An Exclusive Insight into SCINTILLA MARIS: The Ultimate Modern Expedition Vessel

Originally delivered in 1988 by Maaskant, SCINTILLA MARIS has since been completely rebuilt to her Owner’s unique and ambitious vision. Superyachts.com sat down with her passionate Owner, Erik Vonk, to gain an insight into this masterful build: a home away from home that can now access the most remote and most beautiful areas of the planet.  

How did you come to purchase SCINTILLA MARIS, with the intention to completely rebuild her?

Erik Vonk: I've always had a fascination with hulls, in particular boat hulls that have been developed out of schooners as fairly fast and very seaworthy, with good seakeeping qualities. Many years ago, I had the opportunity to acquire a 26m tugboat and converted her for private purposes. I used the boat for 24 years and during that whole period developed a desire to upgrade from a small tugboat to a larger trawler. For years, I’ve waited for an opportunity to find a specific type of fishing trawler: to take everything out, strip it completely, then grid blast inside out and start a new build project. This was the birth of SCINTILLA MARIS.

Can you explain about SCINTILLA MARIS as a new build?

I am not a shipbuilder; however, I have done all the major design work and spec writing of the boat myself. What I wanted out of the boat was to be able to go anywhere under any circumstances, with an emphasis placed on comfort. This includes a deep connection to the water, seen in the platforms that provide immediate access to waterways for swimming or to park a tender. Many yachts have their beach club at the end, but for me, it’s much nicer to be at the centre of it. 

Light is another important element of her design; there are deck lights and over 30 portholes throughout the yacht. There's no internal space that doesn't receive daylight from multiple places, so every single area onboard is light, spacious and airy. SCINTILLA MARIS also features a very sophisticated climate control system, alongside optimal acoustical temperature insulation. 

What about her eco-friendly nature? 

SCINTILLA MARIS is fitted with a hybrid propulsion system, and is completely ready to receive batteries in the future, boasting one megawatt of battery capacity. We are also prepared to put solar panels and maybe some wind generators on the boat as well. A byproduct of this hybrid propulsion is that the sound and reverberation qualities are much better than the conventional diesel system, making SCINTILLA MARIS a very quiet, and therefore very comfortable, boat, whilst featuring the very best of modern day sustainable innovations. 

For such a unique exterior, what can you tell us about the interior design of SCINTILLA MARIS?

Vripack Design has overseen SCINTILLA MARIS’ interior styling. We asked them to use the roomy, high head room, and spacious areas to come up with a very bright, light and natural environment that exudes comfort over luxury. She feels homey, with a maritime touch, such as brass around the windows. I think what they've achieved is absolutely wonderful; they've done a magnificent job in reflecting the qualities that define her as a modern expedition vessel. 

Where are the best cruising destinations for SCINTILLA MARIS?

SCINTILLA MARIS has been designed to cruise in every single climate. For example, from here in London we will go to Scotland, the Shetland Islands and then to Iceland and Greenland. From there, we will start to reach the Canadian East Coast and go to Newfoundland, working our way South to the Fort Lauderdale Boat Show in the first week of November. We're working very closely with EYOS to see if there's any charter interest in that general region for this coming summer season. 

So, she truly is an expedition vessel?

Absolutely. You will not find us in Monaco or on the Amalfi Coast. You will find us in places like the Arctic, which we’re visiting this summer. Eventually, I would like to go through the northwest passage to the Pacific above Canada. I want to explore remote areas, and SCINTILLA MARIS is the perfect boat to do that. 

What is your favourite feature of this spectacular yacht?

My favourite feature of SCINTILLA MARIS is the fact that she is a home away from home: one that's movable and that you can go absolutely anywhere with. The seakeeping qualities of this boat are as good as you can possibly wish: the range is at least 10,000 miles and the level of autonomy is very high. You can spend weeks on end away from ports and garages, in the most remote places on the planet. 

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Perfect for those seeking the ultimate superyacht exploration, SCINTILLA MARIS is truly a one-of-a-kind vessel that offers unparalleled experiences at sea. This full walk-around yacht can accommodate up to ten guests across five cabins plus nine crew members, a highlight of her design being the master cabin that benefits from exceptionally high ceilings and skylights, allowing natural light to flood the cosy interior. 

She is currently listed for sale with Burgess for €19,250,000, with plans in place for her to enter the charter market with EYOS acting as her Central Agency.