Promise is an explorer that's loaded with surprises

Delivered by Feadship in 2018, Promise. was previously kept private from prying eyes. When she was listed for sale with Edmiston in the summer of 2025, her creative space planning was finally revealed. “The owners are experienced yacht people in terms of going on boats but not as far as owning or building them,” says owners’ rep James Hutchinson of Hutchinson Yacht Consulting. “They had a very clear vision of what they wanted.”

The design originated nearly 10 years ago as an idea for a luxury explorer yacht. “There weren’t that many explorers around in 2015, so it felt slightly ahead of the curve,” says Hutchinson. Several shipyards were shortlisted, but the owners felt Feadship was the custom yacht builder that could best deliver on their dream.

“The owners couldn’t understand why a through-flow design wasn’t the yachting norm,” says Captain Stephen Walsh, who joined Promise. nearly three years ago. “And why wouldn’t you want to step on your boat [from the tender] and go straight through to your cabin rather than having to go up a deck and back down?”

The inclusion of dual his-and-hers master suites, linked by an adjoining door rather than one palatial full-beam cabin, is another design twist. The suites share an equal footprint – both arguably on the smaller side due to the owners choosing to attribute more space to guest areas and lounges – but each with an en suite that includes a steam shower and Japanese onsen soaking tub.

“It’s the first yacht to ever have an onsen bath on board, and it was certainly a first for Feadship,” says Hutchinson. The starboard cabin also has access to a private drop-down balcony.

Hutchinson, who acknowledges the polarising appeal of the yacht’s current master setup, is quick to point out an alternative layout drawn up by Bannenberg & Rowell, which penned the interior. It would see the current masters turned into two VIPs and the “cosy lounge” on the observation deck forward converted into a single master with an island bed.

The cosy lounge, as the owners dubbed this welcoming space, is one of three guest lounges on board. It is currently equipped with a double sofa bed and adjoining en suite, allowing it to serve as an additional guest cabin. The lounge has direct access through sliding glass doors to the forward deck area, which hosts a private pool with counter current jets and a teak floor that rises flush to the deck.

It’s easy to see how this access to the foredeck lounge could be an enviable feature for a would-be master cabin should new owners plan to refit this space as such. And, sweetening the setup, a pantry that adjoins the cosy lounge on port side could become a second en suite.

Captain Walsh, who previously helmed the 79.2-metre Delta Marine Albatross and the 72-metre Austal Serenity, also commends the owners’ decision to place crew areas alongside the main deck guest cabins. “For me, certainly coming from larger boats, having the crew lobby adjacent to the guest areas without any crossover is impressive and functional.”

He also praises the forethought to dedicate the entire lower deck forward to the crew mess, accommodation for 12 crew, the refurbished galley, laundry room and engine control room.

“When you separate the crew areas on different decks you separate the departments, so to have them integrated in the same corridors is very nice for flow of movement and brilliant for the team,” he adds.

“The interior of Promise. followed an unusually specific client brief in its simplicity and lack of ostentation”

Walsh points to the sort of rationality that favours the function and convenience that is seen throughout Promise. And her interior designer team backs up this throughline.

“The design is very democratic – common architectural finishes throughout and no conventional master suite,” says Dickie Bannenberg of Bannenberg & Rowell, who says this straightforward approach is also seen in the interior styling as well as the layout. “The interior of Promise. followed an unusually specific client brief in its simplicity and lack of ostentation.”

The neutral-toned decor is defined by natural flamed and white walnut, bespoke joinery and glacier white Corian. Textured, honed and hammered limestone worktops and heated flooring in the en suites as mandated by the owners are a welcome relief from the miles of marble typically found at sea.

Polished chrome bathroom fittings by Dornbracht and bronze lever handles by Nanz “provide the ‘handshake’ of the yacht,” says Bannenberg. Adding life to the neutral palette, pops of colour are seen in the geometric-adorned sideboard off the dining area and in the soft goods, while the owners’ collection of carefully curated art adds a striking touch.

The interior underwent a refresh in 2025 as part of a seven-month, €6 million (£5.25m) refit at Feadship’s facility in Makkum in the Netherlands. “It wasn’t the owners’ intention to sell, she was just six years in and had done a fair few hours on the main engines,” explains Hutchinson.

The refit included extensive upgrades and servicing inside and out to enhance functionality, aesthetics and comfort. The bridge navigation equipment, for instance, was updated with new navigation lights and a FLIR camera, while the A/V system was upgraded with the latest smart TVs, advanced audio equipment, a high spec 5G system, new central servers and expanded media storage.

Mechanical systems received comprehensive servicing, including main engines, shafts, generators, HVAC system and the installation of an advanced air purification system.

Outside, the hull and superstructure were repainted with a high-gloss topcoat, and decks received new sun awnings, reupholstered seating, bar units, stone bar tops and teak tabletops.

The swim platform and guest balcony mechanisms were overhauled, and the swimming pool, tender cranes, shell doors and anchoring and steering systems were serviced. Inside, the galley was remodelled with a new pantry, stone worktops, flooring and some key appliances.

Guest spaces saw significant improvements, including new carpets and selective reupholstering. However, many of the yacht’s original interior fabrics remain in mint condition seven years after delivery. The immaculate brown leather treads on the open spine central staircase is a case in point, as is much of the museum quality pieces of loose furniture custom-designed by Bannenberg & Rowell.

The inclusion of his-and-hers master suites is another design twist

According to Walsh, it’s thanks to the designers’ use of durable fabrics as well as the crew’s due diligence in maintaining them that kept the yacht fresh all these years. “Promise. has been a home from home and [well-maintained] but hats off to Bannenberg & Rowell for their choice of materials because even the UV hasn’t caused any shadowing over the years,” he says.

The owners’ original vision to build a global explorer was driven by a desire to cruise the higher latitudes, including the Northwest Passage, which is how the yacht came to be the first Feadship to achieve Ice Class notation (1E) and have a Lloyd’s Polar Ship Certificate. “I was surprised to find out it would be the first, and I remember when Henk de Vries told us because Feadship hadn’t realised either,” says Hutchinson.

The yacht has more than cut her explorer teeth, spending her first season in the Mediterranean before taking in Indonesia, Singapore and the Philippines, as well as an entire summer in the Pacific. Despite the boat completing three circumnavigations, however, cold climates remain on the bucket list for the owners.

“Unfortunately, Covid-19 took its toll on the original plans to navigate the Northwest Passage, and even more frustratingly, Promise. was in Auckland for the 2021 America’s Cup – a long-standing dream for the owners – but as no travel was allowed at that time due to the pandemic, the yacht didn’t have any guests on board for that event,” says Hutchinson.

Walsh says that it’s been “nice to have owners that see the world as a small place,” and fun for the crew to not just be on a Mediterranean-andCaribbean circuit boat. “By the time we got to the Atlantic, it almost felt like a short crossing,” he quips.

The addition of staff cabins with bunkbeds on the main deck has enabled the yacht to carry whatever extra staff is needed to support her world-girdling travels, including specialist guides, security in Borneo and helicopter pilots who put the non-certified helideck to good use, particularly in New Zealand. Having a helipad was an important part of the brief, and the owners ensured that many of the crew completed helicopter operations training.

The yacht has more than cut her explorer teeth, spending her first season in the Mediterranean before taking in Indonesia, Singapore and the Philippines

The helideck links to the bridge deck aft saloon, which was conceived as a professional dance floor with sprung flooring, a large wall mirror and a 2.1-metre-high ceiling. Today, it’s used as a gym, as well as lending itself to a generous games room and guest reception for those arriving by air.

For future owners it’s “a bit of a blank canvas”, says Hutchinson, noting how light and airy the space is thanks to two large skylights that were specifically requested by the owners for taking in overhead views when cruising the Norwegian fjords and Milford Sound in New Zealand.

“They wanted to be able to look up at the fjords and get the full scale of them, the granular look,” he says. “They put a lot of thought into where they hoped to cruise and what was required for each destination.”

Flush thresholds between the interior and exterior doors were another must, along with large picture windows to take in the views, an exposed glass lift that invites light in and has a floor that matches with the interior and the aforementioned foredeck pool.

“Feadship carried out computational fluid dynamics to ensure there would be no spillage on deck when cruising with a full pool,” says Walsh, who points out that the pool’s reserve tanks allow the crew to transfer the water elsewhere rather than dumping it overboard to maintain consistent displacement and stability.

“On some yachts it can be a worry how to replace the pool water when the watermakers are going flat out, but it’s never a concern on here,” he adds. “Heating is never a problem either.”

The captain is also a fan of the large bridge with a high driving position. Two window mullions were removed from the early designs to achieve an unimpeded view, and it’s become a favourite place for owners and guests to sit and spot wildlife as well.

“It certainly feels bigger than a 51-metre yacht,” he says of the sensation from the helm. “In some ports, we’re bridge to bridge with a lot of the big boys.” Walsh also notes that she handles comfortably in three-metre waves and boasts a solid ride with the Quantum stabilisers on.

Now listed for sale, the yacht is primed and ready for a new chapter. “It’s so refreshing that everything aboard Promise. was done with a purpose,” says Hutchinson. “For me, that’s what embodies building a custom yacht. The owners had a huge amount of input in the design and really took advantage of that.”

While purpose-built for her original owners, the yacht’s unusual layout, spacious interiors, ice-friendly hull and many clever functional features promise a world of opportunities for potential new owners who plan to chart a course to distant horizons

First published in the February 2026 issue of BOAT International. Get this magazine sent straight to your door, or subscribe and never miss an issue.