Solitude One, a 52-meter (171 foot) steel-hulled merchant vessel, was transformed into a stunning diving yacht. She is now offering 7 & 10 day programs diving the best of Palau.
A word from Dom : “The transformation of this vessel from her life as the very popular, but very basic, Big Blue, to her new incarnation as the luxurious Solitude One, has been an incredible success. She now spends part of the year in Palau and part in the Philippines. I haven’t been out to visit her since her make-over but our clients bring home glowing words of praise.” Dominick Macan
1 main deck DOUBLE stateroom
king size bed, day bed & picture windows
1 main deck TWIN stateroom
2 twin beds (adjacent) & picture windows
3 lower deck DOUBLE staterooms
one with king bed & two with queen beds
3 lower deck TWIN / DOUBLE staterooms
queen bed + twin bunk & port windows
1 lower deck TWIN stateroom
2 twin bunk beds
1 lower deck QUAD cabin
2 bunk style twin beds + 2 adjacent twin beds & port windows
All are en-suite & have individually controlled air conditioning & ample storage.
up to 4 dives per day all from the dive tenders
12L & 15L alu tank (15L at extra cost)
(DIN valves / adapters available)
scuba gear rental (by advance request)
nitrox available
rebreather support (on full charters only)
water temperature: 78 – 82F, 25 – 28C … 3mm wetsuit recommended
accommodation & diving
meals, snacks & non-alcoholic beverages
compressed air, tanks, weights & weight belts
Nautilus Lifeline
airport transfers
international & domestic airfare
alcoholic beverages
scuba rental gear (by advance request)
nitrox & rebreather support
park fees & diving permits
This vessel spent years of her life known as Big Blue, a beloved dive liveaboard in the days when there were few liveaboards to choose from … and they were all pretty basic & diving was true adventure. With the advent of more glamorous competition, Blue underwent a complete makeover to become the luxury diving yacht now known as Solitude One.
She offers 10 cabins which can accommodate 22 divers. The huge sun deck offers a partially covered area with lounge chairs for your “lazing about” hours. Just below, on the upper (bridge) deck, you’ll find unique & immensely inviting open-air dining & lounge area which is used for most meals (the exceptions being if weather is inclement). Walk to the forward deck for a soak in the Jacuzzi.
On the main deck, is the cozy & welcoming interior lounge & dining room with reading library and audio-video system, card & board games, plus coffee, tea and water which are available all day. Forward on this deck are two large staterooms, while at the stern you find the substantial dive deck and boat deck space which can also be easily modified for major exploration expeditions. The huge & exceptionally well-furnished camera room is located mid-ship between the lounge & the staterooms. The remaining cabins are all located on the lower deck.
Meals are plentiful and professionally prepared, special needs are happily accommodated given advance notice, and the bar offers an excellent supply of spirits, wines and beers.
International flights will take you to Koror, Palau. Embarkation and airport or hotel pick‐up transfers will begin from 18:00 pm. If you are arriving after midnight on day 1, do not worry, as you will be met on your arrival at the airport by a member of the crew and will be transferred to Solitude One. The distance from the airport to the embarkation point is no more than 30 minutes. If you are staying at a hotel in Koror or Malakal, the crew will communicate with your hotel/resort front desk to inform you of your pick‐up time. Embarkation transfers will stop at 10:00 am on Day 2 as Solitude One will get underway leaving Malakal Harbour.
At the end of your trip, after a full breakfast on the final day, you have optional complimentary tours (you will only need to pay for the entry permit fees) of Jellyfish Lake & Milky Way. After the tour, you will return to Solitude One and prepare for check out before a late lunch. Disembarkation will be by 17:00 pm (dinner is not included on this day.
DIVING SKIFFS, AIR, NITROX
DIVE SKIFFS
2 x 11.5m (37ft) Fiberglass Purpose-Built Boats (one with Twin 200HP and the other Twin 150HP 4-stroke Outboard Engines)
PALAU, PHILIPPINES and Ocean Crossings
SUPPORT SKIFF
1 x 8.3m (27ft) Fiberglass Monohull with single 60HP 4-Stroke Engine
AIR COMPRESSORS
3 x Bauer HP Compressor IK120 with Bauer B-Kool 680-s Air Cooler Filtered by P41 Centralized System
NITROX MEMBRANE SYSTEM
LP450 Nitrox Membrane (with redundant LP-Screw compressor)
ENRICHED AIR NITROX DIVING
EANx 28 to 30% Only (This is to provide a more suitable M.O.D for dive sites)
SAFETY EQUIPMENT
Safety is paramount in Solitude’s operations. Besides equipping the vessel to be compliant with GMDSS with Automatic Identification System (AIS), the crew are constantly trained to meet the international marine insurers surveyors standards to execute all the required emergency and non emergency procedures. Diving skiffs are also equipped with first aid kits and medical oxygen (when used for SCUBA activities). In addition, there are additional supplies of both on board Solitude One. The skiffs are high powered and can attain speeds necessary in case the need arises to quickly evacuate to the nearest medical and/or hyperbaric chamber if the boat is close to an available chamber.
USE OF NAUTILUS LIFELINE AIS : Available to use if required/requested (complimentary)
DIVE GUIDES Ratio 1 to 6 Divers (Private Guide Service available** 150USD per Diving Day)
SURFACE MARKER BUOY : complimentary
AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE ON-BOARD Surface Marker Buoy (OPV, SOLAS Reflector), Nautilus Lifeline GPS/VHF Radio (with Pouch), Spools, Dive Pointers, Drift Hooks, O-rings, Hoses and other common replaceable spares.
Solitude One spends part of the year in Palau (October through March) and part of the year in the Philippines (April through September). In Palau, she offers the classic best of Palau trips plus some exciting deep-south exploratory trips. Trips are 7 or 10 days ….
The final itinerary is, of course, always dependent upon weather, sea conditions and where the best animal sightings are at any particular time of year
DIVING HIGHLIGHTS:
Best of Palau itineraries: Aboard Palau Siren, you’ll dive as many of Palau’s beloved sites as time allows. Of course, everyone want to dive Ngemelis Drop Off, which was considered by Jacques Cousteau to be the finest he’d ever experienced. This wall, which is “crawling” with sponges, whip corals, sea fans, anemones and other soft coral species crashes 300 meters virtually straight down. The fish attracted to this behemoth wall tend to be as colorful and dramatic as the wall itself. Then, all around the famous Rock Islands you’ll find coral gardens galore and additional drop-offs … plus caves, swim-throughs, blue holes, marine lakes and even wartime wrecks make thrilling entries in your dive log.
On the barrier reef that circles the area, you’ll find wall dives and drift dives and more Kodak photo opportunities than you can count. The currents here can be swift and sweeping, but they bring the excitement of big schools of fish and pelagics, including tons of jacks, turtles, sharks, manta rays. You’ll also dive Big Drop Off & the Blue Holes (4 holes which merge into one huge cavern) where you find a plethora of pelagic fish species plus plenty of sharks. Plus there’s Blue Corner (more swirling pelagics) and German Channel with its exhilarating drift dives, walls, corals & abundant fish. And most itineraries include exploring at least one WWII wrecks
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