Vripack, the Dutch yacht design firm, just unveiled a new Doggersbank 77 Offshore, a rugged adventure yacht with a creative, single-engine hybrid propulsion system. The new 77 will be the largest Doggersbank that Altena Shipyards, also in the Netherlands, has ever built.
The Doggersbank line was started by Vripack founder Dick Boon in 1968; the name comes from a large sandbar in the North Sea. More than 750 Doggersbanks have been built since then, all marked by a high bow to cruise through rough water anywhere in the world, with steel hulls and aluminum superstructures.
The new 77 was designed for an experienced boat owner who wants to run the boat himself. The size was determined by his recent purchase of a berth in the Pacific Northwest. The yacht has the usual Doggersbank bulbous bow, plus a nozzle aft to protect the prop and rudder from the driftwood so common in that part of the world.
The hull was optimized with Vripack’s in-house computational fluid-dynamic analysis, and the yacht is the first Doggersbank ever fitted with a single-engine PTO/PTI hybrid propulsion system that allows it to cruise silently on battery power alone for up to two hours at six knots, with a fuel burn of just 13 gallons an hour. At its cruising speed of 8 knots, range is 3,000 nm. (A standard Doggersbank 77 has twin 250-hp diesels producing a top speed of 11 knots.) The PTO/PTI system runs in line with the main engine and recharges the batteries. The yacht is 77 feet long with a 20-foot beam and a 6’ 5” draft.
The new 77 has a custom interior that includes a large laundry and utility room on the lower deck, and a watch bunk on the bridge for night cruising. An interior open spiral staircase connects all three decks, and it’s topped by a skylight.
On the accommodations deck, the full-beam owner’s stateroom amidships has special noise cancellation materials. The large VIP suite is forward and twin guest cabins on the sides all have en suite heads.
The salon is large and comfortable with a separate galley. The lazarette is built to hold water toys, while a 17-foot tender fits on the upper sun deck aft.
Construction will start in September, and the Doggersbank 77 is scheduled to be launched in 2025.
“Owning a durable, Dutch-designed, steel-hulled explorer built in The Netherlands has been a long-helm dream for this owner,” said Bart Bouwhuis, Vripack’s co-creative director. “Realizing his own full-custom Doggersbank is something he’s delighted to be able to tick off his bucket list.”
We’ll have more details about the PTO/PTI propulsion system later on.
John Clayman at Seaton Yachts is the exclusive distributor for Doggersbank in the Americas. You can reach him at john@doggersbank.com or https://seatonyachts.com
Read more at http://vripack.com and http://doggersbank.com and see the video below:
