If you see this unusual vessel in your travels around the Med, don’t be fooled. She’s not a commercial ship; she’s actually a shadow yacht for a superyacht.
Specifically, she’s the first of the Sea Axe line of Fast Yacht Support vessels marketed by Amels. Sea Axe is based on the Axe Bow vessel created by Amels’ parent company, Damen Shipyard Group, of which 18 have been delivered thus far. They’re used for commercial and military applications where consistency of speed and reliable performance, including fuel efficiency, are needed regardless of weather conditions.
Even though the knife-like bow seems similar to the design of other yachts in recent years, they’re not one in the same. Damen says it developed the overall Axe Bow design with Delft University of Technology in 1995. The goal was to create a proprietary design embodying the benefits outlined above while simultaneously reducing negative impact on personnel, especially those being delivered to offshore rigs and/or other locations. Crew-supply boats run literally thousands of hours each year in various conditions, and traditional bow and hull designs run the risk of causing seasickness when things get rough. They also run the risk of slamming and the vessel therefore needing to reduce speed. This costs time in a business that’s pretty time-sensitive; it also ultimately costs money. Damen and the university staff found that bows with fine entries and deep forefoots performed best in both smooth and rough waters, additionally resisting broaching in the latter.
Now, yacht owners and crew obviously avoid poor sea conditions when possible. However, the owner of the Sea Axe seen here can take comfort knowing the vessel can operate at 20-knot-plus speeds in various conditions. Her top speed is 28 knots, and transatlantic speed is 18 knots. Amels refers to her as Sea Axe 5009 Oberon, measuring 50 meters (164 feet). She has 30 meters (98 feet) of open deck space. Depending on the owner’s needs in the coming months and years, she’ll carry everything from a helicopter to extra toys and tenders. To handle the variety that can be carried, there’s a 14-ton-capacity crane. There’s also the possibility of the Sea Axe 5009 Oberon storing extra fuel and/or waste from the yacht she accompanies. Although Amels did not reveal the name or LOA of that yacht, it did reveal last summer that the owner of a 300-fot-plus superyacht commissioned two of the first Sea Axe vessels. Regardless, a dozen additional crew and members of the owner’s staff are also accommodated onboard, with their staterooms outfitted to yacht standards.
More Sea Axe boats are under contract, with some bearing yacht-standard paint jobs and even artificial teak decks, for a look that complements the owners’ primary yachts. Amels says that further customization is also possible, to allow things like even more accommodations for crew and/or staff.
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