Arksen 85 Expedition Yacht

By Alan Harper, Contributor, Yachts International

October 25, 2024

The shipyard building the first two Arksen 85 expedition yachts is not the typical yacht-building premises. For one thing, it’s in England, on the Isle of Wight, which is known for different kinds of yachts. This yard’s core business is aluminum ferries and workboats.

But then again, Arksen is not the typical yacht builder. Based in London’s West End, it describes itself as an adventure company. If you’re not in the market for an expedition yacht, then Arksen will happily sell you a waterproof jacket, or a refurbished Land Rover, or a Scandinavian-built RIB.

Still, Arksen’s yachts are designed to match the ambitions of the most intrepid owners. The first two all-aluminum Arksen 85s are outwardly identical. Accommodation spaces are penned by the British studio Design Unlimited, built by Ares in Turkey, and then dismantled, shipped and reassembled on board by Ares’ craftsmen. It all feels solid and is beautifully finished.

The standard layout has three staterooms on the lower deck: a master amidships with a study opposite, a double-berth ensuite to starboard, and a twin-berth space to port. Up on the main deck, there’s a galley to starboard, a seating area forward and a folding auxiliary helm station, in addition to the wheelhouse upstairs.

There is a great view from that wheelhouse, with windows on three sides—and not just any windows. The glass is an inch thick and bulletproof, intended to withstand the worst the weather can do without the need to fit deadlights.

Within this package, Arksen allows plenty of opportunity to customize. The first boat has a single-seat navigator’s station on the port side of the wheelhouse. The second boat has a larger dining table in place of the standard dinette. There is also the option of a main-deck master stateroom forward and one or two crew cabins in the bows.

The first two hulls also differ in the machinery spaces. The first is more conventional, built for an experienced owner who wants to make long voyages independent from shore support. This boat is powered by twin 350-horsepower Scania diesels on V-drives, and recorded a top speed of 13.9 knots during sea trials. Its cruising range is around 5,500 nautical miles at 9 knots.

The key to achieving that range is light displacement and an efficient hull design from the Rob Humphreys studio just across the water in Lymington. Described as fast displacement, the low-drag underwater form resembles ocean-racing yachts with a fine entry, a gently curving bilge, broad and buoyant stern sections, and shallow transom immersion. Stabilization is courtesy of Humphree fins and Interceptors, with manually deployed flopper-stopper outriggers as a backup. (Gyros are an option.)

Construction on the second 85 was begun as a private venture by Arksen. That boat has an automated diesel-electric propulsion system from Praxis in Norway. There are three 200-kW generators, a pair of 246-kW electric motors turning the prop shafts, and 160 kWh of lithium-iron-phosphate battery power. There are photovoltaic panels, too. The main benefits of this fit-out are near-silent operation underway and at anchor.

Outside, both Arksen 85s are ruggedly chic with unfaired aluminum and naked weld seams. Inside is all about comfort. Ultimately, these are interesting cruising yachts—for cruises measured in months or years.