In the world of superyachts, bigger is always better, but one-of-a-kind features are better yet. How about a detachable party barge and an autonomous passenger drone? Two U.K. firms, the Henry Ward Design studio and engineering design consultancy BMT Nigel Gee, collaborated to create the 66-meter (216-foot) superyacht concept “Time,” according to Robb Report.
The explorer-style yacht has seven levels, three VIP cabins, and a deck devoted to wellness that includes a gym, massage room, sauna, and hot tub. A sky deck accessible from the wellness deck is suspended 15 meters (almost 50 feet) above sea level for the best views. The supporting tower does double duty as an inverted climbing tower that stretches over an 8-meter swimming pool. When guests climbing the tower reach their limit, they can let go and fall back into the pool. The pool can also be covered for dancing, entertaining, or additional dining space.
A detachable 18-meter (59-foot) two-story barge is usually docked in the aft section of Time as an integral part of the vessel. When the barge is undocked, it can float in shallow water the larger yacht could not access. The barge has an owner’s cabin, guest cabin, living, and dining areas, a sunbathing lounge, and a helicopter pad. Time’s autonomous four-passenger drone stands ready to shuttle guests to and from the barge.
With the barge undocked, an aft splash pool is surrounded by 190 square meters (2,045 feet) of open deck. There is also a tender garage with matching 8.5-meter (28-foot) tenders.
The Time’s futuristic design focus is on entertainment, but the superyacht isn’t just drawings with no thought to mechanics. BMT Nigel Gee did an initial naval architecture feasibility study. According to the engineering firm, twin azimuth thruster drive systems — fully rotatable pods with marine propellers — with a combined 3,000 kW of power could move Time at a 15-knot cruising speed. Dialed back to its 12-knot passage speed, the Time would have a range of more than 5,000 nautical miles.
No mechanical information is available for the autonomous flying pod.