Australian design studio Bury Design was commissioned by Triton Submarines, a respected commercial submarine manufacturer located in Florida, to come up with a different kind of superyacht; an ocean-going mothership capable of carrying and launching a Triton 3300/2 submersible anywhere in the world.
In superyacht parlance, appendages for excursions away from the yacht (jet skis for instance) are euphemistically termed ‘Toys’ and this submersible is some toy indeed. Weighing in at only 8820 lbs (4000 kg) yet able to take two people down as far as 3300 ft (1000 m) to view the wonders of the deep through its clear acrylic spherical dome for up to ten hours of battery-powered underwater exploration.
Superyacht Mothership BD 95: Image credit Bury Design
The Bury Design 95
The tag ’95’ refers to the length in feet (28.95 m) of the mothership, which in comparison to a 14.8 ft (4.5 m) breadth reveals a slim hull profile that brings the benefits of low power requirements for a decent 12.5 kt cruising speed and a maximum long-range of 5025 nm. A Seakeeper M2100 stabilisation system is incorporated in the design for additional on-board comfort in rough weather.
Propulsion is to be provided by twin John Deere type 6068AFM 6-cylinder marine diesel engines with a continuous rating of 231 hp (170 kW) driving a single shaft CP propeller through V-drive reduction gearing. This configuration gives the benefits of single operation at cruise speed, twin engine coupling for the 14.5 kt maximum, and the redundancy option is there as well. A diesel-electric propulsion system is available, but the design described here allows for two 16 kW and 20 kW auxiliary diesel generators by Northern Lights.
Hull construction is specified to be of COR-TEN steel plate with extensive longitudinal framing beneath a marine-grade aluminium superstructure, adding up to a light displacement of only 49.6 tons.
Stowage, Launching and Recovery of the Trident 3000/2 from the BD 95
The Triton 3000/2 is stowed in a separate compartment aft of the machinery area, accessible through large deck hatches as well as through personnel hatches fore and aft. Twin rotating, hydraulically controlled crane-like arms lift it in a cradle both for launching and again for retrieval.
Triton 3000/2 Deep Submersible: Image courtesy of Triton Submarines
About Triton Submarines
Triton Submarines LLC is part of the U.S. Submarine Group of companies which builds larger luxury submarines for yacht-based operations that carry 4, 6, and 10-passengers as well as large diesel electric luxury submarines and tourist submarines.