You’d like a superyacht, but you don’t want all the attention that such a large vessel might bring as you cruise into port. No-one wants jealous hangers-on, after all, or the unnecessary attentions of pesky paparazzi. Enter Migaloo, Austrian-based design visionaries to the super-rich, with a concept for the remarkable sea-going hideaway you see here. They call it the M5 and it’s billed as the world’s first submersible superyacht. That’s right. Your personal chopper lands on the inbuilt helicopter pad while the M5 is out to sea, crew ready and waiting for your order: “Dive, dive, dive!”
Migaloo’s Christian Gumpold insists this is no novelty superyacht of the sort more usually found on the set of the latest James Bond extravaganza. "We believe that submersible superyachts are the future of yachting,” he says boldly. One reason might be the aforementioned stealth. The M5 can dive to depths of up to 250 metres, with viewing windows allowing for panoramic views of life under the sea that David Attenborough would envy. What’s more you and your guests - up to 20 people depending on specification - can remain submerged for up to four weeks, say Migaloo. You’ll be well looked after by the 40 or so crew and staff tending to your every need, in case of cabin fever. Mind you, you can specify a library, cinema and indoor garden (or “farm” as Migaloo describe what might be better thought of as the first submersible superyacht allotment).
Surface and you might be off the coast of Thailand or among the icebergs of the Antarctic, ready to deploy onboard midget submarines for further adventuring in search of the locals. Your helicopter is ready for a flight to the shore, too, having been stored in its very own submersible superyacht hanger. Of course, there’s nothing to stop the M5 from surface-cruising into port if you’d like a bit of attention, because the second reason why what Migaloo calls “visionary billionaires” might like to add a submersible superyacht to their fleet is the converse to stealth: it’s the toy that no other billionaire has. Yet, anyway.
As if all this wasn’t enough, Christian Gumpold also envisions a floating, moveable island, ideal for your M5 submersible superyacht to dock at. Of course, you could instead take a gentle ride in a hot air balloon, also stored on board the M5, should you desire. Keen to be the first on your street to own an M5 superyacht? Migaloo’s order book is open and they’re waiting for your call at their headquarters in the Austrian city of Graz. Just make sure that you have around £1.5 billion to hand, depending on specification, of course. We’ll chopper in for cocktails, if that’s okay?
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