Dutch builder unveils plans for underwater superyacht

Dutch builder U-Boat Worx has unveiled designs for a submersible superyacht. The fast-growing maker of crewed submersibles showed designs for the Nautilus – a 1,250-ton, 37.5-metre yacht submarine – at Monaco Boat Show.

The diesel-electric Nautilus has a depth rating of 200 metres, with a surface cruise speed of 9 knots and an underwater speed of 4 knots.

U-Boat Worx says the idea for an underwater superyacht followed discussions with a potential client for its Underwater Entertainment Platform (UWEP).

The UWEP is an ‘entertainment submarine’ that can carry up to 120 guests (excluding crew and staff) in a fully conditioned environment to a depth of 200 metres. The UWEP offers over 150 m2 (1,600 sq. ft.) of configurable venue space that could be designed as a casino, restaurant or other entertainment venue. For an event for 120 people can stay down in the UWEP for 18 to 24 hours.

Nautilus is a step further. When functioning as a boat, the Nautilus offers a massive sundeck equipped with a freshwater pool, a bar, and a luxurious dining table. This al fresco arrangement is retracted before the submersible slips below sea level. 

A newly invented, completely pressure-resistant electric tender is stowed under the Nautilus’s aft deck and will stay outside while diving. This tender, the Aronnax, may also be used for transporting five scuba divers underwater to the intended dive spot.

The proposed design for the submarine has a master bedroom and four staterooms, as well as sleeping quarters for up to six crew. However, interior layouts are fully customisable by the client.

The superyacht submarine will be able to stay underwater for up to four days. At cruise speed, the underwater endurance is six hours. When not in use, the Nautilus can be docked at any quay that can accommodate its 6.5m draft. 

The Nautilus has a starting price of €25 million.  

“People that have decided to buy a yacht will now have to consider if their vessel of choice can also dive down to 200 metres,” says U-Boat Worx chairman and founder Bert Houtman. 

“If the sea becomes too rough, you simply dive and continue your voyage in comfort. With the Nautilus, the yachting market will never be the same again,” he says.