Indratus emerges from extensive refit as Inkfish fleet support vessel

Fog parts to reveal a 72-metre expedition platform, her grey hull and white superstructure clean lines against the mist. The vessel is Indratus, formerly known as Game Changer when Damen Yachting delivered her in 2017 as one of two Sea Axe 6911 models designed entirely in house. She has now emerged from Oceanco’s refit facility in Zwijndrecht following an extensive programme that combined her mandatory 10-year class survey with comprehensive upgrades and modifications orchestrated by the shipbuilder’s Life Cycle Support team.

The transformation marks her formal transition into Gabe Newell’s Inkfish fleet, a collection of vessels built around deep ocean exploration and scientific work. She joins the 111-metre Leviathan and the 93-metre Draak, both Oceanco built, as a dedicated support platform. Her steel hull and aluminium superstructure, now dressed in a contemporary grey and white profile accented by a bright blue bootstripe, carry the signature purposefulness of expedition vessels; the helicopter hangar below deck remains intact, capable of securing aircraft up to 14 metres in length.

Indratus began her working life equipped with everything needed for diving operations and cold water research. Her exterior had already been extended by three metres during an earlier refit, bringing her to her current 72-metre length and creating a larger swim platform and heated beach club optimised for both submersible operations and polar expeditions. The work undertaken was shaped by actual expedition mileage rather than theoretical ideas about how an explorer might eventually be used. Now, with her refit complete and sea trials underway, she sails as both workhorse and companion to Leviathan and Draak, carrying the scientific ambitions of an owner who has chosen vessels over destinations, using steel and diesel to reach the waters where research matters most. Delivery is anticipated before the year’s end.

Imagery courtesy of Oceanco (@oceancoyacht).