This was the seventh year exhibiting at the Monaco Yacht Show for U-Boat Worx where the Netherlands-based company is making a habit of unveiling new models. Last year it was the C-Explorer 5 and this year the covers have been thrown off the final design for the C-Explorer 3. But the company may not be done yet, with a layout design for a C-Explorer 7 having also been completed.
Joining the C-Explorer 2 (which our own James Holloway recently took for a test drive) and 5 models, U-Boat Worx has begun production on six C-Explorer 3 submersibles, the first two of which have already been sold and are set to hit the water in April 2014. U-Boat Worx has managed to keep the size down while accommodating an extra passenger with dimensions starting from 385 x 375 x 210 cm (152 x 148 x 83 in). The two passengers are seated next to each other at the front of the submersible, while the pilot is centrally placed behind them.
Like the C-Explorer 2, the 3 can dive to depths of up to 1,000 m (3,300 ft) for periods of up to 8 hours, with an option of 16 hours also available. The standard model is propelled by four 2-kW thrusters (two vertical and two horizontal) powered by a 15.6 kWh lithium-ion battery pack, with an upgrade to 5 kW thrusters and a 31.2 kWh battery pack available as an option.
The scale model of the C-Explorer 3 U-Boat Worx is displaying in Monaco shows a pole supporting the controls in front of the pilot's chair but, although wired, the controls are detachable. This allows them to be handed to the passengers who can take the wheel while the pilot keeps a close eye over their shoulders and does some back seat driving.
Although there was no scale model on display, a company engineer did reveal that a design layout for a C-Explorer 7 model has been completed and showed us some illustrations. This is essentially a C-Explorer 5 that has been stretched to accommodate another two-seater segment. The company doesn't currently have any plans to build the C-Explorer 7, but the company engineer said that if someone ordered it, it would be built.
There's no price on the C-Explorer 7, but the C-Explorer 3 starts at around €1.8 million (US$2.4 million).
Source: U-Boat Worx