Amels Yachts

The mast and hull of "Reborn" was repainted in light grey now.

They also announced the sell of another LE 242 scheduled for 2017.

Madame Kate's Interior pics are now up on amels website.... Very beautiful interior... IMHO She is one of my favorite amels yachts and one of my favorite new launches of this year. If you haven't already seen the pics... you should.

I've been to the locks of the kiel channel in brunsbüttel, where i've seen the hull & structure of probably the #2 of the 242 series

Damen launched a 69m Fast Support vessel. She will be the first one to be equipped with a heli hangar,

They don't have the best track record with heli hangars.

The first one never really worked and caused casualities and should never have been classed (dangerous) and this one will not work in practice either.


1. moving a heavy wheeled helicopter without a little tug onto this narrow lift platform in lightest seas and or wind is very difficult and dangerous.

2. The owner is stuck with a specific helicopter with only rearward folding rotor blades. Any Bell type Helo (I mean a real Helo ) would be excluded. And believe me, folding rotorblades on a EC 365 is a nightmare and no fun during seastate and wind.

3. The landing pad is unusable, when a helicopter is located in the hangar.

4. A IMO / SOLAS conformal operation putting that Helo in and out of Hangar would take to much time and far too much efford. Any crew will leave out checklist steps in order to safe time, with the same deadly results like on ILONA.

It looks like the Dutch engineers have to learn it the hard way.

Just my two (Euro) Cents

- Size of hangar (length, width)

- Hangar door mechanicsm of the other yachts (landing pad floor moves sideways and lift with Helo comes up and builds landing pad. Means: obstruction free landing pad according to LY3 with Helo in up and down position. The swinging hangar doors of the FYS leave an unusable platform behind when closed, even for crew without a Helo.

- the other ships being landed on are a fare more stable platform as far as longitidinal stability is concerned. Look at the 4 large stabilators, the FYS concept really needs them.

But on all versions with lift within the landing deck, refueling of helicopters or rapture of fuel cells or hoses can place the whole ship in danger as (burning) fuel can float into lower compartements and the open lift shaft is dangerous for the crews (ILONA !).

The landing pads of Eclipse, Serene and Madame Gu are better than on the FYS but not ideal for constant helicopter operation either. Ideal is Octopus with a fixed landing deck and horizontal movement of the helo into a dedicated hangar. No danger of personnel or equipment falling into the elevator shaft.

So, if using an elevator for the Helo within the landing deck at all, the landing surface should move horizontally, the lift builds part of the landing deck and automatic handrails protect the complete lift shaft. And most important, the lift is absolutely sealed against water and (burning) fuel. This FYS hangar with its flipping doors will not provide any of that.

Helooperation especially on ships and even more with refuelling and hangarization is nothing for kids or rednecks. It is serious business. Just compare how much safety effort is placed into offshore helicopter operation or Navy helicopters on ships. This Airbus EC 365 is a Cat A commercial Helicopter and not a little Robinson R 66. We are talking about weight, momentum and delicate, expensive equipment and possible loss of life of people. As a Touch and Go landing pad the FYS concept is ok. But I would not tie my expensive Helo onto the landing pad and park it there during voyage in this salty enviroment. But the last thing I would do, is forcing my crew (flying and ship crew) into this hangar operation.

Sorry but Amels did not reinvent the wheel with this hangar .