Damen launches 'La Datcha' SeaXplorer 77

At an event held in Galati, the 77m hull was launched ahead of her outfitting in The Netherlands…

On 4 June, Dutch superyacht builders Amels and Damen celebrated the hull launch of La Datcha SeaXplorer, following her construction on the Danube river. The 77m expedition yacht’s owner attended the launch with his family at Damen Shipyard’s facility in Galati. This summer, the SeaXplorer will be transported to The Netherlands for outfitting ahead of her projected delivery in September 2020, in time for the yacht’s debut at Monaco Yacht Show.

“The Earth is so big and our life is so short, so we have to explore as much as we can,” commented La Datcha’s owner. “And the SeaXplorer project is just perfect. I fell in love with the shape, the design. Don’t forget that this is the one yacht with two helicopters, so you can really go further into the mainland. You can see the bears. You can see the animals. You can heliski. Any kind of activities, fishing and so on. With two helicopters you have absolute freedom to explore and remote territory as deep as you want.”

La Datcha is based on the SeaXplorer yacht design with a series of extensive customisations that bring her in line with the owner’s specific requirements, including his passion for heliskiing. She has a helideck and hangar that accommodate two aircraft and is fully certified for helicopters up to 4,000kg. La Datcha carries enough provisions to sustain 40 days of autonomy without the need to call at a port, as well as a number of tenders, toys, snowmobiles and a submarine.

“I’ll be really excited to have this boat the first time in the Kuril Islands and then Kamchatka in 2021,” continues the owner. “That’s a real excitement because I’ve explored Kamchatka quite well with the helicopter, but it would be quite nice to explore it from the shore, more remote territories and see the far east of Russia and the continue on to Alaska. From there, we can go on and do so many things.”

La Datcha has a volume of 2,560 gross tons and can accommodate 12 guests, including two master suites, together with 25 crew. The yacht’s exterior design is penned by Azure Yacht Design, while the interior is by the owner’s own choice of designer, Vasiliy Shprits and his studio, which has worked on a number of the owner’s residential properties.

“The owner has a lot of energy and ideas that went into the design of La Datcha,” comments Rose Damen, managing director of Amels and Damen. “This is the largest and most capable SeaXplorer so far, custom built to the owner’s requirements. There is no other yacht like it in the world. We’re very proud to be building her and can’t wait to see La Datcha exploring the world.

“When La Datcha is delivered next year, I’m sure she will transform the way people thing about high-end explorer yachting. There’s so much more of the world to explore and have the most amazing adventures and there’s no better yacht to do it with than La Datcha SeaXplorer 77.”

In The Superyacht Migration Report, which will be hitting desks at the end of this month, Georgia Boscawen will be exploring the difference between ‘explorer’ vessels and genuine expedition vessels, such as the SeaXplorer, in an article called ‘Superyachts in disguise’. The Superyacht Migration Report will explore whether or not the anecdotal evidence that superyachts are going further afield matches up to the facts thanks to an exclusive partnership with MarineTraffic. Click here to get your copy.