Much has been written about the 180-foot Amels Gene Machine and its support vessel, the 182-foot Damen Gene Chaser. They’re both owned by Jonathan Rosenberg, a geneticist who found himself doing so much research aboard the Amels during family vacations that he added the support yacht as a floating laboratory. It’s the real deal: During the pandemic, a home test to detect Covid-19 was developed on board.
Now, both yachts have been listed for sale with broker Merle Wood at Merle Wood & Associates. The asking price for Gene Machine is about $36.7 million, while the asking price for Gene Chaser is about $26.9 million.
The yachts are available separately or together.
Gene Machine is a 2013 build that accommodates as many as 14 guests in five staterooms along with 16 crew in separate quarters, and that most recently was refitted in 2019. The hull is steel, and power is a pair of MTU 16V 2000 M70 diesels. Cruising speed, according to Merle Wood, is 13 knots with a top hop of 15.5 knots.
Rosenberg has demonstrated Gene Machine’s ability to cruise in remote destinations, including the polar region. Part of his work involves looking for plants and living organisms that might provide helpful genetic elements, so being in remote destinations was simply part of the cruising plans in addition to hanging out with family or friends in destinations such as the Bahamas.
Gene Chaser is a 2020 build that can accommodate eight guests with seven crew and four additional staff. It also has a steel hull, with power from quadruple Caterpillar 3512C TA diesels. Cruising speed is 10 knots with a maximum speed of 20 knots, the brokerage house says.
Damen builds support yachts like Gene Chaser for a wide variety of uses. They can be outfitted with full diving setups including decompression chambers, set up to carry all kinds of configurations of tenders and submersibles, and more. Originally, Damen built Gene Chaser on spec. Rothberg wanted the support vessel outfitted with a molecular biology laboratory that has 3D printers and a machine shop. Among other things, that meant Damen’s team had to convert the main deck lounge into a wet and dry lab.
In interviews, Rothenberg has likened Gene Machine to operating similar to a Four Seasons, while Gene Chaser operates more akin to a Holiday Inn Express in that it welcomes people like occasional visiting scientists on board.
Could future owners outfit Gene Chaser in other ways? Absolutely. Other variations on Damen’s support yachts suggest all kinds of possibilities.
Take the next step: contact sales broker Merle Wood at merlewood.com
