A month at sea, 19 days of which she averaged 12½ knots. A good 5,600 nautical miles under her hull. Moka, the first 460EXP from Sanlorenzo, accomplished this ambitious journey as her maiden voyage. It was her owner’s wish, and it reportedly occurred without incident, too.
The owner of Moka was at the docks in West Palm Beach, Florida on January 10 to welcome his 460-gross-ton megayacht to American shores. This, following the yacht’s departure from Viareggio, Italy on December 11—hours after she was handed over—with the captain and eight crewmembers aboard.
Most owners of similar-size yachts—Moka measures 140’4” (42.8 meters) —would put their yacht on a transport ship for the transatlantic voyage. Crossings can put wear and tear on systems, and the crew. This owner trusted that Sanlorenzo had put “explorer” and “expedition” into the EXP part of her model name. Sanlorenzo created the 460EXP to be a long-range, self-sufficient cruiser. At 11 knots, for example, the yard says the steel-hulled yacht sees a range exceeding 4,000 miles. The twin Caterpillar C32 ACERT engines are proven workhorses, too. Sanlorenzo wanted to welcome buyers interested in ocean crossings, as well as independence from shore for long periods.
Here’s the chronology of Moka’s magnificent journey:
- December 11: Moka leaves Viareggio
- December 13: the yacht arrives in Palma de Mallorca, 500 miles away; the Tyrrhenian Sea and Gulf of Lion throw some sloppy seas at her in the days prior
- December 21: following provisioning and loading spares, and a weather break, Moka’s crew makes way for Gibraltar, 450 miles away
- December 23: both arrival in and departure from Gibraltar, stopping long enough to refuel; the Atlantic Ocean is in Moka’s sights
- December 25: Moka reaches Santa Cruz, capital of the Canary Islands, a 750-mile journey, having experienced beam-to winds and seas resulting from a weather depression centered to the northwest
- December 28: more refueling and re-provisioning complete, Moka heads off on the 2,700-mile trip to St. Martin in the Caribbean; calm seas mix with occasionally rough ones
- January 6: land ho!
- January 7: seven crewmembers and the captain set off for West Palm Beach, 1,100 miles to the north
- January 10: West Palm Beach welcomes Moka.
Moka may serve as inspiration for future 460 Exp owners. In fact, four future owners have hulls two through six of the series in build now.
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