Superyacht submarine company Migaloo has created the M5, the perfect vessel for billionaires looking to slip beneath the waves in time for the end of the world.
While the number of superyacht owners is always increasingly, many billionaires and multi-millionaires are increasingly turning to below the waves for their next adventures. Some of opting for submersibles that can take then down to the deeps for a series of hours, but one company is offering something a little more extravagant.
The idea of a superyacht take on a submarine isn’t new. Intrepid designers have been conjuring up superyacht sub concepts for decades but only now are these dreams closing in on fruition. It was just over a year ago that Dutch sub gurus U-Boat Worx announced its ground-breaking Nautilus, a 37.5-metre luxury submersible yacht able to dive to 150 metres, and now it has been joined by Migaloo Private Submarine yachts, and the company’s flagship M5.
The founders of the company are Christian Gumpold and Christopher Gloning, both founder and CEOs of former Austrian yacht design studio MOTION CODE: BLUE. The pair are dedicated to designing large private submarines and floating islands to meet demand for personalisation and individualisation of super- and mega yachts and the increasing focus on privacy for owner and guests.
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The concept is simple enough: a hybrid vessel that’s at home under the sea as it is on its surface, and which features amenities of surface yachts of equal size, from spa areas to large beach terraces and tender bays for boats, mini-subs and land vehicles.
The 165-metre Migaloo M5 is the Graz-based firm’s realisation. With a beam of 23 metres and a draft of just 8.6 metres, the vessel would offer an owner a range of 15,000 kilometres and the ability to submerge to a depth of 250 metres for up to four weeks at a time. The company has stated a top surface speed of 20 knots and a submerged speed of 12.
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This revolutionary submarine concept, the evolution of an initial 2013 design modelled on existing US submarine dimensions and designs, would cater to 14 to 20 guests, depending on the owner’s preferences, in accomodations akin to a conventional superyacht, albeit with panoramic glass walls. Amenities would include a curated wine cellar, two swimming pools and a jacuzzi, and extensive interior dining and living spaces.
As with much of the interiors, entertainment options can be customised to the will of the owner but could include satellite TV, interactive entertainment rooms and walls, and even an outdoor cinema on the M5’s expansive outdoor decks.
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Powered by diesel electric engines, the M5 would boast surface tenders and a pair of 17-metre midget-subs, accessible from the main pressure hull; a pair of submersibles for deep water exploration, and a host of ROVs and UUVs. The design also allows for a helicopter with its own hanger for when the vessel is at the surface, a pair of expedition vehicles for land exploration, and even a hot air balloon, all of which can be secured within the pressure hulls when it’s time to dive. The sub will also be painted white, to ensure it’s not confused with its military brethren, and in keeping with its name.
Of course, safety would be a major consideration for any would-be owner, with the company confirming that the M5 would feature a double hull construction with several pressure hulls, as well as major system redundancies, bow and stern emergency locks, and personal submarine escape equipment.
Of course, all of this technology and innovation comes with a hefty price tag of US$2 billion, which would make it twice as expensive as the world’s most expensive superyacht. However, the current bull run just might produce a few new billionaires with their eyes set on the deep blue.
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