Home » Defined by craftsmanship

When our new build semi-submersible, the 214m Yacht Servant, finally emerges from the Yantai shipyard in 2021, it will mark the beginning of a new age for DYT. With our first ever new build since we joined the Spliethoff Group, comes an array of exciting opportunities for yacht owners, crew and the DYT team alike. Every day, the work in progress at Yantai CIMC Raffles Offshore on the Shandong Peninsula in China brings us closer to our goal, but the craftsmanship behind the DYT brand neither starts, nor stops, there.

While our colleagues in China are busy cutting steel, moulding and outfitting the vessel, the journey first began at our Spliethoff Group headquarters in Amsterdam. Our in-house team of designers, experts in the unique world of semi-submersible vessels and armed with a list of key requirements, put their heads together to draw up Yacht Servant’s interior, exterior, engineering and naval architecture. In fact, all of our DYT vessels have been designed in-house, both new build and conversions. DYT’s engineering and logistic capabilities are bolstered by a broad portfolio of specialised services. In short, the level of expertise at our disposal means we are cost-efficient, prioritise safety, implement innovative ideas and customise our vessels to suit our highly specific needs.

And again, our in-house craftsmanship comes to the fore once we set sail, too. Over time, we have homed in on what makes a flo-flo vessel operate as seamlessly and efficiently as possible. While Super Servant 4 accommodates 24 crew, and Yacht Express holds 30 crew, when Yacht Servant launches it will be able to carry 42 crew. And the implications of that alone are huge, says Andriy Antonenko, DYT’s Operations and Loading Master.

“All our crew have basic knowledge of the leashes, guardrails and line handling every time we perform operations. But of course, there are special skills required too with regards to the installation of yachts for when we’re underway, such as how to secure the vessels properly, but it’s all a matter of experience,” says Antonenko, who first joined DYT in 2004 and has witnessed all sides of operations, both as crew and heading up operations.

While the current crew set-up works well, our existing vessels rely on external dive masters to secure the loading yachts in place. But when Yacht Servant enters service, the extra capacity will mean extra crew, and that means even divers’ roles fulfilled on board.

“At present, our streamline crew are required to focus on operations on deck and leave the underwater duties to independent divers. The extra crew capacity on board Yacht Servant, however, will mean we will have able seamen who can double up as divers. We’ll still require support during peak times, but when we’re running at 50% capacity or less, we can handle all the jobs, both on deck and underwater, with just the DYT crew alone.”

Being crew on board a semi-submersible vessel comes with its own set of unique roles and challenges, even welding. Once the yachts are on, the bolts are in and the divers have completed the positioning, the welding crew (who double up as line handlers), begin the installation process; securing the yachts into place.

“Basically, we’re like a mini shipyard on board our vessels,” says Antonenko, who has worked on board and alongside Yacht Express since her maiden voyage in 2007. When Yacht Servant’s time comes, it’s fair to say both yachts and passengers will be taken care of by the safest hands in the business.

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