A change of plans for the owner means there’s now a chance to acquire this 135-foot Global Explorer Yachts project with less than a year to go before completion.
According to Darren Nightingale, general manager for Global Explorer Yachts, the client who commissioned her has started a new business venture that is occupying most of his time. “Due to the vessel’s excellent and practical design, we feel that it should move quite well,” he says.
With naval architecture by Overing Yacht Designs and an interior by Michael Kirschstein Designs, the megayacht combines traditional looks with an expedition yacht’s performance. The 135 is expected to have a 7,000-mile range at 10 knots, with a cruise speed of 12½ knots, thanks to Caterpillar engines. Tank tests conducted at the Krylov Institute in Russia reportedly confirm the seakeeping abilities, plus a 14-knot top end. In addition, more than 21,000 gallons of fuel bolster the go-anywhere idea. The yacht is being built at Inace Shipyard in Brazil (which is represented by All Ocean Yachts).
For more specifics on the hull, I contacted Jon Overing, head of Overing Yacht Design. He says, “I developed a soft-chine, full-displacement, bulbous bow hull for the project. The owner wanted a hull form more comfortable, efficient, and seakindly than Inace’s hard-chine full-displacement hull while keeping cost in mind as well. Our proprietary ‘Fast Displacement’ hull form is the pinnacle in efficiency, comfort, and seakeeping, but is more labor intensive than a typical hard-chine hull. The owner wanted a more economical hull to build, so my solution was to develop this soft-chine hull, hitting the best of both worlds. Extensive tank testing at Krylov Institute in St. Petersburg, Russia revealed a very efficient and seakindly hull with very gentle characteristics.”
While Inace Shipyard isn’t in the news much, it has constructed several previous yachts, including a 95-foot expedition yacht. Nightingale says Inace offered several advantages over other yards. “They have a lot of young people employed in their own design and drawing departments who have many new and fresh views of how to tackle the various issues we encounter on all new-build projects,” he says. He adds, “Instead of trying to talk you out of a certain point that requires a lot of fabrication, they work out how to do it more efficiently and complete it on time.” Another reason weighing in Inace’s favor: “Their costing is extremely competitive, not only on the contract price, but also with the change-order rates.”
The 135 includes several features that today’s buyers want, such as a full-beam, main-deck master suite. It includes a private sitting area and office, plus a dressing room. The 18 windows in that suite should spill plenty of light onto the cherrywood paneling that Michael Kirschstein and the client selected. Five guest staterooms are below decks, along with four cabins for eight crewmembers; the captain’s stateroom is just aft of the wheelhouse. On that same deck, the aft portion holds two tenders, though it can be used as an entertainment area and shaded when they’re offloaded. The forward portion of the bridge deck also has stowage for two PWCs, plus a sunbed protected by a windscreen. More sunning space, again protected by a windscreen, lies on the uppermost level, accompanied by a Jacuzzi, bar, and barbecue, topped off by a hardtop.
Completion is expected for next February.
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