Expedition yacht charters have traditionally been associated with a predominantly Western clientele. It is, however, interesting to find that Simpson Marine, a superyacht brokerage, new-build and charter service company established in 1984 that specialises in the Asian market, has achieved notable success in this sector. This success highlights a shifting dynamic in the preferences and behaviours of yacht charter customers, particularly in the Asian market. An expedition yacht charter offers the charter of specialised yachts designed for long-distance, autonomous cruising in diverse marine environments, including remote and often challenging locations. The yachts, often known as explorer yachts, are built for durability and extended voyages, featuring robust hulls and advanced navigation systems that enable them to withstand rough waters. Larger and offering enhanced autonomy, they allow for extensive travel without the need for frequent resupply, allowing them to travel to more remote destinations.SuperYacht Times writer Enrico Chhibber recently sat down with James Clayton, the Director of

Founded in 1978, Ocean Alexander originated on the West Coast of the United States, a strategic location chosen primarily to facilitate imports from Taiwan. Over the past decade, the company has broadened its presence to the East Coast, specifically in Florida. This expansion was supported by a partnership with MarineMax, one of the largest boat dealership in the US. The collaboration has proven advantageous, enhancing Ocean Alexander’s distribution capabilities and contributing to the company’s success in the US market.Ocean Alexander holds significant appeal for the American market, with 98 percent of their yachts purchased by American owners. As a semi-production yacht builder, the yard provides pre-designed models with customisable layouts that clients can personalise. Sally Doleski, Vice President of Marketing, points out that a defining attribute of Ocean Alexander yachts is their exceptional sea-handling capabilities. “Unlike yachts that are primarily used as stationary entertainment venues, Ocean Alexander’s vessels are engineered for extensive travel. Owners often

In 2024, Alexseal Yacht Coatings celebrates its 20 year anniversary, and this is an excellent time to take a look back at the company's mission, the first steps, and what lies ahead for the next two decades. Under the slogan 'It's about time', the company started at Mankiewicz in March 2004 as a global paint manufacturer to help shape the market for high-end yacht coatings. In the more than 125-year history of Mankiewicz, a few products had already been used in boatbuilding over the decades. At the beginning of the 2000s, there was a comprehensive vision: a complete portfolio under the name Alexseal Yacht Coatings was to be launched. Applicable from the first primer coat to the final topcoat. Thomas Schultz, Global Sales Director at Alexseal, has been on board from the beginning and looks back on the course already taken, and what lies ahead in the coming years.Engineering in a Can "Developing and applying

As the ultimate luxury item, superyachts are designed and built to some of the highest specifications of any object in the world. Many yachts feature entirely custom interiors from world-class designers to reflect the unique status of the vessels themselves, and as yachts are moving objects that face often turbulent conditions, the furniture used aboard needs to be specially designed as well. Superyacht furniture needs to be both beautiful and functional, accommodating sometimes limited spaces and resilient against marine conditions, and that is where Lotus Woodworks comes in.  Founded by carpenter Tim McCune, Lotus Woodworks has pioneered an expanding dining table that is ideally suited to use aboard superyachts. Based on an original design from 1835 by Robert Jupe, Tim and his team has reimagined the Lotus table, building each one meticulously by hand and to unique specifications at their workshop in Arizona. We sat down with Tim to find out what makes the Lotus

In 2021 the marine fuel supplier and bunkering specialist rebranded its entire organisation with the view to become a sustainable fuel supplier and in their own words, “become part of the solution, rather than the problem.” In line with this major transition, the company has refocused on becoming an energy supplier – whatever that energy may be, and has created a new brand removed from petroleum. Within the commercial shipping sector, Peninsula has made major inroads delivering sustainable biofuels and operating the first LNG (liquefied natural gas) bunker barge in the Straits of Gibraltar in 2023 that makes significant steps toward the decarbonisation of shipping. Recognising, however, that LNG is not the solution for the luxury superyacht sector, the Peninsula yachting team has been researching the best and most premium solution for superyachts; HVO (hydrotreated vegetable oil). A well documented and increasingly popular fuel within the superyacht sector, the use of HVO has a