YachtTalk episode 6: Welcome to toyland

Heesen’s sixth episode of YachtTalk welcomed us in to a brave new world of yacht toys. The show covered the topics of sustainability, onboard storage and the ultimate accolade, private submarine ownership. Gathered together to discuss these topics were experienced superyacht captain Alexander Hawkins, Thomas Rijnbeek of Holland Sport Boat Centre, and Erik Hasselman, commercial director at U-Boat Worx. Diving deep Captain Alexander Hawkins, who recently took the helm of Heesen yacht Van Tom , says the most important considerations that owners and captains should make when shopping for new water toys are the available onboard storage and learning what the latest models are. A self-proclaimed speed fanatic, he highlights the Jetski as his top toy. Ironically, he also singles it out as one of the worst toys from a crew perspective – “anything with an engine can be dangerous and requires regular maintenance,” he says. Thomas Rijnbeek confirmed that the latest Jetski models of 300 hp can reach speeds of up to 100km/hr.

“anything with an engine can be dangerous and requires regular maintenance” Alexander Hawkins

The enjoyment of all toys, however, depends on having the space to maintain and clean them, says Captain Hawkins, and even inflatable toys need to be stored. He lists the option of storing tenders on the foredeck, and an onboard crane that can assist with lifting both Jetskis and submarines, as potential solutions. But with the average Jetski weighing around 300kg and submarines weighing considerably more at around 2.5 tonnes, a crane’s weight capacity needs to match.

This Superyacht Guide item is an original editorial summary based on the official Heesen Yachts news release.

Image source: Heesen Yachts official news release.