Yacht support vessel
Yacht support vessels, also known as a shadow yacht or shadow vessel, are specialized ships which provide support and auxiliary functions for large sailing and motor yachts.
Design features
In general yacht support vessel are outfitted to support a specific megayacht mothership with their own features tailored to compliment or match those of the main vessel. Support yachts are normally intended to carry the "toys" of the super rich, whether they be a rigid inflatable boat, a fishing boat, luxury yacht tender, jet-ski or submersible.A helipad is a common feature, especially when supporting sailing yachts which do not have their own landing pad.
Some yacht support vessels are designed to support their owner's scientific research.