FINDING NEMO

Anyone else remember when submarines were something big and yellow...? Today’s submarines are small, lightweight capsules found in the tender garages of numerous superyachts, allowing the user to command their own underwater adventure.

The appeal of the submarine in the superyacht marketplace has increased, in part, due to the popularity of owner-led expeditions and a drive to better understand and protect our oceans. First-hand encounters (in comfort and safety) with the inhabitants of the underwater world is top of many a traveller’s agenda.

Meet NEMO – a submarine that can be ‘found’ on the production line of U-Boat Worx, a top name in submarine manufacturing, based in the Netherlands. This submersible is a lightweight two-seater model that is specifically designed for stowage aboard superyachts, and it can also be transported via a standard car trailer.

U-Boat Worx already has a popular range of lightweight luxury submarines on offer in their C-Researcher series and Super Yacht Sub series, and the state-of-the-art NEMO has been developed following extensive research.

NEMO has several differentiators to make this model appeal to a wider audience: it is the lightest manned submersible ever built with a total weight of only 2,500kg, and is only 155cm high. Aboard NEMO, the pilot is king! The submersible can be driven by anyone who’s completed the training programme provided by the manufacturer at their specialist facility in Curaçao.

With two seats, the pilot and the passenger are encased in a dome-shaped acrylic hull that provides a virtually unimpeded view. The interior of the NEMO has a contemporary design, with an emphasis on comfort as well as functionality, and the pilot and passenger can enjoy views of close-range marine life up to depths of 100m.

NEMO’s revolutionary design combines hydrodynamic form and an optimal power to weight ratio. NEMO has exceptional fine detailing, including transparent nosecones, octagonal thruster ducts, a car-like stern, and a fully pressurised hull.

So, how much would one of these little ‘pleasure pods’ set you back? At present, the NEMO is the only production-line submarine in the world, all the others are built-to-order, and it comes with an off-the-shelf price tag of €975,000.

Discover more: U-Boat Worx