Explorer yachts are a type of luxury motor yacht. These vessels are built to travel vast distances and are equipped to be very self-sufficient. In recent years, these types of boats have grown in popularity as many yacht owners wish to travel to off the beaten track destinations. Read our guide to explorer yachts below.
Banner image source: Bering B145 2024 145′ BERING YACHTS Motor Yacht
Buy a Explorer Yacht FAQ
What is an explorer yacht?
As the name would suggest, an explorer yacht is a vessel that is built to travel to remote destinations or areas with more difficult sailing conditions.
Explorer yachts offer an exceptional amount of autonomy – they can travel for many days without needing to stop for fuel or supplies – and many have thick steel hulls that are incredibly robust.
In the past, it was common for explorer yachts to be ex-commercial or military vessels that were rebuilt or converted into more luxurious vessels. This is because the commercial vessels were built to withstand harsh conditions, travel long-distance, and be capable of sailing in even the roughest of seas.
However, in recent years, there has been a rise in motor yachts with explorer capabilities. Often these are built with steel or aluminum hulls but also have the luxurious modern amenities typically associated with a motor yacht.
Many yacht builders are now expanding their range of vessels to include explorer yachts, with long-range cruising, more rugged exterior designs and amenities such as helipads.
What is the difference between an explorer yacht and a yacht?
Traditional motor yachts tend to be built with fiberglass and do not have the range or capabilities of an explorer vessel. Motor yachts are normally built to be used in a different way than explorer vessels – cruising in well-traveled areas, close to the shore and any amenities that the guests or crew would need.
Motor yachts are not usually built to withstand extremes in temperature or sea conditions. For example, it would be rare to find a motor yacht that is built to Ice Class, which would enable it to travel in very cold, icy waters.
What is the difference between an expedition and an explorer yacht?
There is no difference between an expedition and an explorer yacht. Many people use these two terms interchangeably.
What are the best Explorer Yacht builders?
In the industry, there are several high-profile builders of explorer yachts.
Bering Yachts
Since 2007, Bering Yachts have been producing explorer yachts. Built in Turkey, the shipyard builds semi-custom steel-hulled expedition yachts and trawler yachts.
Arksen Yachts
Arksen Yachts builds explorer yachts designed to adventure all over the world. Arksen vessels focus on efficiency and sustainability and hope to inspire the next generation of scientists with its vessels.
Cantiere Delle Marche Yachts
Builder of both semi-custom and custom explorer yachts, Cantiere Delle Marche is an award-winning Italian shipyard.
Damen Yachts
Damen Yachts is one of the most respected names in the yachting world when it comes to explorer vessels. The shipyard is renowned for its SeaXplorer expedition yachts and Yacht Support vessels.
Feadship Yachts
Feadship is a well-known shipyard for its luxury yachts and has delivered several explorer yachts in recent years, including the 55m explorer yacht Shinkai.
What are the best small Explorer Yachts?
Smaller explorer yachts (sometimes referred to as ‘Pocket Explorer Yachts) are an attractive proposition for owners as they are fuel efficient and almost no anchorages are out of reach.
What is the best size for an Explorer Yacht?
If you are looking to buy an explorer yacht, the size of the vessel will depend on how you expect to use it. If you wish to travel to very remote anchorages that may have shallow water or tight turns, a smaller vessel under 50m (164ft) would be an excellent choice.
The size of your yacht also influences what equipment and amenities you can have on board. For example, if you want to have a lot of equipment or a helicopter on board, you will need to design a yacht that can accommodate this.
Explorer yachts for sale available at YATCO are excellent vessels for the more adventurous boat owners. Built to withstand difficult conditions and to travel to remote locations, explorer (also known as expedition) yachts are pedigree vessels for cruising the world.
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