40M Sunreef Explorer Eco
- Type: Explorer power catamaran (Eco electric)
- LOA: 40 m (131 ft)
- Beam: 11.20 m
- Draft: about 2.4 m
- Propulsion: 2 x 540 kW electric motors, 2 x 480 kW diesel range extenders
- Battery bank: around 920 kWh, fuel around 25,000 L
- Speed: cruise near 10 kn, top around 14 kn
- Guests: up to 10 in five cabins, crew of seven
Electric goes transoceanic
The 40M Sunreef Explorer Eco is the yard's boldest use of the catamaran idea, a 40 metre explorer built to cross oceans on electric drive. The multihull form gives the range and the battery capacity to reach remote waters, along with the stable platform an expedition owner needs. At this scale the boat becomes a self sufficient base for long, far flung voyages rather than a coastal cruiser. Sunreef pitches it as proof that electric propulsion can go transoceanic.
For the yard this is the flagship of the explorer thinking, taking the solar and battery approach to a size that can carry serious range and tender loads. An explorer needs deep stowage for fuel and stores, and the catamaran hull provides it without the draught of a monohull of the same length. The 40M shows the electric platform scaling to genuine expedition duty. It sits at the top of what the Eco programme currently attempts.
A base for long voyages
The 40M spreads a very large living area across its decks, with figures quoted around 654 square metres for the interior and exterior space. It carries five guest cabins for up to ten guests, along with quarters for a crew of seven to run the boat on long trips. The beam of 11.20 metres holds full width social spaces and wide decks for gear and tenders. A draught of about 2.4 metres lets a boat of this size reach anchorages that deeper explorers cannot.
Deck space is set up for expedition use, with room for large tenders and the toys a remote cruise demands. The bow terrace and the beach club give guests places to take in a landscape few yachts can reach. Storage runs deep in the hulls for the stores a long passage needs. Because the boat is custom, the owner shapes the balance between guest luxury and expedition function. The scale allows a main deck owner's area with the privacy of a much larger monohull.
A 40 metre catamaran built to cross oceans on electric drive, with diesels held as a reserve for distance.
Comfort far from a marina
The interior is fully custom, drawn by the yard's studio to the standard expected of a 40 metre yacht. What sets the Eco apart is the way it stays comfortable far from any dock, since the electric and solar systems cut the reliance on running a generator. Air conditioning and the systems that make a long voyage bearable draw from a very large battery bank. The result is a boat that can lie in a remote anchorage for days in quiet.
Sustainability runs through the whole design, from solar built into the hulls and superstructure to careful management of water and energy. Rainwater collection and low flow fixtures stretch the fresh water supply on long trips away from shore. Panels reach across the superstructure and the bimini roof, so much of the upper boat gathers energy. For an explorer that plans to stay out for weeks, these systems matter as much as the range.
540 kW motors and a diesel reserve
The 40M drives through two electric motors of around 540 kilowatts each, fed from a battery bank quoted near 920 kilowatt hours. Two diesel range extenders of about 480 kilowatts each stand behind them to keep the boat moving on the longest legs. Solar panels integrated into the composite structure add a steady charge across the daylight hours. The fuel tanks hold around 25,000 litres, a reserve sized for crossing oceans.
Speed sits in the trawler band, with a cruise near 10 knots and a top end around 14, the pace an explorer runs to save energy and stretch range. The heavy battery bank and the solar do the quiet work, while the diesels wait as a reserve for distance. The composite build keeps weight in check for a boat carrying this much stores and fuel. The whole plant is tuned for endurance well ahead of speed.
Who takes the 40M Explorer
This boat suits an experienced owner who wants to reach remote cruising grounds with the comfort of a large yacht and a low emission footprint. It is a full crew, long range machine for private expeditions to places most yachts never see. Buyers here are usually seasoned, often moving from a conventional explorer or a large motor yacht. The custom build lets the owner tune the boat between raw expedition capability and superyacht polish.
In the market the 40M Explorer Eco sits among a small field of large electric explorer catamarans, a class the yard is helping to define. Its case rests on the range and the quiet it keeps far from any marina. As a new build for delivery later in the decade, it carries the appeal and the risk of a boat at the frontier of its type. For the owner set on a green expedition yacht at this scale, the field is thin.
Design
- Exterior: Sunreef Yachts (in-house design studio)
- Naval architecture: Sunreef Yachts
Who it is for: Experienced owners planning long, remote expeditions who want superyacht comfort with electric drive and low emissions.