Less than two weeks after Ulysses was reportedly given to her owners by the Norwegian shipyard that built her, she has arrived in Germany for what will surely be final outfitting.
As you can see by her appearance, Ulysses is still a ways from completion. It may be because Kleven, her builder, is better known for building seismic ships, Coast Guard vessels, and supply ships rather than luxury yachts. The yard may therefore seem a strange choice for a pleasure craft. But, Kleven was chosen to build the 351-foot (107-meter) expedition yacht because of its experience with vessels intended for use in challenging seas. The design team, the Norwegian firm Marin Teknikk, was selected for much the same reason. The builder and design firm further have previously collaborated.
Ulysses started construction a little more than two years ago. If you’ve been following her progress, by now you know that the owners are Graeme and Robyn Hart, New Zealanders who have owned same-named yachts, including expedition yachts. This new Ulysses has been called a support yacht by both Kleven and Marin Teknikk, so it seems she will serve more of a mothership purpose. She is intended for an owners’ party of 60 as well.
Norwegian newspapers reported that Ulysses was delivered to the Harts on July 24. However, the yacht did not depart until just this week. She arrived in Bremerhaven, Germany early this morning European time. She has been anchored in the Weser River, according to her AIS data, for most of the day. AIS further says she averaged 14 knots on her transit, hitting a top speed just over 16 knots, too.
As of late evening German time, Ulysses moved tothe Stahlbau Nord yard. The name may not ring a bell, but it is not a newcomer to yachting, having famously taken part in the construction of the mega-size expedition yacht Luna (377 feet, or 115 meters).
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