mv Balboa Explorer

Experience Discovery
In 2011, the Balboa Explorer partnership will launch the world’s most exciting expedition yacht.   With demand for authentic adventure and sustainable travel growing, the 132-foot m.v. Balboa Explorer will hit the mark like no other seagoing offering anywhere.  Whether it’s chartered for world-class diving, surfing, whale-watching, cultural or ecological immersion, education, research, mission healthcare or community philanthropy, the Balboa Explorer invites the world to experience discovery.

The converted beam trawler has been specially outfitted to stand alone as the preeminent adventure yacht in the world, striking the perfect balance between utility, mobility and luxury and making no compromises on safety.  Read the rest of this entry →

Imagine owning a mega yacht like the Balboa Explorer, one of the few true explorer yachts capable of world circumnavigation, making visits to  the most remote places.   And imagine you can own a piece of such a $ 10 million yacht without the expenses and typical yacht ownership headaches.

Stop imagining!  We make it happen!  With a minimum investment of just $ 250.000 you can own a piece of this extraordinary yacht, enjoy a free week of exclusive use each year as well as discounted voyages for you, your friends and family without having to worry about the management and maintenance.    Join other fractional owners exploring the world on your own fully crewed yacht. 

The unique configuration of the Balboa Explorer makes this possible.  When the yacht is not used by its fractional owners, we offer small ship cruises in Panama, to cover all the expenses of crew and maintenance.  Read the rest of this entry →

If you’d like to see the technical specifications of the yacht – very useful if you are trying to estimate the value of the vessel when complete – here are the details.

We have added several links to the relevant pages of the www.expeditionyacht.org technical blog or the manufacturers websites in case you to dive into to details.

And to see the value of some of the other expedition yachts in this size-range, check the list below.

With a $ 7-8 million valuation after conversion, the m.v. Balboa Explorer certainly comes out on top in value and features in the 125+ ft size range.

Its solid seaworthy ‘any weather’ hull, the excellent main engine, the complete internal renewal with full certification to international regulatory (Lloyds Register) & safety standards and above all it’s unparalleled capacity to carry 16 people in double occupancy (and up to 26 with additional full-sized pullman berth) sets it apart from all other yachts in this category.

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While the focus of most Balboa itineraries will be on exploring the deserted coast of Panama, we also plan to operate at least eight weeks a year as a diving liveaboard vessel.

Panama is the home of Isla Coiba (Coiba Island), whose surrounding waters offer some of the most spectacular diving in the world.  This former prison island is a national park and Unesco World heritage site. The diving is truly world-class – on the par with Costa Rica’s Isla del Coco – and combines both big fish and corals.  It’s also a haven for technical diving.

Unlike Isla del Coco, Coiba is only a few hours cruising from the coast which allows us to avoid a long, 36-hour sea voyage that eats up valuable time  and is most uncomfortable during certain times of the year on a ship without stabilizers. Read the rest of this entry →

The Balboa Explorer expedition yacht will one of the safest yachts in its category, meting or exceeding all international standards.  Besides our holy belief in the adagium ”if you think safety is expensive,  try an accident,” we want to show our future clients that we go the extra mile to assure their comfort and safety well beyond the required legal standards.  Read the rest of this entry →

We just made a quick comparison of the (high season) rates in USD of other expedition cruise operators, taking a seven night itinerary, adding the airfare, and looking at the amount of cabin space you get for a given rate.

We included our rates for the biggest and smallest cabins at the Balboa Explorer for this comparison.  The results show we’re more or less in the same ballpark then it comes to USD/square foot.  And if you compare this indicator when airfare is included, we do even better.

However, we do offer a few advantages and features that set us apart. Have a look by clicking on this link for a PDF file.

Like most, we also offer low-season rates.  We will also be offering very attractive triple occupancy rates and rates for children.  Read the rest of this entry →

Naming our expedition yacht Balboa Explorer honors the famous Spanish explorer who made a historic discovery in Panama, our home base.  Vasco Nuñez de Balboa was a Spanish conquistador who was the first European to see (on September 13,  1513) the eastern part of the Pacific Ocean after an arduous trip through the jungles of the Isthmus of Panama.  His discovery stimulated exploration and settlement throughout South America.  Balboa gave the ocean the name of Mar del Sur (South Sea), because he had traveled south across the isthmus to find it.  He claimed the Mar del Sur, and all its shores and lands it touched, for Spain.  Ironically, it was the Portuguese explorer, Magellan, who gave it the name of Mar Pacifica because, after crossing the very rough waters of the Straights of Magellan, the sea was very calm.  The discovery of the Pacific Ocean opened the way for the exploration and conquest of Central and South America, along its coast.

For more information on Balboa and the fascinating history this Spanish explorer in the Istmus of Panama, continue below for a complete historical account. Read the rest of this entry →

If you have ever seen a typical cruise ship offload their hordes of passengers, you will understand why the more experienced traveler is looking for a smaller-scale experience.  We start with listing the companies that are addressing this demand with ships that accommodate between 60 and 300 passengers and then make you familiar with the other niche: small ship cruises. Read the rest of this entry →

We plan to offer 4 different itineraries. While we can customize trips to our client’s specific interests and desires,  we think the itinerary described here allows them to discover the real treasures of Panama, following the lost routes of pirates, explorers and adventurers as only the Balboa Explorer can!

This trip can go in either of two directions, starting in Panama City and ending in Kuna Yala (San Blas), or the other way around.  If it ends in Kuna Yala, guests will return to Panama City aboard our EC130B  helicopter, a safe, convenient, and extremely efficient way to travel.  If the itinerary starts in Kuna Yala, we’ll chopper the guests from Panama City to the ship. Read the rest of this entry →

We just learned about two interesting companies offering of true expedition cruising around Australia.  While these ships are a little bigger (one 50 m. versus our 40 m.) they come the closest to our business model and seem to command premium rates despite the difficult economic times.  Quite encouraging.

One, Orion Expeditions operates a custom-built mini-passenger ship. They are presented by David Morris International in the US, a cruise consulting company that we also plan to hire to assist us with our sales & marketing strategy.

The Orion offers mostly 10-day trips around Australia and Antartica but also a 7-day itinerary like we plan to do.  To give you an idea of the pricing, see this link.  Looking at the type of cabins they offer (nothing particularly fancy) you can see the average rate is well above USD 5.000 per person and  that’s a May 4 departure. But then again, check out their e-brochure and you’ll agree this is a once-in-a life time experience, well worth the money.

Read the rest of this entry →

Today, more and more superyachts are being equipped to carry helicopters, which can be a wonderfully convenient, time-saving, comfortable, stylish, and safe form of transportation. With the ability to take off and land almost anywhere, helicopters can pick guests up from an airport and shuttle them directly to the yacht, or rapidly transport passengers from the yacht to any site, saving time otherwise wasted in congested traffic. Read the rest of this entry →