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Thu, 10 Apr 2008 22:01:41 -0400
Video and High resolution photos
available upon request
Please credit Onne van der Wal/Dockwise Yacht Transport
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Barby MacGowan, Media Pro Int'l, 401-849-0220,
barby.macgowan@mediapronewport.com or Catalina Bujor, Dockwise Yacht
Transport, 954-525-8707, catalina@dockwise-yt.com
Eighteen Yachts Carpool Across the Ocean
Super Ship Yacht Express Sets Off on Maiden Spring Voyage
FT. LAUDERDALE, FLA. (April 10, 2008) -- Dockwise Yacht Transport's (DYT)
newest ship, the 687.5-foot (209 meter) Yacht Express, left Ft. Lauderdale
late today with a full load of cargo: $154 million worth of private luxury
and sport fishing yachts. The largest vessel of its kind in the world, Yacht
Express was purpose-built at Yantai Raffles Shipyard in China with a
semi-submersible dock bay that allows yachts of any size to be safely
floated on and off as cargo. This is its first run on a regularly-scheduled
round-trip route between Florida and the Mediterranean, which typically
takes 15 days each way. The super ship's size and power (it has a service
speed of 18 knots) can pare down the transport time to as few as 10 days.
The float-on/float-off process is unique to DYT, which operates three other
semi-submersible yacht carriers. Headquartered in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida,
DYT is a wholly owned subsidiary of Dockwise Ltd. (Hamilton, Bermuda), the
global leader in maritime transports and installation.
"The first trans-Atlantic spring voyage of Yacht Express is a great
milestone for us and the yachting community," said DYT President Clemens van
der Werf, "as it provides yacht owners with a state-of-the-art transport
facility with additional accommodations for crew who are riding along."
Yacht Express is more than 130 feet longer than DYT's other carriers and
features such added amenities as complimentary cabins, an atrium with lounge
bar and swimming pool, restaurant and cinema, as well as conference, media
and fitness facilities.
"I'm half tempted to come back across on the ship myself in the Fall," said
owner John Walsey (San Francisco, Calif.), whose first mate is accompanying
Walsey's new power yacht, the 121-foot Broward named Java, on the ride
across the ocean. "Or maybe I should just charge my crew members for the
ride, since this is like being on a cruise ship," he joked. Walsey, who has
used DYT's float-on/float-off services a half-dozen times, toured the new
ship while Java was being loaded. With the rising costs of diesel, he
calculates that the price tag for the DYT service saves him money in the
long run, not to mention time. "It also allows the rest of the crew some
time off," he said, "and alleviates wear and tear on the boat and its
engine."
More about DYT
Since its maiden voyage in 1987, DYT has transported over 9,000 motor and
sailing yachts to various destinations around the globe, offering yacht
owners safe and easy access to many of the world's premier cruising grounds.
DYT has partnered with the International SeaKeepers Society to outfit the
new ship with the modular SeaKeeper 1000TM ocean and meteorological
monitoring system. The SeaKeeper 1000 is a fully automated unit that
samples, measures, records and transmits critical measures of ocean
health--salinity, temperature, oxygen and pollution, among others--to
various scientific and public communities across the globe.
Along with area representatives around the world, DYT has additional
operating offices in Italy, France, Martinique and Newport (R.I.). A
partnership with BBC Chartering and Logistics also allows DYT to manage safe
lift-on/lift-off service aboard BBC's fleet of 140 cargo vessels worldwide.
The service is for clients who need additional scheduling flexibility or the
ability to get to a destination not normally serviced by DYT's
semi-submersible ships.
For more information, visit http://www.yacht-transport.com or contact
Catalina Bujor, Dockwise Yacht Transport, 954-525-8707, pr@dockwise-yt.com.
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