Icon Yachts’ latest conversion project, the 70m Project Master, was pulled into the shipyard’s drydock facility in Harlingen earlier this month. This time, Icon have chosen a vastly different style for the platform ship – a 66m Offshore Rescue and Support Vessel – for conversion to a global world explorer.  

ICON presented a number of design drafts to their client, and it was this vessel that was found to be best suited to their listing of requirements - ultimately for a world cruiser that’s family-orientated and yet admirably suited for charter too. 

Espen Øino International was contracted in 2021 to develop the design and styling. In the selection and the design process the shipyard alongside Espen’s team found ways to repurpose a significant proportion of the original vessel. 

This is not only positive on an environmental front, but it also reduces lead time for the client and overcomes the great supply chain hurdle. 

The yard claims that close to 80% of the original vessel will be re-used or upcycled. In a recent press release, a spokesperson was quoted saying, “Even those parts removed have been recycled into the marine industry as spares, and all in accordance with ICON’s ISO 14001 certification. This allows us to deliver a state-of-the-art explorer without putting a huge drain on the planet’s raw material resources.”

Project Master will offer accommodation for 12 guests across six guest suites, comprising two VIPs, three twins and a 135 m2 master stateroom and private owner’s deck. The owner’s spaces have additional privacy located three decks above the guest suites.

Destined for a life of luxurious worldwide exploration, Icon Yachts ensured that Master’s platform had plenty of space to carry all the necessary equipment, offering over 800 m2 of exterior deck space. Icon Yachts also have plans to furnish the platform with a fully-certified helicopter deck.

Icon’s Tony Gale said, “We consider ourselves experts in bringing a totally different skill set to conversions – one that perfectly aligns us with our main goal - to remain at the peak of our market, as the leading conversion specialist”.

Icon Yachts has drawn from both the commercial and superyacht sectors; its platform vessels are chosen from the former, and developed according to the demands of the latter. “We’ve built a strong expertise from all our past projects – conversion and new build, as well as refit – while sourcing the most suitable platforms for any chosen conversion.” Icon Yachts are also currently working on another 70m conversion project - Project UFO. 

Project details:

-    Project Type: Conversion-Explorer yacht

-    Platform Vessel: Offshore Supply, Standby Rescue Tug

-    Build: 2001, HAVILA TIGRIS / OCEAN NESS (66m LOA) by Yard: Kleven Werft (N)

-    LOA: 70m

-    Beam: 15m

-    GT: 2551

-    Designer: Espen Oino International

-    Naval Architecture: Conoship (Conversion engineering) Ulstein (platform vessel) / Van Oossanen (Feasibility engineering)

-    Propulsion: Diesel Electric Hybrid Voith Propellers (near-silent cruising @ 7 knts)

-    Dynamic Positioning: DP ready

-    Cruising speed: 7 knts

-    Top speed: 14 knts

-    Range: 6,000 Nm

Sustainability and Footprint:

-    ± 80% of the Platform Vessel is upcycled into the Explorer Yacht

-    RINA Green Passport

-    Seabed preservation through ‘Virtual Anchor’ (DP)

-    Sound pollution reduction

-    NOx Emission IMO Tier III compliant

-    Hybrid, Waste Water Treatment

-    Zero Discharge

-    Polar Code

Profile links

ICON Yachts

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