Artefact, the Stunning Superyacht That Can Sail in Total Silence

Built at the German shipyard Nobiskrug, Artefact was introduced at last year’s Monaco Yacht Show and is currently undergoing sea trials before its delivery. With an exterior designed by Gregory C. Marshall, it is as outstanding as it is luxurious, standing out among the crowd both for being a hybrid and for its revolutionary use of glass.

Artefact is 262 feet (80 meters) long and has 5 decks. Its hull is made of steel, while the superstructure is built from GRP (glass reinforced plastics), which keeps it very light. In turn, this has allowed Marshall to use an estimated 60 tons / 7,965 square feet of curved glasswork throughout the entire vessel. When most builders strive to keep their vessels as light as possible, Marshall wanted to put in glass to allow in natural light.

The vistas are outstanding, Marshall told the media after the big unveil. Artefact has windows that allow you to look “forward, aft, up and down,” but that don’t allow anyone from outside to look in on you. Privacy remains a top concern, of course. This only makes sense, since the vessel already has an owner. In fact, it was the new owner who chose to have it built at this impressive size, since the original design was actually for a smaller yacht.

Artefact comes with sundeck-mounted solar panels and a large battery storage system, which allow it to sail soundlessly for shorter periods, without any combustion engine. Even when it does use its engine to sail, it still does it with care for the environment: its DC-bus diesel-electric variable-speed Azipod-propulsion and dynamic-positioning system eliminate the need to drop anchor onto the seafloor, thus minimizing damage.

This and the wastewater-recycling system filters have helped Artefact become one of the first superyachts to pass the International Maritime Organization’s Tier III emissions regulations.

“A primary focus of the owner was to minimize the environmental impact of the vessel using advanced technology,” Captain Aaron T Clark, who acts as the owner's representative, tells Boat International. “As a result, there are many unique and environmentally friendly aspects of both the operational and engineering design in this project.”

Silent and stable, fast but environmentally-friendly, Artefact has interiors designed by Reymond Langton Design. They are being kept under wraps for the time being, until the vessel’s official unveil, when it is handed over to the owner.