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U-Boat Worx Expand the Horizons of Deep Sea Discovery
The deepest depths of our oceans are set to be further opened up to explorers and researchers following the launch of five new deep sea submersibles by Dutch manufacturer U-Boat Worx.
A range of new technological innovations will allow extended mission time, as well as the installation of additional lights and the halving of travel time between the surface and the ocean floor, expanding the opportunities for both private explorers and oceanographic researchers.
The deepest diving submersible of the new C-Researcher series is the 2-person “C-Researcher 2”, which has an operating depth of 2,000 metres. The 2-person model also comes in a 500 metre rated version, while the 3-person designs are built for 480 metres, 1,100 metres and 1,700 metres.
Two key innovations on the C-Researcher submersibles are the Pressure-Tolerant Lithium-ion battery technology and the automatic trim weight system. The battery system, developed in-house by U-Boat Worx, results in a 350% increase of battery capacity when compared to traditional submersibles using lead-acid.
Meanwhile the C-Researcher design also incorporates U-Boat Worx’ characteristic unimpeded view for its occupants. This has been achieved by placing the acrylic sphere at the front of the submersible and the automatic trim weight system.
Bert Houtman, founder and chairman of U-Boat Worx, says: “By combining the latest innovations with over 12 years of experience in designing, building and operating the world’s largest fleet of submersibles, our new C-Researcher series offers superyacht owners and deep ocean research communities the safest, best-performing and most luxurious submersibles to explore the underwater world”.
Existing U-Boat Worx submersibles are already operated globally by yacht owners, research institutions, and cruise liners around the world.
The first of the new C-Researchers are scheduled for launch in the summer of 2018.