From trawler to explorer

Conjure up an image of a superyacht and what likely springs to mind is a gleaming white vessel – not a converted fishing trawler. And yet, for entrepreneur Erik Vonk the latter holds far more appeal – hence the recent launch of his rugged explorer yacht – Scintilla Maris. “A traditional white superyacht has a different purpose to mine,” he explains. “I see a boat as a comfortable, safe platform with the right seagoing properties to go anywhere I want, in whatever waters or climate.”

Growing up in Holland in a family of sailors, it always seemed inevitable that Vonk would have a passion for boats. And his desire “not to reinvent the wheel”’ when it came to building them started with his very first purchase, a converted tugboat built in 1915 which he converted for cruising. He owned it for almost 20 years before deciding to take on his next project – a fishing trawler. “I like tugboats and trawlers – they have their ancestry in schooners,” he explains. “There have been so many designs over so many generations and so, after talking to yacht designers, I thought, why start again? These boats already exist.”

Finding the right boat to repurpose 

To find the bones of his next project, he went to Damen Maaskant shipyard in Holland – one of the premier builders of trawlers in the world – and asked if they could help. “They found a boat that they had actually built and launched themselves as a fishing trawler in 1989 and they were very happy to see one of their own products repurposed for a different use,” says Vonk. 

The journey towards his next yacht had officially begun – but nobody could have imagined that journey was going to take 17 years. “I wanted to do all the design and specification work myself,” explains Vonk. “I’m not a shipbuilder, but luckily the yard had the patience to deal with me!” Vonk drew on his extensive sailing experience paired with his natural instincts, having spent a lot of time on friends’ superyachts. “With a few very minor exceptions, it worked,” says Vonk. “Good old Dutch stubbornness helped. There were quite a few occasions where the yard said something was going to be very difficult, which was a diplomatic way of saying I was out of my mind! But I was usually able to get what I wanted.” 

As a multiple business owner, Vonk had to fit the project into his already hectic work week. But to him, it was a wonderful way to relax and a great distraction from other stresses. “To create something for myself using my own specifications was very gratifying – to the extent that when we were getting to the end and I was about to take possession of the finished product, it felt a bit bittersweet. Like, now what?” says Vonk.

Adding the final touches 

In August last year, the yard finished the boat, filled it with fuel and put the flags up – but Vonk wasn’t quite ready to sign off on it and a few more changes were made. “That added another few months up to April this year when it came to the point that I felt we were done,” says Vonk. “I think the yard thought, if this guy doesn’t leave we are never going to get rid of him! There were jokes about migratory birds getting confused if the boat ever left the yard because they were using it as a navigation point!” 

Naturally, using a repurposed hull helped to keep the costs down a little, but this was not the driving force for Vonk. “It’s not about saving money,” he says,” it’s about being practical and eco-conscious by repurposing an existing hull instead of seeing it scrapped.” The hull was not the only environmentally-led decision from Vonk. “Initially the thought was to leave the very large diesel engine on the boat,” he says. “It was in good condition and could have been used for many more years, but as time progressed and I saw the advancement in electric propulsion and battery technology I started to look into that.” 

The yacht now runs on a hybrid propulsion system. “When you build something like this for pleasure purposes and not because your livelihood depends on it you should be a little extra conscious about the carbon footprint that you leave,” says Vonk.  

Enjoying the ride 

Since taking delivery of the boat just a matter of weeks ago, Vonk has already been to London, Scotland and the Faroe Islands. “It’s been stunning – especially north-west Scotland and the Outer Hebrides,” he says. “The sun was shining for almost two weeks and we had no rain or wind. It way exceeded my expectations.” Vonk spent time anchoring off small islands and enjoying the tranquillity and absence of boats. “It’s been very calming and awe-inspiring,” he says. 

The next few months will see Vonk and his family travel to Greenland and then along the Canadian and American east coasts – ending in Georgia, where he lives. “Brunswick, Georgia has a nice little port. I own a rum distillery there and the boat can be moored within walking distance of it.” One imagines that after 17 years in the making, it’s time to toast this remarkable yacht. Vonk agrees. And unsurprisingly, it’ll be a toast using Richland Rum. “There is always an excuse to have a little bit of rum or to mix it into something,” he laughs. “There is no such thing as rum o’clock, it’s a 24-hour proposition.” Cheers to that.