When the 209-metre (686 foot) long Yacht Express entered into Fort Lauderdale on 24th October, it was nothing short of a show stopper. Dockwise Yacht Transport’s (DYT) fleet of semi-submersible ships carried an unparalleled cargo of yachts valued collectively at $270,341,000 and claimed its berth at Port Everglades. Following this the signature grey and orange ship began an hours-long ballasting process that allowed sea water to flood its dock bay and 19 state-of-the-art luxury yachts to safely motor out the back and on to new adventures.
Yacht Express in Port Everglades - by Onne Vanderwal LR
The largest of the vessels was the 190’ (57.91 meter) super yacht Mi Sueno, which loaded on Yacht Express in Genoa, Italy on October 6. It had just returned from the Monaco Yacht Show and will be attending the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, which starts Thursday, October 27.
“The reason that Mi Sueno is shipped must be credited to the yacht’s owner who really knows how to look after his crew and boat,” said Mi Sueno’s Captain Glynn Smith. “The crew needs time off after such a busy charter season in the Med, and shipping with DYT gives us that option. The other consideration is the wear and tear on the yacht during the Atlantic crossing. The average crossing adds 400 to 500 hours on the engines and generators, not to mention unforeseen incidents that can occur in the middle of the ocean.”
Several of the yachts on Yacht Express have shipped with DYT multiple times, including the 163’ (49.70 meter) Casino Royale charter yacht, the 160’ (48.78 meter) charter yacht Odessa (four times each), the 161’ (49.09 meter) Zoom Zoom Zoom (seven times), and the 132 foot (40.24 meter) motor yacht Miss Rose.
“I have made four trips with Dockwise Yacht Transport and will continue to use DYT’s services for all future travels,” said charter yacht Miss Rose’s Captain Charles Hazouri. “Once again the Captain and Crew of Yacht Express were very accommodating, friendly and courteous. They have truly made our summer season complete!”
Captain Hazouri was a “rider” on the Yacht Express, which provides yacht owners with complimentary cabins for crew who accompany their yachts on the voyage. Among the ship’s other amenities are an atrium with 180-degree views and lounge bar, a swimming pool, a restaurant, and conference, media and fitness facilities.
DYT has three more float-on/float-off voyages coming from the Mediterranean before year’s end, including one aboard the DYT ship Super Servant 4, which will arrive in Ft. Lauderdale October 28 from Palma de Mallorca, Spain, fully loaded with 24 super yachts totaling a value $190,000,000. Some of the yachts will offload in Port Everglades; then the ship will proceed to Newport, R.I., where it will once again fully load with 43 sailing and motor yachts bound for St. Thomas, USVI in time for the Caribbean sailing season. The total value of that cargo is approximately $70,000,000.
More about DYT
Dockwise Yacht Transport (DYT), headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, specializes in the maritime transport of private luxury yachts and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Dockwise Ltd., a Bermuda incorporated company that is the leading marine contractor providing total transport services to the offshore, onshore and yachting industries as well as installation services of extremely heavy offshore platforms.
Dockwise yacht carriers are semi-submersible and utilize the float on/float off loading method that allows yachts of any size to be safely floated on and off as cargo. The carriers submerge themselves by pumping nine million gallons of water into their ballast tanks; the vessels are floated into place one-by-one, then sea-fastened before the ship pumps dry to prepare for boat transport. The process is reversed to allow the yachts to safely disembark once they reach their final destinations.
DYT’s global yacht transport routes for its semi-submersibles include the U.S. East Coast (Newport, Rhode Island and Port Everglades, Florida), the Mediterranean (Toulon, France; Genoa and Taranto, Italy; Marmaris, Turkey; Palma de Mallorca, Spain), the Bahamas (Freeport), the Caribbean (St. Thomas and Martinique) , the Pacific West Coast (Golfito, Costa Rica; La Paz and Ensenada, Mexico; and Vancouver, B.C., Canada) and the South Pacific (Papeete, Tahiti; Auckland, New Zealand; and Brisbane, Australia).
With additional lift-on/lift-off offerings, DYT has serviced the following ports: Dubai (UAE), Genoa and Livorno (Italy), Hong Kong (China), Jacksonville and West Palm Beach (Florida), Palma de Mallorca (Spain), Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Rotterdam (The Netherlands), Phuket and Singapore (Thailand), and Southampton (UK).
Since its maiden voyage in 1987, the company has transported over 11,000 motor and sailing yachts to various destinations around the globe, offering owners and charterers safe and easy access to many of the world’s premier cruising grounds. Along with area representatives around the globe, DYT has additional operating offices in Italy, Martinique and Newport (R.I.).
