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:
Every concept below is drawn on a photograph of the actual compartment — the same volumes, the same portholes, the same beams. Drag the handle.
AI visualisations on the actual spaces — concept only, not design drawings. Interior design is developed with the owner's designer during conversion.
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.
