Fort Lauderdale 2017: Amels and Damen’s support vessel showcase

Amels and Damen will feature two yacht support vessels at the Fort Lauderdale boat show 2017.

The Netherlands shipyard and its parent company will showcasing two 55-metre Damen yacht support vessels, New Frontiers (pictured above) and Axis, at the Superyacht Life 14 stand in the Hall of Fame floating docks.

New Frontiers is in en-route to the show, currently crossing the Atlantic following its debut at the Monaco Yacht Show, to dock at Fort Lauderdale’s prime slip – Superyacht Life Slip 1. She has dedicated owner and guest accommodation, a 30 square metre main deck panoramic lounge and will host a Triton submersible and an unannounced helicopter on the aft deck.

A short video of the yacht and demonstration of the submersible can be seen here.

Axis is berthed at the show’s Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina, accessed via a private tender service. The support vessel features many luxury features of a luxury superyacht, including a party deck, outdoor grill and accommodation for nine guests.

The Damen SeaXplorer 55 and a scale model of a 111-metre Amels custom concept will also be present at the stand.

Why choose a support vessel?

Support vessels are a growing market and Damen and Amels are at the forefront. They are a new and niche market but offer a solution to those who want to have a feature-rich yacht experience without having to buy a bigger boat or sacrifice comfort and time.

Victor Caminada, marketing manager at Amels told Superyacht Investor: “Support vessels are a relatively new concept and you have to see the benefits to believe them. They relieve the mother yacht of duties such as carrying toys and tenders, freeing them up to fulfil its core function – to entertain guests.

“Time is an owners most precious asset and these vessels save a lot of time,” Caminada added, “The mother yacht can set off for a journey far quicker if the tenders and toys don’t need to be loaded on board.”