Back in 2015, a Norwegian seafarer asked Italian designer Stefano Pastrovich to reimagine his two 289-foot Platform Supply Vessels (PSVs) as private explorer yachts. That initial request led Pastrovich to create not one but three concepts—all of which give a second life to retired offshore support ships.

As their name implies, these highly specialized vessels are designed specifically to transport supplies to and from oil rigs and wind farms at sea. The PSV market took a massive hit during the global oil crisis between 2014 and 2016, resulting in substantial losses for both shipowners and shipyards. Converting existing vessels solves part of that problem by giving owners a potential new revenue stream through charter.

“The project started from a real owner, a real platform and a real market problem,” Pastrovich said in a statement. “That is precisely why its logic remains so relevant today.”

Pastrovich first transformed the PSV into a private explorer for both family use and charter operations. The 289-footer is capable of accommodating up to 30 guests, with two owner’s apartments, VIP suites, and additional guest cabins. That stylish interior is balanced by a rugged, utilitarian exterior engineered for extended voyages.

The initial design sparked two larger concepts, with Pastrovich responding to a growing demand for stylish yet sturdy expedition ships capable of cruising to remote destinations such as Antarctica, Patagonia, Greenland, and the Arctic.

The bigger successors are both 328-foot expedition yachts (or boutique cruise ships) designed for charter. One can carry 116 passengers; the other accommodates just 64, resulting in more space per guest. For the larger passenger configuration, Pastrovich Studio worked with Meccano Engineering to make the offshore platform more passenger-friendly. He has also teamed up with Wärtsilä on a new build based on the same expedition philosophy. 

“The studies explore how the structural robustness, autonomy and redundancy of a North Sea offshore vessel can be integrated with owner and guest areas conceived to superyacht standards,” Pastrovich explains. “The objective is not cosmetic refit, but a coherent fusion of engineering, architecture, hospitality and operations.”

Though none are yet in-build, Pastrovich’s concepts feel particularly pertinent today, given the highly volatile state of the oil market.

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  Rachel Cormack

  Digital Editor

  Rachel Cormack is a digital editor at Robb Report. She cut her teeth writing for HuffPost, Concrete Playground, and several other online publications in Australia, before moving to New York at the…

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