What defines an Expedition Yacht?

Chunky. Sturdy. Solid.

These are all words that an Expedition yacht should bring to mind. A boat that can go through any weather. This is not to say it should look like a rusty Tug that's been sat up a river for 20 years or that it's been hit with the ugly stick.

I looked at that Horizon and thought where could you explore with that? Pulling alongside of a rough fuel dock and taking on low quality fuel, what systems are in place for fuel treatment, let alone fending off uneven concrete docks without stout rubrails. Food storage, as Judy pointed out, and a galley layout that would be a world of pain for cooking at sea. All these little things make a proper yacht a sea-going yacht, not a marina prima donna or a weekender.

So, in a short answer, you need range, comfort, low maintenance, weatherly (dropping anchors or moving about the boat in weather) easy to fix and above all SAFE.

AKULA comes to mind.

Google

Here is an entry that is not quite as big!

Atlas Expedition Yacht

A high bulwark to keep you from getting battered and dragged overboard in heavy seas. Small thick portholes instead of large vulnerable windows. A hull thick and strong enough to survive collisions with flotsam and jetsam.

How much range would you consider adequate?10 days a leg at 8 knots will get you most places you want to go given that you pay close attention to what the weather is doing, and have enough provisions.

I don't think that kitchen could stand up to 10 days of haute cuisine, but you could probably manage 10 days of something you would call food for 6-8 adults. It looks like the Nordhavn 72' has the same cold provisioning capacity, probably more dry provisioning space though.

Edit: Can a type specimen be agreed upon? Is there a production boat that everyone would agree is an expedition yacht that you could then figure the vital characteristics from?

Anything Full Displacement should be considered an Expedition Yacht, especially if they are willing to work on Fuel Capacity.

Except for the Pacific, you can stage most ocean crossings in reasonable distances/timed legs.

Hi,

The Pacific can be broken up into legs too , just a couple will be rather longer than normal.

If you are really going remote a good fuel range at fair speed is also desirable around the Horn of Africa and the West Coast of the same continent.

I seem to remember one of the mass market trawler manufacturers making a circumnavigation with less than 1000 nm range, but they obviously couldn't reach across the South Pacific so would have had to have gone up through Alaska, which starts to make it unreasonable if you just want to cross the pacific.

Or bring lots of fuel drums.

I see an Expedition yacht that can travel on it's own for 3 months at a time (not necessarily moving every single day), but one that has a 3,000nm range, enough food storage for 3 months, spare parts and dry food storage, very well built and something that can take 20' seas if it has to.....A 80' Northern Marine...Nordhavn....or many others fit that bill......

As the word "expedition" says, the yacht must be able to go on an expedition (if required).

Hence, it has to have enough fuel for a very extended range allowing the vessel to "explore" areas where fueling won't be possible. Trans-oceanic range minimum.

Same goes for storage space for provisioning and spare parts, given the yacht may visit remote isolated areas.

Last but not least, it must have a strong hull capable of handling heavy seas encountered during passage-making.

To summarize an "Expedition yacht" in 3 key terms: extended range + storage capacity + seaworthy hull.

Is there currently a Full Displacement MY that is not capable of performing your 3 key criteria?

Now this is what I call an Expedition Yacht!!

Kleven - Kleven skal bygge spektakulært spesialfartøy

Use a browser like google so you can translate the text.

Here's the English version without using a web translator, it's the first entry in the news page:

Kleven - To build Expedition Support Vessel

my marks

I'm a friend of expedition yachts - but will never have one.

For me(!) it starts with 75ft, long range >> 4nm, storage for 3 months, ultimate stability, ice proof (if you need it), can sit on the dry, ...

my favorite designs are from Dashew, Neville or Bray

only my 2c here

MY Yogi comes to mind.

That's pretty funny, I guess I should have qualified it with floating as well as operational...

You can go "explore" in a canoe if you like...

Obviously the larger the yacht, the easier it can have extended range and all, especially if in full displacement.

Just look at Hessen's new 55m displacement line, with a Transpacific range of over 6000+ nm.

And look at the charter vessel "Sherkhan": Sherakhan It is currently cruising "exploring" antartica and it never has been defined as an "explorer yacht".

Point here is defining an explorer yacht of more modest size (like the Horizon EP69), not necessarily above 100/110ft that can count on all those three point.

The greatest expedition our nation ever saw was accomplished in canoes.

I think it becomes a question of how much of those three things you have, rather than having them in any measure.

Hi,

Take a look at the ones on Dock Express for a start.

In my view, fairly long range, capable of handling a wide variety of adverse conditions and easily maintaineable. The yacht also has to be able to carry sufficient provisions to live off-grid for extended periods. The Dashew is a pretty good example of this IMHO.