Cheoy Lee Unveils the 127 Discovery Explorer

This superyacht is designed in collaboration with Nick Boksa of Boksa Marine Design.
Cheoy Lee 127 Discovery
The Cheoy Lee 127 Discovery has a full-displacement steel hull designed for ocean-crossing adventures. The yacht has a 10.5-knot cruise speed and a 4,000-NM range. Courtesy Cheoy Lee Yachts

Cheoy Lee Yachts, which is the superyacht division of Cheoy Lee Shipyards, is introducing a luxury expedition yacht called the Cheoy Lee 127 Discovery.

The shipyard collaborated on the design with Nick Boksa of Boksa Marine Design in Lithia, Florida. It’s a firm that specializes in luxury leisure yachts and commercial maritime vessels.

Design elements on the 127 Discovery make clear that the idea is to appeal to yachtsmen who want the option to cross oceans. The full-displacement steel hull has a sharp entry and spray chine. Like a commercial ship, this yacht’s pilothouse is positioned forward for optimum visibility. The design’s center of gravity is intentionally low for comfort at sea, with the tender on the main deck aft. The beach club is inside the transom hatch, which can be closed for safety.

Sylvia Bolton of Sylvia Bolton Design created the interior, which the shipyard describes as “classic yet comfortable.” The five ensuite staterooms include a full-beam, main-deck master. Also on the main deck are a salon and dining area for entertaining, with additional guest relaxation spaces up in the sky lounge and on the sundeck.

Cheoy Lee 127 Discovery
Designed in collaboration with Boksa Marine Design, this luxury expedition yacht emphasizes comfort and stability with a low center of gravity. The pilothouse is positioned forward for optimal visibility, mirroring commercial ship designs. Courtesy Cheoy Lee Yachts

Crew quarters can accommodate 11 people, though the shipyard says this yacht can be operated with a smaller crew. The captain’s cabin is on the bridge deck, as it would be aboard many larger yachts. There’s also an engineer’s cabin abaft the engine room. A crew lounge is in the galley, which has a walk-in freezer for a large number of cold stores. Crew can use the dumbwaiter for food service on all four decks.

“We have enjoyed our collaboration with Nick Boksa and his team in designing the Cheoy Lee 127 Discovery,” B.Y. Lo, Cheoy Lee Shipyards director, stated in a press release. “Drawing on the commercial maritime background we share, our mission was to create an expedition yacht under 150 feet that still has the luxury, seaworthiness and serviceability to let owners fulfill their dreams of global discovery in safety and comfort.

“The 127 Discovery has fulfilled this vision beautifully, and we are looking forward to working with Nick on future models in the Cheoy Lee Discovery Series.”

Key specs on the Cheoy Lee 127 Discovery: Beam is 28 feet, 6 inches. Draft is 8 feet even. Displacement is just over 361 tons. Fuel capacity is 14,256 gallons, with power provided by a pair of 800-horsepower Volvo D13-800 diesel engines. According to the builder, cruise speed is 10.5 knots, top hop is 13 knots, and range is 4,000 nautical miles.

Take the next step: go to cheoyleeyachts.com