The non-profit ocean exploration company OceanX, run by billionaire Ray Dalio had Damen Ship Repair in Rotterdam refit and upgrade the 85.3 meter "Volstad Surveyor", an advanced ROV survey vessel built in 2010 at C.N.P Freire S.A., in Vigo, Spain. Gresham Yacht Design is responsible for the design of the upgrades and the new interior. The explorer features a forward helicopter landing deck with adjacent hangar, a submersibles garage, an ROV deployment bay and a transom 40-ton A-frame launch and side boarding systems for ROV's and divers.  A 40-ton crane can assist with submersibles launch, towed sonar arrays and other heavy equipment. The vessel's equipment complement includes piloted and autonomous underwater drones and two custom Triton submersibles capable of diving to depths exceeding 1,000-metres. The vessel carries a media production studio developed with director James Cameron, plus state-of-the-art wet and dry marine research labs for analyzing scientific discoveries. 

See more information on Expedition Yacht conversions here: http://XplorerYachts.com

“Rosetti Superyachts is built on the long-established history and experience of Marino Rosetti. The shipyard is almost a century old, starting in 1925. Rosetti Marino has built 190 commercial vessels. Rosetti Superyachts can bring this vast experience and expertise in commercial supply and anchor vessels to superyachts. “At every one of our yachts core is the strength of the hull. Our hull design is derived from our commercial vessels and that is what we are bringing to the yacht world. We are taking the best parts of our commercial ships into the luxury space.”

Fulvio Dodich in Superyacht Investor"

Fulvio discusses with The Yacht Channel:

38M EXPLORER

Sharp and modern exterior lines with a straight bow characterize our 38-meter explorer, offering all the comforts and dedicated spaces of a more traditional yacht to you and your guests. Built with a steel hull and an aluminum super-structure, this RSY displacement explorer lets you cruise long distances in complete safety.

65M EXPLORER

A 65 metre long Explorer with strong Supply Vessel characteristics: this is ORCA, the last stunning project born in Rosetti Superyachts shipyard. Her name comes after the largest and most powerful component of the dolphins' family, the "killer-whale" and just like these beautiful mammals, she has been conceived to roam the oceans from polar seas to the tropic's ones as free and safe as possible.

See more at https://www.rosettisuperyachts.it/

Captain Jason Halvorsen talks about filming Shark Week episode in Bahamas and how this yacht operates in the time of COVID, plus he gives a technical tour of this extraordinary 141' Expedition Vessel. MARCATO recently completed at 16,000 mile voyage to Patagonia where she cruised in the ice.

Marcato is currently for sale and more info is available at http://XplorerYachts.com

Auction will be held live via The Yacht Channel Video Podcast and on YouTube.

Auction information at http://xploreryachts.com

U.S. Flag. ABS Class. Ocean Starr is one of the finest ocean-going research ships in the world, and she would convert into a remarkable yacht with capabilities that surpass most modern equipment. The US Government built these ship's to the highest possible standards. This vessel has earned its keep on survey charter contracts. ABS/SOLAS surveys show her to have a clean Bill of Health. She is currently configured for science with ample options for lots of alternative cruising styles. OCEAN STARR can be configured to be a fabulous “under the radar” world cruising platform for family, friends and company. Ready for adventuring Fresh ABS survey SOLAS certified for 18+ crew Ready to be a serious mother ship Ready to be a serious floating surf shack Ready to be a serious long range globe trotter. Ready to make a difference doing serious science Ocean Starr, ex David Starr Jordan, has been a work horse for NOAA and science. So far she has spent an estimated 8,949 days at sea and sailed more than 1.3 million miles. Researchers aboard the vessel measured and weighed 1,000 sea turtles, took 27,000 photographs using remotely operated vehicles (ROVS), and conducted 27,000 oceanographic sampling casts, 22,000 plankton tows and 4,700 fish trawls. The ship has participated in expeditions extending from ALASKA to Peru and the Galapagos Islands. Recently Ocean Starr was chartered to a private non­profit studying the Pacific gyre (floating plastic), base­lining and recording this danger to our oceans. OCEAN STARR should be seriously considered by the hard core adventurists. 

The Chouest family builds, owns and operates a global fleet of commercial ships and vessels. They also own Westport Yachts and the American Shipyard in Stuart, Fl. Chuck Levert is their yacht specialist who arranges for megayacht re-fits and also conversions of offshore vessels into expedition yachts at the Tamp facility. Paul Madden explores this fascinating, but little known, new entrant into the megayacht marketplace.

Links:

Tampa Bay Shipyard: http://www.tampabayship.com/

Expedition Yacht Conversion website: https://xploreryachts.com/

Steve Gresham Yacht Design: https://www.greshamyachtdesign.com/

Mark Elliott works out of Nantucket and Newport in the Summer and St. Maarten and St Bart's in the winter thanks to his fleet of aircraft and a helicopter that he pilots himself. He became a captain in Florida while still in high school, and delivered a yacht to Alaska at age 18. As captain and fleet manager for Bernie Little, he commanded a series of 14 yachts, all named "BIG EAGLE". One of these was renamed "NADINE" and its demise was re-enacted in the Hollywood film, "The Wolf of Wall Street". Mark shares with us his account of what really happened that fateful night as well as his thoughts on yachting in the age of Covid.

Link to Mark Elliott's brokerage site: https://iyc.com/team/mark-elliott/

Michael Moore discusses extraordinary Seakeeper's members and their amazing yachts, including Paul Allen's 414' Octopus, Jim Clark's 295' Athena, Rich de Vos' 168' Feadship Enterprise V, William Simon's 177' Expedition Yacht ITASCA and Prince Khaled bin Sultan's Golden Fleet. He and Paul Madden also address current issues with yacht charter in the age of Covid 19.

Links:

Seakeepers Society: https://www.seakeepers.org/

Michael Moore Law Offices: https://www.moore-and-co.com/

Paul Allen's Octopus Yacht: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=797nmV651ZU

Rich de Vos former yacht Enterprise V: https://youtu.be/cOKGGba-ilE

Jim Clark's ATHENA: https://youtu.be/gCnRXbhE_-c

Former Treasury Secretary William Simon's ITASCA: https://youtu.be/zNZJ8ToI5A4

Prince Khaled bin Sultan's Golden Shadow: https://youtu.be/ESIZb7oxnog