Ever since the first helicopter-assisted ski trip in 1963, heliskiing has delivered an addictive blend of adventure, camaraderie and pristine landscapes.
While conventional lodge-based heliskiing operations offer access to sizeable tenures, they will never compete with the unlimited choice of destination and terrain opened up by a private expedition yacht with autonomous helicopter operations.
One superyacht owner is on record saying: “Some people think that fans of outdoor activities should stay in fleabag motels and dry their wet socks on radiators. I believe that you can combine the most active outdoor adventures and sports with ultimate comfort.”
This explains why he recently attended a ceremony to weld the traditional coin onto the keel of his 77-metre luxury expedition yacht currently in build.
Following the hull building phase, the SeaXplorer 77 yacht will arrive at Damen’s Vlissingen East yard in the Netherlands for completion and on-schedule delivery in Q4 2020.
The SeaXplorer 77 is a customised design from the DAMEN SeaXplorer range. The yacht accommodates 12 guests in six suites with full custom interiors, featuring the finest luxury quality and finishing created by the owner’s choice of interior designer. The 25 crew, pilots and expedition staff operate the submersible, tenders, toys and two aircraft with a fully certified helideck and helicopter hangar.
This new yacht shares the range’s core attributes: compliance with the IMO Polar Code, the long periods of autonomy at sea, and the crossover of superyacht luxury with professional capability. But the design incorporates many specific client requirements such as his passion for heliskiing.”
The construction leverages the Damen Shipyard Group’s global strength, combining:
- Overall management from Damen’s yachting headquarters in Vlissingen in cooperation with superyacht builder AMELS, part of Damen since 1991
- SeaXplorer design and engineering at Damen Shipyards Gorinchem in the Netherlands
- Hull building at Damen Shipyards Galati, the largest of Damen’s 33 shipyards around the world. The yard’s almost 4,000 employees work on many of Damen’s most important projects to date including the 160-metre IMO Polar Code category-compliant Australian Antarctic Division research ship NUYINA.
- Final construction and outfitting at Damen’s Vlissingen East yard, located just a few kilometres from the Vlissingen City yard where AMELS operates. A commercial and naval shipyard at heart, Vlissingen East is an integral part of our yacht building and refit offering. Indeed, a number of superyacht refit projects for yachts measuring over 90 metres have already been completed here.
Relatively lightweight and agile yet high-powered, these long-established heliski favourites are built to tolerate high-altitude, precision landings at low temperatures. And, with a back-up helicopter protected from the elements in the yachts double hangar, guests can travel into remote terrain safe in the knowledge that assistance is always close at hand.