The 175-foot Five Oceans yacht, part of Damen Yachting’s YS53 model, is a cutting-edge vessel designed to explore the depths of the ocean while protecting the marine environment. It is not your typical yacht, but rather a floating toy box that accommodates an ICON A5 aircraft, a Triton 3300 submersible, two military-spec Nova Marine tenders, and a professional dive center with two nitrox compressors and a decompression chamber.
The yacht was designed as a primary vessel for autonomous operation for up to 30 days in remote locations, according to Rob Dolling, founder of Verpeka Dolling Superyachts, who served as the owner’s representative throughout the build. The aim was to go everywhere on a three-year circumnavigation—Southeast Asia, Indonesia, China, Australia, the Philippines—some really remote places where support wouldn’t be available.
The yacht’s former owners—Tommy Allen, who is director of global operations at Five Oceans Global Solutions, and a U.S. family that provided financial backing for the project (this being their first yacht)—spent two years in the design and planning stages before construction began in 2022. The yacht was put up for sale for $30 million due to “differences of opinion” at the end of the build, but was sold to a new owner in May 2025 just eight months after delivery.
Despite its short maiden voyage from Antalya to Monaco, the yacht remains as the most advanced design of a support vessel that can double as a primary yacht. Here are some of its most impressive features:
The Paint Job The yacht’s distinctive contrasting baby-blue and orange exterior was inspired by renderings of a Damen SeaXplorer. Former owner Allen, a fan of KTM motorbikes which have a similar bright orange hue, was “immediately on board” with the unusual color scheme. The whimsical look also served a more serious purpose—to ensure the yacht appears non-threatening. “If Five Oceans was to cruise into China, the Philippines, or Indonesia, we didn’t want to look like a threat, so we made it as bright as possible,” says Rob Dolling.
Riding High Two 33-foot military-grade Nova Marine BS 100 tenders are built with Kevlar materials with composite-carbon-fiber hulls. “When you ride them, you feel like you’re in a Bentley,” says Dolling. The tenders both top out at over 50 knots and are kitted out with radar, extreme sound systems, night-vision screens, and a day head. Although they look like twins, their missions are different: One has teak decks and comfortable seating for guest transfers, while the other is used for diving.
Ultimate Toy Store The yacht’s vast aft deck is designed to accommodate an extensive list of onboard toys. These include two supercharged 70-knot Jet Skis that weren’t built as toys but to access shallow-water places. The rear deck has room for an ICON A5 aircraft with foldable wings that would have allowed the yacht to look at locations over 600 miles away in a few hours or do air reconnaissance for anchorages. The yacht is fitted with aircraft radio transmitters for ship-to-plane communication.
