| Length | GT | Built |
|---|---|---|
|
100m
|
7,522 GT | 2028 |
| Beam | Draft | |
| 20.7m | 6m |
The 100m motor yacht RV6000 is being constructed by Vard and is due to be delivered in 2028.
Key Features
- Gabe Newell's 100m research vessel
- Forward helicopter deck
- 6,000m ROV capability
- Hybrid eVSP propulsion
Design & Construction
Designed around a displacement steel hull and superstructure she features a 20.7m beam and a 6m draft. The yacht has an internal volume of 7,522 GT (Gross Tonnes).
Construction started in mid 2026.
Exterior Design
RV6000 looks every bit the working research ship rather than a yacht dressed up as one. Built for Inkfish, the marine research organisation founded by Gabe Newell, the Vard 9 33 design has a high, near-vertical bow and deep hull sides, with relatively small windows through much of the lower structure. The emphasis is clearly on carrying laboratories, equipment and people securely rather than breaking up the hull with large areas of glass.
The most striking feature is the helicopter deck. Instead of occupying the stern, where it would compete with subsea operations, it is carried high above the bow on a series of tall supports.
That separates aviation from the working deck aft and leaves the full stern available for launching equipment, submersibles and ROV systems. It also gives the aircraft a very clear approach without the mast and much of the superstructure immediately behind it.
The bridge and principal upper accommodation sit well aft of the helideck, with the wheelhouse pushed high enough to retain forward visibility beneath and around the aviation structure. The renders suggest a very deliberate hierarchy: aviation forward and high, command and accommodation amidships, then science and heavy handling aft.
Most of the stern is working deck. The open area stretches back to a large A-frame over the transom, while the hangars, crane and technical spaces are concentrated around the middle and aft sections of the vessel. There is considerably less fixed structure here than on a conventional yacht, leaving room to move large equipment between storage, workshops and the water.
The A-frame is particularly important because it allows heavy equipment and manned submersibles to be recovered directly over the stern rather than craned awkwardly over the side. The broad transom and very wide beam should also provide a substantial working footprint around it.
Interior Design
RV6000 is designed for up to 70 people, including scientists and crew, so the interior is much closer to a floating research institute than a conventional guest yacht.
Dedicated laboratories, offices and workshops form a core part of the accommodation rather than being squeezed into spare technical spaces. That matters because the vessel is intended to collect, process and analyse material during a mission rather than simply returning raw data and samples to shore.
The large beam should be particularly useful here. A 20.7m (67.9ft) width gives Vard considerably more room for laboratories, workshops and circulation than a narrower yacht of similar length, while also allowing technical spaces to sit closer to the equipment they support.
Accommodation is being built to DNV COMF standards, with particular attention paid to noise and vibration. That is significant on a vessel intended to remain at sea for up to 30 days at a time, where the comfort of scientists and crew has a direct effect on how effectively they can work.
Research & Subsea Operations
Seafloor mapping is one of RV6000's main jobs, and a gondola-mounted sensor suite beneath the hull forms a central part of the design. The hydroacoustic system is intended to produce high-resolution mapping at 0.5 x 1 degree resolution while also analysing the water column across the full ocean depth.
Putting the principal sensors in a dedicated gondola beneath the hull gives the equipment a cleaner working environment away from much of the turbulence generated around the hull itself. The hull has also been developed specifically around survey performance, so the science package and naval architecture have been considered together rather than adding instruments to an existing ship design.
RV6000 will support ROV operations down to 6,000m (19,685ft), giving the vessel access to the overwhelming majority of the world's seabed.
Two manned submersibles can also be supported. A dedicated SUB hangar, ROV hangar and large maintenance areas mean the craft can be serviced aboard rather than simply carried between dive sites.
At the stern, the large A-frame handles submersible launch and recovery and also provides routing for scientific winches. This keeps the heaviest vertical handling operations directly over the stern, where equipment can move cleanly between deck and water.
An active heave compensated offshore crane is rated for operations down to 2,500m (8,202ft). Its ability to compensate for the vessel's vertical movement is particularly important when deploying equipment from a moving ship into deep water, where uncontrolled movement at deck level can translate into very large loads through long lengths of cable.
Performance & Capabilities
RV6000 will use hybrid power generation and propulsion with eVSP propulsors, giving a maximum speed of 15 knots.
Top speed is not really the interesting number here. The propulsion and hull have been developed around survey work, station keeping and low vessel motion, because accurately placing an ROV several kilometres below the ship matters more than covering the next 100 nautical miles quickly.
Dynamic Positioning capability will allow RV6000 to maintain position during subsea operations, while advanced anti-roll systems are intended to reduce motion and acceleration. Those systems should also make life aboard considerably easier during long survey periods when the ship may spend hours or days working at low speed rather than cruising conventionally.
The vessel has been designed for a 30-day operating sequence, allowing extended missions without frequent returns to port.
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