| U-Boat Worx | |
| Type: | Private |
| Founder: | Bert Houtman |
| Location: | Breda, The Netherlands |
| Products: | Crewed submersibles |
| Num Employees: | 70+ |
U-Boat Worx is a Dutch private submersible manufacturer based in Breda, the Netherlands.
U-Boat Worx delivers crewed submersibles for private use, and has focused primarily on the superyacht, cruise ship, and leisure/tourism markets.
The company maintains that "U-Boat Worx" is derived from "underwater boat”, referring to the "boat-like handling" that was distinctive in the original designs[1] and is not a reference to the German U-boats employed by Germany in the First and Second World Wars.
U-Boat Worx produces a range of versatile subs for all underwater activities, including the flagship model that can dive to 3,000 meters (9,845 feet).[2]
Following a successful career in the software industry that culminated in the Stock Exchange listing of Houtman's company, Exact Software,[3] Houtman sought to buy a personal submarine for his own use.
To his surprise, he discovered that submersibles were the exclusive domain of military or institutional scientific users. Houtman, sensing a market opportunity, teamed up with a Canadian inventor, Peter Mitton,[4] who had pioneered a small one person Sub (C – Quester),[5] which provided the template for what was to follow. The partnership with Mitton ended in 2005.
U-Boat Worx was founded by Houtman in 2005.
2013 – Vladimir Putin dives wreck of the sunken flagship frigate of the Russian Tzar, which was sank in the Baltic Sea in 1869.[6]
2015 – First Private Submarine on a Cruise Ship
2016 – The Russian Geographical Society, together with the Expeditionary Center of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, used U-Boat Worx submersibles in search and rescue operations at the site of the fall of the Tu-154 in Sochi.[7]
2017 – Crystal Esprit and Genting Dream cruise ships take delivery of a U-Boat Worx submersibles.[8]
2020 – U-Boat Worx announces 'Nemo' submarine, billed as the first production submarine in the world.[9]
2021 – U-Boat Worx unveils high-speed submersible model, the SuperSub.[10]
MANTA Controller – to allow for supervised passenger steering U-Boat Worx developed the MANTA Controller. The pilot can hand over the controller to an untrained guest to let them navigate, under supervision.
MARLIN Controller – To make launch and recovery of the submersible easy and safe, U-Boat Worx developed the MARLIN Controller. This controller allows for wireless control and navigation on the surface without having a person inside the submarine.
U-Boat Worx was the first submarine manufacturer who applied lithium-ion batteries in her submarines with classification by DNV GL.
Pressure-tolerant battery technology – U-Boat Worx developed a pressure-tolerant battery system with an increased capacity of 350% when compared to lead-acid batteries used in non-U-Boat Worx submersibles. The technology has been tested to 13,000 feet and stores a total of 62 kWh on compact battery modules.