Perry
PC-14
“Ulysses”
–
4
Passenger
One-Atmosphere
Observation
Submersible

Perry PC-14 Ulysses Observation Submarine On A Commercial Project

Key Submarine Specifications

Manufacturer:

Perry

Model:

PC14 "Ulysses"

Condition:

new

Maximum Depth:

366 metres

Passenger Capacity:

4

Crew:

1

Dry Weight:

5 tonnes tonnes

Location:

Available for inspection

Price:

POA

The Perry PC14-Ulysses is a privately commissioned one-atmosphere submersible designed for a single owner and built to a specification that places observation quality at the centre of its design. The defining feature is a cylindrical acrylic forward passenger section that provides exceptional panoramic viewing for one pilot and four passengers — a configuration that sets the PC14-Ulysses apart from standard commercial submersibles and makes it a particularly effective platform for underwater filming, scientific research, and private exploration at serious depth.

Rated to 1,200ft (approximately 366 metres), the PC14-Ulysses reaches depths accessible to only a small number of commercially available manned submersibles. The acrylic forward section combines with a steel pressure hull to deliver structural integrity at depth alongside the viewing quality that research and filming operators demand. A six- to eight-hour dive duration supports productive working programmes, and the full life support system provides appropriate safety margin for professional operational use.

Propulsion is provided by main aft drive with vertical and lateral thrusters, giving the manoeuvrability required for close-range observation, station-keeping alongside structures, and precise positioning during filming operations. VHF and underwater communications, GPS navigation, and external lighting complete the operational fit. The PC14-Ulysses was built by Perry Submarine Builders — one of the most respected names in commercial submersible manufacture — and benefits from Perry’s proven engineering heritage across decades of professional submersible operations worldwide.

Silvercrest Submarines has direct operational experience with Perry submersibles, having deployed Perry platforms for filming operations at 780ft off Grand Cayman. This background informs the team’s ability to advise buyers on operational planning, pilot training, support vessel requirements, and deployment logistics. Serious buyers are invited to use the enquiry button on this page — your message will include details of this listing so Silvercrest Submarines can respond promptly with relevant information.

Full Submarine Specifications

  • 366 metres maximum operational depth
  • Cylindrical acrylic forward passenger section: exceptional panoramic viewing for pilot and four passengers
  • 1,200ft (366m) depth rating: accesses a significant range of continental shelf and deep coastal environments
  • One-atmosphere interior: crew and passengers operate at surface pressure throughout the dive
  • Steel pressure hull combined with acrylic forward section: structural integrity with maximum visibility
  • 1 pilot + 4 passengers: larger observer capacity than most two- or three-person commercial submersibles
  • 6–8 hour dive duration: supports productive filming, research, and survey programmes
  • Full life support system: professional safety provision for extended operations
  • Main aft propulsion with vertical and lateral thrusters: full three-axis manoeuvrability
  • VHF and underwater communications: surface and subsurface contact maintained throughout the dive
  • GPS navigation: surface-referenced positioning for research and survey applications
  • External lighting: effective illumination for filming and observation at depth
  • Perry-built: pedigree from one of the most experienced commercial submersible manufacturers
  • Private design (PC14-Ulysses): bespoke specification not replicated in the standard Perry range

Key Features of The Submarine

  • Cylindrical acrylic forward section: panoramic one-atmosphere viewing at 1,200ft — a rare combination in commercially available submersibles
  • 1,200ft (366m) depth rating: access to outer continental shelf, deep reef, wreck, and benthic survey environments
  • 1 pilot + 4 passengers: larger observer capacity than most commercial submersibles at this depth rating
  • One-atmosphere throughout: no decompression on surfacing; no diving qualification required for passengers
  • 6–8 hour dive endurance: productive working day at depth on a single deployment
  • Full three-axis thruster control: precision station-keeping for filming and observation
  • GPS navigation: surface-referenced positioning for research data geo-referencing
  • VHF and underwater communications: continuous surface contact throughout the dive
  • Private Perry commission: bespoke specification not replicated in standard production submersibles
  • Perry engineering heritage: builder of the most operationally proven commercial submersible class in history
  • Silvercrest Submarines: direct Perry operational experience at depth, informed advisory support included

Full Specifications — Perry PC14-Ulysses

  • Passenger Capacity: 4 passengers
  • Crew: 1 pilot
  • Maximum Depth: 1,200ft (approximately 366 metres)
  • Weight (Dry): 5 tonnes
  • Hull: Steel pressure hull with cylindrical acrylic forward passenger section
  • Viewports: Cylindrical acrylic forward passenger section (panoramic); 1 large front viewport; 6 small conning tower viewports
  • Dive Duration: 6–8 hours
  • Life Support: Full life support system
  • Propulsion: Main aft propulsion; vertical thrusters; lateral thrusters
  • Communications: VHF surface communications; underwater communications
  • Navigation: GPS navigation
  • External Lighting: Fitted as standard
  • Builder: Perry Submarine Builders, Riviera Beach, Florida

Key Features of the Perry PC14-Ulysses

  • Cylindrical acrylic forward section: panoramic viewing environment for all five occupants
  • 1,200ft depth rating: access to outer continental shelf, deep reef, and significant wreck environments
  • One-atmosphere operation: no decompression, no diving qualification required for passengers
  • 4-passenger capacity at 1,200ft: rare combination in commercially available submersibles
  • Steel and acrylic hybrid construction: structural depth performance with maximum forward visibility
  • 6–8 hour endurance: productive working day at depth on a single deployment
  • Full thruster suite: aft, vertical, and lateral for precision station-keeping and manoeuvring
  • GPS navigation: surface-referenced positioning for scientific and survey operations
  • VHF and through-water communications: continuous contact with surface support
  • Private Perry commission: bespoke specification combining Perry engineering with high-visibility design
  • Perry-built pedigree: manufacturer with more commercial submersible dives than any comparable builder
Perry PC-14 Ulysses Observation Submarine On The DocksidePerry PC-14 Ulysses Observation SubmarinePerry PC-14 Ulysses Observation Submarine On A Commercial Project

A Private Commission Built for Observation: The Perry PC14-Ulysses at 1,200ft

Most commercial submersibles are designed around a specific working function — inspection, diver lockout, survey, or rescue — with observation as a secondary consideration. The Perry PC14-Ulysses inverts this hierarchy. Commissioned for a private owner and built by Perry Submarine Builders to a bespoke specification, the PC14-Ulysses places the viewing experience at the centre of its design. The cylindrical acrylic forward passenger section provides a quality of panoramic visibility that standard porthole arrangements cannot match, making the interior environment genuinely immersive for all five occupants throughout the dive.

This design decision has significant practical implications for the operators the PC14-Ulysses serves best. Underwater filming teams benefit from a stable, manoeuvrable platform from which multiple camera operators and directors can observe and direct simultaneously, at depths where ambient light still contributes to natural image quality. Scientific researchers gain the ability to conduct extended visual surveys with the kind of situational awareness that transforms data collection quality. Private explorers and expedition clients experience an environment more akin to a manned observation capsule than a conventional submersible interior.

The 1,200ft depth rating extends this observation capability into environments that most commercially available submersibles cannot access. The outer continental shelf, deep reef systems beyond recreational diving range, historically significant shipwrecks, and benthic survey zones are all within operational reach. Combined with the six- to eight-hour dive duration, the PC14-Ulysses can sustain meaningful working time at these depths on a single deployment.

Perry Submarine Builders produced some of the most operationally proven manned submersibles in history. The PC14-Ulysses is not a series-production design — it is a private commission drawing on that engineering heritage — but it carries the construction standards and operational philosophy of a manufacturer whose platforms collectively accumulated more commercial dives than any comparable builder. Serious buyers are invited to use the enquiry button on this page to discuss this vessel with the Silvercrest Submarines team directly.

Design and Construction

The PC14-Ulysses combines a steel pressure hull with a cylindrical acrylic forward passenger section — a configuration that reflects the design brief of its original private owner. Steel provides the structural performance at 1,200ft depth, whilst the acrylic forward section delivers a viewing quality that a conventional steel hull with porthole viewports cannot approach. The integration of the two materials in a single pressure-hull design is an engineering challenge that Perry Submarine Builders — by the time the PC14-Ulysses was commissioned — had the experience and manufacturing capability to execute to the standard required for one-atmosphere operation at depth. The vehicle carries one large front viewport and six small conning tower viewports in addition to the primary acrylic section, providing forward, lateral, and upward situational awareness for the pilot.

Propulsion and Manoeuvrability

The PC14-Ulysses is fitted with main aft propulsion together with vertical and lateral thrusters, providing three-axis control appropriate for the precision demands of filming and research operations. The ability to hold station, adjust attitude, and make controlled lateral movements is essential when working alongside reef structures, wreck features, or benthic survey targets where the relationship between the vehicle and the subject must be maintained precisely for filming or data collection purposes. The thruster configuration reflects Perry’s understanding of what working submersibles require in practice, drawing on the operational experience accumulated across the PC-12 and PC-18 series.

Navigation and Communications

GPS navigation is fitted as standard on the PC14-Ulysses — appropriate for a research and filming platform where surface-referenced positioning supports data geo-referencing and operational coordination with surface support vessels. VHF communications provide surface contact throughout the dive, and underwater communications maintain the link between the submersible and surface teams during submerged operations. External lighting is fitted as standard, providing illumination for filming and observation in environments where ambient light is insufficient at depth.

Life Support

The PC14-Ulysses carries a full life support system consistent with professional one-atmosphere submersible operations. The one-atmosphere environment means crew and passengers experience surface-level atmospheric conditions throughout the dive — no decompression is required on surfacing, and no diving qualification is needed for passengers. This makes the PC14-Ulysses accessible to a broader range of scientific collaborators, filming crew, and private clients than wet diving systems, whilst the depth and endurance capability remain firmly in the professional category.

Market Applications

The PC14-Ulysses is well matched to applications where observation quality, depth capability, and multi-person capacity converge. Underwater filming and documentary production is the most immediate fit — the panoramic acrylic section provides a genuinely different filming environment from standard submersibles, and the 1,200ft depth rating accesses subjects and environments that surface-launched camera systems cannot reach. Natural history documentary production, commercial cinematography, and broadcast journalism operations requiring deep-water human presence are all within scope.

Scientific research is the second principal application. Marine biology, geological survey, benthic ecology, and wreck archaeology all benefit from the combination of extended observation time, multi-observer capacity, and depth range that the PC14-Ulysses provides. Research institutions and universities operating programmes in the 100–366m depth band will find the vehicle’s observer capacity particularly valuable for collaborative fieldwork where multiple scientists need to observe simultaneously and discuss findings in real time during the dive.

Private expedition and exploration use represents a third market. The 1,200ft depth rating and four-passenger capacity, combined with the quality of the viewing environment, make the PC14-Ulysses a credible platform for privately funded exploration programmes, heritage site investigation, and deep-water expedition projects where budget does not extend to a larger research vessel submersible but where depth and professional capability are non-negotiable requirements.

Operational Requirements and Support Vessel Considerations

The PC14-Ulysses requires a support vessel with crane or A-frame capacity appropriate to the vehicle’s five-tonne dry weight, and deck space sufficient for launch and recovery operations. A qualified pilot is required for all operations. Silvercrest Submarines can advise on pilot training routes and qualification requirements, and can draw on direct Perry operational experience to guide buyers through support vessel selection, operational planning, and regulatory considerations applicable to the intended deployment jurisdiction.

Why Choose the Perry PC14-Ulysses

The PC14-Ulysses occupies a specific and relatively uncontested position in the commercial submersible market. The combination of 1,200ft depth rating, four-passenger one-atmosphere capacity, and panoramic acrylic viewing section is not replicated in most commercially available submersibles at this price point. For operators whose primary requirement is sustained, high-quality visual access to deep-water environments — whether for filming, research, or private exploration — the PC14-Ulysses addresses that requirement directly. The Perry engineering heritage and the private-commission specification that shaped this vessel both contribute to a platform with genuine operational credibility for serious professional use.

Why Silvercrest Submarines

Silvercrest Submarines has operated Perry submersibles commercially, including filming work at 780ft off Grand Cayman — direct operational experience of the platform family in the kind of demanding filming application the PC14-Ulysses is well suited to. With over 30 years of submarine and submersible operations spanning research, filming, tourism, and commercial work worldwide, Silvercrest Submarines brings informed consultative support to every sale. Pilot training and maintenance courses can be arranged to support deployment, and the team’s operational knowledge of Perry platforms means buyers receive practical guidance grounded in real experience rather than specification sheets alone.

Next Steps for Interested Buyers

The Perry PC14-Ulysses is available for inspection by serious buyers. Price is POA. Use the enquiry button on this page to contact the Silvercrest Submarines team directly — your message will include details of this listing so we can respond with relevant information promptly. We are happy to discuss operational requirements, inspection arrangements, pilot training options, and support vessel specifications.

This Submarine Is Ideal For:

Underwater Filming and Documentary Production Companies

The PC14-Ulysses is a strong platform for natural history documentary, commercial cinematography, and broadcast production requiring human presence at depth. The panoramic acrylic forward section allows multiple camera operators and directors to observe and direct simultaneously from within a stable, manoeuvrable vehicle at depths beyond the reach of conventional diving. The 1,200ft rating accesses deep reef systems, significant shipwrecks, and benthic environments where the most compelling deep-water footage is often found. Silvercrest Submarines has direct experience deploying Perry submersibles for filming operations, having operated a Perry platform at 780ft off Grand Cayman.

Marine Research Institutions and Universities

Research teams requiring multi-observer access to the 100–366m depth band will find the PC14-Ulysses’ four-passenger capacity and panoramic viewing genuinely valuable. Marine biologists, geologists, benthic ecologists, and archaeologists benefit from the ability to observe collaboratively during the dive, discussing findings in real time within a comfortable one-atmosphere environment. The GPS navigation system supports data geo-referencing, and the six- to eight-hour endurance allows productive survey programmes on a single deployment. The vehicle is accessible to non-diving scientific personnel, broadening the potential research team beyond qualified divers.

Private Expedition and Deep-Water Exploration Operators

Privately funded exploration programmes, heritage site investigations, and deep-water expedition projects that require professional submersible capability without the scale of a full research vessel deployment will find the PC14-Ulysses appropriately specified. The 1,200ft depth rating, four-passenger capacity, and Perry engineering pedigree provide the operational credibility that serious expedition work demands, whilst the vessel’s scale and operational requirements remain manageable for smaller expedition budgets. Silvercrest Submarines can advise on operational logistics, support vessel requirements, and pilot provision for expedition deployments.

Wreck Investigation and Maritime Heritage Organisations

Shipwreck investigation at depths between 100 and 366 metres — a range covering many historically significant wrecks inaccessible to conventional diving — is one of the PC14-Ulysses’ most natural applications. The panoramic acrylic section provides the observation quality needed for detailed wreck recording, whilst the four-passenger capacity allows archaeologists, historians, and documentary crews to dive together, combining expertise in a single operation. The six- to eight-hour endurance supports extended site surveys. Heritage organisations, maritime archaeology institutions, and wreck investigation partnerships are well positioned to make productive use of this platform.

Science Communication and Education Organisations

The one-atmosphere interior and four-passenger capacity make the PC14-Ulysses accessible to educators, journalists, and communicators who need to experience and document deep-water environments without diving qualifications. Science communication organisations, museum expedition programmes, and educational institutions running ocean literacy initiatives will find a vehicle in which non-diving participants can observe deep-water environments directly — an experience that translates into compelling public engagement content. The depth rating ensures access to environments that genuinely convey the scale and character of the deep ocean.

Summary of Core Facts

  • Cylindrical acrylic forward section: panoramic one-atmosphere viewing at 1,200ft — a rare combination in commercially available submersibles
  • 1,200ft (366m) depth rating: access to outer continental shelf, deep reef, wreck, and benthic survey environments
  • 1 pilot + 4 passengers: larger observer capacity than most commercial submersibles at this depth rating
  • One-atmosphere throughout: no decompression on surfacing; no diving qualification required for passengers
  • 6–8 hour dive endurance: productive working day at depth on a single deployment
  • Full three-axis thruster control: precision station-keeping for filming and observation
  • GPS navigation: surface-referenced positioning for research data geo-referencing
  • VHF and underwater communications: continuous surface contact throughout the dive
  • Private Perry commission: bespoke specification not replicated in standard production submersibles
  • Perry engineering heritage: builder of the most operationally proven commercial submersible class in history
  • Silvercrest Submarines: direct Perry operational experience at depth, informed advisory support included

Additional Information

Design Philosophy: Observation First

The PC14-Ulysses was designed for a private owner with observation quality as the primary requirement. The cylindrical acrylic forward section is a significant engineering decision — it provides a viewing environment fundamentally different from the standard porthole-based arrangements of most commercial submersibles. All five occupants benefit from the panoramic forward visibility that the acrylic section delivers, making the PC14-Ulysses a credible platform for underwater natural history filming, geological survey, wreck investigation, and private scientific programmes where what can be seen from inside the vehicle directly determines the value of each dive.

Depth Capability and Operational Range

At 1,200ft (366m), the PC14-Ulysses reaches depths that cover the majority of commercially interesting continental shelf environments. This depth range encompasses the outer continental shelf, deep reef systems, many significant shipwreck sites, and a wide range of benthic research environments. The six- to eight-hour dive duration provides practical working time at depth for filming, survey, and research operations. The combination of depth capability, observer capacity, and panoramic viewing makes the PC14-Ulysses relevant to a broader range of professional applications than its private-commission origins might suggest.

Perry Submarine Builders: Engineering Heritage

Perry Submarine Builders, based in Riviera Beach, Florida, produced some of the most operationally proven commercial submersibles ever built. The PC-12 and PC-18 series accumulated more dives than any comparable class of submersible in history, and Perry platforms established the engineering standards that defined commercial manned submersible operations from the 1960s through the 1980s. The PC14-Ulysses is a private commission rather than a series-production design, but it benefits directly from Perry’s accumulated engineering experience and the materials, construction standards, and operational philosophy that underpinned the company’s broader commercial range.

Silvercrest Submarines and Perry Operations

Silvercrest Submarines has operated Perry submersibles commercially, including filming operations at 780ft off Grand Cayman. This operational experience is directly relevant to buyers evaluating the PC14-Ulysses — the team can advise on support vessel requirements, pilot qualification, operational planning, and the practical logistics of deploying a Perry platform on commercial and scientific programmes. Pilot training and maintenance support can be arranged to accompany any sale, ensuring buyers have the operational foundation needed to deploy the vehicle effectively from the outset.

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