New shadow vessel concept boasts Covid-19 prevention facilities

Incat Crowther has unveiled a new design concept for a yacht support vessel that will allow owners and charterers to maintain Covid-secure social bubbles by operating as a Covid-19 testing facility and quarantine space before allowing guests and crew to proceed onto the mothership.

Key features include a hospital and laboratory, allowing the monitoring of all crew on board the support vessel and the mothership. This will ensure that the owner’s crew will only come into contact with tested crew.

All new crew and guests must pass through the support vessel for testing before boarding the mothership. As a result, the mothership will have no direct contact with the shore as all stores and transfers will be handled entirely by the support vessel.

The multihull design will allow the vessel to operate in two zones contained in the separate hulls. The shore zone will deal with any potential risk of infection, such as new guests, crew, or stores; the yacht side meanwhile will remain tested and clean.

The support vessel will be equipped with all the latest Covid-19 testing equipment, as well as strategically located thermal cameras to pick up any signs of infection. Air conditioning and circulation systems will be combined with “nanotechnological surfaces” that destroy viruses and bacteria.

Elsewhere, the vessel will boast all the expected facilities of a capable yacht support platform. These include storage for personal watercraft, tenders, a submarine, a diving centre, and a decompression chamber.

A helicopter landing pad and fueling area are also found on board, as well as the option to add a dedicated hangar.

Other innovations include hydroponic gardens, research laboratories, and offices for security and aviation staff.

Click here for the other news, features and reviews comprising this month’s Passenger Vessel Week.