53m Yacht Support RAFTER Delivered by Damen Yachting

RAFTER leaves Antalya to join her owner’s fleet

Damen Yachting has delivered the 53-metre Yacht Support RAFTER, which has departed the builder’s Antalya yard to join her owner’s private fleet. The vessel is the fourth Yacht Support 53 completed by the company.

RAFTER was developed as an operational extension of the owner’s main yachting programme, adding space for equipment, crew and guests while also supporting family use and longer-range activity away from the mothership. The support vessel is designed to operate as a practical part of the fleet rather than as an isolated auxiliary platform.

Interior combines function with owner-specific style

The support vessel accommodates up to eight guests and ten crew plus captain. Damen Yachting says the interior combines practical operational requirements with an owner-led style influenced by traditional English detailing.

Owner’s representative Rob Dolling said the brief was unusually clear from the outset, allowing the project team to align technical specification, layout and delivery schedule around the role RAFTER would play within the wider fleet. That clarity helped the project maintain a strong link between operational purpose and the owner’s personal requirements.

YS53 platform continues to expand

Damen Yachting positions the Yacht Support 53 as a flexible platform for tenders, toys, specialist equipment and additional crew. The concept can operate alongside a mothership or independently, giving owners more freedom to separate logistics from the primary yacht.

RAFTER’s delivery adds another operational example to the YS53 series. For the builder, the project reinforces growing demand for dedicated support vessels as superyacht programmes become more expedition-focused, equipment-heavy and operationally complex.