A conversion concept rendered for a Gulf-of-Mexico-class offshore supply vessel platform — ice-strengthened, helideck, dive operations, ten guests in expedition specification. Used as a teaching tool for clients comparing expedition yacht conversion platforms.
The Xplorer 220 / 240 was developed with naval architect Grant Maughan to demonstrate — in renderings detailed enough to discuss seriously — how a 220- to 240-foot Gulf-of-Mexico-class OSV converts into a credible global expedition yacht. We use it as a teaching tool with prospective clients: not as a vessel for sale, but as a worked example of what conversion can deliver at this size.
The base hull is a Gulf-of-Mexico-class OSV in the 65- to 75-metre range — a class of vessel that has come available in volume as the offshore oil industry has rationalised its fleet. These vessels offer dynamic positioning, twin-engine redundancy, deep tankage, and a large open after deck. The ice-strengthened variants extend the platform’s operating range into high latitudes.
Clients considering a conversion in this size class are often weighing a Gulf-class OSV against an ex-North Sea SAR vessel against a clean-sheet new build. The Xplorer 220 / 240 renderings let us walk through the trade-offs concretely — deck arrangement, helideck position, dive ops, guest flow, crew quarters — without committing the client to a specific platform.
Concept renderings are a teaching tool. They are how we get to the right vessel for the right principal — not the other way around.
The Xplorer 220 / 240 is not for sale; the methodology behind it is. Contact Paul for a conversation about which platform makes sense for your mission.
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