137-foot Moonen motoryacht Sofia
In August, Moonen Yachts delivered the fully custom Sofia, whose 137-foot LOA makes her the largest megayacht ever constructed at the Dutch shipyard. She was built for a repeat Moonen client who is already moving her across the Atlantic Ocean for her U.S. premiere at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show.
Sofia is a cross between a modern motoryacht and an explorer yacht. Her owner has worldwide cruising ambitions, having previously owned a Moonen 84 and a Moonen 97 that he cruised aboard extensively. He also wanted Sofia to be the first yacht of her size to be able to carry a three-person submersible, which stows on the swim platform.
Originally, the owner wanted a two-person submersible, but partway through construction on Sofia, he changed his mind and went for the bigger craft. This was in 2009 and 2010, when submersibles were just beginning to appear on far larger superyachts and incorporating them into a build was a new prospect for just about any shipyard. The owner says Moonen handled the challenge with aplomb.
“My yacht was extended and a new crane designed and installed to allow the launch and retrieval of the submarine,” he stated in a press release. “Although the alterations were made when the yacht was already at the first stages of construction, the yard handled the complex modifications with minimal delay.”
Other superyacht-level features aboard Sofia include zero-speed stabilizers, a military-grade satellite communications system and a thermal camera in the top mast for easier nighttime and shallow-water cruising.
Learn more at www.moonen.com.
