Alia Yachts Launches 36m Support Ship PHI Phantom

A new, ‘mould-breaking’ support ship PHI Phantom has been launched by Alia Yachts. Part of the Phi Project, PHI Phantom features a striking in-house design with exterior styling by Cor D Rover and naval architecture by Van Oossanen.

This sleek, muscular new support ship has been built to cross oceans carrying the tenders and toys that the mothership has no garage to stow. The combination of Alia Yachts’ metalworking skills, striking design by Cor D Rover, and naval architecture by Van Oossanen has culminated in an exciting and all-action addition to the waters. Phantom is destined to support the custom superyacht PHI by Royal Huisman, and reflects many elements of the mothership’s design. 

“The owner of PHI Phantom is really detail-oriented, and he has been very involved with every element of the build,” explains Gökhan Çelik, President of Alia Yachts. “He trusted us to deliver on a demanding brief, but we have certainly matched and, I hope, surpassed his expectations for this unique support vessel. In particular, the aluminium bending and precision welding was a major challenge.”

The hull was to have no fairing to finish it, so the plates had to be very accurately bent in three dimensions, then welded without creating the slightest distortion. It is flawlessly painted in exactly the same matt blue-grey as the mothership. She also shares the horizontal grille work at the bow and echoes the swooping shearline of the larger vessel. 

“As far as we’re aware, this is the first support ship that’s been built with shared aesthetic DNA from the mothership,” says owner’s rep and skipper of PHI Phantom Guy Booth, who followed the whole project through to completion. “She looks like a mini PHI; a sibling. The team at Alia have has the opportunity to build something really cool, and the passion from them has been great. They really dig it!”

PHI Phantom is built to cross oceans carrying the tenders and toys that her mothership has no garage to stow. The key to this is her 9m HS Marine crane capable of listing 5.5 tonnes out of the water and onto the vast 150 square-metre aft deck. It has more than enough power to handle the 14m gentleman’s tender currently taking shape at Spirit Yachts, as well as the Axopar 37 Suntop. 

The support ship is a significant technological achievement, with advanced systems from pumps and piping to hydraulics and electrics, all designed to be as bombproof as possible. Her Fast Displacement Hull Form by Van Oossanen and twin Cat C-32 engines give PHI Phantom a range of 4,200 nautical miles at 12 knots cruising speed. She will reach 21 knots at top speed, matching the mothership. 

The interior is designed to be as functional as possible, while there are berths for up to six crew (although she is classified for handling by just three). Extra on-board space allows for one of the cabins to be designated as a guest cabin, with a little more volume and a desk. “There’s a beautiful galley on board and an enormous crew mess area,” adds Booth. 

“When PHI Phantom does begin her adventures, she will represent one of the most robust and stylish support vessels ever built,” says Çelik. “Alia Yachts is incredibly proud to have brough this new project to life, which showcases our incredibly high standards of craftsmanship and finish.”

We can expect to see PHI Phantom on her adventures in the very near future, as she is undergoing her final sea-trials now and will be delivered to her owner in June.