Hanse Explorer

Plenty of yachts call themselves explorers; This one can back the claim with certificates and a well-filled logbook. The German yard Fassmer built her in 2006 with a steel hull to the top commercial ice classes (Finnish 1A and Germanischer Lloyd E3), and a single powerful engine lets her push through dense sea ice. Her guests have crossed below 66° South in Antarctica and reached the far north of the Arctic.

Independence is the theme. Her range is about 8,000 nautical miles, she makes some 20 tonnes of fresh water a day, and Starlink keeps her in touch at the ends of the earth. For winter 2026/27 her programme is Antarctica, and for summer 2027 it moves to Alaska and the Pacific coast of Mexico; Patagonia, on both the Chilean and Argentine sides, is pencilled in for the winters after that.

The people aboard matter as much as the ship. A wilderness expert helps plan each trip ashore, and guides take guests out in the Zodiacs, carefully, close to wildlife resting on the ice. Qualified divers can drop beneath the ice, led by a specialist in cold-water diving who travels with the yacht. Back on board there is a Finnish sauna and a fitness room by the aft platform, a hot tub on the sun deck and an experienced chef.

Inside, the look is bright and sensible, and the money went into carpentry, not glitter. The master cabin sits alone on the upper deck with a private lounge or study, while the other six, one deck down, differ only in their colours, each set up as a double or twin. That makes her easy for groups of friends or several couples, since nobody draws a short straw.

She suits curious travellers, photographers and families with older children who want wildlife, ice and wild landscapes, and are happy in a fleece. She is not for anyone looking for a toy-filled beach club, glamorous interiors or long days of swimming. One more practical note: American residents cannot charter her in US waters, which matters for the Alaska season.