We may give up some short-term revenue, for some retail space, for example, yet it makes it a much better property in the long run from a customer and value aspect.”

In short, the best superyacht marina designs put captains and crew first. “When owners and charter guests are aboard, the yachts tend to be at sea. So, when yachts are in port, the captain and crew are our primary clients,” Simonton says. “Making their jobs easier, and experience more comfortable and fun, is key tenet of our company ethos. Ease of access to marine service providers and vendors, dining and nightlife options, Internet, work-out facilities, places to congregate socially when off the boat, and access to fun, local experiences are all key attributes of the most successful superyacht marinas.”

This feature ran in the October 2021 issue of Dockwalk.

Boating Dock: Comprehensive Guide to Boat Dock Designs and Plans

Floating Docks

When it comes to enhancing your waterfront experience, choosing the right boat dock design is crucial. Whether you’re a homeowner looking to install a personal dock or a marina owner seeking a large-scale docking solution, understanding the various boat dock designs and plans available can make all the difference. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore the different types of boat dock designs and plans, providing you with the insights needed to make an informed decision.

Why Boat Dock Designs and Plans Matter

Boat dock designs and plans are essential because they determine the functionality, durability, and aesthetic appeal of your dock. A well-designed dock can provide a safe and convenient place for mooring boats, facilitate waterfront activities, and enhance the value of your property. Conversely, a poorly designed dock can lead to maintenance issues, safety hazards, and diminished waterfront enjoyment.

Types of Boat Dock Designs

1. floating docks.

Floating docks are versatile and adaptable , making them a popular choice for various applications. These docks are buoyant and rise and fall with the water level, ensuring accessibility regardless of tide changes.

Advantages of Floating Docks

Versatility: Suitable for fluctuating water levels and various water conditions.
Ease of Installation: Quick and easy to install and the ability to relocate as needed.
Durability: Made from high-quality materials that resist wear and tear.

2. Piling Docks

Piling docks are supported by pilings driven into the seabed or lakebed, providing a sturdy and permanent docking solution. These docks are ideal for locations with consistent water levels .

Advantages of Piling Docks

Stability: Offers a solid and permanent structure.
Longevity: Designed to withstand harsh weather conditions.
Customizable: Can be tailored to specific needs and preferences.

3. Crib Docks

Crib docks are constructed using a framework of logs or timbers filled with rocks, creating a solid and stable structure. These docks are typically used in areas with calm water.

Advantages of Crib Docks

Strength: Provides a robust and stable docking platform.
Aesthetic Appeal: Natural materials blend well with the environment.
Durability: Long-lasting with minimal maintenance.

Key Considerations for Boat Dock Designs and Plans

Location and environment.

The location and environmental conditions play a significant role in determining the best boat dock design. Consider factors such as water depth, tide fluctuations, wave action, and the type of seabed or lakebed.

Intended Use

Your dock’s intended use will influence its design and features. For example, a dock for personal use may require fewer amenities than a commercial marina dock. Determine whether you need features like boat lifts, storage, or seating areas.

Material Selection

Choosing the right materials is essential for the durability and functionality of your dock. Common materials include wood, aluminum, and composite. Each material has its own set of benefits and maintenance requirements.

Popular Dock Materials

Wood: Offers a classic look but requires regular maintenance.
Aluminum: Lightweight, durable, and low maintenance.
Composite: Combines the best features of wood and plastic, providing durability with minimal upkeep.

Unpacking Boating Dock Essentials

When planning your boating dock, it’s important to consider the essential elements that will make your dock functional and user-friendly. This includes dock layout, accessibility, and safety features.

Dock Layout

A well-thought-out dock layout ensures efficient use of space and enhances the overall functionality. Consider including sections for boat mooring, recreational activities, and storage.

Accessibility

Accessibility is key to a successful boating dock design. Ensure that your dock has ramps or gangways that accommodate all users, including those with mobility challenges.

Safety Features

Safety should always be a top priority. Incorporate features like non-slip surfaces, proper lighting, and sturdy railings to prevent accidents and ensure a safe environment for all users.

Designing a Customized Dock

Customization is one of the significant benefits of modern boat dock designs and plans . Tailoring your dock to your specific needs ensures that it meets all your requirements and enhances your waterfront experience.

Steps to Customize Your Dock

Assess Your Needs: Determine the primary purpose of your dock and the features you need.
Consult with Experts: Work with dock design professionals to create a plan that fits your vision.
Choose Materials: Select the best materials based on your location, budget, and maintenance preferences.
Plan for the Future: Consider future needs and potential expansions when designing your dock.

Choosing the right boat dock designs and plans is essential for maximizing your waterfront experience. Whether you opt for a floating dock, piling dock, or crib dock, understanding your needs and the environmental conditions will guide you in making the best decision. So, what steps would you take to organize your living space? Begin by planning your dock layout, selecting the right materials, and incorporating essential features for functionality and safety.

If you’re looking to design a customized and durable boating dock, AccuDock is here to help. Our high-quality floating dock systems are tailored to meet your specific needs, ensuring a seamless and enjoyable waterfront experience. Contact AccuDock for personalized boat dock design consultations.

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10 superyachts that make the most of glass

Featuring giant slabs of perfectly clear glass that are both vertically and horizontally curved, Pi displays a remarkable feat of engineering and construction. Its designer, Jarkko Jämsén , took the concept of structural glass a step further by curving the glass to control and slow the movement of reflection across the surface. Being structural from ceiling to deck, the four-layer panels are made of two types of low-iron glass. One has a reflective coating, while a neutral grey film interlayer controls the amount of sun light entering without distorting colour. Eckersley O’Callaghan, a London-based company famed for its award-winning work with structural glass, developed a unique mathematical formula for each panel, some of which are 3m wide, 2.7m high and 4.5cm thick.

SilverYachts explorer BOLD features 220 square metres of windows in tinted, laminated and toughened safety glass. The pièce de résistance a winter garden with floor-to-ceiling windows on all three sides. These can be opened fully by hand, stacking neatly into two storage spaces hidden behind bulkheads on both sides of the superstructure. When opened, the space becomes a large al fresco terrace open to the breeze and overlooking the certified helideck. On an overcast and rainy day, when the windows are tightly shut, the winter garden is still bathed in natural light.

The first thing you notice about Nobiskrug's Artefact is the giant geometric pieces of glass that dominate her mid-section. One of the owner's major wishes for the design was that it should feature an abundance of glass, not only because it is visually pleasing but because seeing the horizon helps mitigate motion sickness. Artefact uses an impressive 750 square metres of glass in total and offers guests the "view factor" from every angle on board. It even changed the way the designers had to think about the acoustics of the interior. To avoid the effect of an echo-filled glass box, everything had to be shaped in such a way that it would not reverberate noise.

Enigma was launched as the iconic Eco in 1991 by Blohm & Voss and was one of the first yachts to use curved glass as a design and structural element. Espen Øino was a designer on the project, alongside Martin Francis and other young designers, and he said, “We researched the glass for about three years and were convinced we would get a lot of strength from the geometry of the glass, like an egg”. Blohm & Voss have continued to use curved glass to great effect, most notably on the well-known 119 metre Motor Yacht A , and on 96 metre Palladium .

Skat was one of the first yachts to introduce large expanses of glass to yacht design. When she was delivered in 2002 the windows on the 71 metre Lürssen made even the largest traditional yacht windows look tiny. The structure on the bridge deck aft has been described as an 'overhanging conservatory', with the extensive glazing letting light in and providing fantastic views out. 15 years later and full height glass is now one of the top design features that superyacht owners are looking for in a new build.

Abeking and Rasmussen 's radical 80 metre Excellence has been turning heads since she hit the water in 2019. With a heavily reversed, knife-like bow and acres of mirrored glass she stands out in any busy marina. The eye is drawn to Excellence 's central three-storey atrium, which is framed by five-metre-tall sheets of glass, each panel weighing 1.3 tonnes.

The brief for Oceanco's 90 metre DAR was a yacht that concealed its volume within a shapely glass envelope, but one that would grant its owner complete privacy. Looking out through DAR 's giant glass wall, the views are unsurpassed with zero distortion. To the outside world, however, the glass might as well be a magical cloak shrouding all that is within. Even with lights on, it is impossible to make out what is behind the glass from the outside. “You can see Monaco, but Monaco can’t see you,” says its designer Luiz de Basto .

The groundbreaking 78 metre Venus was built by Feadship for the late Steve Jobs and the design reflects the innovative nature of the famous entrepreneur. Designer Philippe Starck used glass extensively in the design of this super secretive yacht. It would seem that Jobs was a fan of using glass in design. James O’Callaghan’s famous glass staircases are appearing in Apple Stores around the globe. When presented with the initial design, Jobs responded, “I think you should make it all out of glass”.

More about this yacht

The 88 metre Feadship Musashi has walls of glass throughout the living area and this industrial design is partnered perfectly with a Japanese aesthetic. “We tried to push the glass to make the windows as big as possible, so it feels more like a penthouse apartment than a yacht," said designer Sander Sinot, of Sinot Design Associates . "The theme was also apparent on Rising Sun , which used a structural web with big areas of glass, and it’s something we wanted to translate for Musashi .” Musashi features a central glass lift, surrounded by a stainless steel and glass staircase that passes through every deck. The steps of the staircase are made from three layers of glass.

The 136 metre Lürssen superyacht Flying Fox was launched to international fanfare in 2019 and is one of the largest yachts ever built by its German shipyard. Despite its sheer size, Flying Fox houses a relatively petite roof deck that offers a more intimate outdoor space onboard as well as spectacular views forward. It is also possible to see all the way down to the lower deck through the glass top of the lift shaft. Two other skylights filter light from above through all four decks below.

Omsk: Garrison city on the Irtysh

Omsk. Irtysh River, morning panorama with rainbow. Foreground: K. A. Batiushkin mansion (residence of Admiral Alexander Kolchak in 1919). September 19, 1999

At the beginning of the 20th century, Russian chemist and photographer Sergey Prokudin-Gorsky developed a complex process for vivid color photography. His vision of photography as a form of education and enlightenment was demonstrated with special clarity through his images of architectural monuments in the historic sites throughout the Russian heartland.

Yalutorovsk. Construction of Tobol River railroad bridge leading to Omsk. Summer 1912

In June 1912, Prokudin-Gorsky ventured into western Siberia as part of a commission to document the Kama-Tobolsk Waterway, a link between the European and Asian sides of the Ural Mountains. The town of Tyumen served as his launching point for productive journeys that included Shchadrinsk (established in 1662 on the Iset River) and Yalutorovsk (on the Tobol River).

Omsk origins

Omsk. Cossack Cathedral of St. Nicholas, southwest view. September 15, 1999

Founded in 1659 at a former Tatar settlement, Yalutorovsk was the construction site of a massive railroad bridge across the Tobol River, part of the new Tyumen-Omsk rail link that opened on the Trans-Siberian Railway in October 1913 (Before then, the railroad to Siberia went through the southern Urals town of Chelyabinsk ).

Omsk. Cathedral of the Elevation of the Cross, south view. September 15, 1999

Although Prokudin-Gorsky did not travel to Omsk, his photographs of Yalutorovsk show the making of a crucial rail link to the “capital” of western Siberia. I, however, reached Omsk in the late Summer of 1999.

Cathedral of the Elevation of the Cross. Interior view southeast toward icon screen. September 15, 1999

Omsk (current population around 1,110,000) was founded in 1716 as a fort on the middle reaches of the Irtysh River. During the 18th century, its primary purpose was to protect Russia’s southern border and establish authority over the aboriginal steppe tribes.

Rising regional importance

Omsk Fortress. Tobolsk Gate (originally built in 1792), the only one of the historic Omsk fortress gates to have survived. September 15, 1999

Although administratively subordinate to Tobolsk throughout the 18th century, Omsk gained increasing power in the 19th century. From 1808 until 1917, Omsk served as the headquarters of all Siberian Cossack troops and, in 1822, a separate Omsk Province was formed.

Headquarters of Omsk Fortress (Taube Street), originally built in 1810s, modified in 1997. Red brick building on right (1915-17): Staff of Omsk Military District. September 15, 1999

Shortly thereafter, construction began on the Cossack Cathedral of St. Nicholas (1833-1840), based on a plan by the noted Russian architect Vasily Stasov. The St. Nicholas Cathedral was severely disfigured during the Soviet period, but has now been restored. It is, once again, the repository of one of the area’s great relics, the banner of Yermak , the late 16th-century Cossack leader who first established Muscovy’s presence in Siberia.

Siberian Cadet Corps building (Lenin Street 26), built in 1820s. In the prerevolutionary period, the street was known as Chernavin Prospekt, after a popular progressive mayor. September 15, 1999

In 1865-1870, Omsk witnessed the construction of another cathedral, dedicated to the Elevation of the Cross. It, too, survived the devastation of the 1930s and was reopened for worship in November 1943. In addition to its Orthodox churches, Omsk has mosques (the administration of the Iman of Siberia is located in Omsk), a remarkable wooden synagogue and a large Baptist church built in 1907.

Omsk’s dark history

Residence of Governor-General of Western Siberia (Lenin Street 23), built in 1859-62 by Friedrich Wagner for Governor Gustav Gasford. Now one of the three buildings of Omsk Museum of Art. September 18, 1999

Its pervasive military presence linked Omsk with the Siberian exile system. The most famous of the fortress’ exiles was the writer Fyodor Dostoevsky, condemned in 1849 for associating with intellectual “radicals” in St. Petersburg. In January 1850, Dostoevsky arrived under guard at the Omsk fort and, for the most part of three years (1850-54), he lived the harrowing existence of a convict sentenced to hard labor, which included unloading barges on the Irtysh River.

City Trade Building (Lenin Street 3), built in 1914 by Andrei Kriachkov. Now the main building of Omsk Museum of Art. September 16, 1999

When his health broke down under the physical and psychological strain, Dostoevsky was hospitalized under the care of a sympathetic medic. It was during his stay in the infirmary that Dostoevsky began the writing of one of his seminal works, ‘Notes from the House of the Dead’. A few buildings still survive from that time, including one of the fortress gates.

Railroad revolution

"Salamander" Insurance Company building, K. Liebknecht (formerly Gasford) Street 3, built by Nikolai Verevkin in 1913-14. Now one of the three buildings of Omsk Museum of Art. September 15, 1999

During the latter part of the 19th century, Omsk began a period of heady expansion, as the town became a transportation center for Russia’s vast interior. Regular steamboat service along the Irtysh River to Tobolsk began in 1862.

Omsk Drama Theater, Lenin Street 8A. September 15, 1999

But, it was the railroads that made Omsk a boomtown. In 1894-1895, Omsk was linked by the Trans-Siberian Railroad to Chelyabinsk in the west and Novonikolaevsk (later Novosibirsk) in the east. In 1913, another rail line was completed from Omsk to Tyumen in what would become the new Siberian mainline. By the beginning of the 20th century, the population of Omsk had tripled to over 60,000 inhabitants.

"Rossiya" Hotel (Lenin Street 18). Built by Iliodor Khvorinov in 1905-07; expanded in 1915. September 15, 1999

This development as a transportation nexus led to a surge in the city’s commercial district. What had formerly been a provincial garrison town consisting primarily of wooden structures punctuated with large churches, now became a preeminent site for banks, educational institutions, industry and retail trade in Siberia.

International appeal

Brothers Ovsiannikov-Ganshin & Sons building (Lenin Street 12), originally completed in 1906 for a major textile company. Now the Omsk Medical Academy. September 15, 1999

In addition to branch offices for major banks and firms in Moscow and St. Petersburg, Omsk received investment from companies in the United States, Germany and Great Britain. The central part of Omsk had buildings whose design rivaled Moscow’s business district. Many of the new commercial projects were built in styles derived from the Florentine Renaissance.

Russo-Asiatic Bank (Gagarin Street 34), built in 1915-17 by Fyodor Chernomorchenko. Now Omsk City Hall. September 16, 1999

Cultural institutions also took root. In 1901-05, a large theater was built in a florid Beaux Arts style designed by the architect Iliodor Khvorinov. The theater still stands as an object of civic pride. Wooden houses with decorative detailing also grace the city, but their number has steadily decreased under the pressures of urban development and inadequate maintenance.

Soviet era…

"Treugolnik" (Russian-American Rubber Co.) Building, K. Liebknecht (formerly Gasford) Street 4, built by Nikolai Verevkin in 1914-15. September 15, 1999

During World War I, the then strategically located Omsk grew still further and, by 1917, the city’s population had reached 100,000. Following the October Revolution, Bolshevik power was proclaimed almost immediately in Omsk, but, with little local support, the Bolsheviks were driven from the city in June 1918.

Omsk Railroad Administration (Karl Marx Street 35), de factor headquarters of western Trans-Siberian Railway. Built in 1914-16 by Fyodor Lidval. September 18, 1999

Opposition to the Bolsheviks was fatally divided and, in November 1918, a military coup installed a dictatorship headed by Admiral Alexander Kolchak (1874-1920), a renowned polar explorer and gifted naval commander, but incapable of dealing with the chaos of the Russian civil war (The mansion where Kolchak had his headquarters is a prominent landmark).

Omsk Synagogue (Marshal Zhukov Street 53). Known as "Soldiers Synagogue," built in 1855. September 18, 1999

For almost a year, Omsk could be considered the “capital” of the White forces in the Russian Civil War. In November 1919, Kolchak’s forces were driven from Omsk. In 1921, Omsk became one of the centers of the American Relief Agency during the terrible famine that afflicted vast territories in the Volga basin.

Hodja Akhmed Mosque (Marshal Zhukov Street 97). September 18, 1999

With its economy shattered and the countryside still recovering, Omsk struggled through the 1920s and achieved renewed industrial growth in the 1930s. Like many Siberian cities, it expanded rapidly during World War II as an evacuation haven and as a center of transportation and production.

…and beyond

Philip Shtumfp house (Valikhanov Street 10), built at turn of 20th century for a prominet agronomist, entrepreneur, civic activist. September 19, 1999

Development of the city’s military-industrial complex continued after the war and, by the end of the 1970s, the population exceeded 1,000,000 – a benchmark of major significance. Omsk also became a center of the oil and gas industry.

Omsk River Station & Hotel "Mayak". Excellent example of "neo-Constructivist architecture, built on site of original Omsk fortress in 1958-64 by Leningrad architect Timofei Sadovsky. September 15, 1999

The city’s major cultural institutions include a leading state university, established in 1974 and, since 2004, named in honor of Fyodor Dostoevsky. Omsk also has one of the largest regional libraries in Siberia and a major art museum--named in honor of painter Mikhail Vrubel, an Omsk native – that now occupies three landmark buildings in the center of the city.

Omsk Regional Library. Built in 1986-95 by Omsk architects Galina Naritsina & Yury Zakharov. September 18, 1999

In the early 20th century, Russian photographer Sergey Prokudin-Gorsky developed a complex process for color photography. Between 1903 and 1916, he traveled through the Russian Empire and took over 2,000 photographs with the process, which involved three exposures on a glass plate. In August 1918, he left Russia and ultimately resettled in France, where he was reunited with a large part of his collection of glass negatives, as well as 13 albums of contact prints. After his death in Paris in 1944, his heirs sold the collection to the Library of Congress. In the early 21st century, the Library digitized the Prokudin-Gorsky Collection and made it freely available to the global public. A few Russian websites now have versions of the collection. In 1986, the architectural historian and photographer William Brumfield organized the first exhibit of Prokudin-Gorsky photographs at the Library of Congress. Over a period of work in Russia beginning in 1970, Brumfield has photographed most of the sites visited by Prokudin-Gorsky. This series of articles juxtaposes Prokudin-Gorsky’s views of architectural monuments with photographs taken by Brumfield decades later.

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COMMENTS

Designing superyacht bridges
Designing superyacht bridges. The bridge on board Blue Moon mixes traditional aesthetics with contemporary black box electronics. Step aboard almost any large yacht built 30 years ago and, in terms of design aesthetics and operational logistics, the wheelhouse and navigation bridges are likely to be disappointing.
How Smart Tech and AI Will Shape the Superyacht Bridge
The Pure Concept. The 81.75-meter Pure concept introduced at the 2021 Monaco show to oohs and ahhs for its smoothly curved, minimalist exterior and for its main and upper deck living spaces designed to blend the indoor and outdoor environments in a dramatic way. But there is another feature far beyond aesthetics that will cause lasting ...
Pros and cons of integrated bridge systems for superyachts
Pros and cons of integrated bridge systems for superyachts. Part of Alfa Nero's integrated bridge. Captains are divided over the usefulness of these systems. For a number of years, commercial ships have been able to take advantage of prefabricated bridge consoles that are designed to provide the operator with a seamless integration of equipment ...
Bridge of a Ship
Layout and Design of the Bridge. The bridge of a ship is intended to be the heart of the vessel and must provide a clear and unobstructed view of the surrounding area. Even though a host of electronic and navigational equipment is found on the bridge, the primary purpose must be fulfilled. Thus, the bridge is demarcated broadly into two regions ...
How to choose windows for superyacht wheelhouses
Windows play an important role in the design of an efficient superyacht bridge. In addition to the obvious - clear views and safety (in terms of strength) at sea - there are other considerations that must be addressed. Glare, reflections and obscured vision are the three culprits, and, unfortunately, they can ruin a well-designed wheelhouse.
Megayachts
Megayacht Integrated Bridge Systems. Anschütz engineers and supports most advanced, customized integrated bridge systems for megayachts, offering customers maximum flexibility in design as well as reliability and comfort in navigation. We serve our megayacht customers as a trustful and competent partner in newbuilding or refit projects.
Bridging the past and the future
While it's fair to say that most aspects of superyachts, their design and their systems have changed in the last quarter century, there can be few more marked examples than the nerve centre of the yacht - the bridge. At first, the progression from a jumbled collection of what now seems fairly primitive equipment to an holistic control ...
The evolving issue of bridge complexity
Our motto is 'safety first'. "A system architecture based on the concept of multi-level redundancy, with the implementation of CPU master/slave and, in addition, the use of watchdog technology and fail-safe techniques, means greater complexity, and therefore costs. But in the engineering of our new projects, the cornerstone is always safety.
SuperyachtNews.com
The humble yacht bridge has already evolved from a functional crew space to an area that is more refined in its design to cater for visitations visits by owners and guests. This is, in part, thanks to the tech of the equipment itself, and the advent of the integrated bridge. Gone are the days when a jumble of chunky equipment, each with its own ...
Integrated bridge for yachts
Yacht system integrator. Several well-known Dutch yacht builders and yacht crew count on RH Marine as a reliable business partner. We have designed, installed and integrated our solutions on more than 100 of the finest yachts sailing the world today. Every day we are innovating towards tomorrow's electrical and automation systems and each day ...
THE SUPER YACHT BRIDGE EQUIPMENT TOUR
In this video I take you on a super yacht bridge tour, showing you exactly what each piece of equipment is, and how we use it.As part of this I'll be making ...
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A 20m beam gives Wave Motion plenty of living space, including a sky deck and open deck space. Mathis Rühl's striking-looking Wave Motion trimaran features his own design of WM2 wing-sail ...
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Amer F100, Architect Roberto Palomba. Architect Roberto Palomba has been designing houses for decades. His Milan-based studio, Palomba Serafini Associati, includes the Italian Consulate in Detroit ...
Designing Today's Superyacht Marinas
Future-Proofing. Considering the major investment required to design and build a superyacht marina today, no owner wants to see it be out-of-date tomorrow. So, part of the marina designer's task is to "future-proof" the project against changing trends in the large-yacht market. "Nobody's got the crystal ball of that," Phlegar says.
What Is A Flybridge Yacht?
Written by: Emma Coady on July 5, 2022. A flybridge yacht is a boat with an upper helm station above the main deck, usually covered by a hardtop. The concept of the flybridge yacht can be traced back all the way back to the early twentieth century. Historically, military-grade vessels had an additional control station over the wheelhouse.
The Real Story of the Bezos Yacht and the Bridge
Feb 8, 2022. Tom van Oosannen. The name Jeff Bezos always creates a buzz and when it is rumored to be connected to a 417-foot/127-meter sailing yacht in build at Oceanco, all sorts of stories arise— such as the current controversy around the need to dismantle the De Hef bridge in Rotterdam to allow the yacht to pass.
10 of the best superyacht wheelhouses
The wheelhouse on board the 101 metre Kusch Yachts masterpiece I Dynasty boldly goes where no helm design has gone before. Step into the Starship Enterprise-style bridge and you can almost hear the captain say: "Warp speed, Mr. Sulu." In reality, I Dynasty boasts a more leisurely top speed of 17 knots.
Jeff Bezos' superyacht will see historic bridge dismantled
The bridge - known as De Hef - has a long history dating back to 1877 Rotterdam has confirmed it will dismantle a historic bridge to allow a superyacht built for Amazon founder Jeff Bezos to fit ...
Comprehensive Guide to Boat Dock Designs and Plans
When it comes to enhancing your waterfront experience, choosing the right boat dock design is crucial. Whether you're a homeowner looking to install a personal dock or a marina owner seeking a large-scale docking solution, understanding the various boat dock designs and plans available can make all the difference. In this comprehensive guide, we'll explore the different types of boat dock ...
Metro Bridge Cam, Omsk
River. Bridge. This live HD webcam provides an overview of the Metro Bridge, which crosses the Irtysh River through Omsk city centre, Russia. . The metro bridge, which opened to traffic in 2005, is divided into two levels: the upper level for motor vehicles and the lower level for metro traffic. Beautiful small beaches along the river, river ...
10 superyachts that make the most of glass
Skat was one of the first yachts to introduce large expanses of glass to yacht design. When she was delivered in 2002 the windows on the 71 metre Lürssen made even the largest traditional yacht windows look tiny. The structure on the bridge deck aft has been described as an 'overhanging conservatory', with the extensive glazing letting light in and providing fantastic views out. 15 years ...
Live Webcams in Omsk Oblast, Russia
The online webcams will take you to Omsk Oblast (О́мская о́бласть), situated in southwestern Siberia, Russia. It is a federal subject (oblast) bordering Kazakhstan in the south, Tomsk and Novosibirsk oblasts in the east, and Tyumen Oblast in the north and west. The region is entirely flat plains on the basin of the Irtysh River ...
Live Lyubinsky Avenue Webcam, Omsk, Russia
Lyubinsky Avenue Cam, Omsk. Traffic. This online HD webcam takes you to Lenin Street, most commonly known by its former name Lyubinsky Avenue, in Omsk city centre, in Russia. The cam stream shows the façade of the popular gastropub Grisha, on the square where stands the monument Lyubochka, a monument honoring Governor-General G. H. Gasfor's wife.
Omsk: Garrison city on the Irtysh
September 15, 1999. William Brumfield. Omsk (current population around 1,110,000) was founded in 1716 as a fort on the middle reaches of the Irtysh River. During the 18th century, its primary ...

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