SHADOWCAT has teamed up with submersible specialists Triton Submarines to present a 24 metre support catamaran named SHADOWLARK.
The concept springs from the boards of Australian naval architects Incat Crowther and is designed and engineered to launch and recover a three-person Triton 3300/3 MKII submersible via an A-frame crane. Purpose-built as a Launch and Recovery Craft (LARC), the SHADOWLARK is designed to ease the challenges that come with owning and operating a submersible.
The SHADOWLARK has a beam of 8.5 metres and spans three decks with a dive centre, lounge, galley, and a crew of four, as well as a pair of jet skis and a tender, also launched and recovered via the A-frame on the aft deck. The upper deck features a lounge area for guests to socialise while a hydraulic swim platform doubles as both a launch platform and dive board.
The support vessel has been designed as a flexible platform that can be operated independently or as support vessel to a private or charter yacht. Equally, it can serve as a shadow vessel for marine research expeditions or documentary filmmakers or even as a luxury on-the-water offering for an exclusive resort.
The SHADOWLARK, together with the Triton 3330/3 MKII, can be delivered in 14 months from signing the contract and is priced under $10,000,000.
For SHADOWCAT founder Robert Smith, the design is a scalable solution. “Because all SHADOWCAT vessels are fully bespoke, this highly capable concept can be constructed as-is or can serve as a starting point for a more customised option. We can enlarge SHADOWLARK to house bigger submarines or to make room for additional leisure and entertainment areas,” he said.
“Our goal is to make it possible for more people to own, operate and enjoy exploring the ocean from the comfort and safety of a Triton submersible,” said Patrick J. Lahey, president and co-founder of Triton Submarines. “Clients around the world can now enjoy the simplicity, elegance, excitement and safety of exploring the ocean in a Triton submersible supported by a craft that can be operated affordably, but with absolutely no compromises in terms of its capacity to do the job it was built for.”