Icebreakers and History Makers
A look at three explorer yachts that bring frosty frontiers and a sense of adventure within reach
Octopus. The largest explorer yacht around at a little over 126 metres long, Microsoft co-founder Paul G. Allen’s Octopus embraces its exploratory role. Equipped with two helicopters and submersible craft for charting beneath the waves, Octopus and her crew discovered the long lost Japanese battleship Musashi in 2015, which sunk without a trace during the Second World War.
Legend (formerly Giant). Built in the Netherlands in 1974 as an icebreaker for the Soviet Union merchant marine, this 77.10 metre vessel served for nearly three decades before being converted into a yacht for charter. After an extensive refit she is now ready to charter through EYOS to explore Antarctica, Greenland or the North Pole.
Narvalo. This compact yet robust 33 metre Cantiere delle Marche build was designed by Nauta Design’s Mario Pedol. The third unit in the Nauta Air 108 line, she accommodates 10+2 guests and 6 crew. The three-deck displacement hull is built in aluminium and steel and boasts enormous volumes within, thanks to a beam of 7.5 metres.
