Project Tanzanite Sea Trials coming up.

Amels’ Largest-Ever Full Custom Project Enters Sea Trials: “Project Tanzanite” Takes to the Waves

Project Tanzanite 120m / 393.7ft: Credit Damen Yachting

Scheveningen / Brussels, October 2025 – Damen Yachting has confirmed that Project Tanzanite, the 120-metre Amels Full Custom superyacht, has officially commenced sea trials — marking a major milestone in what will be the largest Amels Full Custom yacht to date.

This pivotal development underlines Damen’s confidence in the engineering, naval architecture, and systems integration that have gone into the build. According to the yard, over the next year more than 1,000 specialists employed or contracted through Damen’s global network will continue to contribute to her outfitting and completion, slated for 2026.

A New Benchmark for Amels’ Full Custom Line

Though Damen and Amels have built ever-larger vessels over the years, Project Tanzanite appears to push the boundaries of what the Dutch group considers “Full Custom.” At 120 metres in length, this project surpasses earlier benchmarks in size, systems complexity, and owner expectations. The yard’s decision to highlight this as the “largest Amels Full Custom yacht ever built” is a strong statement of ambition and capability.

It also raises questions about the design trade-offs: weight, propulsion, structural integrity, redundancy, and systems integration all compound in complexity at this scale. Sea trials will be the first real test of how the build philosophy holds up under open-water conditions.

What to Watch During Trials

Sea trials always bring surprises. For Tanzanite, some of the critical parameters to observe include:

• Speed & performance envelope: Whether the yacht meets or exceeds its contractual speed targets (especially in varied sea states).

• System endurance & redundancy checks: Power plant, auxiliaries, HVAC, stabilisation, and navigation systems will all be pushed to their limits.

• Noise, vibration & harshness (NVH): Larger yachts are under more scrutiny from owners and charterers regarding acoustic comfort — the transition from dock to sea is key.

• Maneuverability & control: Docking, turning circles, zero-speed stabilisers (if applicable) and thrusters offer an insight into how well the naval architecture and propulsion scheme were executed.

• Compliance & certification: Classification surveyors must approve systems, safety, fire protection, watertightness, etc. Any delays or objections at this stage may ripple into the final handover timeline.

  
  

Given the size, the trials may be drawn out, with incremental testing phases before full-speed runs or endurance legs.

Implications for the Market & for Damen

From a market perspective, Project Tanzanite demonstrates Damen’s intention to compete more aggressively at the ultra-large end of the custom superyacht sector. It signals to potential owners (or even to the peer yards) that Amels is not content staying within “signature” or semi-custom lines — it wants to play in the top tier of customised megayachts.

This also means heightened risk: large custom projects are notorious for cost overruns, delays, and teething technical problems. The yard’s ability to manage the supply chain, interface among systems suppliers, and maintain build quality across such scale will be tested.

Operationally, the successful sea trials (and eventual delivery) will enhance Damen’s credentials for future large-scale commissions. If Tanzanite is delivered on time, within spec, and with reliability, she may become a flagship reference that can be leveraged for further orders or extensions of Damen’s superyacht ambitions. Link to Damen's statement