This Is Invictus, the Bravada Yachts Houseboat That Tried to Take the Industry by Storm

Other houseboats walked down the boxy road so Invictus could run. Invictus is the name of a fully custom houseboat unveiled to the public to great fanfare in late 2020 and the first of a planned series of hulls called Atlas V-Series from U.S.-based builder Bravada Yachts. At the time of the presentation, Bravada Yachts boasted a decade of working in the houseboat industry, three of which were under new management.

The plan was to take accumulated knowledge and the pool of available talent and design something that hadn't been done before. In the process, the houseboating industry would be revolutionized, allowing Bravada to bridge the gap between houseboats and proper sea-worthy yachts.

Invictus was a good start in that direction. Boasting 80 feet in length (by 22 feet in width/24.3 meters by 6.7 meters) and a two-and-a-half-level layout, it offered a living space of 3,200 square feet (297 square meters) divided between five suites, two kitchens, two full baths, and two cuddy cabins, for a collective capacity of 14 guests. But more than yacht-like accommodations, it offered a design that hadn't been done before on the houseboating sector, with expansive glazing (aquarium windows, they called it) and curves galore.

"There is a reason houseboats are not built with curves – the reason is because it's hard," Aaron Browning, CEO of Bravada Yachts, said at the launch. "We at Bravada Yachts will never shy away from doing hard things or taking the uncharted course."

Invictus took more than two years to design and build, so it's not like Bravada took the hard way and made it easy – or any less challenging. Because they wanted to create a houseboat that looked more like a superyacht than a houseboat and because they'd decided not to use any wood, the construction process was a challenge from day one to finish.

No wood, drywall, or other standard houseboat systems are found on Invictus. Bravada used instead Class A1 Fire-rated raw materials chosen for their water, mildew, or mold resistance, soundproofing, and energy efficiency. Structural steel was used for the hull and superstructure.

More than a lake boat, Invictus was designed as a permanent residence for the entire family, so it had to be safe – and last a lifetime, much like a house. You wouldn't expect any less from a $2 million houseboat, after all.

The layout included luxurious living quarters on either level, with the partially enclosed upper deck serving as the outdoor chillout space, complete with another fully equipped outdoor kitchen and a yacht-like lounge area. Amenities also included seven HD TVs, at least a couple of fireplaces, and an aft area that could open completely to the outside by means of oversize sliding doors. There was even a 15-foot (4.5-meter) waterslide from the upper deck for instant cooling options.

The design was created in collaboration with award-winning watercraft designer J. David Weiss and was completed with custom furniture and cabinetry, and the finest Samsung appliances throughout. As a first production unit and a custom one, at it, Invictus was meant to show just how far Bravada could push boundaries until it achieved its goal: the most memorable home on water there was.

Invictus, just like the other Atlas V-Series houseboats that were built, was powered by Volvo Penta. The team chose the Volvo Penta Aquamatic sterndrive for its integrated electric steering, fast acceleration, and a high degree of maneuverability. In the end, Invictus was easy to operate and ran smoothly and efficiently. It also marked the first Bravada boathouse to use Volvo Penta and the largest in the region to integrate this specific type of propulsion.

Much was said about Invictus at launch, including how it was a houseboat that dared to be different and, in the process, wrote a page of history with its name on it. That may have been the case; after all, the drama of that curvaceous, glass silhouette is hard to deny.

From afar, Invictus looks much more like its bigger, more expensive siblings that sail the seven seas than it does a traditional houseboat. The interior is no slouch either and totally lives up to whatever expectations the dramatic interior creates.

From what we can tell, Bravada Yachts made at least a couple more Atlas V-Series after Invictus. Either because of the terrible year that was 2020 or due to bad management, the company shuttered in early 2023 and is, as of this writing, still closed down. There's talk online about unpaid salaries and bad business decisions and that management ran the operation without consideration for the employees or customers.

We can't and won't speak to that, but Invictus, for all its achievements and undeniable appeal, didn't exactly set a new trend in the houseboating industry.