Expedition Yachts

There has been a subtle shift in the megayacht market which has created an entirely new breed of luxury yacht and, today, a naval architect specializing in megayachts is just as likely to have the specifications for Canadian Ice Class ships on his bookshelf as he is the usual American Bureau of Shipping or Lloyds requirements.

This seemingly minor change has been a demand for megayachts that actually "do something." For decades, large yachts have been the butt of jokes concerning that fact that many rarely left their moorings and, for some owners, a yacht was used only as a weekend waterfront getaway or as a place for entertaining friends and business acquaintances. "Cocktail barge" and "floating condo" were two of the nicer derogatory terms coined to describe the non-activity of these yachts.

As with any means of transportation — be it a car, airplane or yacht — the needs of the client dictate the design, and yacht owners are clearly leading the charge in yachts for the new millennium. Today's owner, no longer content to just sit in a marina sipping cocktails, is ready to explore areas that were once the domain of Indiana Jones.

As adventure travel has become more popular on land, it should come as no surprise that some owners want to use their yachts for the same purposes on the water.

Today's large yachts are expected to fulfill a mission of cruising with owner and guests, and the calendars of captains, whose major chores were once keeping the varnish gleaming and providing ample hors d'oeuvres, are now filled with destinations worldwide.

Yachts visiting the Amazon are now so common that the natives hardly notice when a huge white yacht glides past, headed upriver. And, while the southern oceans and their capes have always figured prominently in sailors' tales of mountain-sized seas, gale-force winds and menacing icebergs, megayachts are already prowling these waters on a fairly regular basis.

A new breed of tough and capable yachts have been created that are just as comfortable rafting up to icebergs in the Arctic as they are pushing up a steamy jungle river. In spite of the distinctly un-yachtlike lines and an obvious descendancy from commercial offshore vessels, however, the new expedition yachts are only salty on the outside. Inside, they have all the trappings of luxury that you'd expect on a megayacht moored quayside in Monaco or Miami.

Worldwide, yacht designers and builders are creating this new breed of offshore adventurer. For many builders, expedition yachts are a throwback to the Alaskan crabbers or the oil rig supply boats they once built before discovering the yacht market, while others are starting from scratch to create a new world of small ships built to yachting standards. Let's take a look at what's on the drawing boards and already in the water.

Halter Marine Group

Now the fourth largest shipbuilder in the United States, Halter Marine is also the world leader in the design and construction of vessels for the oil rig industry, as well as the actual oil rigs. Under their Trinity Yachts division, the company specializes in megayacht construction and, with the advent of expedition yachts, has brought their considerable resources and offshore experience to bear on this market.

A good example of this is the 94-foot Maloekoe, an expeditionary yacht with the looks of a coastal freighter and the interior of a luxury yacht. The well-deck provides storage for a 14-foot tender, and the main deck is devoted to living areas, with an L-shaped salon that merges with a formal dining area, a large galley with breakfast bar and walk-in pantry, and a separate office.

Accommodations are for eight guests in four staterooms: two with double berths and two with twins. A utility room separates the cabin from the engine compartment, and crew quarters for two are forward with their own lounge and galley. The pilothouse is large and efficient, with a captain's cabin taking up the aft portion of the bridge deck, and a flybridge control console is also located atop the pilothouse.

Cheoy Lee

Drawing on decades of experience building a variety of commercial offshore vessels and oceangoing tugs, Cheoy Lee has combined that knowledge into the Tom Fexas-designed 88-foot Expedition Series motoryacht. With the superstructure set aft, a well-deck forward for tenders, and a dedicated pilothouse with Portuguese walk-around bridge, this yacht is all business with form dictated by function. The round forward hull is typical of a full displacement shape, but it develops chines aft that increase the hull speed and add form stability. With double-bottomed tanks and a hull protected by five watertight compartments, this is a yacht for all seasons.

The accommodations are arranged for an owner and six guests, with the master stateroom aft, a VIP cabin amidships, and a pair of guest cabins forward along with the crew quarters. Aft of the pilothouse is a skylounge and a 20-foot deck area. Standard power will be a pair of Caterpillar 3406E diesels of 800 horsepower each.

The first of the new series is expected to be shown at the 1999 Ft. Lauderdale International Boat Show, and a 66-footer will follow.

Ocean Alexander

Designed with long voyages and extended journeys in mind, the 640 Classico celebrates the 20th anniversary of Alexander Marine. Designed by Ed Monk, the 640 has liveaboard capabilities in a fully customizable interior.

Though Monk first considered a bulb bow, extensive tank testing eliminated the design in favor of one with carefully calibrated prop tunnels and hard chines for stability and efficiency. The result is a hull that can achieve cruising speeds of 10 to 20 knots.

The standard three stateroom layout has a full-beam master stateroom, a VIP cabin forward, and a smaller double cabin to port, all with ensuite heads with showers. The main deck has an open saloon with day head, a well-equipped galley separated by a breakfast bar, and a seamanlike pilothouse with reversed windows and a Portuguese bridge. The flybridge has a large area for entertaining as well as a boat deck for tenders and watertoys.

The result is a yacht with the profile of a workboat and the elegance of a luxury yacht. Built to ABS standards, the 640 Classico can be fitted with diesels from 400 horsepower to 800 horsepower depending on the range and speeds desired.

The Trawler Corporation

This Canadian builder offers the Cape Horn line of 55- foot to 85-foot steel-hulled trawler yachts that are built to exceed ABS commercial fishing boat standards. Built as small ships rather than as yachts, each is nevertheless finished to high standards inside. Of the 13 yachts already built or under construction, one is preparing to explore Antarctica, another will be delivered on her own bottom to Hong Kong, and several others have circumnavigations planned.

Built heavy to yield a gentle motion, the yachts have 3 keel plating, double bottoms, full watertight bulkheads, and offshore windows designed to survive a roll-over. Designed by Bob Johnson, the double-ended and bulbous-bowed design is intended to be completely self-righting.

The first Cape Horn, a 56-footer, had a unique propulsion system using a pair of John Deere 6068D diesels (220 horsepower each) linked to a single Thrustmaster hydraulic Z-drive, allowing either or both engines to be used for main power. The Z-drive is common in the commercial tug industry, since the propeller unit can be turned 360-degrees, giving remarkable control. Combined with the Wesmar bow thruster, the Z-drive allows the Cape Horn to literally move sideways. In addition, the system eliminates the rudder. Standard transmissions linked to shafted props are also available on the Cape Horns.

Layouts can be customized for each owner, but the standard layout provides a full-beam master suite amidships, a forward VIP guest cabin, and a third cabin with a pair of single berths. A utility room can be used for laundry, workshop, or additional storage or freezers. The main saloon has a dining and lounge area plus the galley, and the wheelhouse has a pilot berth for long trips.

Delta Marine

A good example of a company that made the transition from building commercial fishing vessels to luxury yachts, Delta is now drawing on that earlier experience with Affinity, a 151-footer destined for a 7000 mile maiden voyage to attend the America's Cup Races off New Zealand. Rugged and seamanlike, her lines are the result of a collaboration between Ron Holland and Delta's in-house design team, using the same hull mold as Delta's 1996 yacht Sally Ann.

Owned by a successful racing yachtsman, Affinity will eventually be used as a "mother ship" for his worldwide sailing program, so the yacht has been designed for elegance, practicality and passagemaking. The simple and light interior was created by Ardeo Design, with the owner's suite using the full beam on the main deck forward, including an adjoining office. The lower level has four guest staterooms, while the captain has a cabin off the pilothouse and skylounge. The spacious boat deck can carry a 28-foot tender or serve as a helipad. With twin Caterpillar 3508TA diesels (1000 horsepower), Affinity will cruise at 12 knots and have a top speed of 15 knots.

A pure expedition yacht from Delta is Princess Gloria, a 108-footer with the high bow of a North Pacific crabber and a range of more than 6500 nautical miles. With a bulb bow to soften pitching and reduce drag, the yacht uses a pair of 624 horsepower Cat diesels to cruise at 13 knots. Also on the boards at Delta is an 120-foot expedition yacht with truly exotic styling.

Vitters Shipyard

In just nine years, this Dutch builder has produced a wide spectrum of custom yachts in both power and sail, including the 122-foot Dardanella that was based loosely on traditional offshore well-deck trawlers and which Vitters labels a research yacht. To balance the rugged exterior, Vitters was able to tread a fine line and create a truly luxurious interior for the owner, eight guests and six crew.

One of the special features of Dardanella is the variety of outside spaces, with some used for relaxing or dining, while the vast well-deck not only carries a pair of tenders but can double as an entertainment area. The tenders are handled by a 2.3 ton crane with the boom controlled by hydraulic rams.

With an aluminum hull to Lloyds scantlings, the yacht weights 211 tons and, with twin Caterpillar 3406 diesels (450 horsepower), has a top speed of 13.5 knots. Another feature of Dardanella is her quietness, with extensive use of vibration reducing materials and insulation in the machinery spaces to achieve a remarkable silence in the living areas.

Palmer Johnson

There is probably no better definition of an expedition yacht than Turmoil, the 151-footer from this prestigious Wisconsin yard. In the first year after her launching in 1996, she covered more than 18,000 miles including two transatlantic crossings as far east as Croatia, north to Greenland, and south to the Amazon.

Drawing on the lines of ocean-going tugs and built of aluminum to the design of Dick Boon of Vripack International, the yacht has many of the systems you'd expect on a 1000-footer, including a highly sophisticated hydraulic system and water ballast tanks to compensate for the use of her 25,800 gallon fuel capacity. Interestingly enough, with her tremendous range, Turmoil only had to refuel once during her long maiden voyage. With complete redundancy, Turmoil can remain self-sufficient for months at a time, and even has an airtight dry goods pantry that can be sealed and flooded with CO2 gas to kill most of the bacteria and viruses from stores brought on board.

The finely finished cherry and French walnut interior has accommodations for 12 in the owner's party, including a master suite that takes up the entire upper deck. The main deck is spacious, with a formal dining room, library with hundreds of volumes, and immense saloon.

With a pair of Cat 3508s (800 horsepower), Turmoil has a top speed of over 15 knots and a 10,000 mile range at 12 knots. The wheelhouse is arranged with a freestanding console, giving access to the electronics as well as the forward windows. The crew quarters and galley are arranged so that the crew has private access without disturbing the guests.

Camper & Nicholsons

Designed by Bill Dixon as a semi-production yacht to be built in aluminum to Lloyds scantlings, this 100-foot exploration yacht is intended to be capable of transoceanic crossings in a high level of comfort and safety.

The interior is spread over three decks, with a look of timeless elegance in yacht-quality solid joinery. The owner's suite is located forward on the main deck with a sitting area and walk-in closet, while the galley, formal dining area and saloon take up the remainder of the main level. Four guest cabins--two with queen berths and two with singles--are on the lower level along with the crew quarters. The upper deck has the pilothouse with a Portuguese bridge, a spacious boat deck, and a skylounge/study area.

Power will be a pair of 445 horsepower Cat 3408 diesels which, with 8000 gallons of fuel, will give a 4000 mile range to the unnamed yacht.

Northrop Pacific

The Northern Song yachts are called by this Pacific Northwest builder, "ocean adventure trawlers" and, built in steel, they will be offered through Fraser Yachts Worldwide.

With the distinctive high-bowed look of a North Pacific crabber, these 82-footers are built as small ships with yacht quality interiors of Honduras mahogany. The standard arrangement puts the master suite forward in the raised bow, and has four identical guest cabins amidships on the lower level, each with ensuite heads. The main deck has the galley with breakfast bar, a comfortable saloon, and an aft deck dining area. The bridge deck has the pilothouse with lounge and a boat deck for tenders.

Standard power is a pair of 3412 Cats, and fuel capacity is 8000 gallons.

Troy Marine

This Turkish builder has entered the exploration yacht market with the Peer Gynt 76, a 78-footer with a hull and superstructure built of cold-molded wood and epoxy. Designed by Steve Seaton and with a luxurious interior by Riza Tansu, the yacht makes use of exotic woods such as iroko, khaya, mahogany and Burmese teak for a luxurious yacht finish.

Accommodations include a master suite and three guest cabins plus crew quarters on the lower deck. The split level main deck has a spacious pilothouse and lounge on the upper level and the galley (built by Boffi of Italy) and saloon aft. A flybridge provides a helm for fair weather use, and the boat deck carries a pair of inflatable tenders.

Powered by a pair of MAN 2866 (340 horsepower) diesels, the first yacht has a top speed of 12.5 knots and, at 10.5 knots, a range of 2400 nautical miles.

Swiftships

From this builder of commercial craft comes a planned 148-foot Exploration Motor Yacht which will be built to military standards with the emphasis on full autonomy in remote regions.

Full redundant systems mark this unusual yacht, which uses a trio of Cummins KTA-38 diesels and Hamilton waterjets to keep the draft to just 5'8" for exploring shallow waters. The yacht will carry a 41' custom sportfishing boat as well has have landing and refueling capability for a medium-sized helicopter. Top speed is estimated at 24 knots, and the range at 12 knots will be 5000 miles.

Pacific Asian Enterprises

This company built a reputation with their line of Mason long-range sailing yachts and entered the fiberglass trawler market with the rugged Nordhavn 46 in the early 1990s.

With immediate success, the fleet has expanded with 57- and 62-footers, and an 80-footer is on the drawing boards of Jim and Jeff Leishman. Nordhavns have already completed dozens of circumnavigations.

Halter Marine Group

Now the fourth largest shipbuilder in the United States, Halter Marine is also the world leader in the design and construction of vessels for the oil rig industry, as well as the actual oil rigs. Under their Trinity Yachts division, the company specializes in megayacht construction and, with the advent of expedition yachts, has brought their considerable resources and offshore experience to bear on this market.

A good example of this is the 94-foot Maloekoe, an expeditionary yacht with the looks of a coastal freighter and the interior of a luxury yacht. The well-deck provides storage for a 14-foot tender, and the main deck is devoted to living areas, with an L-shaped salon that merges with a formal dining area, a large galley with breakfast bar and walk-in pantry, and a separate office.

Accommodations are for eight guests in four staterooms: two with double berths and two with twins. A utility room separates the cabin from the engine compartment, and crew quarters for two are forward with their own lounge and galley. The pilothouse is large and efficient, with a captain's cabin taking up the aft portion of the bridge deck, and a flybridge control console is also located atop the pilothouse.

Designers

Liebowitz & Pritchard Coming from the architectural and industrial design field, this firm has created the designs for a 131' long range luxury cruiser, which will be built with a steel hull and composite superstructure. Weighing in at around 380 tons, it will have transatlantic range and a boat deck large enough for a float plane.

Intended as a global explorer, the bulb-bowed yacht will place the owner and guest cabins aft of the midships engine compartment, put the dining area amidships on the main deck for the least motion, and include a covered flybridge atop the pilothouse with captain's cabin. Power will be a pair of Caterpillar turbo-diesels driving controllable pitch propellers, and the generator will exhaust from the masthead for fume-free dockside use.

Ardeo Design

Responsible for the interior design of the previously mentioned 151-foot Affinity from Delta Marine, this firm met several requirements of the owner, such as including a sense of maritime tradition. In addition, the yacht had to be capable of hard use as well as provide accommodations for a large party of guests and provide a welcoming entertainment space.

Other Ardeo projects include a 75-foot luxury submarine capable of diving to 1000-foot for days at a time with yacht-like luxury accommodations.

Setzer Design Group

Led by experienced yacht and commercial vessel designer, Ward Setzer, this firm has a number of exploration-style yachts under contract for steel, aluminum and fiberglass construction.

The largest is a 164-footer in fiberglass from Halter Marine that has the purposeful house-forward look of an oil rig supply ship, which leaves ample space aft for a large sportfishing yacht for fishing expeditions worldwide.

Also on the boards is the 110-foot Surprise, a well-deck trawler with a steel hull and aluminum superstructure that is being built by McMullen & Wing of New Zealand. Greenbay Marine of Hong Kong and Singapore is also building a 98' spec expedition yacht, and others are underway for Lloyds Ships of Australia (96 feet) and Sterling Yachts of Japan (90 and 150 feet).

Vripack Yachting International

Led by naval architect Dick Boon, this firm has created over 7000 yachts since 1961, with a primary focus on world cruising yachts such as Turmoil, the Palmer Johnson yacht mentioned earlier, and Freesia, a 121-foot Research Vessel Yacht.

The company offers complete custom design work, as well as proven designs in the Research Vessel Yacht (60 to 200 feet), Doggersbank Offshore (59 to 100 feet), and Doggersbank Explorer (110 to 250 feet) packages. Vripack has seven expedition yachts on the boards ranging from 76 feet to 130 feet, among other more traditional projects.

Tom Fexas Yacht Design

Building a reputation for more than three decades, Tom Fexas and his team have, in addition to other projects, been responsible for all the Cheoy Lee yachts of recent years, including the 88' Exploration Yacht mentioned above.

Fexas also has completed the design work for an even larger Cheoy Lee: a 122' Expedition Motor Yacht. Intended as a full displacement "little ship" with a solid fiberglass hull to ABS standards, the yacht will have a North Sea trawler stern and deep forward sections to reduce pounding.

The interior arrangement will be unusual with full width cabins on the main deck with boarding recesses to port and starboard. This layout not only eliminates the side decks that can hold water in extreme weather, but also allows for a magnificent saloon aft with wrap-around windows. The owners suite is amidships on the main deck, and three large guest staterooms are below. Power will be twin Cat 3412 diesels (720 hp) and hull speed will be 12 knots.