Traditional cruising today, nuclear yachts tomorrow?

If you’ve cruised the Mediterranean, you’ve probably seen them tied up at the port: the superyacht. We saw one when we came ashore on Malta during our family Med cruise last month. A quick Google search revealed that this one was owned by the family of a late Mexican industrialist. Some years ago, Dave and I saw one at an Italian port that was reportedly owned by Tony Blair, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

            Superyachts are more than just plain old yachts, of course. They’re big (78 feet or more long), with professional crews and high-end amenities, such as state-of-the-art technology, opulent interiors and extensive recreational facilities. As you might guess, they’re not cheap: Boat International’s website has several for sale, with prices starting around $8 million.

            These are not like the pontoons we see cruising the lakes of northwest Wisconsin, for sure.

            There have been some interesting developments in superyacht technology, relating to their engines. For a hundred years or so, yachts were powered by oil-fired engines, like larger passenger ships. Recent decades have seen the increased use of hydrogen fuel-cells, which are cleaner and more efficient than traditional diesel engines. But designers aren’t stopping there. The first nuclear-powered superyacht will be sailing over the horizon soon.

            The first nuclear-powered vessel was a U.S. Navy submarine, USS Nautilus, launched in 1954. It became the first vessel to sail under the Arctic ice cap over the North Pole a few years later. Decommissioned in 1980, Nautilus—named after the fictional submarine in Jules Verne’s 1870 novel 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea—paved the way for nuclear-powered warships. Today, our Navy has more than 80 such vessels, including 11 aircraft carriers. But the use of nuclear power on civilian ships has so far been limited to a handful of research vessels. High costs, tight regulations and safety fears have scared away potential investors and shipbuilders…until now.

            The Dutch superyacht builder Feadship has joined the Nuclear Energy Maritime Organization (NEMO), a consortium of companies “dedicated to advancing fair and effective regulations for the deployment, operation and decommissioning of floating nuclear power.” (In the Verne novel, the inventor and captain of the electric-powered submarine was named Nemo.) Feadship announced in 2020 that it was exploring technology that would lead to “carbon-neutral yachting” and has now revealed a concept for a nuclear-powered ship called Relativity.

            The company has been on the cutting edge of yacht tech for a while. Last year, it designed and built a 390-foot yacht named Breakthrough, the first superyacht to be powered entirely by hydrogen. The original owner was billionaire Bill Gates, who never took possession; he has it on the market for $645 million.

            The technology is certainly ready to go, considering that the Navy has been sailing nuclear vessels for more than 70 years. What’s holding everything up? Lloyd’s Register says it comes down to “public perception and politics.” Issues like robust safeguards and disposal of spent fuel, acceptable radiation dose limits for crew and environmental issues are challenges, too. “Will countries allow nuclear-powered yachts into their territorial waters, allow them to berth in their marinas, allow them to be serviced and refueled?” While these are legitimate concerns, it’s not hard to imagine protestors lining the docks holding signs that reference Three Mile Island and Chernobyl.

            Despite those obstacles, work is proceeding on nuclear propulsion systems for yachts, and potential buyers are lining up. These would have to be large ships, 350-footers or longer, but we should see them sailing by 2030. The fact that these are zero-emission propulsion systems means that shipbuilders are taking a “when, not if” attitude toward nuclear power. The Lloyd’s report put it this way: “The potential benefits of extended range, high power output, environmental sustainability, and technological prestige make nuclear-powered yachts an intriguing and possibly transformative project. The maritime industry may very well enter a new era where yachts are powered by the boundless energy of the atom.”

            It’s always a “wow” moment when science fiction becomes reality. While you might be able to sail on a nuclear yacht soon (if you know the right people), conventional cruise ships are waiting for you right now. We’re already making reservations for 2027 sailings, so don’t wait to book yours. Give us a call!

Sue Tindell