Developed for clients who wanted to explore the world and enjoy their own privacy while entertaining guests in luxurious comfort along the way, the 87-metre EXPV concept by Harrison Eidsgaard in collaboration with Feadship takes a completely fresh and unconventional approach to what large yachts, especially explorers, should look like.

“When we started this project, we took all the features you find on superyachts and threw them up in the air,” explains Peder Eidsgaard, co-founder of Harrison Eidsgaard. “The pieces landed where you might not expect to find them, but where they might make more sense. The two deckhouses are unique and no other superyacht has them, but the profile with its reverse bow, bold use of glass and dynamic curves is very purposeful.”

Heart of glass

Anyone standing by the flagpole in the stern of the yacht can see through the Glass Bridge, between the Bridge’s split helm console and all the way to the bow.

“We’ve collaborated with Harrison Eidsgaard on various projects and they always throw a few challenges into the mix,” says Jan-Bart Verkuyl, Feadship director and CEO Royal Van Lent shipyard. “The Glass Bridge was one such challenge and we worked closely with the De Voogt engineers to see how we could make that work. Suspended in mid-air, it’s a completely new idea and quite a feat of engineering.”

Another unexpected layout concept is the Ocean Lounge, a large beach club located on the lower deck at midship, flooded with light from the Glass Bridge, extending towards the water thanks to its hydraulic side platforms. Sliding glass doors also mean the flush deck platforms can remain open at night or in cooler climes. The Ocean lounge also has an indoor swimming pool and a large skylight in the deckhead above.

Being at midship at a lower level, also meant rethinking the location of the engine room, designed to be be on a single level and for diesel-electric propulsion, it is also ready to integrate renewable fuels and is, above all, silent.

Separated yet connected

In a radical departure from the norm, the owner and guest quarters are completely separate, hence the distinctive ‘split’ superstructure with the owner’s private space in the forward section and the guest area aft.

The two deckhouses are served by separate staircases and elevators but they are also connected by the floating Glass Bridge and the Ocean Lounge.

“The whole concept is based on the premise that the owners have their own residence and there is a separate guest house for friends and visitors,” says Peder Eidsgaard. “The idea is that the owners can spend weeks on board in full privacy, but also interact with their guests in the Ocean Lounge in the middle of the boat.”

Right at the bow on bridge deck level is a cosy nook that can be used for both sunbathing and dining. The Owner’s Office is located behind the wheelhouse, with a full-beam and very private Master Suite on the deck below. At the very top is the owner’s private observation lounge with full-height windows and a private terrace overlooking the foredeck. The heliport above the observation lounge is fully certified and has direct access to the owner’s apartment.

“The clients like to use their helicopter almost as a tender for commuting to and from the yacht on day trips,” says Verkuyl. “It hugely extends the area they can visit and is used frequently, but because it’s on the forward deckhouse there is minimal disturbance for the guest activities in the stern.”

Another spectacular feature is the substantial mast atop the aft deckhouse. Integrated into the structure is a crow’s nest, a two-person pod that can travel past the radar domes to the masthead high above the deck.