pelagic 24m explorer motor yacht

• Yachting World
• Digital Edition

Pelagic 77: onboard one of the world’s most extreme sailing machines

• August 16, 2021

Pelagic 77, the extreme expedition yacht designed in collaboration with Skip Novak, has hit the water. Elaine Bunting sails onboard the yacht, which was built to sail to the ends of the earth in safety and comfort

The latest and largest Pelagic design, Pelagic 77, the 77ft Vinson of Antarctica , created in collaboration with legendary adventurer and expedition sailor Skip Novak , has hit the water after years in the building.

Sailing on the Solent , this 77ft colossus makes every other yacht looks flimsy and destructible. The designer, Tony Castro, even calls his creation ‘a beast’. As the big schooner heels to the breeze he chuckles gleefully, clawing the air with his fingers like a creature on the rampage. This is a boat designed for the wilds.

The case for split rigs on a 77-footer was to break up the sailplan into smaller chunks in order to operate all sail control systems manually. Photo: Paul Wyeth

Named after the continent’s highest mountain, Vinson of Antartica has been built to meet the world’s harshest conditions. It has everything required for voyages of six weeks or longer to the most remote places, where there are no repair facilities and no medical help.

It was built for Chilean businessman and adventurer Nicolas Ibañez to use for science, filmmaking and sail training voyages, and designed in a collaboration between Tony Castro and sailor explorer Skip Novak.

Although new, it is a boat with a history. It inherits the philosophy and experience Skip has gained from 33 seasons sailing and mountaineering in the Antarctic and South Georgia on his own expedition yachts, the 54ft Pelagic and the Castro-designed 74ft Pelagic Australis (recently sold to Greenpeace).

The result is this first of a new marque, the Pelagic 77. It is sized to fit into the MGN 280 code for small commercial vessels of up to 24m, yet be able to comfortably carry 10 guests and four crew (three sailing crew and an expedition leader).

For Skip, a no-nonsense kinda guy, a proper expedition boat is a ‘taxi to the snowline’, not a yacht in the conventional sense. It is a work boat, pure and simple. Maintenance must be as easy as possible. Visible wear and tear that is purely cosmetic is irrelevant.

Moving around on deck is easy on a single level from stem to stern. Photo: Paul Wyeth

Nonetheless, Skip appreciates his comforts, as I discovered when I sailed with him in 2013 on a Yachting World expedition round Cape Horn on little Pelagic . We were always warm and dry, exceptionally well fed and watered, slept well, and enjoyed good conversation and fun. His type of boat, tough and uncompromising on the outside, has everything needed for the time of your life. Just nothing more.

Pelagic 77: all-manual sailing

It takes a fair bit of grunt to get Vinson’s foremain and mizzen up. There are no push button winches, and no hydraulics. “That’s not my game at all. We wanted manual winches because where we go there are no marine services,” Skip explains. “The other thing is with amateurs on board you cannot let them near electric winches or they will wind their fingers in. The boat will be doing sail training, so it has simple systems so people don’t get hurt.”

Manual winch power meant sail area had to be split into manageable chunks, which dictated the schooner rig. That has the added advantage that the identical mainsail and mizzen are interchangeable.

Where it is headed, this boat is not going to be fighting for light airs performance. “On Pelagic Australis we kept a detailed sail log and the amount of time that we had the full main on was less than 10%,” says Skip.

One of two Bombard C5s on davits above hinged ‘bomb bay’ doors above stern scoop. Photo: Paul Wyeth

“We wanted to be able to sail up to 60° apparent,” he adds. “We are playing the weather and not going upwind, not if we can help it – that is not part of the programme. There is also a lot of motoring in the [Antarctic] Archipelago and a 3-4m swell in the Drake Passage.”

Aluminium was an obvious material to build in, and KM Yachtbuilders in the Netherlands was the clear choice as specialist builders of rugged, expertly fitted out yachts such as the Bestevaer range.

“It comes back to maintenance. There is no need to paint aluminium, it is easy to maintain, strong, and suitable for building a custom boat,” explains Castro.

Article continues below…

Pelagic 77: Construction update on Skip Novak’s new expedition yacht

Yet another consequence of the lockdown which, as I write, is very much still in force in South Africa, is…

South Atlantic ocean: A crossing in mid-winter on Pelagic Australis

There was a crunching sound underfoot as we loaded Pelagic Australis with provisions for the South Atlantic Ocean crossing ahead.…

Construction is in H321 seawater resistant aluminium with increased shell thickness at the stem, and above and below the waterline. The hull, deck and superstructure are insulated with 75mm of blown polyurethane foam.

The boat has a shallow draught fixed keel with a big bulb and a centreboard, so it can access shallow areas and even be dried out judiciously, “but it has to be flat and we would probably put halyards out to deadmen on each side,” says Skip.

Beam is carried right aft to maximise engine and machinery space and the saloon at the aft end of the boat, as well as load carrying capacity. “We will have a lot more film teams so we have a big lazarette and afterdeck area so they can hang a [gyrostabilised] Cineflex camera off the back end,” Skip explains.

Cockpit showing winches mounted on coamings. Photo: Paul Wyeth

“These film and scientific expeditions are ever more sophisticated, and there is a case for a bigger boat for dry labs, wet labs and so on.”

The twin rudders are not toed out for sailing efficiency but aligned nearer to the centreline to expose as little as possible to impact with ice. The high hull sides have pronounced tumblehome to protect stanchions when berthed and rolling alongside rough pier walls.

Secure cockpit

Barring the mizzen staysail, all Vinson of Antarctica’s sails are permanently rigged, “so we don’t have to rig a storm sail in the middle of a gale,” Skip explains. The three headsails, a 135% high clewed genoa, a 100% high clewed yankee and a bladed staysail that doubles as a storm sail are on manual furlers.

The foremain has four reefs (the fourth the size of a trysail), and the mizzen three. Ullman Expedition sails in woven Spectra and Dyneema have been developed specially with Skip and have reefing points with webbing handles and wide seams with extra rows of triple-step stitching.

The cockpit is flush with the deck rather than sunken, but flanked by substantial coamings. A bank of four winches for furling lines and sheets are mounted on each side of this, so crew operating on the leeward side are well protected.

Within the cockpit there is a table and bench seating, a liferaft stowage box and a large cuddy. Six to eight people can comfortably shelter without needing to put on full foulweather gear. Even on our test sail, most of us ended up gravitating there to sit and talk.

The wheel is centrally placed with a step for the helm position to give a view over the coachroof. A plinth can be fitted to raise the helm higher for conning through ice.

Mid deck area with grinder. Photo: Paul Wyeth

At the aft end is a huge lazarette with dive compressor, 10 tanks, a freezer and stowage, as well as a gas locker big enough to hold 50kg, and a waste locker with sealable barrels to store garbage and food waste that cannot be jettisoned south of the Polar Front.

A large gantry at the aft end has davits for one of the boat’s two Bombard C5 inflatables, though these are deflated, broken down and stored in the forepeak for going to sea. Two ‘bomb bay’ doors at the stern lift up to access the stern platform, where two rope reels contain 150m of floating polypropylene line for tying ashore.

A feature repeated from Pelagic Australis is the mid deck layout beneath the foremain mast. In this safe operating area between two coamings there is a Harken 3-speed pedestal grinder, used for the initial hoist of the main and mizzen.

It can also be put to use for warping the boat, taking mooring lines through tunnels in the coamings and snatch blocks, and retrieving the anchor in case the windlass fails – nylon anchor rode is attached to the chain and winched in. Two more rope reels for bow lines are also fixed here, just forward of the pilothouse.

A second Bombard C5 inflatable can be stored inflated in this deck space and ratchet strapped to recessed tie downs. When the boat is rolling to a big swell, Skip prefers if possible to launch and retrieve the dinghies over the side using a gennaker halyard, rather than from davits.

The anchor is offset so that the boat can be motored ahead into an ice shelf and people can step straight off the bow. A nylon strop is attached to take the weight of the chain when anchored and stop the chain rubbing on the bow.

Set for a long tack

An idiosyncrasy that comes directly from the previous Pelagics are vangs/preventers on the foremain and mizzen. These are taken from strops at the boom midpoints to the rail and back to cockpit winches. Politely, they look something of a nuisance. It means two more lines to handle every time you tack, and the lazy mizzen preventer loops right across the cockpit at head height.

Heavy 900mm square forehatch. Photo: Paul Wyeth

Here the height of the pilothouse and the position of the coffee grinder don’t allow for conventional vangs to control leech tension, but Skip says he would always rig preventers anyway.

“A normal preventer for downwind would be from the boom end; we have a compromise with this. In a big swell I use [it] on all points of sail. Otherwise, if the wind is forward of the beam and the autopilot fails, the boat can go through the wind and the boom can wipe out the running backstays, break battens and so on.”

The inconvenience is presumably academic when your tacks are hundreds of miles. “No doubt there is an inconvenience factor,” he says, “but the pros outweigh the cons and it’s a better system. You do run the risk of breaking the boom if you dip it in, but our mainsails are high off the deck and the reef clews are cut high.”

Comforts below deck

At sea, the pilothouse with its lounge and navigation area will be the heart of Vinson of Antarctica. It has seating for six to eight people, and panoramic views from the helm seat and settee.

Skip once boasted that he had crossed the Drake Passage on Pelagic Australis without changing out of his slippers or donning foulweather gear, and the crew of this boat will be able to sail in pyjamas if they wish.

Warm, dry and protected, it is also a safe place when rolling at sea. Two full height ‘granny bars’ stored in the workshop can be installed to divide up the space, provide grab rails and sturdy panels to brace feet against.

Aft saloon and galley. Skip notes: “As the explorer Bill Tilman said: ‘Any old fool can be uncomfortable’.” Photo: Paul Wyeth

Forward there are six symmetrical cabins, three each side of a central corridor. The aftermost have double bunks with a hinged single above, while the others are twin cabins. All have big leecloths, boot storage, lots of practical canvas stowage pouches, and are heated by radiators using the boat’s wet heating system.

There are two large heads with rainfall showers. And herein lies the only battle Skip lost with the owner — electric toilets. I agree with him: an extra maintenance chore, and horribly noisy!

At the forward end is a workshop area and huge forepeak used for storing vegetables and fruit, stowage of outboards, dinghies, a chain locker for 150m of chain and 150m of nylon rode, plus barrels that will contain drysuits, hip waders and sharps for climbers such as ice axes and crampons.

The saloon and galley runs from under the cockpit to the transom. This is a comfortable communal area, handsomely fitted out in light honey coloured bamboo joinery.

There is seating for 14 people around two tables with leaves that lift to form one, a galley with a super deep sink, high fiddles, a custom made two-burner gas hob exactly sized for a pair of 12lt Lagostina pressure cookers (“all you need,” according to Skip) and electric oven. There is also a gravity-fed Refleks diesel stove, on which a kettle can be boiled, and this has a back boiler linked with the heating system.

Seaworthy galley with electric oven and custom hob. Photo: Paul Wyeth

The nav area to starboard has two facing seats so that science or film crews can work on laptops, with lots of power and USB sockets at hand. The boat has Inmarsat and Iridium satcoms and a wifi network for guests.

Usually shoehorned into minimal space, the engine room on Vinson is palatial and runs full beam athwartships under the pilothouse. Careful 3D modelling by Ben Pym of Engineered Marine Systems made sure that every item of machinery can be reached without needing to dismantle anything else.

There are twin 150hp Yanmar engines and a 9.5kW Onan genset to charge the 1,000Ah lithium batteries. The boat runs on a 24V system.

Fuel capacity is over 8,000lt, transferrable between four tanks. A 248lt day tank gravity feeds the engines and is topped up with an electric pump. This, Skip points out, “is not automatic. We want someone to come in here every four or five hours to look around, top it up and fill in the log. It can be amazing what else you see.”

Forepeak with 4m3 of stowage space. Photo: Paul Wyeth

All fuel filters are visible and easily accessed, and KM Yachtbuilders have done a lovely job building two enormous sea chest manifolds for all water intakes and outlets. This eliminates multiple through-hull fittings, and can be opened and cleaned at sea. A Kabola diesel boiler is the heart of the wet heating system and will run 24/7 on expeditions. There is also a heat exchanger on the port engine. “All this stuff is fairly simple and we have as-built plumbing and wiring diagrams,” says Skip.

Ready to go

Vinson of Antarctica will leave the UK in June to go north to Norway, where she will pick up a geological science team and continue to Svalbard. Skip himself will lead this expedition, but the boat’s permanent captain is Kenneth Perdigon. Skip will continue to be involved on occasional expeditions and by introducing guests from his well-established charter business.

The beam-to-beam engine room is a rare example on this size of boat, with standing headroom and ease of access for all functions. Photo: Paul Wyeth

The collaboration between Skip and Tony Castro has shaped an entire Pelagic range. The Pelagic 56, 63, 74, 82 and a Pelagic 24m motor yacht are all available for owners who want to tap into the pair’s deep experience. They can even offer an owner’s version of this boat, with master cabin and all the push button controls one could desire.

Vinson of Antarctica came to around €3.8m. It is a lot of boat for the money, and comparable to a new top-of-the-line bluewater cruiser of the same overall length. Not that you can compare. If ‘everything with ice’ is all you dream of doing, there isn’t any other boat that comes close.

Pelagic 77 specifications

LOA: 23.52m / 77ft 2in LWL: 20.40m / 66ft 11in Beam max: 6.31m / 20ft 8in Draught: 4.30m-2.15m / 14ft 1in-7ft 1in Sail area/displ ratio at full load: 1.05 Fuel tankage: 8,124lt / 1,787gal Fresh water tankage: 3,137lt / 690gal B/G Water: 1,115lt / 245gal Utility/waste/oil: 943lt / 207gal

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• OVERVIEW Overview of the range and raison d'etre and our range of services
• CONCEPT A style of voyaging for the 21st Century explained
• Evolution of Pelagic Australis
• Virtual Tour of Pelagic Australis
• ABOUT US Skip Novak and Tony Castro

Pelagic Yachts 77

This design is an evolution of the Pelagic Australis concept, which was the result of Skip Novak's first 14 years of high latitude sailing. Since her build and launch in 2003 Pelagic Australis has enjoyed a further 15 demanding years as an expedition charter vessel in both the Arctic and Antarctic including an attempt on the NW Passage.

Yachting World video featuring Skip's guided tour of Pelagic 77 Vinson of Antarctica

The Pelagic 77 expedition vessel is an evolution from Pelagic Australis and was conceived and designed for expedition sailing mainly in high latitudes. This implies enhanced autonomy, ease of handling with respect to sail areas and of course, given our Pelagic philosophy, simple systems that a yacht crew, operating in remote areas can service without specialist help.

Dimensions LOA 23.52 m LWL 20.40 m Beam Max 6.31 m Draught Max 4.30 m Draught Min 2.15 m

Tankage ( litres) Fuel: 8124 lt. Fresh Water: 3137 lt. B/G Water: 1115 lt. Utility/Waste/Oil: 943 lt. Day Tank fuel: 248 lt.

The vessel was constructed at KM Yachtbuilders at Makkum in The Netherlands. The hull was turned on 1 November 2019 and sea trials began in April 2021. See video of turning and video and pictures of transfer from the hull building shed to the fitout shed below and various shots of the construction process below:

Interior piping and wiring being fitted looking forward

Interior piping and wiring being fitted looking aft

Ready to leave the fit out shed . Picture Guy Fleury

Into the daylight. Picture Guy Fleury

Fitting the centreboard. Picture Guy Fleury

Launch in progress . Picture Guy Fleury

Yachting Pleasure INTERNATIONAL

PELAGIC 77: BORN TO BE WILD

PELAGIC 77: BORN TO BE WILD-MCM co-founder Peter Wilson provides insight into his role as owner’s representative on a very special sailing yacht high latitudesproject in build at KM Yachtbuilders in the Netherlands.

The 23.5-metre Pelagic 77 is one of rare breed of sailing yacht designed specifically for navigating in polar seas. Her very experienced owner wanted “an expedition yacht designed and built for sailing mainly in high latitudes” and he knew exactly who to go to for advice…

Round-the-world racer and polar adventurer Skip Novak is widely considered a world authority on high-latitude sailing. His specialist vessel, Pelagic Australis, was designed by yacht designer Tony Castro for operations in remote polar regions. The Pelagic 77 , in build by aluminium specialists KM Yachtbuilders, is very much an evolution of that vessel, which since her launch in 2003 has covered thousands of ocean miles working as an expedition charter yacht in both the Arctic and Antarctic, including an attempt on the NW Passage.

“Skip, Tony and KM had already proved themselves to be a winning team, so why look any further?” says Peter Wilson. “As Skip is often at sea on expeditions, he needed a wingman on the ground to follow the project and MCM was delighted to oblige. An expedition sailing yacht has to be designed and built to specific criteria, including enhanced autonomy, ease of handling, a simple sail plan and reliable onboard systems – and robust. The Pelagic 77 has been conceived with all these factors in mind.”

Standout features that highlight the yacht’s explorer vocation include:

• The bare aluminum hull and deck structure is reinforced to withstand navigation in brash ice without deformation.
• The schooner sail plan provides manageable sail handling in high winds and rough seas; and also redundancy, as the two mainsails are of equal size – the aft sail will fit on the forward mast.
• A robust fixed keel with a solid aluminium machined centreboard (a work of art, says Peter Wilson) allows for safe navigation in shoal waters.
• Twin engines, with well protected propellers.
• A workshop forward of the accommodation means running repairs can be made at sea.
• Hawser reels on in the transom and another on the foredeck can be used for shore anchors.
• A sturdy gantry frame on the transom will carry an expedition RIB (a second RIB is stowed on deck) as well as the sat-nav antennae so in case of damage to the Axxon carbon masts, the yacht will not lose navigation and satellite communication capability. It also doubles as mainsail traveler track foundation.
• A diesel stove in the spacious aft salon/dinette/galley provides efficient, reliable and comfortable heating to combat freezing temperatures. Radiators throughout the accommodations. During construction special attention was devoted to the insulation to combat the cold and condensation.
• The bamboo interior joinery and furniture is comfortable yet hard-wearing and easy to maintain. Able to sleep 12, the yacht is designed for both private use and commercial chartering.

“This project represents a number of firsts for MCM ,” says Wilson.

“ Although I’ve known Tony for many years and Skip since our maxi racing days in the ‘80s, we’ve never had the opportunity to work together. Additionally, it’s also our first collaboration with KM Yachtbuilders , who  have carved out a solid niche in building high quality, rugged, aluminium explorer yachts. This is a collaboration amongst a coterie of experienced people that oozes a shared enthusiasm to achieve something exceptional”

With all the aluminium work now complete and the interior constructed in the adjacent joinery department, the next stage of construction is to run the cables, piping, ducting for the mechanical, electrical, hydraulic systems, then start the interior outfitting followed by installation the deckhouse. The yacht is scheduled for completion before the end of the year when she will be put through her paces in the northern high latitudes. In these times, one could argue that such an explorer yacht that can travel to the far corners of the earth, is perhaps more appealing than ever!

Specifications

LOA: 23.52m

LWL: 20.40m 

Beam max: 6.31m 

Draught max: 4.30m 

Draught min: 2.15 m 

Engines: 2 x Yanmar 118 kW propulsion engines

Fuel: 8210 lit.

Day tank fuel: 250 lit.

Fresh water: 3055 lit. B/G 

Water: 1310 lit.

Utility/Waste/Oil: 200 lit.

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Why The New Pelagic 77 Is Born To Be Wild

MCM co-founder Peter Wilson provides insight into his role as owner’s representative on the Pelagic 77, a very special sailing yacht high latitudes project in build at KM Yachtbuilders in the Netherlands .

The 23.5-metre Pelagic 77 is one of rare breed of sailing yacht designed specifically for navigating in polar seas. Her experienced owner wanted “an expedition yacht designed and built for sailing mainly in high latitudes” and he knew exactly who to go to for advice… 

Round-the-world racer and polar adventurer Skip Novak is widely considered a world authority on high-latitude sailing. His specialist vessel, Pelagic Australis, was designed by yacht designer Tony Castro for operations in remote polar regions.

The Pelagic 77 , in build by aluminium specialists KM Yachtbuilders , is very much an evolution of that vessel, which since her launch in 2003 has covered thousands of ocean miles working as an expedition charter yacht in both the Arctic and Antarctic, including an attempt on the NW Passage. 

“ Skip, Tony and KM had already proved themselves to be a winning team, so why look any further?” says Peter Wilson.  “As Skip is often at sea on expeditions, he needed a wingman on the ground to follow the project and MCM was delighted to oblige. An expedition sailing yacht has to be designed and built to specific criteria, including enhanced autonomy, ease of handling, a simple sail plan and reliable onboard systems – and robust. The Pelagic 77 has been conceived with all these factors in mind.”

Pelagic 77 highlights

• The bare aluminum hull and deck structure is reinforced to withstand navigation in brash ice without deformation.
• The schooner sail plan provides manageable sail handling in high winds and rough seas; and also redundancy, as the two mainsails are of equal size – the aft sail will fit on the forward mast.
• A robust fixed keel with a solid aluminium machined centreboard ( a work of art, says Peter Wilson) allows for safe navigation in shoal waters.
• Twin engines, with well protected propellers.
• A workshop forward of the accommodation means running repairs can be made at sea.
• Hawser reels on in the transom and another on the foredeck can be used for shore anchors.
• A sturdy gantry frame on the transom will carry an expedition RIB (a second RIB is stowed on deck) as well as the sat-nav antennae so in case of damage to the Axxon carbon masts, the yacht will not lose navigation and satellite communication capability. It also doubles as mainsail traveler track foundation. 
• A diesel stove in the spacious aft salon/dinette/galley provides efficient, reliable and comfortable heating to combat freezing temperatures. Radiators throughout the accommodations. During construction special attention was devoted to the insulation to combat the cold and condensation.
• The bamboo interior joinery and furniture is comfortable yet hard-wearing and easy to maintain. Able to sleep 12, the yacht is designed for both private use and commercial chartering. 

“This project represents a number of firsts for MCM,” says Wilson. “ Although I’ve known Tony for many years and Skip since our maxi racing days in the ‘80s, we’ve never had the opportunity to work together. Additionally, it’s also our first collaboration with KM Yachtbuilders, who have carved out a solid niche in building high quality, rugged, aluminium explorer yachts. This is a collaboration amongst a coterie of experienced people that oozes a shared enthusiasm to achieve something exceptional”

With all the aluminium work now complete and the interior constructed in the adjacent joinery department, the next stage of construction is to run the cables, piping, ducting for the mechanical, electrical, hydraulic systems, then start the interior outfitting followed by installation the deckhouse.

The Pelagic 77 is scheduled for completion before the end of the year when she will be put through her paces in the northern high latitudes. In these times, one could argue that such an explorer yacht that can travel to the far corners of the earth, is perhaps more appealing than ever!

Pelagic 77 specs

LOA : 23.52m LWL : 20.40m  Beam max : 6.31m  Draught max : 4.30m  Draught min : 2.15 m  Engines : 2 x Yanmar 118 kW propulsion engines Fuel : 8210 lit. Day tank fuel : 250 lit. Fresh water : 3055 lit. B/G  Water : 1310 lit. Utility/Waste/Oil : 200 lit.

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Plowing the Oceans In The Pelagic 77 from Dutch Yachtbuilders KM

The attraction to sail the Oceans is growing, so plenty of companies are catering to this demand. Dutch Yachtbuilder KM is a leading supplier in luxury sailing craft, and this shows in their latest design the Pelagic 77

I love the sea and have lived near it all my life, also had the good fortune to sail on it a few times. I do have a desire to take off on some vessel to conquer the oceans, which one I am not sure. I wish to follow great adventurers like Cook and Raleigh so seeing the Pelagic 77 fuels this yearning.

The Pelagic 77 is 23.5-metres in length with an aluminium hull one of a rare breed of sailing crafts explicitly designed for navigating polar seas.

Tony Castro is responsible for its design, he has worked closely with skipper, polar explorer and round the world racer, Skip Novak. They conceived, designed and built it to specific criteria, enhancing autonomy, ease of handling, simple sail plan, reliable onboard systems, robustness along with workshop repairs station.

The new owner knew exactly who to go to for advice, with his requirements in design. In his words, to Tony, he asked for “an expedition yacht designed and built for sailing mainly in high latitudes.”

Considered a world authority on high-latitude sailing Skip Novak has a specialist vessel, Pelagic Australis, also designed by Tony Castro. The Pelagic 77, by KM Yacht builders, aluminium specialists is built very much as a progression of that vessel. Pelagic Australis was launched in 2003 and has covered thousands of miles as an expedition charter in the Arctic and Antarctic. It has also attempted the navigation of the NW Passage.

An already proven winning team Skip, Tony and KM, Peter Wilson says “why look any further?”

He continues “As Skip is often at sea on expeditions, he needed a wingman on the ground to follow the project and MCM was delighted to oblige. An expedition sailing yacht has to be designed and built to specific criteria, including enhanced autonomy, ease of handling, a simple sail plan and reliable onboard systems – and robust. The Pelagic 77 has been conceived with all these factors in mind.”

There are many features that make the Pelagic 77 standout as a vessel capable of any expedition including a reinforced aluminium hull and deck structure strong enough to tackle passage through the ice without any damage.

The sail plan is a Schooner allowing the craft to adjust easily in high winds and rough seas.

Redundancy is also gained with two mainsails of equal size, meaning the aft sail will fit on the forward mast. A solid aluminium centreboard makes up the fixed keel providing the ability to enter shoal waters. The 77 also has two engines both have well-protected propellers. Repairs and maintenance is not an issue at sea with a workshop forward of the accommodation hub.

An expedition RIB is carried on the sturdy gantry frame on the transom (a second RIB is stowed on deck). Heating in the aft salon, dinette and galley come from a reliable diesel stove which is a must-have in the freezing conditions. The crew also get radiators in all areas of accommodation, helping to prevent condensation. Capable of sleeping 12, the vessel is capable of private and commercial chartering. Bamboo was chosen as the primary material for the interiors as it is hard-wearing, easy to maintain and comfortable.

Wilson says “This project represents a number of firsts for MCM. Although I’ve known Tony for many years and Skip since our maxi racing days in the ’80s, we’ve never had the opportunity to work together. Additionally, it’s also our first collaboration with KM Yacht builders, who have carved out a solid niche in building high quality, rugged, aluminium explorer yachts.

This is a collaboration amongst a coterie of experienced people that oozes a shared enthusiasm to achieve something exceptional.”

The Pelagic 77 is scheduled for completion before the end of 2020. She will be put through her paces in the northern high latitudes.

I wish her happy sailing, with fair winds and calm seas.

Pelagic 77 Specifications

• LOA: 23.52m
• LWL: 20.40m
• Beam max: 6.31m
• Draught max: 4.30m
• Draught min: 2.15 m
• Engines: 2 x Yanmar 118 kW propulsion engines
• Fuel: 8210 lit.
• Day tank fuel: 250 lit.
• Freshwater: 3055 lit. B/G
• Water: 1310 lit.
• Utility/Waste/Oil: 200 lit.

For more information about KM Yachtbuilders visit their website www.kmy.nl .

Read more yachting and boating articles in our dedicated section here .

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High-latitude sailing: In these times, such an explorer yacht is perhaps more appealing than ever

Pelagic 77 – one of rare breed of sailing yacht designed for navigating in polar seas. 

Design by Tony Castro for round-the-world racer and polar adventurer Skip Novak, this sailing yacht was conceived and built to specific criteria: enhanced autonomy, ease of handling, simple sail plan, reliable onboard systems, robustness and workshop repairs station.

23.5-metre Pelagic 77 yacht designed by @tony castro

The 23.5-metre Pelagic 77 is a very special sailing yacht for high latitudes built at KM Yachtbuilders in the Netherlands.

Round-the-world racer and polar adventurer Skip Novak is widely considered a world authority on high-latitude sailing. His specialist vessel, Pelagic Australis, was designed by yacht designer Tony Castro for operations in remote polar regions. The Pelagic 77, in build by aluminium specialists KM Yachtbuilders, is very much an evolution of that vessel, which since her launch in 2003 has covered thousands of ocean miles working as an expedition charter yacht in both the Arctic and Antarctic, including an attempt on the NW Passage.

The yacht is scheduled for completion before the end of the year when she will be put through her paces in the northern high latitudes .

The bare aluminum hull and deck structure is reinforced to withstand navigation in brash ice without deformation . The bamboo interior joinery and furniture is comfortable yet hard-wearing and easy to maintain. Able to sleep 12, the yacht is designed for both private use and commercial chartering.

The schooner sail plan provides manageable sail handling in high winds and rough seas; and also redundancy, as the two mainsails are of equal size – the aft sail will fit on the forward mast. The robust fixed keel with solid aluminium machined centreboard allows for safe navigation in shoal waters.

Standout features that highlight the yacht’s explorer vocation include: twin engines, with well protected propellers and a workshop for running repairs that can be made at sea.

The sturdy gantry frame on the transom will carry an expedition RIB (a second RIB is stowed on deck) as well as the sat-nav antennae so in case of damage to the Axxon carbon masts, the yacht will not lose navigation and satellite communication capability. It also doubles as mainsail traveler track foundation. A diesel stove in the spacious aft salon/dinette/galley provides efficient, reliable and comfortable heating to combat freezing temperatures.

During construction special attention was devoted to the insulation to combat the cold and condensation.“Skip, Tony and KM had already proved themselves to be a winning team, so why look any further?” said Peter Wilson. “As Skip is often at sea on expeditions, he needed a wingman on the ground to follow the project and MCM was delighted to oblige. An expedition sailing yacht has to be designed and built to specific criteria, including enhanced autonomy, ease of handling, a simple sail plan and reliable onboard systems – and robust. The Pelagic 77 has been conceived with all these factors in mind.”

“This project represents a number of firsts for MCM,” added Wilson. “Although I’ve known Tony for many years and Skip since our maxi racing days in the ‘80s, we’ve never had the opportunity to work together. Additionally, it’s also our first collaboration with KM Yachtbuilders, who have carved out a solid niche in building high quality, rugged, aluminium explorer yachts. This is a collaboration amongst a coterie of experienced people that oozes a shared enthusiasm to achieve something exceptional”

With all the aluminium work now complete and the interior constructed in the adjacent joinery department, the next stage of construction is to run the cables, piping, ducting for the mechanical, electrical, hydraulic systems, then start the interior outfitting followed by installation the deckhouse.

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9 Explorer Yachts Made to Cruise the World’s Most Remote Destinations

You don't need a 250-footer to reach the ends of the earth. serious explorer yachts now come in owner-operated 85-foot lengths., howard walker, howard walker's most recent stories.

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With last year seeing a record number of explorer-style yachts under construction, it’s clear a new generation of superyacht buyer is no longer content to jostle for moorings in crowded harbors of the Med or Caribbean. They want open space and adventure.

Expedition yachts have traditionally been converted freighters or supply vessels, like the 223-foot Ragnar or 250-foot Yersin. But this new generation of compact superyachts, many below 150 feet, is designed for  similar missions in smaller packages, thanks to utilitarian hull designs and expanded fuel capacities.

One in this group is designed to be self-sufficient for 30 days as it explores remote regions. Another has a top speed of 25 knots, giving it the ability to outrun storms. Several have enough rear deck space to land a helicopter.

Name-brand builders such as Holland’s Damen and Italy’s Sanlorenzo and Cantiere delle Marche have been joined by a number of specialist Turkish yards, like Bering and AvA, in offering capable, adventure-ready vessels with luxury interiors.

Here are nine of the finest. Most are new, but we’ve included several recent launches, and even a decade-old classic, to show just how far this field has come.

Damen SeaXplorer 58 ‘Pink Shadow’

Nothing screams “explorer yacht” louder than the 190-foot SeaXplorer 58 Pink Shadow from Damen Yachting. This oceangoing beast was just launched from the Dutch brand’s yard in Antalya, Turkey. The heavily customized Pink Shadow (it’s painted green) has a towering, ice-crushing, vertical bow and a distinctive open forward gallery. The boat is designed to explore the most remote corners of the globe. The vessel can be completely self-sufficient for up to a month, with the ability to cruise at 11.5 knots for over 5,000 nautical miles. Need to fly in more supplies? There’s a basketball-court-sized helipad at the stern. The yacht’s huge in-hull garages can also be filled with a fleet of toys, including two multipurpose tenders, motorcycles, ATVs, and a 4×4 SUV, plus a custom 37-foot racing sailboat.

Lynx Crossover 27 ‘Avontuur’

Paint numbers on the bow and you might mistake this new 88-foot explorer from Lynx Yachts for a military vessel. There’s even space on the open aft deck for a Navy SEAL–style RIB. But the Crossover 27 is all about adventure (“Avontuur” is the Dutch word for exactly that.) Designed by Holland’s Bernd Weel with a hull shape by Diana Yacht Design, the Lynx comes with a pair of 850-horse Caterpillars that can power it to a top speed of 14 knots. At 10 knots, it has a range of over 3,000 nautical miles. This first example was commissioned for an adventure-loving Californian who had the 750-square-foot aft deck designed to carry both an Air Nautique G23 wakeboard boat and 16-foot RIB. The garage on the deck below can transport Jet Skis, paddleboards, and scuba gear.

One of the baseline requirements for legitimate explorer yachts is that they be safe and stable in rough seas. Which is why the 85-foot explorer is so impressive. With no fewer than three stabilizer systems, the Arksen can stay upright even if slammed side-on by some Perfect Storm– sized rogue wave. The all-aluminum hull is even designed to recover from a 180-degree knockdown. The Arksen’s semi-displacement hull and glass-filled superstructure come from U.K.-based Humphries Yacht Design. Twin, heavy-duty 330 hp Cummins diesels give the boat a top speed of 14 knots. At nine knots, it has an astonishing range of 7,000 nautical miles.

Sanlorenzo 500EXP ‘Para Bellum’

The 154-foot 500EXP , the newest and biggest addition to the yard’s luxury explorer yacht range, has space for a helicopter on its stern. It also features an ice-crushing full-displacement steel hull and towering bow that gives it serious expedition cred. But the 500EXP is designed to cruise to the most remote corners of the planet in comfort. The vessel has a range of more than 4,500 nautical miles at 11 knots with the twin 970-horse Cat C32s powerplants. Below decks, the generous 31-foot beam delivers copious amounts of space for 10 guests in five cabins. The latest version of the yacht, the gray-hulled Para Bellum , can now be chartered from $300,000 a week. Helicopter not included.

Alpha Yachts Alfresco 125 ‘Piccolo’

Turkey’s Alpha Custom Yachts go-anywhere 125-foot Piccolo focuses on big spaces to enjoy the great outdoors. The flybridge itself sprawls across 1,180 square feet, with features such as a plunge pool up front and uncluttered entertaining spaces at the rear. The sleek, clean lines are from Britain’s H2 Yacht Design, with the semi-displacement fiberglass hull from naval architects Laurent Giles. And unlike most explorer yachts, the boat is fast. Twin Caterpillar C32s can punch her to a top speed of 17.5 knots, though throttle back to 10 and it will cover over 2,300 nautical miles. The first in the Alfresco 125 series, Piccolo, was launched in 2020. It is now on the market for $12.5 million.

Bering B145 ‘Heeus’

The flagship of Turkey’s Bering Yachts is the 145-foot Heeus . It has a range of over 4,600 miles, which means it can run from San Francisco to Hawaii, and back, on a single tank of fuel at 12 knots. In addition to its twin main Caterpillar engines, the B145 can also be powered by electric motors and batteries. The hybrid system is designed to ease the yacht silently into more eco-sensitive anchorages and run overnight without generators. The outside decks are huge—the sundeck alone spans almost 1,000 square feet. The boat is available for weekly charter this summer for around €230,000 ($250,000).

AvA Yachts Kando 110 Explorer ‘Infinity-Nine’

AvA’s Kando110 Explorer series hit the headlines last November after it emerged that the Turkish yard’s newest launch had been purchased by former San Antonio Spurs’ basketball star Tony Parker. He called the boat Infinity Nine . The 110-foot, steel-and-aluminum world-girder was designed to crisscross the Atlantic, courtesy of its 6,500 mile range and fuel-sipping 650 hp Volvo D16 diesels. Distinguished by a four-deck layout, towering topsides, and expansive hull-side glass, the Kando110 has six staterooms, including a 290-square-foot full-beam master.

CdM Flexplorer 130 ‘Aurelia’

Superyacht cranes have never been this cool. The towering A-frame heavy-lifter on the rear deck of CdM 130 Flexplorer Aurelia can lift and launch the yacht’s hefty 28-foot tender over the stern without breaking a sweat—in fact, it can hoist up to 3.5 tonnes. But even more impressive is that, when stowed, the crane disappears completely into recesses in the yacht’s teak deck. Sergio Cutolo’s Hydro Tec studio did the yacht design. The Flexplorer series lives up to its name: Yachts can be built from 127 to 154 feet. Power-wise, Aurelia , the first of the series, has twin Caterpillar C32s to give a 14-knot top speed. At 10 knots, it has a 5,000-nautical-mile range.

Canados Oceanic 143 Fast Expedition

Traditional explorer yachts tend to chug across oceans at single-digit speeds. But there are times when you need to outrun a storm or punch against a fast-flowing tide. That’s the beauty of Italian builder Canados’s new Oceanic 143 tri-deck: speed. Powered by three 2,400hp Caterpillar C32 12-cylinder turbo diesels, the boat can reach a top speed of 25 knots. With a fuel capacity of 8,320 gallons, if you ease back to an eight-knot cruise speed, range extends to over 6,000 miles. Much of this comes down to the yacht’s innovative “Dis-planing” hull (see image above). Canados gave it the unusual name because the design is a rare combination of “displacement” and “planing”—topped off by a wave-slicing, straked-bow design.

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Pelagic 77: onboard one of the world’s most extreme sailing machines

Pelagic 77, the extreme expedition yacht designed in collaboration with Skip Novak, has hit the water. Elaine Bunting sails onboard the yacht, which was built to sail to the ends of the earth in safety and comfort

The latest and largest Pelagic design, Pelagic 77, the 77ft Vinson of Antarctica , created in collaboration with legendary adventurer and expedition sailor Skip Novak, has hit the water after years in the building.

Sailing on the Solent, this 77ft colossus makes every other yacht looks flimsy and destructible. The designer, Tony Castro, even calls his creation ‘a beast’. As the big schooner heels to the breeze he chuckles gleefully, clawing the air with his fingers like a creature on the rampage. This is a boat designed for the wilds.

The case for split rigs on a 77-footer was to break up the sailplan into smaller chunks in order to operate all sail control systems manually. Photo: Paul Wyeth

Named after the continent’s highest mountain, Vinson of Antartica has been built to meet the world’s harshest conditions. It has everything required for voyages of six weeks or longer to the most remote places, where there are no repair facilities and no medical help.

It was built for Chilean businessman and adventurer Nicolas Ibañez to use for science, filmmaking and sail training voyages, and designed in a collaboration between Tony Castro and sailor explorer Skip Novak.

Although new, it is a boat with a history. It inherits the philosophy and experience Skip has gained from 33 seasons sailing and mountaineering in the Antarctic and South Georgia on his own expedition yachts, the 54ft Pelagic and the Castro-designed 74ft Pelagic Australis (recently sold to Greenpeace).

The result is this first of a new marque, the Pelagic 77. It is sized to fit into the MGN 280 code for small commercial vessels of up to 24m, yet be able to comfortably carry 10 guests and four crew (three sailing crew and an expedition leader).

For Skip, a no-nonsense kinda guy, a proper expedition boat is a ‘taxi to the snowline’, not a yacht in the conventional sense. It is a work boat, pure and simple. Maintenance must be as easy as possible. Visible wear and tear that is purely cosmetic is irrelevant.

Moving around on deck is easy on a single level from stem to stern. Photo: Paul Wyeth

Nonetheless, Skip appreciates his comforts, as I discovered when I sailed with him in 2013 on a Yachting World expedition round Cape Horn on little Pelagic . We were always warm and dry, exceptionally well fed and watered, slept well, and enjoyed good conversation and fun. His type of boat, tough and uncompromising on the outside, has everything needed for the time of your life. Just nothing more.

Pelagic 77: all-manual sailing

It takes a fair bit of grunt to get Vinson’s foremain and mizzen up. There are no push button winches, and no hydraulics. “That’s not my game at all. We wanted manual winches because where we go there are no marine services,” Skip explains. “The other thing is with amateurs on board you cannot let them near electric winches or they will wind their fingers in. The boat will be doing sail training, so it has simple systems so people don’t get hurt.”

Manual winch power meant sail area had to be split into manageable chunks, which dictated the schooner rig. That has the added advantage that the identical mainsail and mizzen are interchangeable.

Where it is headed, this boat is not going to be fighting for light airs performance. “On Pelagic Australis we kept a detailed sail log and the amount of time that we had the full main on was less than 10%,” says Skip.

One of two Bombard C5s on davits above hinged ‘bomb bay’ doors above stern scoop. Photo: Paul Wyeth

“We wanted to be able to sail up to 60° apparent,” he adds. “We are playing the weather and not going upwind, not if we can help it – that is not part of the programme. There is also a lot of motoring in the [Antarctic] Archipelago and a 3-4m swell in the Drake Passage.”

Aluminium was an obvious material to build in, and KM Yachtbuilders in the Netherlands was the clear choice as specialist builders of rugged, expertly fitted out yachts such as the Bestevaer range.

“It comes back to maintenance. There is no need to paint aluminium, it is easy to maintain, strong, and suitable for building a custom boat,” explains Castro.

Article continues below…

Pelagic 77: Construction update on Skip Novak’s new expedition yacht

Yet another consequence of the lockdown which, as I write, is very much still in force in South Africa, is…

South Atlantic ocean: A crossing in mid-winter on Pelagic Australis

There was a crunching sound underfoot as we loaded Pelagic Australis with provisions for the South Atlantic Ocean crossing ahead.…

Construction is in H321 seawater resistant aluminium with increased shell thickness at the stem, and above and below the waterline. The hull, deck and superstructure are insulated with 75mm of blown polyurethane foam.

The boat has a shallow draught fixed keel with a big bulb and a centreboard, so it can access shallow areas and even be dried out judiciously, “but it has to be flat and we would probably put halyards out to deadmen on each side,” says Skip.

Beam is carried right aft to maximise engine and machinery space and the saloon at the aft end of the boat, as well as load carrying capacity. “We will have a lot more film teams so we have a big lazarette and afterdeck area so they can hang a [gyrostabilised] Cineflex camera off the back end,” Skip explains.

Cockpit showing winches mounted on coamings. Photo: Paul Wyeth

“These film and scientific expeditions are ever more sophisticated, and there is a case for a bigger boat for dry labs, wet labs and so on.”

The twin rudders are not toed out for sailing efficiency but aligned nearer to the centreline to expose as little as possible to impact with ice. The high hull sides have pronounced tumblehome to protect stanchions when berthed and rolling alongside rough pier walls.

Secure cockpit

Barring the mizzen staysail, all Vinson of Antarctica’s sails are permanently rigged, “so we don’t have to rig a storm sail in the middle of a gale,” Skip explains. The three headsails, a 135% high clewed genoa, a 100% high clewed yankee and a bladed staysail that doubles as a storm sail are on manual furlers.

The foremain has four reefs (the fourth the size of a trysail), and the mizzen three. Ullman Expedition sails in woven Spectra and Dyneema have been developed specially with Skip and have reefing points with webbing handles and wide seams with extra rows of triple-step stitching.

The cockpit is flush with the deck rather than sunken, but flanked by substantial coamings. A bank of four winches for furling lines and sheets are mounted on each side of this, so crew operating on the leeward side are well protected.

Within the cockpit there is a table and bench seating, a liferaft stowage box and a large cuddy. Six to eight people can comfortably shelter without needing to put on full foulweather gear. Even on our test sail, most of us ended up gravitating there to sit and talk.

The wheel is centrally placed with a step for the helm position to give a view over the coachroof. A plinth can be fitted to raise the helm higher for conning through ice.

Mid deck area with grinder. Photo: Paul Wyeth

At the aft end is a huge lazarette with dive compressor, 10 tanks, a freezer and stowage, as well as a gas locker big enough to hold 50kg, and a waste locker with sealable barrels to store garbage and food waste that cannot be jettisoned south of the Polar Front.

A large gantry at the aft end has davits for one of the boat’s two Bombard C5 inflatables, though these are deflated, broken down and stored in the forepeak for going to sea. Two ‘bomb bay’ doors at the stern lift up to access the stern platform, where two rope reels contain 150m of floating polypropylene line for tying ashore.

A feature repeated from Pelagic Australis is the mid deck layout beneath the foremain mast. In this safe operating area between two coamings there is a Harken 3-speed pedestal grinder, used for the initial hoist of the main and mizzen.

It can also be put to use for warping the boat, taking mooring lines through tunnels in the coamings and snatch blocks, and retrieving the anchor in case the windlass fails – nylon anchor rode is attached to the chain and winched in. Two more rope reels for bow lines are also fixed here, just forward of the pilothouse.

A second Bombard C5 inflatable can be stored inflated in this deck space and ratchet strapped to recessed tie downs. When the boat is rolling to a big swell, Skip prefers if possible to launch and retrieve the dinghies over the side using a gennaker halyard, rather than from davits.

The anchor is offset so that the boat can be motored ahead into an ice shelf and people can step straight off the bow. A nylon strop is attached to take the weight of the chain when anchored and stop the chain rubbing on the bow.

Set for a long tack

An idiosyncrasy that comes directly from the previous Pelagics are vangs/preventers on the foremain and mizzen. These are taken from strops at the boom midpoints to the rail and back to cockpit winches. Politely, they look something of a nuisance. It means two more lines to handle every time you tack, and the lazy mizzen preventer loops right across the cockpit at head height.

Heavy 900mm square forehatch. Photo: Paul Wyeth

Here the height of the pilothouse and the position of the coffee grinder don’t allow for conventional vangs to control leech tension, but Skip says he would always rig preventers anyway.

“A normal preventer for downwind would be from the boom end; we have a compromise with this. In a big swell I use [it] on all points of sail. Otherwise, if the wind is forward of the beam and the autopilot fails, the boat can go through the wind and the boom can wipe out the running backstays, break battens and so on.”

The inconvenience is presumably academic when your tacks are hundreds of miles. “No doubt there is an inconvenience factor,” he says, “but the pros outweigh the cons and it’s a better system. You do run the risk of breaking the boom if you dip it in, but our mainsails are high off the deck and the reef clews are cut high.”

Comforts below deck

At sea, the pilothouse with its lounge and navigation area will be the heart of Vinson of Antarctica. It has seating for six to eight people, and panoramic views from the helm seat and settee.

Skip once boasted that he had crossed the Drake Passage on Pelagic Australis without changing out of his slippers or donning foulweather gear, and the crew of this boat will be able to sail in pyjamas if they wish.

Warm, dry and protected, it is also a safe place when rolling at sea. Two full height ‘granny bars’ stored in the workshop can be installed to divide up the space, provide grab rails and sturdy panels to brace feet against.

Aft saloon and galley. Skip notes: “As the explorer Bill Tilman said: ‘Any old fool can be uncomfortable’.” Photo: Paul Wyeth

Forward there are six symmetrical cabins, three each side of a central corridor. The aftermost have double bunks with a hinged single above, while the others are twin cabins. All have big leecloths, boot storage, lots of practical canvas stowage pouches, and are heated by radiators using the boat’s wet heating system.

There are two large heads with rainfall showers. And herein lies the only battle Skip lost with the owner — electric toilets. I agree with him: an extra maintenance chore, and horribly noisy!

At the forward end is a workshop area and huge forepeak used for storing vegetables and fruit, stowage of outboards, dinghies, a chain locker for 150m of chain and 150m of nylon rode, plus barrels that will contain drysuits, hip waders and sharps for climbers such as ice axes and crampons.

The saloon and galley runs from under the cockpit to the transom. This is a comfortable communal area, handsomely fitted out in light honey coloured bamboo joinery.

There is seating for 14 people around two tables with leaves that lift to form one, a galley with a super deep sink, high fiddles, a custom made two-burner gas hob exactly sized for a pair of 12lt Lagostina pressure cookers (“all you need,” according to Skip) and electric oven. There is also a gravity-fed Refleks diesel stove, on which a kettle can be boiled, and this has a back boiler linked with the heating system.

Seaworthy galley with electric oven and custom hob. Photo: Paul Wyeth

The nav area to starboard has two facing seats so that science or film crews can work on laptops, with lots of power and USB sockets at hand. The boat has Inmarsat and Iridium satcoms and a wifi network for guests.

Usually shoehorned into minimal space, the engine room on Vinson is palatial and runs full beam athwartships under the pilothouse. Careful 3D modelling by Ben Pym of Engineered Marine Systems made sure that every item of machinery can be reached without needing to dismantle anything else.

There are twin 150hp Yanmar engines and a 9.5kW Onan genset to charge the 1,000Ah lithium batteries. The boat runs on a 24V system.

Fuel capacity is over 8,000lt, transferrable between four tanks. A 248lt day tank gravity feeds the engines and is topped up with an electric pump. This, Skip points out, “is not automatic. We want someone to come in here every four or five hours to look around, top it up and fill in the log. It can be amazing what else you see.”

Forepeak with 4m3 of stowage space. Photo: Paul Wyeth

All fuel filters are visible and easily accessed, and KM Yachtbuilders have done a lovely job building two enormous sea chest manifolds for all water intakes and outlets. This eliminates multiple through-hull fittings, and can be opened and cleaned at sea. A Kabola diesel boiler is the heart of the wet heating system and will run 24/7 on expeditions. There is also a heat exchanger on the port engine. “All this stuff is fairly simple and we have as-built plumbing and wiring diagrams,” says Skip.

Ready to go

Vinson of Antarctica will leave the UK in June to go north to Norway, where she will pick up a geological science team and continue to Svalbard. Skip himself will lead this expedition, but the boat’s permanent captain is Kenneth Perdigon. Skip will continue to be involved on occasional expeditions and by introducing guests from his well-established charter business.

The beam-to-beam engine room is a rare example on this size of boat, with standing headroom and ease of access for all functions. Photo: Paul Wyeth

The collaboration between Skip and Tony Castro has shaped an entire Pelagic range. The Pelagic 56, 63, 74, 82 and a Pelagic 24m motor yacht are all available for owners who want to tap into the pair’s deep experience. They can even offer an owner’s version of this boat, with master cabin and all the push button controls one could desire.

Vinson of Antarctica came to around €3.8m. It is a lot of boat for the money, and comparable to a new top-of-the-line bluewater cruiser of the same overall length. Not that you can compare. If ‘everything with ice’ is all you dream of doing, there isn’t any other boat that comes close.

Pelagic 77 specifications

LOA: 23.52m / 77ft 2in LWL: 20.40m / 66ft 11in Beam max: 6.31m / 20ft 8in Draught: 4.30m-2.15m / 14ft 1in-7ft 1in Sail area/displ ratio at full load: 1.05 Fuel tankage: 8,124lt / 1,787gal Fresh water tankage: 3,137lt / 690gal B/G Water: 1,115lt / 245gal Utility/waste/oil: 943lt / 207gal

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