Following a complete rebuild at Balk Shipyards—which considers her a “recraft”—the yacht Ursus has made her owner quite happy. Already, he and his family have spent some time aboard cruising together. Ursus is back at the Dutch shipyard for the winter.
One of the most complex rebuilds Balk Shipyard has ever undertaken, the 99-footer (30.36-meter) is essentially a new megayacht. Initial launch occurred at another Dutch yard, Acico Yachts, in 2016, as the last of the Bandido 80 yacht series. (Acico Yachts became Jongert through a merger in 2015.) This 79-foot (24-meter) series was unusual for being among the only purpose-built small explorers coming out of North Europe at the time. Primarily, explorers from area shipyards were conversion projects. The owner of Ursus bought her in 2018, attracted to her rugged looks. Although he and his family cruised a lot throughout the Balearics in the following years, something was amiss. “We liked the quality of the ship and life onboard very much, but there were clear deficits in the performance,” the owner says.
That led to the decision to extend her and improve her seakeeping, with Balk Shipyard and Mulder Design. According to Bas Mulder of Mulder Design, “Only the middle part of the yacht’s hull remained untouched.” In fact, a 3D scan of her hull helped decide what LOA and design changes would suit her best. Starting in 2022 and continuing for two years, the teams transformed her. They gutted her, for instance, plus removed the bow and stern. They further created new steel sections, including a nearly 20-foot (6-meter) extension.
Simultaneously, leisure and technical areas benefitted. Thanks to the new stern, the yacht Ursus has a two-level, open-air beach area. It includes waterside seating on the lower level. There’s still space for a tender garage aft, too, which previously was forward. Removing that forward stowage space allowed creating an alfresco cocktail lounge for the family. Up top, meanwhile, the longer sundeck has seating and dining space, plus a barbecue and Teppanyaki grill area. It additionally has stowage for two PWCs. Technical improvements include wing stations to each side and new wheelhouse instrumentation. Performance-wise, the small superyacht now has hybrid propulsion as well, along with a dynamic positioning system.
“Ursus showcases what’s possible when an owner has a clear vision and when we partner with an exceptional studio,” asserts Evan Kortmann, CEO of Balk Shipyard.
Balk Shipyard balkshipyard.com
Mulder Design mulderdesign.nl
More About the Yacht Ursus
LOA: 99’6” (30.36 meters)
Beam: 23’6” (7.2 meters) w/wing stations, 21’10” (6.7 meters) without
Draft: not specified
Guests: 6 in 3 staterooms
Engines: 3/320-hp Volvo Pentas
Range: not specified
Builder: Acico Yachts (original), Balk Shipyard (refit)
Stylist: Focus Yacht Design (original), Mulder Design (refit)
Naval Architect: Focus Yacht Design (original), Mulder Design (refit)
Interior Designer: not specified