A Vessel Owner Had A Dream
In late January of 2023, Engineered Yacht Solutions was contacted by the captain of motor yacht Gene Chaser – a 55-meter Damen Yachting support vessel. We were asked to provide pricing and availability for a custom/one-off modular helicopter pad that could be used to store a floating plane and serve as usable deck space. The heli-pad would be supported by two standard shipping containers and would be built in three major parts. Being built in three parts would allow the vessel crew to reconfigure the deck for ocean passages versus at anchor usage. The heli-pad concept came from the vessel’s visionary owner who has retrofitted this support vessel to allow him to continue his scientific works from anywhere in the world. The heli-pad would also double as a guest space, serving as an elevated aft sundeck, complete with lighting, safety rails and sunshades.
The rugged simplicity of the design, paired with a functional multi-use space is a true innovation in our industry. The primary challenge for this project was timing. The vessel needed to leave from the west coast of the United States for Asia – no later than early May – with the heli-pad completed & on board. In late January, this allowed for only 14 weeks to fully design, fabricate and ship a 12-ton structure. Having previously partnered with world renowned naval architecture firm Murray & Associates on a similarly nearly impossible project aboard motor yacht Gene Chaser – the owner knew he needed them and us to make his dream a reality. Without hesitation, Murray and Associates got to work designing & engineering the heli-pad. Given the timeline, the industry standard of “fully design all structures and then begin fabrication” would not work in this case. There was simply no time. The design team was forced to focus on the internal structure first, leaving significant details not fully designed. This preliminary design was then passed to the Engineered Yacht Solutions’ fabrication team, who was given just enough time to begin fabrication.
By early March, the design was finalized enough to begin fabrication. This only left Engineered Yacht Solutions eight weeks to turn a 12-ton pile of aluminum plate and structural tubes into three separate pieces that would interlock together like a jigsaw puzzle. The larger outside pieces, both measuring 26’ by 11’ and the smaller inner piece, measuring 26’ by 9’. These three pieces need to seamlessly integrate to form a level surface, fit for yacht guests to walk on. The underside of the heli-pad would firmly attach to the top of the two deck mounted shipping containers.
As Murray and Associates were fleshing out all the needed details of the build, Bradford Marine Shipyard on State Road 84 in Fort Lauderdale became the chosen shipyard to host the build site. The storied shipyard is undergoing a major facelift under the direction of the new shipyard owners – the Kelly family. At Bradford Marine Shipyard, a large scaffold & tent was erected to house the nearly around the clock fabrication team efforts by Engineered Yacht Solutions. This project required a very precise design effort and an equally precise execution from the crew or welders and fabricators. There would be no test fitting of the heli-pad prior to shipping across the country to meet the vessel. It needed to be built correctly on the first try. Finishing touches were added to the heli-pad as the vessel transited the Panama Canal.
Through an amazing effort from the design/engineering team, the fabrication team, and the host shipyard, the build turned out nearly flawless.
In the end, a yacht owner had a dream and because a great team of naval architects and fabricators joined together to accomplish the impossible – the dream was born. On Sunday April 30, and without a day to spare, the final welds were laid, the tent was cut down, and a crane lifted the three sections of motor yacht Gene Chaser’s helicopter pad into the air and onto a waiting truck to begin a transcontinental journey to San Diego. On arrival in San Diego, the heli-pad was loaded onto the vessel and she set sail for Asia the very next day.
