Superyachts were once all the rage for millionaires. The market for these luxury vessels went through the roof after the pandemic, provoking some interesting situations. On one hand, some shipbuilders can’t handle the orders they’ve been getting. Then there are the people who are paying a fortune to make sure they have a place to dock their yacht.
Despite this scenario, there are some people who are looking for something more. Having a vessel worth hundreds of millions of dollars isn’t enough anymore. And, given that this industry never sleeps, it hasn’t taken long for an alternative to emerge: luxury submarines. One of the leading companies behind this new concept is Migaloo Submarines, the architect of the Migaloo M5.
The Migaloo M5, a cross between a yacht and a submarine
The idea of the luxury submarine isn’t entirely new. Companies have been designing and manufacturing this type of vehicle for a while now. However, past designs are nothing close to what Migaloo proposes. The company aims to, basically, create a cross between a yacht and a submarine. The result? A vessel that’s impossible to ignore.
“We believe that Submersible Superyachts are the future of yachting,” Christian Gumpold, the CEO and founder of Migaloo, says on the company’s website. Gumpold was formerly part of the yacht design studio MOTION CODE: Blue before he decided to pivot to something completely different.
Gumpold has been working on the design concepts for the new vessel for more than a decade, with each design changing radically after feedback from potential buyers. In recent years, the concept has been coming closer to becoming a reality.
For Migaloo, the viability of a luxury submarine company has been debated and approved. I imagine that carrying out a project of this scale involves an enormous amount of economic, technical, and regulatory hurdles. In any case, here’s a rundown of the Migaloo M5 concept, which is very interesting.
According to the company’s website, the luxury submarine will have a length of 540 feet, a 75-foot beam, and a 28-foot draft. It will feature a diesel electric propulsion system with AIP, which will reportedly be capable of traveling at a velocity of 20 knots on the surface and 12 knots submerged. The immersion limit will be a depth of 820 feet.
The company estimates that the Migaloo M5 will be able to transport a max of 40 people, including the crew. The submarine’s interior will include a huge number of amenities, including TV, satellite Internet, “interactive entertainment walls,” and a movie theater. Its design even contemplates the capacity to store other vehicles.
Migaloo has also included a helicopter runway in the design the luxury submarine, which will be able to accommodate models like the Bell 407 or Bell 429, drones, and hot air balloons. In addition, the M5 will theoretically be able to deploy mini-submarines, jet skis, and diving teams. Of course, as you can see, the concept design spares no expense in what the vessel could be.
Gumphold, the CEO, says that owners will be able to choose what dock they want the Migaloo M5 to be built in, although the company recommends that it be located in Germany. Although the project will be carried out at the dock of the owners’ choice, the company will be responsible for representing the future owners and overseeing the project.
Images | Migaloo
View 0 comments