OCEANCO TO PRESENT DRAAK AT FORT LAUDERDALE INTERNATIONAL BOAT SHOW 2026
Oceanco will present the 92.9m / 305ft Draak at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show (FLIBS), taking place from 28 October to 1 November 2026. Her appearance follows her attendance at the Monaco Yacht Show alongside companion yacht Leviathan.
Originally delivered in 2014, Draak returned to Oceanco’s Zwijndrecht facilities for an extensive rebuild designed to give the yacht an entirely new operational purpose. Formerly known as Equanimity and Tranquility, she was selected as the ideal platform to support scientific research and marine exploration as part of the Inkfish fleet.
The transformation brought together Oceanco’s Life Cycle Support and Design teams, Co-makers and owner representatives YTMC, Y.CO and Inkfish, alongside the crews of Draak and Leviathan. Drawing on Oceanco’s original design and engineering data, the team integrated extensive structural modifications and new systems into the existing yacht platform.
Reimagined for exploration and research rebuilt as a companion yacht, Draak complements Leviathan while significantly expanding the fleet’s capacity to support exploration and scientific research. With the two yachts conceived to operate together, both project teams worked closely to align onboard functionality and facilitate seamless operations across the fleet.
Like Leviathan, Draak was developed with a strong focus on the people who live and work onboard. “Leviathan and Draak represent the second generation of our thinking about the community onboard and how we can optimize the vessels to serve them and achieve their goals,” says owner Gabe Newell. “I’ve always found it useful to think about the individuals you’re involved with and how your actions impact them. It’s a funny way of talking about a yacht, and one of the ways Oceanco had to adapt to what I was asking for as an owner.”
This philosophy extends to the fleet’s approach to crew employment and long-term wellbeing.
“We’re designing a program that is the best program for people for the long term professionally, for their wellbeing and for their families,” Newell adds. “We’re building something where people are going to be better off in multiple dimensions.”
Crew members were closely involved throughout the rebuild, with their operational experience informing decisions ranging from onboard spaces and ergonomics to materials and working practices.
The interior was upgraded by Vedder to accommodate Draak’s new functionality while encouraging greater interaction between guests and crew. The former main saloon has been transformed into a shared dining room, while the upper deck saloon is now a Chef’s Lab, providing a dedicated setting for intimate dining, menu development and chef training.
Accommodation was also adapted and expanded to include an owner’s stateroom and eight guest cabins.
“One of my favorite spaces onboard is the communal mess, where we all eat,” says Newell. “It’s very much the heart of the vessel always lively and buzzing and just a fun place to be. It has the energy of a really good neighborhood café or bar.”
First decompression chamber onboard an Oceanco yacht one of the most significant examples of Oceanco’s Life Cycle Support capabilities is the transformation of Draak’s former beach club and spa into a fully equipped dive center.
In addition to specialist diving equipment and a medical treatment room, the new facility incorporates the first decompression chamber to be installed onboard an Oceanco yacht.
Developed in collaboration with specialist manufacturer Hytech-Pommec, the six-person chamber supports both oxygen and Heliox decompression procedures through an integrated Built-In Breathing System (BIBS). This enables Draak to support deeper diving activities for which oxygen-only decompression would not be suitable.
Integrating such a highly specialized system into an existing yacht presented a significant engineering challenge. Rather than creating a new opening in Draak’s structure, the chamber was custom-built around the dimensions of the existing access route to the dive center.
Its profile was redesigned to reduce overall height, while windows, pipework and other components were repositioned to accommodate the available onboard space. A dedicated rail system was subsequently developed to maneuver the chamber onboard with only millimeters of clearance.
The chamber’s appearance and occupant experience received the same level of attention. Its control panel layout, exterior paint finish, seating, upholstery and interior details were customized, together with an integrated entertainment system.
The result combines the safety and operational capabilities required for deep diving with the finish and comfort expected onboard an Oceanco yacht.
“Achieving a yacht-quality exterior preparation and paint finish on a decompression chamber was new territory,” says Ozkan Sag, Engineering Manager at Oceanco. “Hytech-Pommec embraced our requirements and remained flexible throughout the process, allowing us to deliver a highly specialized piece of equipment that feels fully integrated into Draak.”
Extensive structural and operational upgrades the rebuild also involved significant structural modifications to support Draak’s new role.
The upper deck aft helideck was removed to create the necessary clearance for a dedicated tender operations area on the main deck aft. The new configuration accommodates Draak’s dive boat Scylla, RIB tender Minotaur, a Nautique Paragon sports tender and two Ribeye SOLAS rescue tenders.
Custom lifting systems and heavy-duty cranes were installed to ensure safe and flexible handling of tenders and specialist equipment.
A 12.6-tonne Van Driel jib crane, offering an 11m / 36ft outreach, was installed on the upper deck aft. A custom-designed C-davit system featuring twin 6.7-tonne units was installed on the main deck and represents the largest system of its kind produced by Van Driel.
Modular chocks provide additional flexibility for containerized transport and compatibility across the wider fleet.
The swim platform was also extended to incorporate an extendable boarding platform and retractable fender system, increasing Draak’s overall length by just over one meter.
Extending the life and capabilities of existing yachts Oceanco’s Life Cycle Support offering spans maintenance and refit services through to complex rebuilds, upgrades and lifetime extensions. The team works closely with owners to adapt existing yachts in response to evolving ambitions, operational requirements and technologies.
“Draak demonstrates what can be achieved by rethinking an existing yacht platform for an entirely new operational purpose,” says Edwin Schneider, Life Cycle Support Project Manager at Oceanco.
“By combining original build knowledge with operational insight and close collaboration across all stakeholders, we have created a yacht that offers greater operational versatility while enhancing onboard capabilities for research, exploration and extended cruising.”
Alongside its Life Cycle Support activities, Oceanco specializes in the construction of fully custom yachts up to 150m, applying the same collaborative approach and technical expertise to both new-build and existing yacht projects.
Draak will be on display at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show from 28 October to 1 November 2026, showcasing how a comprehensive rebuild can transform an existing superyacht into a highly specialized platform for research, exploration and extended operations.
