First Look at M/Y URSUS: The 30m Explorer Being Rebuilt at Balk Shipyard

Two years ago, the 24m Acico URSUS arrived at Balk Shipyard for a complete rebuild, with both her interior and exterior design completely reimagined. Her stern and bow sections have successfully been transformed, and she will leave the yard as a 30.36m pocket explorer vessel. 

Mulder Design and the Owner’s team have worked closely with Balk on this rebuild, with the main objective being the enhancements of her seakeeping abilities and the onboard living areas. New naval architecture and exterior design were penned by Mulder, who is also set to oversee the interior styling in collaboration with the Owner’s team. 

‘We have been honoured to be working with involved and passionate owners for this project. They are experienced yachtspeople who want to maximise the enjoyment they get from their vessel,’ commented Evan Kortmann, Chief Executive Officer at Balk Shipyard. ‘This is a dramatic rebuild and MY Ursus will not only leave larger than when she arrived, she will leave completely changed. Mulder Design has beautifully reimagined the vessel; it’ll be hard to believe this is the same yacht.’

The deck areas are set to be overhauled and re-mapped, whilst the upper deck will be extended to make the living areas even more spacious. A plethora of significant upgrades will enhance URSUS’ onboard experience even further, including the additions of a new al fresco kitchen, a renewed beach club and a reformed layout that will increase crew accommodation. 

With a notable history of complex refits, rebuilds and extensions in its portfolio, Balk Shipyard was the perfect choice for this stunning reimagining of URSUS. A key redelivery was the refit on Feadship’s EMERALD, that included a 3m stern extension and has since been a highly successful charter vessel. 

The shipyard boasts a wealth of expertise that has been developed over two centuries of shipbuilding, and has many third-generation employees making up its exceptional in-house team. Its significant location in the Netherlands, one of the main superyacht hubs on the planet, enhances Balk’s services even further, with an astounding network of both local and global partners lending their expertise when required.

Balk Shipyard is also situated just an hour away from Amsterdam with Lelystad Airport even closer, making the shipyard highly accessible for Owners and their representatives across the world. 

URSUS will be redelivered later this year, and we at Superyachts.com cannot wait to witness this exceptional rebirth.