If you’re seeking adventure in your world travels, you’ll find a kindred spirit in Bill Prince Yacht Design. This 40-meter (131-foot) expedition yacht on Prince’s drawing boards disposes of stuffy formalities in favor of escapades. Not the least of which can be enjoyed aboard an unusual “tender,” a seaplane.
Prince selected an Icon A5 seaplane specifically for its versatility and mobility advantages over helicopters. The A5 is light enough to trailer, much like a small boat. It’s also lighter weight than the 23-foot tender the 40-meter expedition yacht can keep alongside it on the expansive aft deck. And its wings fold up, making it simpler to stow.
To deploy the plane or the tender, even a mini armada of PWCs, the 40-meter expedition yacht has articulating bulwarks. Further fold-down bulwarks transform the cockpit below into a boarding-area-turned-beach-club.
Prince was inspired to create the design because of coincidental requests from two different clients. Each sought a yacht more like a small ship: rugged, self-reliant, and owner-operable. Prince determined those same principles could primarily apply to a bigger project. While the 40-meter expedition yacht would have a crew, the head count would remain manageable. And, owners could take the two-seater plane out by themselves.
Prince is still calculating performance predictions, though he anticipates a semi-displacement hull will suit the design best. Transatlantic range will naturally be featured, too.
Whether cruising glaciers in Alaska or seeking sandy shores in the South Pacific, the expedition yacht will treat you and your guests to features you won’t see on something of this size. A good example is the cascading water feature, visible in the night illustration at top. Water spills down from the infinity pool on the uppermost deck to the one directly beneath it. It’s not just a pretty backdrop for the dining area there. It’s a privacy curtain when you’re Med-moored. And, in a creative twist, Prince says images can be projected onto it, from the tip of the flagstaff.
Some features aboard this expedition yacht aren’t even found on similar-size or larger yachts. Glass-topped tables out on deck, like the ones forward of the pilothouse, contain solar cells. They also contain USB ports, to charge your ever-present mobile devices. (After all, you or your kids might want to live-stream your Alaskan adventures.) The galley is a two-deck affair, with food prep and stowage below decks and staging above decks. This way the chef can walk straight from his or her cabin into the work zone. And, the staging area can be arranged much like a bar or cafe for guests to further enjoy.
One of the most unusual features—and welcome, at that—is the arrangement of the saloon. Check out the rendering above. The walls are anything but straight lines flowing fore to aft. They’re set at angles, Prince explains, to allow better sightlines from all seats. In other words, you and your friends will be able to see a wider perspective of vistas, not just straight outboard to port and starboard.
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