Chapter 679 - 298: The Perfect Yacht

Even though I bought a second-hand research vessel, the amount of money I spent on purchasing the ship wasn’t that much. However, after completing the modifications on this ship, the financial investment was still astonishing—Li Younan spent a full 48 million.

Almost all his cash was invested into this yacht, and now his savings are down to just a small seven-figure sum.

Nevertheless, to Li Younan, this is not important; money is virtual, whereas possessing material things is tangible.

When Li Younan told Gao Tiande that this ship cost so much money, Gao Tiande’s eyes showed a trace of surprise, because spending so much money on a yacht isn’t surprising, but modifying an existing one is quite astonishing.

It’s important to know that the maintenance costs for a yacht after purchase are equally shocking.

Li Younan invited Gao Tiande onboard and started detailing this maritime fortress for him.

Li Younan said, "The ship’s hull structure has fully reached military-grade levels. After our modification, now its deck has a thick weather-resistant steel and carbon fiber composite reinforced layer, with impact resistance that can withstand waves equivalent to a level 10 sea wave strike."

"Below there are 12 independent watertight compartments; the risk of the ship sinking is virtually the ceiling in yachts."

"Additionally, Brother Gao, have you noticed the sides of the hull? There’s a rubber and steel composite structure for collision prevention."

Seeing the ship’s exterior and hearing Li Younan’s explanation, Gao Tiande couldn’t help but feel that the ship is extraordinarily solid.

He carefully observed the ship’s shape; overall, the lines are hard and straight without any redundant decorations.

The bow has a deep V ice-breaking design, not that it has ice-breaking capabilities, as this original research vessel was meant for operations in coastal reef areas, and after modifications, it can still retain its wave-resistance ability.

The two of them moved to the stern, where there is an open working platform.

What is most peculiar is the paint of this ship; unlike the typically ornate designs of yachts, this ship’s paint is a matte deep gray.

The military-grade anti-corrosion coating was secured by Old Chen using his resources, which Li Younan was able to purchase. Its core function, besides rust prevention, is more important in preventing the attachment of marine organisms.

Especially this latter point, it’s enormously important for a ship.

With today’s advanced technology, rust prevention work has already been done very well. But for ordinary yachts, the most troublesome issue is not rust but rather barnacles, all sorts of algae, and mollusk attachments.

These attachments not only increase the weight of the hull and fuel consumption but also greatly affect the aesthetic, and cleaning these attachments amounts to another huge expense.

After Gao Tiande finished viewing the exterior, Li Younan invited him onboard.

After boarding, Gao Tiande couldn’t help but lightly stamp the deck of this ship.

It must be said that he has boarded quite a few yachts, but standing on Li Younan’s ship gives a different feeling, which is its exceptional stability.

He asked, "What are the core parameters of this ship?"

Li Younan smiled, "Length is 55 meters, width is over 10 meters, depth is over six meters, full load draft is 3.5 meters, maximum speed is 26 knots, cruising speed is about 20 knots, with a range of 5800 nautical miles, self-sufficiency for a month."

Upon hearing these core parameters announced calmly by Li Younan, Gao Tiande’s expression clearly showed a little surprise.

It must be said that Li Younan’s yacht compared to ordinary yachts of the same size is distinctly different.

Regarding dimensions, Li Younan’s yacht is notably deeper than yachts of similar size, and its draft is also slightly deeper.

The most surprising aspect is the yacht’s speed and range—a standard 55-meter-class yacht typically has a maximum speed of about 15 knots and a range around 3000 nautical miles.

Compared to Li Younan’s cruising speed of 20 knots and maximum speed of 26 knots, the difference is quite considerable.

As for self-sufficiency, it far surpasses ordinary yachts’ duration of 10~14 days.

Regarding safety and stability, it’s even beyond comparison.

This ship, with 12 independent watertight compartments and the ability to withstand level 9 sea waves, can only be achieved by some high-end yachts.

On Li Younan’s ship, the boarding location is naturally the stern board.

What’s most notable about this stern board is the hydraulic lift platform with a load capacity of three tons.

This lift platform can freely adjust height, raised at sea can reach over two meters, can act as a diving platform, docking area, or as a diving platform.

On the side deck, there are 4 reserved fixed points that can be used to secure fishing stands, camera tripods, outdoor equipment, surrounded by military-grade LED work lights, which allows for illumination even at night.

Originally, the design team recommended by Gao Tiande to Li Younan suggested converting the original equipment storage area of the stern into an infinity pool measuring 6 meters by 3 meters.

This location was originally the equipment deployment area for the research vessel.

However, Li Younan did not agree; instead, he transformed it into a diving equipment area that can store 8 sets of diving suits, 8 oxygen tanks, fins, masks, equipped with two high-pressure tank air pumps, cleaning pools for equipment, and a stainless steel specimen storage cabinet.

And most importantly, a photography equipment room, which naturally contains the underwater cameras that Li Younan bought at a high price.