A closer look at Ulstein supply vessel Farland and the superyacht conversion opportunity she presents
Launched in 2016 at Ulstein commercial shipyard in Norway, the 83-metre Platform Supply Vessel Farland has just come on the market. We caught up with Alex Banning of SuperyachtsMonaco to find out about the potential for this X-Bow vessel and to find out a little more about Ulstein Design Solutions that is looking to to provide the design solutions for her next owner in the superyacht industry. 
Photo: John LambertBuilt for the offshore commercial industry, Farland has just completed a 365 day commercial charter (without downtime) and has returned to Ulstein Verft looking for a new owner. The yacht has a huge amount of potential and the team at Ulstein Design Solutions have drafted some initial renders for a supply vessel or expedition yacht as two examples of the potential this marine platform has as a refit project. 
Photo: Ulstein Design Solutions
Photo: Ulstein Design SolutionsAccording to Banning however, the possibilities extend beyond a conversion to support vessel. “Farland is an unusual vessel in her class because unlike many others, she hasn’t been laid up for years. This means that if a client wanted to buy her today, they could literally sail her out of the shipyard without having to change a thing. On the other hand, the team at Ulstein are in a fantastic position to begin a conversion project immediately, either to a support yacht or to a fully fledged superyacht like Olivia O, which was converted in 2018 in collaboration with Espen Øino.”
Photo: Carlo Demicheli / @boatfromtheworld
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The benefits for a potential customer go beyond that of the short timeline. Ulstein is the very best in its industry when it comes to the vessels it constructs, and according to Banning the quality is equal to (or sometimes exceeds) the superyacht industry on many terms, such as in noise and vibration reduction. In addition the vessel is Ice Class C, an unusual find in the superyacht industry and Farland will provide an incredible platform and unrivalled sea-keeping to her new owner. 
Photo: John Rey Calzar