SPONSORED ARTICLE
There’s a new British boat builder making a storm from their offices on the Solent. Archipelago Expedition Yachts was formed two years ago by founder Dr Stephen Weatherley, who wanted to bring a new style of adventure boat to the market.
Initially the founder was looking for a new boat for his young family, but couldn’t find anything on the market that suited. He knew he wanted a power-cat, but one that blended commercial heritage with a family-friendly, practical but luxurious interior. Having not been able to find anything appropriate he approached award-winning naval architects, Chartwell Marine in Southampton; Chartwell’s heritage in the offshore wind industry and experience with aluminum boat building gave the founder the confidence and passion to form a business and bring these impressive boats to market.
The first vessel, the Archipelago 47, presents this blend of rugged, commercial naval architecture to the leisure market. It has an impressive range of up to 3000nm at displacement speed, and up to 25 knots at the top end. The aluminum shell-plate is oversized giving the boat rigidity and a sense of confidence, even at high latitudes and with the potential for encounters with ice. The inside is practical and luxurious and gives a sense of space and homeliness whilst retaining all of the sensible features of an offshore motor-vessel, including a full-size chart table, an excellent array of electronics, and a wheelhouse which can be divided from the saloon for night work.
Dr Stephen Weatherley, the founder, says “so many boat owners miss out on using their boats during the winter months, when the weather can be beautiful, marinas are uncrowded (and often cheaper!) and generally where the sense of freedom is amplified. Often boats are put to bed in October and woken in April, because they are not wholly suitable for winter conditions. We want to give people the ability to extend their boating, not just further afield, but also under different conditions.”
The Archipelago 47 is an impressive, modern, yacht with a reassuring pedigree in commercial yacht design. The market for offshore, explorer vessels in growing significantly, and we see these vessels becoming more and more popular with a whole mix of people.
The company offers three other vessels in the range, from 40 feet, to 63 feet and an option for flybridge additions. The Archipelago 47 is offered at £1.2m GBP ex VAT.