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The Arksen 85 Project Ocean Explorer Is Waste Put to Excellent Use

One man’s garbage is another man’s treasure and all that. In the case of the latest project from Arksen, this isn’t just an empty phrase either: it’s a philosophy that guides the development of a new explorer series embodied in the flagship Arksen 85, also dubbed Project Ocean.
Arksen 85 Project Ocean is an explorer with a focus on sustainability, through clean energy and recycling 14 photos
Photo: Arksen
Arksen 85 Project Ocean is an explorer with a focus on sustainability, through clean energy and recyclingArksen 85 Project Ocean is an explorer with a focus on sustainability, through clean energy and recyclingArksen 85 Project Ocean is an explorer with a focus on sustainability, through clean energy and recyclingArksen 85 Project Ocean is an explorer with a focus on sustainability, through clean energy and recyclingArksen 85 Project Ocean is an explorer with a focus on sustainability, through clean energy and recyclingArksen 85 Project Ocean is an explorer with a focus on sustainability, through clean energy and recyclingArksen 85 Project Ocean is an explorer with a focus on sustainability, through clean energy and recyclingArksen 85 Project Ocean is an explorer with a focus on sustainability, through clean energy and recyclingArksen 85 Project Ocean is an explorer with a focus on sustainability, through clean energy and recyclingArksen 85 Project Ocean is an explorer with a focus on sustainability, through clean energy and recyclingArksen 85 Project Ocean is an explorer with a focus on sustainability, through clean energy and recyclingArksen 85 Project Ocean is an explorer with a focus on sustainability, through clean energy and recyclingArksen 85 Project Ocean is an explorer with a focus on sustainability, through clean energy and recycling
Introduced in 2019 as a concept and detailed in late 2020, when construction had already started at the Wight Shipyard Company (WSC) on the Isle of Wight in the UK, Project Ocean is a bold look into a sustainable future. We’ve spoken about explorers and explorer superyachts before and how they strive to enable adventurers to take on the biggest challenges (and adventures) possible with minimal impact on the environment, but Project Ocean is more than empty words. It is happening right now, so if you’ll allow for one more cliché, it is the future made real today.

Project Ocean is the flagship of the upcoming Explorer Series. This one is the largest, an 85-foot (26-meter) explorer built with consideration toward the environment and a focus on sustainability, but the line will also include smaller hulls. Arksen is also considering larger ones but nothing has been decided officially as of the moment of writing.

Arksen 85 or Project Ocean comes with full hybrid propulsion, efficient cruising, and a range worthy of the explorer name. The energy management system is supplied by Praxis Automation Technology. In addition to hybrid propulsion, solar panels will provide 7 kW of zero-carbon electrical power, while heating and ventilation will wise thermal reclaim, for maximum efficiency.

Arksen 85 Project Ocean is an explorer with a focus on sustainability, through clean energy and recycling
Photo: Arksen
Designed for marine research, Project Ocean meets international stability standards. It will travel at a top speed of 14 knots, and a cruising speed of 9-11 knots, with a range of up to 7,000 nautical miles.

The hull, which is made of aluminum recycled from Hydro, which, in turn, can be recycled at the end of its lifecycle, has just been turned in May this year. It is designed to be highly efficient, cutting down running costs and emissions. The exterior is by Humphreys Yacht Design and will include a superstructure made from the same lightweight, recycled aluminum.

The same consideration for the environment is apparent inside. The interior is by Design Unlimited and incorporates soft furniture made from recycled plastic and other items made from recycled materials. The use of recycled or upcycled materials is yet to become standard in the naval industry, so any step in this direction is a positive one, no matter how small it is or whether it’s more of an isolated thing.

Accommodation is for up to 10 guests across four spacious cabins. It is an explorer at heart, so comfort is important—but not so much luxury. Since it would work just as well for an entire family of explorers, the full-beam master suite includes a multi-purpose space that, Arksen says, could function as a children’s cabin, a library, a study, or a media room, depending on the needs of the owner.

Arksen 85 Project Ocean is an explorer with a focus on sustainability, through clean energy and recycling
Photo: Arksen
Owners of an Arksen 85 will be invited to pledge 10 percent of their explorer’s sea time to ocean-exploration projects through the Arksen Foundation, a partner of the Yachts for Science program. The Yachts for Science program aims to help researchers better understand the marine ecosystem, so it connects them with yacht owners, allowing them to conduct research and observation projects.

Project Ocean, and implicitly the new Explorer Series, aims to “re-shape the development of leisure-vessel production in the motor yacht sector,” Tom Humphreys, co-director of Humphreys Yacht Design, said late last year. The announcement came in a context in which more yacht owners are upgrading to vessels with explorer capabilities.

Arksen estimates that Project 85 will be completed within an 18-month timeframe and be ready for sea trials by spring 2022.
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About the author: Elena Gorgan
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Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends.
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