Compared to other globetrotting yachts, Ocean Nomad may seem small at 131 feet (40 meters). But, this ice-class megayacht, commissioned by an experienced owner from Van Geest Design, should be more than capable of taking on the world’s oceans. She also has engineering and creature-comfort features that make her a project to watch.
Note, for example, the open tender garage occupying part of the main aft deck, down into the lower deck. The tender aboard Ocean Nomad is an adventurer herself, a rugged 33-footer (10-meter). Overhead cranes take care of launch and retrieval. The seeming decorative white pillars outboard actually conceal the engine-room entry and its ventilation ducts. Many megayachts place the ventilation runs in the aft corners of the saloon. Van Geest Design says this will translate to a more serene interior.
Devoting the main aft deck aboard Ocean Nomad to the tender doesn’t take away from relaxation areas. It’s also not the only way that Ocean Nomad stands apart. Her uppermost deck—what Van Geest Design terms a sky deck—is fully open. The owner and guests can take a seat forward to watch approaching shores come into view. They can further soak in the hot tub, stretch out on lounges, dine (thanks to a barbecue), and generally enjoy the day. A handy day head is on the sky deck, too.
As you’d expect, Ocean Nomad has a main-deck master suite and four guest staterooms below. Full-height windows characterize the main and bridge decks. Of course, sliding doors can be left open to bring the outside in. The 29’9” (9.1-meter) beam will no doubt feel even more airy this way. The gym, forward of the skylounge, has opening doors as well.
Ocean Nomad is not a yacht where guests and crew will be fully separated at all times. The galley, on the main deck, is more like a showplace. Guests are welcome to sit and talk with the chef while meals are being prepared. When they need their privacy, the crew can sit in their mess, also on the main deck, or head below to their three double cabins. The captain naturally has a stateroom aft of the bridge. When Ocean Nomad enters waters requiring a pilot, a multi-purpose cabin in the crew’s quarters can be put to use. A crew tender stowed beneath the foredeck can take the pilot out to the yacht in style.
While in those waters, or elsewhere, Ocean Nomad is suited for touch-and-go helicopter operations. The aft bridge deck has been reinforced for this purpose. Guests can also arrive and depart via the lower deck, when a side hatch folds down to form a tender boarding area.
Ocean Nomad is not yet in build; the owner is weighing shipyard options.
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