The 45.6-metre Scintilla Maris underwent a full-scale conversion to turn her from a single-prop fishing trawler into a capable and competent explorer yacht while also reducing the original 570GT to below the 500GT threshold. His vision for Scintilla Maris – meaning spark of the sea – was two-fold, a home away from home with a go anywhere hull, under any circumstance seaworthiness and a beautiful yet functional Vripack-designed interior that brings light, space and comfort to the fore.
“I wanted to make use of the magnificent Dutch fishing trawler hulls that have been built over the centuries and to create something that offers optimum comfort and quality of life rather than luxury. This is less of a conversion and more of a rebuild on an existing hull. I wanted a yacht with limitless ability that I can walk about on with wet feet after a swim and not worry that I’m ruining the carpets.” – Owner, Scintilla Maris
The conversion was done at the yacht’s home shipyard of Damen Maaskant in the western Netherlands.
“My overarching objective was to keep as much of the trawler intact as possible while making the outdoor areas comfortable.”
OWNER SCINTILLA MARIS
Some original features have been retained, including the original hatch into the fish hold, now repurposed as a supersized skylight in the full beam owner’s suite and this partially opens at the push of a button. The windows on the bridge have been replaced in keeping with the original style of glass and brass fittings. The vessel’s original communications equipment, including a single sideman radio and VHF, are preserved in a museum on the bridge.
The ambitious four-year project began in 2019, with the yard stripping back the hull (now painted blue) to bare metal and completely ripping out the interior, infrastructure, decking and propulsion. A new hybrid-electric propulsion and harbour generator were installed to comply with stricter emission regulations, reduce the yacht’s carbon footprint and minimise noise and vibration. The hybrid system offers four sailing modes with the help of three diesel generators.
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