If you drove over the Macarthur Causeway at the Miami show, you probably did a doubletake as you passed Star Island, where the new 75-foot ARKUP was on full display, usually along with an ever-changing parade of visiting boats or jet-skiers. At 75-feet-long and with full-glass windows all around, ARKUP certainly turned a lot of heads.
But what most of us didn’t realize is that ARKUP was built at Merrill-Stevens with help from Donald L. Blount, the naval architect. It’s designated as a recreational boat by the Coast Guard, and it’s available for sale or charter.
ARKUP, developed by a Miami startup company, is a floating, moveable luxury home with four bedrooms and four and half baths and 2,600 square feet of indoor living space; add the terraces and balcony, and it has 4,300 square feet. It offers 270-degree panoramic views from its two decks.
It is self-sufficient and environmentally friendly. The roof is covered by an array of 36kW solar panels linked to 182kW of battery storage, providing enough power to run all the boat’s systems. A rain-water harvesting system collects and purifies water for drinking.
In its boating mode, ARKUP is driven by a pair of 100kW electric Azimuth thrusters and a 35kW boat thruster. It cruises at four knots and tops out at seven knots, with a range of 20 nm on a single charge. The hull and superstructure are all built of steel.
The builders say it also can withstand up to 155 mph winds when the four hydraulic pilings are deployed to lift it out of the water. The boat draws five feet and has a 32-foot beam.
ARKUP is available for sale or charter; it costs just under $6 million. For charter, it could be used for large family gatherings and short cruises, for weddings, special events, corporate meetings or large parties (it can hold 200 people). For more:
