COMEX Submarine For Sale

The Deepstar submarine is the world's only Tourist sub with an all acrylic pressure hull.   It seats 45 passengers and was ABS classed to dive to depths of 260 feet.   The sub was built is 1992 by Comex, SA in Marseille, France.   She is capable of making 10 one-hour dives per day to depths of 260 feet.

The sub made 3200 incident dives before being laid up for business reasons here in Freeport, Bahamas where she has sat out of the water for some years. 

She requires a major refit which is estimated to cost between $1.75-$2.5 million dollars.   The replacement value is between $5-$7 million.   

Deepstar Tourist Submarine Specs.   
Overall Length: 19.27 m
Overall Height: 6.16 m
Overall Beam: 4.14 m
Weight in Air: 91 T

Description:   The Deepstar is a 45-passenger tourist submarine with a unique pressure hull composed of polymethyl methacrylate (acrylic plastic) which provides passengers with panoramic viewing.   The submarine was built in 1992 and is classed +A1 Manned Submersible by the American Bureau of Shipping.   The certified diving depth is 80 meters.   The submarine is electric powered with batteries stored in external one-atmosphere pods and motive force derived from 10kW brushless DC electric thruster motors.   

The submarine has made approximately 3200 dives through its operating history and has 15-20 years of remaining useful life after refit.
 

Certification - ABS A1 Operating depth - 100 m Passengers - 45 Crew - 2 Length - 19 m Beam - 4 m Pressure hull diameter - 2.2 m Draft - 3.1 m Weight in air - 90 tons Side viewports - acrylic cylinders Bow viewports - 2.2 m. Maximum surface speed - 3 knots Submerged cruise speed - 1 knot Maximum submerged speed - 3 knots Main thrusters - 2 x 7.5 KW Vertical thrusters - 2 x 7.5 KW Bow thruster - 1 x 7.5 KW Stern thruster - 1 x 7.5 KW Submerged endurance - 16hours @ 1.5 knots Main oxygen - 7251 @200 bar Main air - 18751@245 bar

Main battery - 240 VDC Emergency battery - 24 VDC Battery capacity - 420 KWH Battery charging time - 10 hours Main ballast capacity - 10,000 kg Variable ballast - 4,000 kg Trim/drop weight - 4,000 kg Normal dive life support - 24 hours for 47 passengers Emergency life support - 72 hours for 47 passengers CO2 absorbent - Sofnolime Air conditioning - 33,000 BTU/hour Compass main - magnetic fluxgate Speed log - digital Depth gauge - digital and analog Active sonar - colour imaging Surface communications - VHF radio Subsurface UWT - 27KHZ

Was built specifically to support the Deepstar operations.

This 85', 95 ton vessel has extraordinary maneuvering capability through two 'Schottel' Drives.   

Freebex Pontoon Support Barge
Overall Length: 26.00 m
Overall Height: 5.80 m
Overall Beam: 10.00 m
Weight in Air: 95 tons

Description:   
The Freebex is a pontoon barge with a hydraulic lift between the pontoons capable of fully lifting the Deepstar submarine from the water.   

Internal space in the pontoons houses equipment and machinery space and spare parts storage plus a workshop and crew area.   

A diesel generator provides electrical power and a second diesel provides power for the hydraulic Schottel drives that are used for slow speed maneuvering in close quarters.   The Freebex also contains the high pressure air compressor, battery chargers and oxygen transfer pump necessary for the operation of the submarine.   

The Freebex was built in 1992 and rebuilt in 1995 when the bridge deck and maneuvering systems were added.  

It has an integrated hydraulic lift for removing the sub from the water and facilitating loading and unloading passengers at sea.   The barge has on board, battery chargers, high and low pressure air compressors, oxygen transfer pump, workspace areas, an electric shop and carries all spares, tools to operate the submarine.

Replace value is between $1.8 - $2.6 million dollars.

Unloaded Draft - 0,700m Loaded Draft - 1,500m Deckboard height when loaded - 1m Height overall - 5,90m weight - 91 tons Hull construction - steel Lifting platform - 19m Lifting platform width - 4,70m Lifting payload - 110 tons Vertical displacement - 4,40m power - Hydraulic

General Equipment Main engine - Cat 3116 (1) Propellers - 2 Schottel SRP 12 Bow Thrusters - 1 electric 15 KW Generator - Perkins 40 KWA Propulsion Hydraulic unit- SAUER 150KW Lifting hydraulic unit HAWE 20 KW SPEED 3 Kts.

The Cat is a high speed passenger transfer vessel built in France in 1995 and powered by twin 3208 350hp cats.   She is LOA- 14m, beam - 6.7m and weighs 16 tons.

It is capable of carrying 90 passengers at speeds of 18kts.   She can carry a load out to the sub and bring the load that just did the dive back in on one trip.

The replacement value of the cat is $525,000 to $800,000.

She is also fitted out with a tow hitch which is used to tow the barge (with sub on lift) out to the dive site.   The Catamaran then leaves the barge which would anchor and prepare the sub while the Cat picks up the first 45 passengers. The Cat would drop the first 45 passengers off to the sub for the first dive then speed back into shore and pick up another 45 passengers, bring them out to the dive site, drop them off for the second dive and bring back to shore the first 45 passengers.

The Cat would run back and forth in this manner until the end of the dive day where it would bring back to shore the last 45 passengers, drop them off and then go back out and tow the barge (with sub onboard) back into shore.   
  
When they get into tight quarters, the Cat drops the tow and the barge maneuvers itself into its slip for the evening.

All three vessels have sat out of the water since 2000.   They all need putting back into service and into class to carry passengers. The refit cost on the sub alone is between $1.75 and $2.5 million.   The package is sold together as one and will not be split so don't put in an offer on the High Speed Cat unless it is for $750,000. We will then dispose of the sub and support barge for you.

Simple;   because you already have or want to start a Tourist Submarine business and have the money to purchase the vessels, bring them up to class and, most importantly, have a location where to run the business.

According to submarine expert L. Bruce Jones of US Subarmines, the most successful tourist submarine operating today has gross revenues of US$1 million per month derived from a single 48-passenger submarine and associated souvenir sales.   Annual net pre-tax revenue from this operation is in excess of $7 million.   The profits are based on a 10-12 dive per day schedule, 330 operating days per year, a 90+% passenger load factor and a ticket price of $95.   While this operation is, indeed, extraordinarily successful, it suffices to illustrate the profit potential of a tourist submarine operating business.   
  
In any location at which a passenger submarine operates, it is notably unique in its ability to capture a significant portion of the tourist arrivals.   In some island locations, over 25% of incoming tourists will enjoy the submarine experience before they depart.

Across the globe, interest in the underwater world is growing rapidly.   Today, travel tourism is the world's largest single employer representing 6% of the world's population and an annual turnover of $2 trillion dollars.   The marine leisure sector is the fastest growing segment of the travel industry, as is evidenced by the success and growth of public and private aquariums and marine parks, the cruise ship industry, seaside destination resorts, harbor and dinner cruises and sport diving.   
  
Tourist submarines constitute the only direct experience that most people will have with the undersea world.   Passengers of any age and physical condition can enjoy a comfortable and safe experience that is so unique it boasts a 95+% satisfaction level.   And after having carried millions of passengers, the industry enjoys a perfect safety record without a single serious injury to any passenger.

Tourist submarines also promote environmental stewardship, for only in seeing and appreciating marine life in its natural setting can people be effectively motivated to act to protect the marine environment.   And tourist submarines themselves are entirely nonpolluting, with battery powered electric thrusters that emit no hydrocarbons or other effluents.   The submarines operate at low speeds and are extraordinarily maneuverable so that they never come in contact with coral reefs or marine life.   In fact, these vehicles are routinely approved to operate in the most ecologically sensitive marine parks and preserves.