YACHTS & YACHTING
CITADEL ROOMS
In the extremely rare case that an unwanted visitor boards their yacht , some owners like the reassurance of a secure location to go to . These places are known as ‘ citadels ’, and they were first put to use in commercial shipping before crossing over to yachting .
Citadels are kitted out with independent , overriding access to the yacht ’ s navigational and satellite communications systems , so even when you don ’ t have access to the bridge , you can maintain full control . The rooms themselves are fitted with reinforced doors and have ballistic protection on the surrounding walls . Inside , they are equipped with their own ventilation systems as well as water and food supplies to provide total self-sufficiency .
EMERGENCY ESCAPE ‘ LIFE-PODS ’ FOR A RAPID GETAWAY And the next generation of citadels could be distinctly more mobile . Like crossing a lifeboat with a space ship , these emergency escape ‘ Life-Pods ’ provide a rapid getaway . The watertight pods are constructed from high-tech materials to resist impact and feature built-in GPS trackers , temperature and fire barrier controls , and air purification systems .
ANTI-DRONE SYSTEMS In recent years , drones have been making headlines for their interference with commercial airports , and the military have been particularly keen to curb their capability to spy on top secret locations . As well as being a handy tool for the paparazzi to get up-close shots of a superyacht ’ s private enclaves and the guests within them , those involved in the murky waters of industrial espionage can thank drones for greatly increasing their capabilities , too .
But a new generation of devices to detect and defeat these drones is emerging to neutralize the occasional threats to privacy and security on yachts . One such defense system identifies any commercial drones in operation within a 20 kilometer radius , providing GPS positions of both the drone and the pilot as well as an indication of said drone ’ s heading and speed .
A 500-meter electronic ‘ exclusion zone ’ around the yacht Once the drone threat has been confirmed , the system engages a 500-meterplus electronic ‘ exclusion zone ’ around the yacht ( not unlike the force fields we are used to seeing in sci-fi films ) that blocks any unwanted airborne visitors . If the drone makes it to the perimeter of the exclusion zone , its controls and video feed are jammed , effectively rendering the pilot ’ s controls useless , and its ‘ return to home ’ function ( which usually kicks in when the drone has a low battery ) is triggered .
ACOUSTIC DETERRENTS The Long-Range Acoustic Device , or LRAD for short , is an acoustic deterrent that was originally developed for military use . But as the threat of piracy to commercial shipping and yachting in certain areas such as the Gulf of Aden grew over recent decades , the device has been adopted to deter unwelcome visitors in non-military settings .
A range of more than three kilometers The sonic device emits an uncomfortable , high-pitched noise that is above the tolerance of the average person , causing them to be driven away from whoever is controlling it . With a practical range of more than three kilometers , the device can be adjusted to broadcast voice commands in numerous languages on top of the deterrent tones , allowing you to provide warnings to potential interlopers ( or even the odd suspicious fishing boat ).
Photo credit : Tom van Oossanen
INTRUDER DIVER DETECTORS Think someone could sneak up on a superyacht by pulling on a wet suit and scuba gear ? Think again , as some superyachts are choosing to install sonar systems that detect , track and identify divers or underwater vehicles approaching from any direction .
Keeping sonar environmentally friendly Sonardyne ’ s Sentinel Intruder Detection Sonar is the world ’ s most widely deployed system of its kind , used by naval vessels , commercial harbors and luxury yachts alike . With a functional range of up to 900 meters for diver detection , it is man-portable , making it particularly quick to deploy , and it can even be placed on the yacht ’ s tenders to increase your scope of situational awareness . What ’ s more , the manufacturer has created the system to be environmentally friendly , so it won ’ t have an adverse effect on the local sea life .
Issue 47 2021 The Art of Luxury
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