Limerence: from a support vessel to a practical superyacht

At the beginning, she was designed just a support vessel. But the concept evolved significantly, and the result is a lot more than just a floating garage

Turkish Alia Yachts shipyard invited its long-time partners from the Netherlands to work on this custom project: Azure Yacht Design & Naval Architecture was in charge of the exterior and interior design, while Diana Yacht Design developed naval architecture. 

The initial name of the vessel, Project Sea Club 53, indicated its purpose quite clearly, promising numerous opportunities for recreation and entertainment on the water. 

Later, when the yacht was launched, she was christened Kaiyō, which is the Japanese for a sea hawk and which was also the name of an escort aircraft carrier operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. That’s an interesting refrain, as in addition to the common name and similar functionality, both ships are also similar in the outline of the elongated upper deck on pylons. 

However, soon after the delivery the owner changed the yacht's name to Limerence, which can be interpreted as passion, infatuation, romantic love. And, in fact, it says a lot both about the project and the owner’s attitude to his vessel. 

Exterior

The exterior does not only stand for elegance, but a unique construction, too. The designers’ key goal was to accommodate small fleet, a helicopter and as many water toys on board as possible. But if ordinary support vessels just bring the superstructure forward to free up the main deck aft, the Limerence managed to “kill two birds” here. In addition to the main deck, there is a second deck that is extended to the maximum and thus doubling the usable area: a five-bladed Airbus H145 helicopter is based on top, and a 13-meter Alia Yachts powerboat fits perfectly under the overhang. Besides, the smart architectural solution made it possible not to sacrifice the lounging – the second deck is multifunctional. 

The Limerence’s design trick is a series of offsets up-down and sideways. The aft part of the second deck features a small lounge with sofas facing the stern. Then there is a raised area, which extends beyond the width of the hull, too. This square platform is a helipad, but when the helicopter is not there, it can function as a sunbathing area, a dance floor and even a court for to playing volleyball or basketball with a net stretched around the perimeter. 

Closer to the superstructure, the level drops by several steps again, and there is a seating group here, while in the shade of a slightly overhanging sundeck there is a round dining table for ten. When the doors to the saloon are open (there is just one saloon and it is located next to the wheelhouse) there is a large space for parties and get-togethers. And if you follow towards the bow, there is another cozy sofa with great views there. 

In addition, there is a sundeck, where there is also a lounge, sunpads, a bar sheltered with a hardtop, as well as a vast swim platform aft, which serves both as a beach and as a storage space for water toys. As a result, the vessel can boast such a huge area and versatility of lounge areas that no other support vessel can dream of. 

Water toys 

At the same time, the Limerence can fulfill her function of a capacious floating garage perfectly well, too – no wonder she was dubbed a “treasure-chest”. In addition to the powerboat mentioned above, there is an entire fleet of small vessels on board: a 8.2-metre Cockwells beach lander, a 6.1-metre Ski Nautique waterskiing boat, two sailing RS Teras and two sailing RS Cat 14s. 

The park of jet skis includes two 230hp Sea-Doo WakePros and two Yamaha Superjets. There are also two Seabobs, foiling flightboards and jet boards, stand-up paddle boards, pedal boards, tandem kayaks and a variety of boards and skis for towing. For those who are keen on exploring the depths, there is a Triton 660/7 submersible, Seabobs and a professional dive station.

Finally, there is a dedicated 50 sq.m space for storing two dozen inflatable park modules, enough to change configurations every day.

Interior 

The Limerence can offer comfortable accommodation for six guests. The owner’s suite and two VIP suites are located on the main deck, and the guest suites feature additional berths, so in fact the yacht can sleep up to ten people. The quarters for a crew of 12 are located below deck. 

The internal volume of 499 GT allowed the designers to offer rather generous living spaces that a comparable to those on board superyachts. The size of the master cabin is particularly impressive, as in addition to the bedroom there is also a dressing room, a marble bathroom, a private saloon that can also serve as a cinema with a vast LCD screen and a modern audio system. 

The colour scheme is mainly light: beige walls, white floors and ceilings, light grey textiles, which, combined with soft lighting, increases the volume even more. There is not much décor except for the black blinds and coffee tables that serve as graphic accents. Perhaps the best decoration for the interior will be fresh flowers and fruit, which will look great against such a neutral background. 

Specifications

The smooth light-grey hull with a length of 52.5 m and a beam of 8.6 m is made of steel. The bow that is almost vertical and well-developed steps allow the hull to hold the course well in rough seas. With twin 1115 hp diesel Caterpillar engines, the Limerence can reach 15 knots, and at a cruising speed of 12 knots her range is 4100 nautical miles. 

The superstructure and massive helideck are made of aluminium, which allowed the manufacturer to reduce the weight without sacrificing the yacht’s robustness. And the yacht’s draft is only 2.6 m.

Alia President, Gökhan Çelik, does not hide his pride in the yard’s creation: “Alia Yachts couldn’t be more proud of Limerence. She is an exceptional yacht that marries utility and luxury in a new way that doesn’t compromise either. On the one hand, the boat offers superyacht accommodation for six and epic entertaining space – on the other, there is unparalleled toy storage space, including a helicopter and a Triton submersible. Limerence is the ultimate showcase for Alia’s skills and a new breath to the ever growing demand for utilitarian vessels”.