The story | Project MASTER

2021-02-21_Guy Fleury_ICON Yachts_Arrival Ocean Ness-29_WS.jpg

From a state-of-the-art ERRV to exploration superyacht

The story behind

Project MASTER

A voyage that started at Kleven Verft in Norway

Master (ex- Ocean Ness, Tigris Havila,) was built as an ERRV in 2001 by Kleven Verft, the Norwegian commercial shipyard well known for the construction of the 107m/351’ and the 116m/380’ Ulysses Explorer yachts (now Andromeda and Multiverse). Stable and sturdy, Emergency Rescue and Response Vessels (ERRV) are purpose-built to attend offshore installations and combine good maneuverability, state-of-art-navigational/ communications equipment and fast rescue craft capable of operating in severe weather.

The 66m/216’ Master was specifically designed for offshore rescue, tanker and field assistance, towing, carrying and unloading cargo to rigs and operated mainly in the upper reaches of the hostile North Sea. ICON Yachts purchased the vessel for a “speculation” conversion together with her two heavy-duty rescue tenders constructed by the Norwegian company Maritime Partner AS.

Project MASTER

2021-02-21_Guy Fleury_ICON Yachts_Arrival Ocean Ness-145_WP.jpg

Why we chose MASTER

for our exploration yacht platform

Seaworthy and

proven hull

Heavy-duty

wide beam aft deck

Adaptable layout

and design

Originally Master was an ERRV. In terms of design and construction they are ideal for conversion into exploration yachts. They have large, heavy-duty, load bearing open aft decks while the bridge and all the crew accommodations are forward. The hull is built for extreme weather conditions and long, lonely spells at sea. Naval architects like this kind of layout because they can design guest accommodations from scratch aft of the main pilot house with few design constraints. The wide beam and additional length across three to four decks will translate into huge interior volume for guest and crew accommodations and facilities, crowned by a commercial helicopter landing pad.

2021-10-18_Guy Fleury_ICON Yachts_-24 16 9_WP.jpg

At ICON Yachts we know

that pedigree is important

Norway has a longstanding maritime culture and is globally admired for its top-notch shipbuilding industry defined by innovative technology, expertise and hands-on know-how. From large commercial ships to specialized vessels, Norway is a leader in green shipping technology.

Dutch shipyards are renowned not only for their world-class build quality, high tech yards and willingness to innovate, but also for their reliability: projects are finished on time, on budget and true to specification.

Unique among Dutch builders, at ICON Yachts we carved out a niche in the refit and conversion of explorations yachts. We started off with the best. By using a carefully selected, seaworthy, heavy-duty commercial hull, we are building a full-custom yacht that is unique yet a known quantity in terms of stability, safety and performance. At a much lower cost and environmental footprint.