Damen, in cooperation with Dutch luxury yacht builder Amels, has sold a new 69-metre Yacht Support vessel, the Sea Axe 6911, scheduled for delivery in June 2016. The vessel is the first to feature a fully enclosed hangar beneath the LY3 / MCA fully certified helideck.
Heading the dedicated Yacht Support team at Damen, Product Director Mark Vermeulen says the new project builds on experience gained from previous deliveries 6711 and Garçon, as well as input from the client.
“In fact, the owner’s team came to us with a lot of client-specific customisations for what was then our 67-metre platform,” he explains. “They put a lot of thought into how the owner would like to operate the Yacht Support vessel in combination with the mother yacht. This has created new possibilities within the design, resulting in an extremely high-end yachting experience. Now we’ve put a lot of that client feedback into the updated design – the Sea Axe 6911.”
The new vessel will be approximately 1,200 gross tonnes, and is designed to accommodate 22 crew and staff while sailing at 20 knots.
As well as the innovative helicopter hangar, the vessel will also include a dedicated helicopter workshop, dive centre, and 250 square metres of deck space for tenders and toys, in addition to 110 square metres of below deck storage.