On most yachts, the fitness center is a cramped gym with an exercise bike and some dumbbells tucked into the corner of a beach club, or at best, a spare stateroom. A “healthy” yacht charter, meanwhile, could mean just about anything, from strict keto diets and brutal workouts to morning Tai Chi followed by a soy-milk latte on a sun lounge. The idea is to optimize health, as opposed to the typical yacht charter where excessive feasting, drinking, and late nights are considered the norms. But the emerging wellness niche in yachting can be vague and sometimes gimmicky, with programs dependent on whatever the captain, steward, or an outside trainer defines as health-focused.
“We kind of did the opposite,” says Scott Blum, who founded Dutch Design with the intent of building 10 Sea Rovers—a 140-foot vessel that was designed around multiple forms of wellness. “We started with a full-scale spa with hot and cold plunges, a steam room, sauna, light therapy, and a massage table. Then we added a full gym curated by PENT, and included deck space for padel courts, pickleball, or basketball.”
The full gym has bespoke fitness equipment ranging from exercise bikes, treadmills, and Pilates machines.
Dutch Design
PENT is a Polish manufacturer of custom, high-end exercise equipment, and for the Sea Rover, the gym will be equipped with its fitness wall bar, weight bench, treadmill, rowing machines, bicycles, Pilates reformer, battle rope, and a dumbbell rack, as well as kettleballs, fitness balls, yoga mats, and other equipment. “It’s all custom-designed to fit our space,” says Blum, adding the equipment is made with marine-grade stainless steel, with wood and leather finishes, and fastened for use on a rocking vessel.
A morning workout followed by a game of hoops might sound good to a wellness enthusiast, but are there enough fitness fanatics out there to purchase a yacht with that primary objective? Blum sees a “dual-form” market for Sea Rover that includes owners of luxury hotel collections that offer “land-and-sea” packages in areas such as the Med or the Caribbean.
The design includes an open rear deck that can be used for pickleball, padel tennis, or basketball.
Dutch Design
Individuals who plan to spend several months on board are other potential buyers. “If people move aboard boats, they can’t just ditch their normal routine for that long of a period,” he says. “I see a healthy, active entrepreneur who is focused on living a good, healthy life.”
Beyond the fitness infrastructure, the five-stateroom Sea Rover has typical superyacht amenities of open social areas, including a salon, dining area, full-beam primary suite, beach club, and multiple outdoor terraces. Amsterdam-based designer Bernd Weel, who worked with Blum on a previous yacht design, gave the Sea Rover an explorer-type exterior that is low-key, with a few distinctive, gee-whiz features like a vertical side panel that runs from the bottom deck and becomes a stylized radar arch.
The boat can accommodate up to 12 guests and will be crewed by nine, most having double duties like stew/masseuse, deckhand/physical trainer, engineer/yoga instructor. The “open kitchen” design also puts the chef front and center for more of an interactive experience with guests. As expected, healthy meals sourced locally from ports will comprise most menus.
The vessel has a utilitarian look with contemporary features like floor-to-ceiling glass and a trademark radar arch.
Dutch Design
The boat is designed with high-end, name-brand equipment from fixtures to door hinges, and even the toilets. “Toto is better than marine brands, so we went with them,” says Blum. “We’ve also included bidets in all the staterooms.” With the exception of Blum, who is American, the team behind the build is from the Netherlands, including former project managers from Feadship. “It’s all Dutch,” he says.
The Sea Rover concept has been in play for four years. Its size kept changing as the designer added features, eventually increasing to 140 feet. The goal is to offer the same experience as a 300-footer. That’s unlikely, but the gym concept is a true differentiator in the yachting world.
Despite the focus on fitness, the vessel has luxury touches like sun lounges and a swimming pool.
Dutch Design
Will it work? Wellness is certainly a hot, fast-emerging trend in the luxury travel industry, from trips to “blue zones,” where the locals live longer than the rest of the planet, to resorts with extensive health facilities to boutiques hotels devoted to wellness pursuits.
But is the idea too specialized to operate as a charter vessel or even a private yacht for the future Arnold Schwarzeneggers out there?
Blum believes there is a place for Sea Rover—specifically a limited-edition run of 10 Sea Rovers—and has started construction in Turkey on the first vessel. The build schedule is expected to take 24 to 28 months. “We have to build the first one so people can see that it’s more than just a drawing,” says Blum.