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PBIBS 2026: Support Vessels in Focus at 25 March Seminar
A key seminar at the Palm Beach International Boat Show (PBIBS) on 25 March 2026 will take a closer look at the growing role of support vessels in large yachts. The demand for these vessels is growing faster.
A support vessel (often called a “shadow yacht”) is a secondary boat that travels with a main superyacht to carry equipment, crew, and extra facilities.
Today, more yacht owners are operating multiple vessels - main yachts supported by shadow or support yachts. However, demand for these vessels is now growing faster than the industry can keep up. Limited shipyard capacity, longer build times, and fewer fully custom options are starting to create challenges.
As a result, compromises are becoming more common. Some mothership yachts are taking on extra roles they were not originally designed for. In other cases, helicopter operations and tender storage are driving key design decisions. This can lead to more technical complexity on a single yacht, making operations less clear, reducing safety margins, and limiting flexibility over time.
This session will shift the discussion from a simple question—“Do we need support vessels?”—to a more important one: “Are we designing these fleets in the right way?”
The seminar will be moderated by Alex VonStein, with speakers including Jennifer Johnston Smith, Sam Thompson, Scott Gugel, and Lloyd Bengtson.
Below please watch one of the most well known support vessel. ( Mark Zuckerberg's 80 meter support vessel.)
