While every custom megayacht is arguably unique, there is absolutely nothing afloat that looks like Artefact. This 262-footer (80-meter), with an extraordinary amount of glass in striking shapes in her superstructure, launched this morning at Nobiskrug. More than arresting in design, the megayacht is significantly eco-conscious, too.
Featuring a composite superstructure and steel hull, Artefact is for a family who have never previously owned a yacht before. In addition, they wanted something expressively different than what most cruisers commission. Naval architect Greg Marshall says the styling sprang from an office-wide concept competition a few years back. Upon showing the concept to the owners’ captain, they then turned to Nobiskrug for construction.
What really sets Artefact’s styling apart is her nearly 70 tons of glass. In fact, about 60 tons of that is in the floor-to-ceiling central section alone. This area additionally encompasses 7,965 square feet (740 square meters). Regardless of location, several glass panes are both curved and larger than typically seen.
Bearing a 48-foot (14.6-meter) beam, Artefact is further packed with technical feats. For instance, she has a waste-water recovery system. Rather than going overboard after cleansing, it recirculates through technical areas for reuse (cooling systems, for example). As another example, Artefact has a diesel-electric propulsion system marking a first for a yacht. Interestingly, propulsion specialist ABB has proven its efficacy aboard commercial ships. It uses a DC bus and batteries, along with azipods and Caterpillar gensets. It also allows station keeping similar to dynamic positioning, so that Artefact can visit destinations without detrimentally impacting the sea floor with her anchor. Equally noteworthy, solar panels feed a battery bank, powering onboard systems without tapping the Caterpillars.
Artefact joins her owners for their first cruising season later this summer. That’s also when we anticipate having more details about the interior from Reymond Langton Design. It breaks with tradition in a few ways, including having an aft master suite.
Nobiskrug nobiskrug.com
Gregory C. Marshall Naval Architect gregmarshalldesign.com
Reymond Langton Design reymondlangtondesign.com
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