The REV Ocean superyacht, a scientific research vessel, has finally hit the water, making it one of the largest yachts in the world.
It has just had its first encounter with the sea, being placed in the VARD Tulcea shipyard in Romania.
Though the vessel will not be fully complete until 2020, it underwent an extensive 18 month building process to make it ready to face the shipyard. The official press release describes it as “the world’s largest and most advanced research and expedition vessel” said to come in at 600ft, it is one of the largest yachts in the world.
The REV Ocean on August 24 2019
The boat was designed by Espen Øino and is the vision of Norwegian billionaire Kjell Inge Røkke. The vessel was created as to improve the worldwide health of our oceans by gathering vital information. The information gathered ranges from the impact of carbon dioxide emissions, plastic pollution and unsustainable fishing.
The boat will makes its way from Romania to Norway fitted with a plethora of scientific equipment. This equipment includes research labs, sonar systems, a moon pool (for lowering submarines), classrooms, an auditorium and a remote controlled robot capable of going more than 3.7 miles below the ocean surface.
Once the boat is fully complete it will be able to carry 55 scientists and 35 crew members. All of these demands feed into the immense size of the boat, however this size was unintentional.
According to Boat International, while speaking at the Superyacht Design Symposium 2018 in Kitzbühel, Øino revealed that the idea was never to make a supermassive yacht, it just evolved into that over time:
“I always say that the length, beam and dimensions aren’t the starting point, they are the result. The vessel was initially around 140 metres (459ft), but with a more specific brief it became the length it is now.”
The yacht is even up for charter, stating that it is for guests “seeking to improve their awareness of the ocean.” During charters, the ship will be able to accommodate up to 28 guests, with room for 54 crew members. No price or dates on this service have been given at the time of writing, but you can read more about it here.
