Built in 2016, the 107-meter Ulysses has become the clearest yet definition of an explorer yacht, incorporating swimming pools, spas with a helipad and a myriad of tenders, the largest of which is 22-meters long. Sold just a few weeks ago by her original owner, Graeme Hart, she became the largest brokerage yacht sold so far in 2017 with an asking price of $195 million.
Ulysses' story starts back in 2013 when Graeme Hart, whose net worth is valued at $10.2 billion by Forbes, commissioned the 107-meter yacht (351 ft) from Kleven, a shipyard in Norway that builds commercial ships. According to designers, Hart's choice was driven by quicker delivery times, a better price point than traditional yacht builders and high enough quality standards.
I am very pleased with the quality of the work that has been done by Kleven, and how our organizations have worked together to bring this exciting project to life.
Graeme Hart in November 2014
Hart's statement was however more than just a PR gesture for the Norwegian shipyard. Shortly after his statement on Kleven's quality, Hart signed an order for a new 116-meter explorer yacht with delivery scheduled for 2018. A move that surprised the industry as the first Ulysses was still two years away from completion but made the yacht one of the most anticipated builds of the past year.
In building Ulysses, Hart already had a clear vision of the yacht he wanted to create, having already owned a 60-meter explorer yacht built by Trinity in 2004. The key points of his design brief in creating the 107-meter Behemoth were reportedly to focus on interior volume, aft-facing guest spaces, a fully-functional helipad and large tenders. Ahead of Ulysses' delivery, the billionaire also sold the 60-meter, which is now known as Grand Russalina. The 116-meter explorer currently in build will become Hart's seventh yacht in total.
One of the most astonishing amenities on Ulysses is her large swimming pool, located aft of the upper deck at a height of nearly 9 meters above sea level. Partly covered by the third deck for shade, the swimming pool stretches for 12 meters and is surrounded by lounging areas for her guests to bathe in the sun.
Aft of this 400 square-meter pool deck is an extensive Jacuzzi, surrounded by sun pads, that overlook the yacht's aft. Although an undeniable advantage of being on a yacht is the ability to swim in the sea, Ulysses is purpose built to be able to navigate in remote areas where the sea could be too rough for humans to bathe in, which is when the 100% jellyfish-proof pool deck comes in.
Near the swimming pool is also located a large dinning table, covered by a solid rooftop and ideal for informal lunches during the summer. The table is however in no way the only option on the 107-meter. In addition to many casual tables located all around the yacht's 6 decks, a formal dinning area is located aft of the main deck with direct access to the kitchen for improved service.
Directly opposite from the formal dinning area can be found a wine degustation area with circular walls filled with the most prestigious wines from all around the world. A small bar is also located in front of 4 large windows directly in this area to allow Ulysses' guests to enjoy a glass of wine whilst taking in the view.
Ulysses' hull and superstructure were built by Kleven in Norway with a clear purpose of having a boat that would have no limits in any respect. The expedition style created by New Zealand-based designer Kyle Dick for the yacht's exterior is a clear translation of this philosophy.
The interior outfitting, penned by London-based studio H2 Yacht Design, was on the other hand done in Germany by Finnish company, Europlan who had in the past mostly focused on cruise ships with only a few superyachts under its belt. According to several reports, the interior cost €20,000 per square meter.
Ulysses features a variety of spaces to entertain its guests, from informal to formal locations. With light colors found throughout its interior, Ulysses boasts a large salon on the main deck with extensive sitting spaces and a large bar.
Unlike smaller yachts where most cabins typically look out onto the sea from a porthole, guest cabins on Ulysses have floor-to-ceiling windows directly opposite of the bed that let its guests take in the full view. Ulysses can accommodate a total of 36 guests.
The largest cabin on board is however the master cabin, which takes up an entire deck and stretches across the 107-meter's entire beam. With panoramic windows on both sides of the cabin, the master was however designed to face the yacht's aft. A lounging area is located forward of the cabin, making up the owner's private deck.
Despite its go-anywhere capability, Ulysses has also all of the amenities one could expand from a superyacht and perhaps even more. One of those is the yacht's spa, which includes a plunge pool, sauna, steam room, massage room and more all designed with white and dark blue theme.
The wellness area is completed by a gym located aft of the main deck with a large variety of equipment and a breathtaking view out of a series of tall windows.
Another one of Ulysses' highlights is her fully-functional cinema room. Packed with comfortable sofas and equipped with a pro-level projector and screen, the room is fully optimized for a great sound and viewing experience.
Ulysses' technical capabilities however perhaps best set in to guests when they go up to the guest lounge, located inside the explorer's bridge on the top deck. This acts as a dedicated area for guests to take in the view without being bother by crew operations and vice-versa.
One of the key requirements set forth by Hart was the development of a fully-functional helipad. This took the form of a large, dedicated helicopter landing pad located at the top of the yacht, with the capacity of taking up the world's largest helicopters up to 3,6 tons.
One of the key aspects of the explorer is of course her gigantic toy garage, containing anything from jetskis to motorbikes to SUVs to seabobs, bikes and flyboards. It's not unseen for superyachts to carry a lot of toys but this amount of toys on a 107-meter is something that few have ever seen before.
The most unique feature amongst the whole boat may however be the 21-meter tender that Ulysses carries on its bow. The two-deck boat, which most would call a yacht in her own right, requires to custom built cranes to lift in an operation that takes just over an hour to execute.
Sold at an asking price of $195 million, Ulysses became the largest brokerage yacht sold so far this year, topping the 85-meter Solandge, which sold at an asking price of €155 million. An even larger version of Ulysses is however set to be delivered to Hart later this year with the 116-meter explorer already now in the final phases of construction.
Valued at $10,2 billion by Forbes, Graeme Hart is currently the wealthiest man in New Zealand. Having made his fortune in the leveraged buyout private equity space, Hart consolidated a number of under-performing assets in the packaging space to create an empire in everyday products such as milk cartons, water bottles, paper and foil.
Prior to his successes in acquiring large companies and optimising them as part of his empire, Hart started off as a tow-truck driver after leaving school at 16 years old. He completed an MBA from the University of Ortego in 1987. His first big buy was the Government Printing Office in New Zealand, which he managed to acquire for less than capital value.
Finland’s boating sector is showing signs of recovery after the decline that followed the pandemic, with registrations and used boat sales both increasing over the past year. As of July 2025, the national watercraft register listed 246,000 boats, an increase of 2,928 compared with the previous year. Of these, 214,000 were motorboats.According to the Finnish Marine Industries Federation (Finnboat), growth has been driven largely by the sale of previously unsold stock vessels, which do not appear in first registration statistics. “According to first registrations, the boating sector would appear to be at its lowest point this year. However, the sale of unsold stock boats has significantly boosted the total fleet size. These boats are not visible in the first registration statistics,” said Finnboat CEO Jarkko Pajusalo.Outboard-powered boats have led the growth, rising by more than 2,200 units. While first registrations of motorboats fell by 17 per cent, the total number of motorboats in the register rose by the same proportion. Pajusalo attributed this to the statistical definition of “new” boats as those built in the current or two previous years. He noted that the anomaly created by pandemic-era unsold boats is expected to resolve itself.The Helsinki In-Water Boat Show Uiva Flytande, held in Lauttasaari, Helsinki, drew nearly 11,000 visitors. Exhibitors reported cautious optimism among buyers, with strong interest in larger cruising yachts. Nine such yachts were on display, from builders including Lagoon, Hanse, Dehler, X-Yachts and Beneteau.Samuli Leisti of Ajola Yachts and Hansail said that 2025 is shaping up to be the strongest year in 15 years for his company, with several deals in progress and one new order signed. His brokerage firm Blue Ocean sold 80 used boats by August, exceeding last year’s total of 67. Antti Saarisalo, CEO of Ajola Yachts, also noted strong interest in sailing yachts, with onboard visits matching those of the larger Helsinki International Boat Show held in February.Manufacturers reported positive developments as well. Linex-Boat, builder of Nord Star yachts, highlighted international interest, with visitors from Estonia viewing the Nord Star 42+. Quarken Boats reported new export market openings and strong domestic activity, securing deals, arranging sea trials and issuing numerous offers during the event.Buster remained the leading brand in new motorboat registrations. According to Mercury Marine EMEA CEO Jussi Sepponen, the Finnish market is beginning to recover in line with European trends. “The marine industry often emerges from recessions later than other sectors. Now, however, it feels like we might even help pull the economy upward,” he said.The show also featured small-scale exhibitors, including sailmaker EfxSails, which presented sailmaking services and recycled sail products. “Sailmaking is a design profession, and part of the designer’s role is to understand the sailor’s true needs,” said EfxSails’s Matti Luhtala.The next Helsinki In-Water Boat Show Uiva Flytande will take place from 13 to 16 August 2026 in Lauttasaari. The Helsinki International Boat Show – Vene 26 Båt – will run from 6 to 15 February 2026 at Messukeskus, Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre.Credits: Yacht Harbour Archive
August 21, 2025
The 25-meter motor yacht African Wild Dog has been sold in-house at Ocean Independence, with broker Bob Friscia representing both the seller and the buyer.Built in carbon fibre composite and delivered in 2018 by Pershing, part of the Ferretti Group, African Wild Dog is the 18th hull of the Pershing 82 series. She is a Pershing 82 VHP (Very High Performance) model, designed by Fulvio De Simoni with naval architecture by the Ferretti Engineering Department.Accommodation is arranged for up to seven guests across three cabins, including an owner’s suite, a VIP double cabin, and a twin with an additional Pullman berth. Crew quarters allow for three staff. Interior features include a lower-deck media room and an open-plan main saloon with a sit-up bar forward, located just behind the triple helm seats.Exterior deck spaces include a sundeck with a secondary helm station, foredeck lounging and sunbathing areas, and a large aft sunpad. The aft deck connects to a swim platform and a transom garage.Powered by twin 2,638hp MTU engines, the 108GT yacht can reach a top speed of 52 knots and maintains a cruising speed of 40 knots.African Wild Dog was last asking €3,400,000.Credits: Yacht Harbour Archive
August 21, 2025
The Dutch Royal yacht Piet Hein was officially welcomed into the Feadship Heritage Fleet during a ceremony held Tuesday evening. The event brought together representatives from the National Maritime Museum, SAIL, Stichting Piet Hein, Feadship, and members of the Feadship Heritage Fleet board.Representatives of SAIL included Chairman Mr. Woltering, Treasurer Mr. Parmet, board member Mr. Stunnenberg, and Adjutant Mr. Soetendaal. Stichting Piet Hein was represented by Vice-Chairman Mr. Post and Secretary Mr. Kodde.The Feadship Heritage Fleet is an association of owners of classic Feadships that are at least 30 years old, aimed at preserving historic vessels, sharing knowledge, and organising joint sailing activities.The 31-metre motor yacht Piet Hein was gifted by the Dutch people to Princess Juliana and Prince Bernhard in 1937 on the occasion of their wedding. She was designed by naval architect Henri W. de Voogt, a key figure in early Dutch yachtbuilding and in the history of Feadship. Since 1980, the vessel has been managed by Stichting Piet Hein, which has maintained her in operational condition with the support of volunteers.Membership in the Heritage Fleet was confirmed through the signing of a certificate and the placement of the Feadship Heritage Fleet insignia on board. Wim van Kampen, Chairman of the Feadship Heritage Fleet, highlighted the fleet’s mission of preserving Dutch maritime heritage, stating: “This is the unifying mission of the 85 members of our fleet: to safeguard these unique vessels for future generations.”Recognising her historic and symbolic role, Piet Hein was named flagship of the Feadship Heritage Fleet and led a fleet of 35 yachts into Amsterdam during the Sail-in of SAIL.Credits: Feadship
August 21, 2025
Camper & Nicholsons has been appointed central agent for the sale of the 40.05-meter Sunseeker motor yacht Berco Voyager. Built in 2018, the vessel is offered at €13.9 million with VAT paid. Sales advisor Maël Fiolet is handling the listing.The yacht represents one of the final hulls in Sunseeker's 131 series, featuring upgraded interiors and specifications exceeding standard models. The current owner has maintained the vessel with additional custom features distinguishing it from sisterships.Berco Voyager accommodates 10 guests across five cabins with crew quarters for seven personnel. The yacht has demonstrated charter operational capability and includes extended engine warranty coverage.Currently located in Sardinia, the vessel will relocate to Southern France for the upcoming show season. The listing presents a rare opportunity to acquire a 40-meter Sunseeker with proven charter history and comprehensive maintenance records.Since 1969 Sunseeker Yachts has built composite semi-custom yachts from 12m to 47m. The shipyard's main facility is located in Poole.Credits: Camper & Nicholsons
August 20, 2025
American shipyard Hargrave Custom Yachts has unveiled a new 36.5-meter design in its 120 Series, featuring exterior and interior styling by Italian designer Patrizio Facheris. The raised pilothouse model represents a departure from the yard's typical in-house design approach.Constructed in carbon-reinforced E-glass epoxy composite, the yacht meets RINA Pleasure classification standards. The vessel accommodates 12 guests and 7 crew members, with a 7.6-meter beam and 1.9-meter draft. Light displacement measures 130 tons.Performance specifications include twin Caterpillar C32 engines producing 1,900 horsepower each, enabling a maximum speed of 21.5 knots and a cruising range of 945 nautical miles. The electrical system incorporates twin Northern Lights 56kW generators with 120/208 VAC power distribution and 24V DC engine starting.Exterior finishes feature hand-laid Burmese teak decking with non-skid paint options. Hull and superstructure coatings utilize AWLGRIP and International products for durability.Hargrave includes a six-month management package with each sale. The vessel remains available for inspection ahead of its Cannes showing.Credits: Hargrave Custom Yachts
August 20, 2025