Yacht Scintilla Maris Will Take You to Svalbard, Greenland, & More

If your idea of an amazing trip is visiting remote glacial lands and seas, continue reading. A most-unusual converted vessel, the yacht Scintilla Maris, is offering charters in not only Greenland, but also Norway and the frozen archipelago of Svalbard. She’s doing so starting next spring as part of the EYOS Expeditions fleet.

The yacht Scintilla Maris (“spark of the sea” in Latin) is actually a former fishing trawler. Damen Maaskant in The Netherlands built her in 1998. Those rugged looks and stalwart engineering always appealed to the Dutch national who bought her, purposely for conversion. Notably, he had Damen Maaskant do the work, too, starting in 2019. It was quite a project, requiring stripping her back to her bare steel hull, fully removing all interior components and decks, and essentially starting from scratch. Newly finished, the nearly 150-footer (46-meter) has accommodations for 10 people and a chic overall ambience. Her off-the-beaten-track capabilities and welcoming air make for an ideal combination, according to EYOS Expeditions. “The owner has designed Scintilla Maris to be a first-class expedition yacht,” says Ben Lyons, its CEO.

Firstly, no explorer is complete without a dedicated area for observing the local wildlife like polar bears and whales. Charter guests aboard the yacht Scintilla Maris have a pretty special—and pretty high-up—place to enjoy. It’s a true observation perch, atop the wheelhouse. A towering 39 feet (12 meters) above the water, it’s open air, though with partial shelter overhead, and complete with a handful of benchseats. No need to be concerned about getting too cold while in Svalbard or Greenland, either. The seating is heated, thanks to recycled cooling from the gensets.

Secondly, the yacht Scintilla Maris makes it simpler to hop onto Zodiacs, with EYOS’ guides, for exploring close to shore. She has boarding areas at the water level to each side (below). All that’s left to do is climb aboard and get your camera ready for beluga whales, bearded seals, and more.

the boarding area for the yacht Scintilla Maris

Further amenities include a bridge-deck lounge that flows further onward to a cozy alfresco lounge, and an open galley. Skylights, classically nautical portholes, curved walls, and bold pops of color make the interior bright and welcoming.

“Scintilla Maris is more than a new expedition yacht,” Lyons says. He references the above-mentioned heated seating and her hybrid propulsion as making her more mindful of where she’s visiting. “Not overlooked, however, is the expedition spirit and the service level expected from the finest yacht.”

a lounge aboard the yacht Scintilla Maris

He concludes, “Scintilla Maris will be a boutique hotel in the world’s most wild regions.” Her charter rate starts at $160,000 per week, plus expenses.

EYOS Expeditions eyos-expeditions.com