decade ago thought of a personal sub as a
utilitarian toy that came off a production
line, today’s owners are thinking about
them more in the ways they think about
custom-built tenders. ¶ “You want a con-
tinuity of experience between the yacht
and the submersible,” Barnett says. “We
can of course paint the exterior any color
you want, and now we can work with the
interior designer of your yacht. If you
want white, carbon fi ber and sporty, we
can do that. If you want wood and clas-
sic with matching leathers, we can do it
that way. It’s the same as with outfi tting
a luxury tender.” ¶ Costs for anything
customized of course come in a range, andthe same is true of today’s submarines.
Triton’s entry-level model goes for
$2.7 million, while its largest sub—a
seven-seater—retails for $5.25 million.
¶ Barnett says yacht owners see those pric-
es as being in line with, say, a customized
helicopter that lands on the bow. ¶ In fact,
he says, the way subs are discussed aboard
yachts could soon rival the way owners
talk about their onboard choppers: “I can
see submersibles potentially becoming as
popular on yachts as helicopters. Maybe
not every yacht has one, but every yacht
gets built with the capability to have one
on board. You would order your helicopter,
and then order your submarine.”ADVENTURE> PERSONAL SUBMARINES54 YACHTINGAUGUST2 0 1 9YES, THERE ARE BROKERAGE SUBMARINES
The market for yacht-ready submarines has become large enough—and been around long enough—that
subs can now be found on the brokerage market. Broker Chris Collins at Ocean
Independence is promoting a 2018 Triton 1650/3 in Vero Beach, Florida, at an asking price of $3.3 million.