S
ps
s,
s
r
a
e
E
g
is opt a
d
e
n
c
h
i
. S , hel re in ps a
r
e
’
S
at raft you gaw
w
he ng c nd bell
t
n di
S
p
ea
o
d
n
m
i
x
bo s, la ins t Ca
y
o
B tep
ar
Y
t t , RI
r
s
s
w
le
t
e
e
s
h
el
u
t
m
ug TV n. B d. S
A
o
y
A
t
r
a
,
n
r
L
ie
st, Ms
la
ar
h
r
e
T
e
m
g
–
ig , KT ata ond
hy
b
p
c
s
e
U
w
y
ra
h
g
og
ld
s t arle ilin
t
i
e
ho
er f H
sfi
fo
P
r
r
o
e
o
pl ull o etr
H
x
y
e
f
1 m onn
re ck2
t
e
J
m cho en a
7
ev
10
e
d
an
Th
w w w. b o a t i n t e r n a t i o n a l . c o m | S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 6
here’s something wide-eyed and wonderful about
Ulysses. If you put a bunch of 10-year-old boys in
a room, dosed them with sugar and told them to
design a boat between them, I’d put good money
on it coming out like this – and carrying the same
sort of kit: six motorbikes, two ATVs, a helicopter,
a twin-hulled 50-knot support boat, a Sealegs
amphibious RIB and full-on landing craft. It’s
a Tonka truck with a hull. It’s an iceberg-dodging,
wave-crunching, mile-munching, ocean-eating,
horizon-conquering monster. And it makes
perfect sense that it belongs to a Kiwi. “What did
you think of her?” asks Graeme Hart, her owner.
I think you can figure out how I responded.
The 107 metre explorer looks totally out
of place the first time I spot her, anchored off
genteel Cap d’A ntibes, with not a snowy peak
or dreamy atoll in sight. She’s a fair way off shore
but still dominates the horizon. Eclipse is also
in town but, from a distance, it’s hard to tell
that the Blohm+Voss yacht is 55 metres longer
than Ulysses, whose 6,000 gross tonnes and
six decks tower above the waterline. Her look,
that toughest-kid-in-the-anchorage aesthetic,
was a naked statement of intent from Hart and
his close collaborator on the exterior styling,
Kyle Dick, of OscarMike Naval Architects in
New Zealand.
“The portrayal of strength is not misleading,”
says Hart. “It is what it is. This is a boat to be used.
Everything about it is to be used. My theme with
cruising is ‘no limits’.” Dick says they were going
for “expedition style with real presence”. Job done
on that score.
Ulysses is Hart’s fifth superyacht (a sixth,
a 116 metre, is in build at Kleven in Norway).
His previous boat was the well-known,
no-nonsense 58.5 metre Trinity Ulysses, now
called Grand Rusalina. And before that was
a 49 metre Feadship now known as Teleost. Each jump up the chain
demonstrates an attempt by Hart to achieve the perfect balance
in a boat, which comprises three main elements, he says: seakeeping,
volume and support.
“I’ve always strived to deliver the best seakeeping because, guess
what, people can get pretty fragile in a Force 9 gale. Number two
is volume because you want to bring friends and family and you don’t
want 10 or 20 people clambering over each other. I remember building
our 49 metre Feadship and it felt like we were building the Oriana!
But we soon found the volume limiting so went on to build a 1,000 gross
tonne boat, and now we have a 6,000GT boat,” he says. “The last element
is support – and that’s about tender ops, activities and things like that.
From day one in New Zealand we were brought up in an active boating
lifestyle, but you can’t just pull up in a bay and sit there. What are you
doing? Well, on Ulysses we have everything you possibly can do. If
you want to put some bikes in the landing craft and go riding, then
off you go. If you want to get the heli out and reconnoitre, then off you
go. The whole suite of support activities is there.”
Hart’s journey to find a shipyard that would be able to deliver on all
three fronts took him far north, to the fjords of Norway and the little
town of Ulsteinvik. There, he found Kleven Verft, a world leader
in building offshore support vessels (OSVs). “What we learnt was that
the real SUV of the sea was these OSVs that support the oil rigs – that
was the big ‘ahhh’ moment. These are the guys that really understand
how to build a vessel that’s intended to cope with any sea condition
and provide maximum comfort, stability and safety.” But first Kleven
needed to be convinced to take on a project unlike anything that had
come before it. “We needed to think through if this was right for us,”
says Ståle Rasmussen, the yard’s CEO. “In the end it came down to the
partners and how we were able to co-operate and work together – this
is what shipbuilding is all about.”
The Ulysses dream team became: Kleven for construction;
OscarMike, with heavy input from Hart, for the exterior styling and
layout; Marin Teknikk for the naval architecture and London’s H2
Yacht Design for the interiors, working closely with Hart’s wife, Robyn.
Outfitting, meanwhile, was done in Germany by Finnish company
Europlan, which has a proud history of fitting out cruise ships but
a very limited one working with superyachts. But then again, nothing
was ordinary about this build. “I love building and creating something
that wasn’t there before,” says Hart. “There’s no replication. You’re
not hitting a ‘I’ll have another one of those’ buttons. You’re creating
something that hasn’t been done before, so it’s a journey.”
You get a sense of the yacht’s commercial roots when stepping
on board, with the high door cills, unpolished welds and, of course,
that unfaired hull. But it’s all contextual. If you were walking into
a high-maintenance interior that cost €20,000 a square metre,
w w w. b o a t i n t e r n a t i o n a l . c o m | S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 6
Left: a good view of U21
on the well deck, forward.
This picture: the helideck
is certified for an EC145,
which can be stored out of
the weather in a hangar.
Below: the 11 metre pool
and raised spa area have
become the main party
areas on board
“This is a boat to be
used. Everything about
it is to be used. My theme
with cruising is ‘no limits’”
w w w. b o a t i n t e r n a t i o n a l . c o m | S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 6
Above: the formal dining
room is one of two main
indoor eating areas on
board, with another
more cafeteria-style area
further forward. Left: the
main stairs wrap around
a lighting fixture made
by Crystal Caviar, which
also supplied the lighting
sculpture in the main
deck saloon, below, which
has the dual function of
hiding a pair of support
columns and neatly
dividing the room.
The interior was designed
by H2 Yacht Design,
which was going for a
“relaxed, summer house
feel”, according to creative
director Jonny Horsfield.
Right: the pool deck
saloon’s doors open all the
way to make it a single
inside/outside space. The
cinema, below right, was
originally going to be
located on the lower deck,
but was moved to the
boat deck to make one big
informal party space
w w w. b o a t i n t e r n a t i o n a l . c o m | S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 6
PHOTOGRAPH: XXXXXX
PHOTOGRAPH: XXXXXX
Clockwise from above:
the boat deck’s saloon has
a richer, darker tone to
create a club-like vibe; the
spa area is found to the
rear of the main deck, and
comprises a plunge pool
(to left of picture), sauna,
massage room, hair salon
and gym with great
views over the water;
the rear-facing master
cabin on the owners’ deck
opens onto another vast
aft deck; no Kiwi-owned
boat would be complete
without a comprehensive
wine room, which is
found opposite the formal
dining room and is a
great spot for pre-dinner
drinks; the ultimate
“man cave”, according to
Ulysses’ Captain John
Brining. Out of picture
is a sofa that also helps
make it an area suitable
for lounging. A trapdoor
allows all the bikes and
other kit to be dropped
through the floor to a
workshop below
“I’ve worked on the
biggest cruise ship in the
world – and this bridge
is better,” says Captain
Brining. The view
through the forwardleaning windows
is superb, and the
well-finished space also
serves as a guest area.
To starboard is a lounge
area (left), which is a
favourite of the owner,
especially when entering
new ports or anchorages.
To port, meanwhile, is a
conference table perfect
for business meetings
biggest cruise ship in the world – and
this is better.” The entirely Rolls-Royce
bridge is also Hart’s favourite part of the
boat. “I love being up there, especially if
we’re going into a new port or anchorage.
You can sit in the lounge to starboard and
have breakfast or lunch, or if we’re doing
a sunset cruise we’ll sit there with a glass
of wine. It’s a very social space but you’re
not getting in the way. Just the elevation,
the windows, the design – it’s an area you
could happily spend a lot of time in.”
Space is a theme throughout. Guests,
of which Ulysses can carry 36, each get
very generous quarters, spread across
three decks, with the choicest digs being the two VIPs on
the boat deck, each with its own private balcony. The upper deck guest
cabins also get some shared outside real estate. “That’s fabulous because
for most guest cabins on yachts they’re looking out of a porthole. Some
cabins are bigger than others but there’s no apology needed anywhere,”
Hart says. The biggest cabin is naturally the owner’s – and it occupies
an entire deck. Unusually, the bedroom is rear-facing, overlooking
a private aft terrace, while forward is a lounge and bar. Horsfield also
designed all the exterior deck layouts and furniture, and he kept to the
theme. “We tried hard to make sure the functionality of the exterior
decks related to the concept of world cruising. The basic concept was:
breakfast on the aft main deck, lunch and chilling on the aft pool deck
and dinner on the upper deck.”
It’s worked out a little like that, says Hart. “We might have breakfast
on the aft deck and evening drinks on the main deck. You go up to the
sky lounge to play pool at night and have a pre-dinner cocktail. The
pool deck serves two purposes: one as a daytime activity area but it’s
also a great party environment at night. We got such a big [11 metre]
pool because often, if you’re cruising in the South Pacific, sometimes
jumping off the back of the boat is not always the best idea. And if the
boat swings at anchor, suddenly you’ve got a 500 yard swim home.”
w w w. b o a t i n t e r n a t i o n a l . c o m | S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 6
See mo re on the iPad edition
The bridge,
meanwhile: whoa.
Visibility through
those forwardleaning frames is
outstanding and they
make other yachts
look like bath toys
it wouldn’t feel quite right. The
job of mellowing the unalloyed
masculinity of the project fell
to Jonny Horsfield, of H2. “We
went for light, pastel colours and
a relaxed summer house feel inside,”
he says. “We felt the concept of
the yacht was to be a go-anywhere
‘superyacht’ rather than a basic
functional explorer. We worked
mostly with the interior contractor,
Europlan, who were fast learners.
For example, they expect a wall
finish to be part of a panel system
that can be repeated quickly across
a large ship, but we explained
that yacht interiors are made up of layers of finishes and they soon
understood and adapted quickly.”
One of H2’s big inputs was to bring the spa and gym together at the
rear of the main deck, creating one large wellness centre. Horsfield
also suggested relocating the cinema to the boat deck, where it joins
a clubby saloon to form a more informal party area, complete with pool
table and mirror-finish stainless steel bar. Europlan really hit a high
note with this unit, says Horsfield. “They are really comfortable with
metal finishes and the bar was easy for them to produce.” Two areas
where there was zero attempt to restrain the commerciality of the
contractors – and to great effect – were the galley and bridge. The former
is a chef ’s dream, offering immediate access to a big forward pantry,
a huge island and enormous windows. It’s all on the same level as the
main dining areas, which are two separate spaces: one formal, with
a long banqueting table, and a more informal canteen-like set-up.
The bridge, meanwhile: whoa. Visibility through those forwardleaning frames is outstanding and, such is their scale and height, they
make everything else in the anchorage look like a bath toy. “The concept
for the bridge was offshore support vessel pumped up with a bit of
carbon fibre and teak,” says Captain John Brining. “I’ve worked on the
That’s if you’ve got time for swimming, because Ulysses has one
big problem: you’re almost paralysed with choice. Housed in the well
forward is a 21 metre foiling catamaran, known as U21, owned by the
Harts for years, which is an independent cruiser in its own right. It can
be craned off in just over an hour (“down from three,” the captain says
proudly) and take parties fishing or exploring. It’s the choice when you
want to get up close and personal with nature, something Hart learnt
the hard way. “We were in Alaska and went exploring in a RIB and by
the time we got back to the boat we almost had hypothermia. If you’re
in Alaska and you want to go exploring, you do it in U21!”
There are also two 14 metre Naiad RIBs housed on the boat deck that
can be splashed in no time, as well as four sailing dinghies, four jet skis,
the landing craft and amphibious RIB. But it’s what’s kept in the toy
garage that will quicken the heart of anyone in touch with their inner
10 year old. Captain Brining describes it as a “man cave”, and there’s
no other term for it. Complete with sofa and access to a modest beach
club, two brand new Harleys gleam next to the untouched Ducatis and
zero-miles KTMs. The two ATVs sit temptingly, too. “It all comes back
to why you’re on the boat,” says Hart. “You’re on the boat to make the
most of every single day. For some people that will mean sitting
by the pool, but for others it will be taking out a motorbike or exploring
in some remote area in the ATVs. You can bring the landing craft up
alongside and in no time you’re off on land exploring or cruising. It’s just
really cool to have a menu of things to maximise your experience.”
Ulysses comfortably ticks the support and volume boxes, then, but
what about seakeeping? She hasn’t been tested yet in the wild, desolate
seas of the high latitudes, but you get the impression that the huge flared
bow will shrug off anything too testing. Brining says the worst he’s
encountered at the helm were 4.5 metre seas, which barely registered
on the bridge. She’s a heavy unit – all steel and Ice Classed – so runs
pretty flat, or as the captain puts it: “You’d have smashed the interior
to pieces before you’d be worried about the ship.” Then, at anchor,
the dynamic positioning can be engaged, the huge 13 square metre
stabilisers flapping in tune with the bow thruster and azipulls to keep
you dead still. The diesel-electric set-up also means that pristine
anchorages will remain unspoilt by any chug, as Ulysses
quietly slips out on batteries alone. Then your only
decision is what to do with the 8,500 nautical
Read about
miles in the tanks. “Just fill it with fuel and food
the biggest
explorer yachts :
and she can go for months,” says Hart. “You just
boatinternational.
have to figure out what you want to do. There’s
com/big-explorers
a big old world out there beyond St Tropez.” B
w w w. b o a t i n t e r n a t i o n a l . c o m | S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 6
S P E C S
KLEVEN
U LYS S E S
Heli hangar:
chopper stores
out of the
weather in its
own workshop
Rear-facing:
the owner’s
bedroom
overlooks
a private
aft terrace
Game show:
the boat
deck saloon
has a
cinema and
pool table
VERFT
Bridge d eck
+
O w n e r’s d e c k
All yours:
the two
VIPs have
private
balconies
Boat deck
Decked
out: upper
deck guest
cabins
share
instant
access to
side decks
Supporting role:
U21 sits in a
well forward,
surrounded
by workshops
and heli fuel
storage
Upper deck
Tasty: the
galley has
a large
pantry, big
island and
enormous
windows
LOA 107.4m
LWL 93m
Beam 18m
Draught (full load) 5.1m
Gross tonnage 5,937GT
Displacement (lightship)
5,964T
Engines
2 x Cat 3516
Stock up:
huge stores
here and
on the
deck below
for longdistance
cruising
20m
10m
0m
Dress down:
cafeteria
option for
more casual
dining
Generators
4 x Cat C18
Speed max/cruise
16.4/14.5 knots
Range at 12 knots
8,500nm
Fuel capacity
470,000 litres
Freshwater capacity
309,000 litres
Tenders
1 x 21m catamaran;
2 x 14m Naiad RIBs;
1 x 11m Munson
landing craft; 1 x
6.5m Ski Nautique;
1 x 7.7m Sealegs
Owners/guests 36
Crew 30
Construction Steel
hull; steel
superstructure
Classification
DNV, +1A1 Passenger
Ship, E0, COMF-C(3),
Clean Ice - C
Naval architecture
Marin Teknikk
Exterior styling
OscarMike Naval
w w w. b o a t i n t e r n a t i o n a l . c o m | S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 6
Architecture
Interior design
H2 Yacht Design
Builder/year
Kleven Verft/2016
Ulsteinvik, Norway
t: +47 7001 9100
e: post.kve@
kleven.no
w: kleven.no
Main d eck
Lower deck
For sale
Burgess
t: +377 97 97 81 21
e: sales@
burgessyachts.com
Fraser Yachts
t: +1 954 463 0600
e: stuart.larsen@
fraseryachts.com