Hmmm.... How about a super yacht to cruise the Congo [Who would commission such a thing?]

Peter Wilson, No One Needs a Superyacht, but They Keep Selling Them, NYTimes, Oct 8, 2019:

Research by the Superyacht Group shows that after peaking in 2008 and then slumping after the financial crisis, the production of luxury yachts has been stable in recent years, with an annual output close to 150 new vessels.

While Americans remain the biggest buyers, the United States’ own yacht output has shrunk, with the global industry consolidating into fewer shipyards. The Italians now make the most vessels, and Dutch and German builders dominate the top of the market.

The most striking change in the industry is a shift in what the boats are actually for, as a new generation of owners want to do more than show off while anchored off Sardinia.

“The clients that approach us nowadays don’t really want a floating palace,” Mr. Rowell said. “They want a boat they are going to live on and even work on, and use for more than two weeks a year.”

The Microsoft billionaire Paul Allen, who died in 2018, is often cited as an example of a more active owner, as he used his yachts for ocean research and roaming the world.

A 600-foot-long monster called REV that emerged from a Romanian shipyard in August took that trend even further: Its Norwegian owner had it designed to double as a marine research vessel capable of supporting 60 scientists. The world’s largest yacht, REV (short for Research Expedition Vessel) can sail around the world without refueling.

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A REVolution on the open seas. Decked out with trawl systems, state of the art science labs and multimedia facilities for live streaming from 6000m below the surface. The research and expedition vessel (REV) will soon be cruising the worlds oceans and helping solve critical environmental problems. Dive in here to find out more: www.revocean.org

A post shared by REV Ocean (@rev_ocean) on Apr 8, 2019 at 10:25am PDT