ONBOARD Magazine TENDERS & TOYS 2021

Following the first three sales from the SeaXplorer range and
2020’s milestone deliveries of ANAWA and LA DATCHA, the
design team has been hard at work updating the range of
luxury expedition yachts. With feedback from their amazing
clients, SeaXplorers are right at the forefront of explorer yachting.
What is the SeaXplorer range?
SeaXplorers are our luxury expedition yachts. At Damen Yachting,
we’re unique in having the knowhow from both Amels luxury yachts
and Damen commercial and naval ships. That makes the SeaXplorer
different. It’s a crossover of Amels’ luxury pedigree and Damen’s
shipbuilding technology. So there’s no compromise.
Can you tell us about the next SeaXplorer projects?
We’ve learned a lot during the past five years. Every client comes with
great ideas. So with our future designs, we’ve built in customisation
options. Particularly in the aft sections clients can customise their
SeaXplorer for their favourite adventures – anything from seaplane
deployment to ocean research laboratories. But they still benefit
from the proven platform in terms of value and time.
What defines an expedition yacht?
Visiting the polar regions once in their lifetimes is on just about
every SeaXplorer client’s bucket list. But so are many tropical areas
where the operational challenges shouldn’t be underestimated.
It’s about staying safe in isolation, but also about enjoying the
yachting lifestyle to the maximum. In fact, you don’t need to go
very far from the major superyacht hubs before the benefits of a
SeaXplorer become clear. That’s the philosophy that our line-up
reflects.
How has the market changed since the SeaXplorer’s introduction in 2015?
Explorers are increasingly popular. The new build market in particular
has developed a lot recently. I think more adventure travellers
appreciate the idea of being autonomous, being safe in isolation and
getting that excitement that goes beyond conventional yachting.
But without compromising the luxury lifestyle.
How do you see the future of expedition yachting?
The future looks very exciting. If you look at the rapid technological
advances recently, it’s opening up seabed exploration, scientific
discovery and anthropology to privately funded individuals in a very
viable way. It can be really fascinating to combine family adventure
and curiosity about the world with a philanthropic goal. As yacht
builders, we also see our responsibility in reducing the footprint
of our yachts. All SeaXplorers are now offered with a minimum of
hybrid electrical drives (PTO/PTI configuration) and battery bank
for highly efficient cruising.
For more details visit www.damenyachting.com
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