Expedition Conversion Candidate
Project Orca
78-Metre Norwegian Ice-Class Expedition Yacht — Conversion
256 ft (78 m) · Ulstein UT-743 · Built 1993, Norway
78-Metre Norwegian Ice-Class Expedition Yacht — Conversion
256 ft (78 m) · Ulstein UT-743 · Built 1993, Norway
A true Norwegian winter hull — frame and plate built for Arctic and Antarctic operation, not retro-fitted.
Bergen mains and 4-blade CP propellers on resilient mounts — engineered for hydroacoustic silence.
Shipyard-built accommodation for crew, expedition staff, scientists and family — already there.
Class-approved for the AS-332 Super Puma. You operate; you don't negotiate touch-and-go.
Built by Ulstein — the yard that defined modern offshore. The bones are right and the drawings exist.
Standard capability is built into the hull today; optional systems are engineered in during conversion.
The Yacht Channel · Project Orca — the platform and the conversion brief
A conversion is far more than a technical upgrade. It is the transformation of a proven, ocean-tested hull into a yacht with new purpose, new value and a life of its own — and it rewards the owner who can see what others cannot.
The hull, machinery and class are proven. The conversion re-imagines everything above and around them for owner-standard global expedition service — from the tropics to the poles. In outline, the scope includes:
Detailed specifications, the general arrangement, conversion pricing and the complete gallery are released to registered principals. Register your mission brief — it goes straight to Paul M. Madden.
Already registered on this device? The details unlock automatically.
| Builder | Ulstein Verft AS, Norway |
|---|---|
| Design | Ulstein UT-743 — silent operation |
| Built | 1993 · Yard No. 234 |
| LOA / Beam | 78.0 m (256 ft) · 17.0 m (56 ft) |
| Draft (design) | 5.4 m |
| Gross Tonnage | ≈ 3,700 GRT |
| Classification | DNV +A1, Ice-C, E0, HELDK |
| Main Engines | 2 × Bergen BD32 — 6,600 BHP total |
| Propulsion | Twin CP, 4-blade low-noise · bow thruster |
| Speed | 15.6 kn (trial) |
| Fuel / Fresh Water | 1,400 m³ · 220 m³ |
| Range / Endurance | Transoceanic — months at sea |
| Helideck | Class — AS-332 Super Puma certified |
| Working Deck | 740 m² (8,000 sq ft) |
| Accommodation | 56 berths in 36 cabins |
Speed, tankage and class notations per builder and current class records; to be confirmed at pre-purchase survey.
Call or register at XplorerYachts.com
Safe, comfortable expedition ops
Full owner-standard build
Vessel pricing is provided on application. Commercial-vessel prices move with charter and market conditions, so we do not publish them — contact Xplorer Yachts or register at XplorerYachts.com for current pricing. Conversion scope, and therefore cost, ranges from a yacht-support refit to a full global expedition yacht; a comparable new build is 36+ months.
