Review: Silver Yachts’ Wanderlust

The 85m Wanderlust, built and launched by Australian yard Silver Yachts in 2022, is part of the yard’s Silver World Explorer series of all-aluminium expedition yachts. A tough, naval-looking exterior belies Wanderlust’s interior luxury.

In keeping with a design philosophy set down over a decade ago by founder Guido Krass, Silver Yachts builds superyachts with relatively thin hulls. This means a little less room on board, but it also means that Silver Yachts burn a lot less fuel and cruise a lot faster than normal superyachts.

The owner of Wanderlust is Cambodian tycoon Yim Leak, chairman of BIC Group, a Cambodian conglomerate. In January 2021, BIC Group created BIC Marine, a partnership with Silver Yachts, to market Silver Yachts in Southeast Asia.

Wanderlust is built for long-range, autonomous cruising and with the capacity to house all manner of toys and tenders. The 400 sqm aft deck presents a wide-open space that can be used to store an array of tenders and toys. The aft deck is also home to a commercial helideck, and it can be cleared for use as an entertainment space. There is enough room on the aft deck to store tenders up to 15m. The sides fold down as well, creating an enormous beach club/tender bay.

Wanderlust has four tenders and an array of water toys, including four eFoils – the electric foiling wakeboard – in its arsenal of fun. Among the tenders are a 5m RIB, two 10m RIBs and a 4m SOLAS rescue boat (provided by the yard).

The enclosed helicopter hanger, forward of the aft main deck, also doubles as a gym, disco or cinema. The hanger is equipped with a 3.4m x 2m LED Media Wall screen, for movie viewing or to just create a groovy mood.

One of the outstanding features of the Silver Yachts’ Explorer series is the huge outdoor areas that can be found on all three decks. Wanderlust offers her owner numerous places, big and small, to enjoy a fine meal or a drink while taking in a fantastic view.

Read: Silver Yachts’ Bold in Review

Wanderlust has a range of 5,800nm at 14 knots, whereas normal superyachts of this size have to throttle down to 10 or 12 knots to achieve this kind of range. Wanderlust can cruise economically at 17 knots or reach a top speed of over 20 knots, to beat incoming weather or get to a desired anchorage more quickly.

Interior

The most striking exterior aspect of Wanderlust and the Silver World Explorer series is the resemblance to the profile of a classic navy destroyer, courtesy of superyacht superstar designer Espen Øino. What gets less notice is the huge loft and wintergarden on the owner’s deck aft. This area has been built wider than the beam of the hull, to create a much roomier space. Designed with floor-to-ceiling windows that wrap around the entire aft area of the deck, the aft Wintergarden offers superb views of the sea.

The loft and wintergarden also change the tone of the yacht, from a rugged navy vessel to Starship Enterprise.

The loft features floor-to-ceiling windows, generous space for lounges or sit-down dining and a media wall. The adjoining wintergarden features sliding glass walls that allow conversion to an outdoor space with panoramic views.

The wintergarden also serves as the main indoor dining area, though it can be turned into an indoor-outdoor space at the push of a button. The galley and associated storage space have been moved to the lower deck, which is entirely given over to crew quarters and service areas.

The owner gets spectacular treatment on Wanderlust. The upper deck forward is reserved entirely for the owner, with a forward-facing cabin with sea views facing starboard and port. Forward of the cabin are his and hers bathrooms.

On the main deck, there are no social areas, save for the aft deck which houses tenders and the helipad. All guest space is for the cabins: four guest cabins and three VIP cabins, all of which are ensuite and tastefully appointed.

Wanderlust can accommodate up to 21 crew and accommodate 12 guests. The lower deck has been completely set aside for crew, engineering and service areas, apart from the captain’s cabin on the bridge deck.

Exterior Spaces

Wanderlust, and the Silver Yachts Explorer series, were designed for outside experiences. To that end, the exterior decks are huge and a key feature of the yacht.

There is the giant aft deck area. At anchor with the sides down, a floating tender bay can be deployed, creating a giant water sports centre.

Up top on the bridge deck, the roof of the wintergarden has been turned into a huge aft deck dining and socialising space. It can be protected with awnings and fitted with loungers. Forward, there is a dining area and an aft-facing bar/service station. This could easily be a place to spend an entire day.

Finally, at the very top is the sun deck, where more informal dining and lounging spaces are located. There is also a jacuzzi protected by a forward windscreen. Here, owners and guests can relax after a great day on the water, or explore some remote island by helicopter.

Wanderlust is available for charter with Burgess. During the summer season, she charters out of the Mediterranean and in winter, she charters in the Indian Ocean region.

Technical Specifications – Wanderlust

LOA: 85.3m
Beam: 11m
Draught: 3.4m
Gross tonnage: 1,561GT
Exterior design: Espen Øino International, Monaco
Naval Architecture and interior design: SilverYachts
Construction: Aluminium hull and superstructure
Engines: 2 × 3,328hp MTU
Top speed: 23kts
Cruising speed: 18kts
Economy speed: 14kts
Range at 14kts: 5,800nm
Accommodation: 12 guests
Crew: 21
Classification: Lloyds Register ✠100 A1 SSC Yacht Mono G6 ✠ LMC UMS
Flag: Republic of the Marshall Islands – Commercial Yacht – Unrestricted

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