180′ Heesen Yacht Walkthrough [Boat Review + Video]

Take an extensive tour of the 180′ Heesen Superyacht in Fort Lauderdale, Florida with Ryan Alexander and Thom Conboy.

This article is a transcription of the 180′ Heesen Superyacht video from Denison’s Youtube Channel. Tune in daily to discover the latest yacht video walkthroughs from the world’s largest yacht video collection. Watch the full video below:

Good morning, Ryan Alexander here with Denison yachting. If you have been paying attention to what’s happening in the yachting industry over the last year, year and a half, you know that it is insane. And it has been a crazy year plus for Denison and not just in the number of boats sold but a recent explosion in our YouTube followership. So if you are new here, welcome. we are about to roll out some of the bigger walkthroughs that we’ve ever put out on our channel and today is one of those notches in our belt in that it is a day of three firsts. 

Today is a first for me because it is the biggest boat that I’ve shot today at 55 meters. This Heesen is the largest boat that I’ve gotten a chance to take you guys on a walkthrough of and I couldn’t be more excited. Second, we figured that a big boat deserves a lot of attention. So this is the first video that we’re shooting in full 6k with cinema cameras, very excited to show you all of the detail on this boat and this is the first time that you’re going to meet Thom Conboy on the Denison Yachting channel. If you know Thom, wherever he goes big boats follow. So him and I are going to pass things back and forth, we’re going to talk about the spaces on board and we’re going to let you in on the secret that is Motor Yacht – ABBRACCI. 

Good morning, I’m Thomas Conboy from Heesen yachts. We are on board today Abbracci, 180 foot 2012 steel-hulled aluminum structure motor yacht. We wanted to run through a few things so you have a clear understanding of what a magnificent vessel this is. 

Heesen yachts was established in 1978 by Franz Heesen. And they quickly became the largest aluminum builder in the world. We are on our 198^th hull. This boat would have been hull about 142. The unique thing about this vessel is she at the time was the largest steel boat that we had built in sheer volume. She is obviously as we said earlier 180 feet in length. She’s a little over 33 feet in beam or width. Her draft from water lying down is around 10-and-a-half-feet. The range at 10 knots is plus 6,000 miles the range at 13 knots is 4,500 miles which gives her transatlantic and trans-pacific capabilities. Her top speed is around 15 knots but she’s a true blue water boat to ride in incredible comfort. Some of the things when you build in northern Europe and specifically at Heesen is that there’s a great deal of time and effort put into the soundproofing. The comfort of the ride and it’s a very solid, great sea boat and as you’ll see this was launched in 2012, you look at the condition is pretty remarkable.

A luxury yacht is more than the furniture selection and it is more than the softness of the beds. The definition of luxury that Heesen goes by is the harmony instilled in each space in its entirety. Every guest area on this yacht shares the same foundational elements of form and function with a keen sense of purpose. This means that as you move from space to space every stateroom, every living area complements the last. From the second that you step on board you can tell how much this yacht is loved and what it represents to her owners and crew and that’s what brings Abbracci to life. This Dutch super yacht has taken her owners to the far corners of the globe and in return has been maintained to the highest degree as the queen of the Abbracci fleet. As you see it a wide teak-finished platform carries along the water line in between the port and starboard staircases that make up her Euro transom. Things back here get interesting, however, when the transom door swings down and into the open position creating a massive swim platform. 

When at anchor, this area is set up with a large area rug beneath any configuration you’d like such as these four teak deck chairs and oversized hanging umbrella. The size of this platform means that you have plenty of space for every guest onboard to spend time together in the sun. In the event that you’re out exploring the islands and on the hook all of the water toys will be in the water. But when you’re underway or back on the dock, all of those toys need a place to live and Abbracci’s garage couldn’t be more capable or convenient. Just some of the toys stored in here are four personal watercrafts, two Yamaha jet skis and two wave runners. There’s also room for four stand up paddle boards, three or more sea bobs, wake board and ski equipment as well as all of the fishing gear you need to deck out a serious toe tender. You’ll have to use your imagination with how open this space is when all of the water toys are removed and the garage is converted into a beach club. When in this configuration you have unobstructed access to a cedar finished sauna on the port side. Directly forward of the sauna is a dayhead. Immediately forward of the garage is the engine room which Tom is going to walk you through. 

We’re now entering the engine room coming from the beach club and as you will see this is a pretty complex engine room, typical northern European. The engines are the MTU engines, 12 cylinders they’re approximately 1324 kW or about 1,800 horsepower. These particular engines will propel the boat about 6,000 miles at 10 knots with a fuel capacity of 33,000 gallons. If you go up to 13 knots then the range drops down to 4,500 miles. Again, giving you a trans-pacific or transatlantic capability. On your right-hand side or the middle of the engine room you have your air conditioning compressors, you have your hydraulic system which controls the stabilization and cranes. Further into the depth of the engine room here, this manifold system that you see through here is all of the bilge which takes the sea water out of the bilge. It also has a fire system that can take seawater from the sea to fight a fire. 

As you continue through here in the engine room, over here you have an oily water separator. It separates oily bilge water, so it can be dispersed of easily. Through here you have your sewage system called [7:25] system. And then you move on here, it’s a shore power converter. What this does is it takes any shore power that’s on any dock wherever it is in the world and it cleans it and puts constant continuous power into the vessel. Over here on the port side of the engine room, we have the fuel system manifold and purification. So for example this particular unit here takes fuel when you bring it on board and spins it or purifies it. So if you’re say in a third world country and getting not such good fuel this cleans it before it goes into the tanks and or most importantly before it goes to the engines. This is all the different manifold systems to move this fuel around and there are 33,000 gallons of fuel as we’ve previously stated. 

Coming after the engine room here this is getting into your whole fresh water system. Here obviously are water heaters not unlike what you see in your home and back in here, this is all of the different where the water is going to. and one of the most significant things about a boat is you’re not where you can just get fresh water like you can at your home, so we have reverse osmosis water makers. What that is is basically it takes seawater passing it through long membranes at about 800 PSI, then you have a UV and charcoal filter so it comes out as some of the best purest water. You have major exhaust fans, you have air that’s actually pushed in and then it’s exhausted out, so you continually have a flow of new fresh air coming into the engine room. Additionally, you have these large compartments here that are sound shields housing a 175 kW kilo pack generator that deals with all the electrical requirements of the vessel when it’s at sea and or anchor. There are two of these as they alternate from day to day and then there is also an emergency generator of 85 kW that’s located forward and well above the water line. 

The starboard walkway is primarily for guests as it leads forward to the formal entry into the main deck foyer and then beyond to the bow. The floor-to-ceiling glass door that gives you access to and from the side deck is hydraulic. In addition to the stunning cap rails, a detail that you likely wouldn’t notice from just looking at the profile are the glass cutouts in the gunnels emphasizing Heesen’s desire to create a view whenever possible. 

One of the most stunning uses of glass is found in the salon which is located immediately forward of the aft deck. This is where we get our first look at the 858 gross ton volume of the interior of this Dutch super yacht. In all the salon itself is over a thousand square feet and has a spacious layout. Upon entering you’re welcomed by a greeting area adorned with blonde veneers and cream-toned stones that double down on the bright and airy feel of every interior guest space. Located in the aft section of the salon is a wet bar off to the port side complete with a hidden sink, a refrigerator and an ice maker. Immediately forward of this is the living area of the salon arranged with inward-facing seating this is the ideal space for formal entertaining or for adventure cruising in colder climates. Also found here is a high-low TV which is controlled by an iPad that ties into the yacht’s Creston media control system. We’ll touch on the system later when we’re up in the wheelhouse. Moving forward of the living area, we next arrive at the formal dining space that’s encircled by cabinet storage. There’s seating for 12 around an oversized dining table giving a whole new meaning to family-style meals. 

So now we’ve just entered the dining area which is right off of the main salon and we’ve previously talked about the shell material of the vessel. Now we’re going to talk a little bit about the interior materials. The interior designer was Omega Frank Lautman based in the Netherlands. He’s done quite a few boats for us. The idea here with the client was he wanted a very spacious but very light interior and no two Heesen have ever been built with the same interior. So everything truly is one of a kind and typically custom one-off. There’s a great deal of Anna Gray which is an African hardwood with about a 70 sheen on it. you’ll see an inlaid mother of pearl in this particular table, the stone is an example between the Onyx and the marble and granite depending on the interior designer’s choice, can be anywhere from 600,000 euros to 1 million euros just for the stone. 

There’s an electric door to port in here that connects the formal dining room with a large service pantry which welcomes you into the galley segment of the yacht. In this stew’s nook is a sink, dishwasher, ice maker and a Miele microwave convection oven. And then a little further forward around the corner is the first bit of refrigeration that sets Abbracci up for success when on the water for weeks on it. 

Continuing forward brings us into the main part of this yacht’s professional galley. The cooking appliances in here include a six burner Gaggenau induction cooktop which rests above the first of three ovens in the area. These cooking appliances and more are directly below a large stainless oven hood and a fire suppression system. Beyond the cooking appliances is plenty of refrigeration where you keep things that the chef needs on hand immediately and there’s also a walk-in refrigerator and deep freezer offering additional crucial cold storage. Looking towards the port side in the galley we see a sink and a second dishwasher as well as the companion way that offers you access down into the crew quarters. We’ll revisit the area where the crew stays in just a little while. Now tom is going to take back over where we left off in the formal dining area as he takes us into the main deck foyer.

So as a point of interest on how these boats are built they’re built to a very high level of classifications. You have Lloyds that deals with the structure, you have MCA and LY3 which deal with more of the interior safety issues and fire issues and it’s quite complex how these boats are built and the level at which they’re built. I’ll give you a great example. If you take a look at this door, with this and some of the bulkheads or all the bulkheads are meant to contain a fire for up to an hour. Between the Lloyds with the shell and the MCA and LY2 this is built truly to the highest standards that we have in the marine industry today. 

I’m going to take back over for a few minutes and show you around the guest accommodations onboard, beginning with the on deck master stateroom. The first part of the owner’s suite you come to upon entering is a study or an office. This is a private escape where you can get away for a few hours of work or end your day when you have guests on board. This office also creates a buffer between the main deck foyer and the master stateroom itself. In addition to the desk and organization found in here, there’s a comfortable low profile couch along the aft bulkhead and a TV on a lift that can be revealed at the touch of a button. This brings us into the sleeping accommodation which is unlike anything you’ve seen on a yacht walkthrough that I’ve gotten to take you on. 

The most defining characteristic of the owner’s suite is its use of the full 33-foot-4-inch beam. This footprint offers you a vast circular stateroom where everything is laid out around a forward-facing king berth. The ceiling above the bed has been designed to mimic the sky overhead and thanks to all of the natural light pouring in, the reflections in here make for a stunning experience. not only is there an abundance of natural light but there’s accent lighting in all of the right places like under the bed. There’s also a separate vanity located over to the port side, which is a dreamy spot to get ready for a night out on the mainland. There are a handful of seating options in here and there’s a ton of storage that you don’t see at first glance, such as this closet space behind radial cabinet doors. 

The master stateroom is 1,100 square feet when you combine the living area and the office. But to me the most outstanding thing about the master are the windows that you see on either side of the space. There are two sets of blinds so if you want to black out the room you can or if you just want to add a little bit extra privacy you can but the coolest feature is that these doors at the touch of a button hydraulically open on both sides. The master stateroom’s ensuite is stunning and spacious rivaling what you would find in any luxury hotel. Some of the most important aspects of this area are the oval tub where you can take your time and the adjacent shower stall. In all, the ensuite has a footprint of just under 150 square feet. Leaving here let’s head aft into the main deck foyer and then down the central staircase. 

When you make your way to the bottom of the spiral staircase you arrive in the lower guest companionway. from here you have five options, sixth I’ll tell you about in just a minute, you have a pair of queen cabins forward, a pair of twin cabins that are mirrored and all the way aft is the VIP which we’re going to take a look at first. 

Upon entering the superbly finished full-beam VIP you first see a king berth that’s flooded by natural light through large hull side windows. Again, note the blonde finishes in here that make it feel alive and refreshing. it’s in an environment like this that you can take a seat at the desk below the hull side windows or just hang out in bed with a good book for an extra hour. Storage in here is found centerline and is made up of two hanging lockers. These are right outside of the ensuite. This VIP ensuite is 116 square feet and features a full-size tub and vanity along the port side. Leaving the VIP and heading forward, our next stop will be a pair of mirrored twin staterooms. In addition to the beds, features found in both of these cabins include hanging storage, TVs and private ensuite heads. 

Another set of mirrored cabins is found as you make your way even further forward in the lower companionway. These double cabins are laid out around queen berths and have all of the same features that we’ve seen in the other lower accommodations with the addition of dressing areas below the TVs. 

When we first came down to the lower guest companionway, I said that there were six options. From here I’ve shown you the first five which are the guest accommodations but directly behind me we have access directly into the crew quarters or rather the crew has direct access into these guest staterooms. And the special thing about this is it allows you to change sheets to do laundry and you can pass directly back and forth in between the crew area and the guest space. Entering you first step into the crew mess where the majority of the crew’s downtime is spent when guests are on board. Another key aspect of this part of the yacht is that this is where the laundry center is located with three Miele washers and dryers in a separate laundry room. In all, Abbracci sleeps 14 crew in sizable cabins primarily with bunk layouts and private ensuite head and showers. 

Having covered the entirety of the lower deck and main deck, our next stop is the bridge deck. This is where we’ll really see all of the advantages that come with a super yacht of this size and pedigree. The first area to point out is where all of the aft seating is located. Back here, there are three bench seats and a pair of teak chairs which are arranged around teak cocktail tables. The primary use for this space is located just forward at the massive alfresco dining table with a satin finish. And then making this a great entertaining area, there’s a wet bar and service area to port. Found over here is a sink and a plancha grill. And there’s also a stainless ice maker and refrigerator that’s located below the countertop.

When Heesen was designing and building this yacht, it was a primary focus to make sure that the exterior and interior spaces had seamless flow as you move throughout them. This is something that stands out as we enter the sky lounge. Upon entering this light-flooded space is stunning both because of her full beam layout and how diverse it is. This is an area that gets used all of the time as it offers you a less formal version of the experience offered in the lower salon. This is thanks in part to the inviting seating to starboard where there are four overstuffed armchairs and a comfortable love seat that form a conversation pit. When it comes to movie night up here, you have two options depending on what kind of viewing experience you want to have. The first is a high-low TV located outboard on the port side. And then the second option is a larger projector screen that drops down in front of the TV and the projector which is revealed from the overhead. As you might expect there’s also a wrapping wet bar forward into port with seating along the outside. Looking behind the bar, you’ll see that the appliances include a sink an ice maker and a refrigerator. There’s also plenty of storage for stemware and the surrounding cabinets and cool marble flooring underfoot. Found forward of the bar is an electric pocket door that opens to reveal a service area where the crew can get their tasks out of the way behind the scenes. 

As we follow tom and leave the sky lounge heading forward on the starboard side is a dayhead that you pass on your way into the pilothouse. We arranged the pilothouse here on Abbracci. One thing that’s different about custom yachts is that you have a nice lounge area for guests and owners to sit up here have a lunch, a cocktail while seeing operation of the boat. All of this equipment that you see has a different function from communication with the outside chart system, navigational equipment, engine controls, autopilot, most important communication with the engine room and the engineer. What it does basically works in harmony with the engine room. This over here is the communication within the boat as far as all the cabins and every area of the boat. All of these screens which there are five of them that you see, can be interchanged to whatever you want to bring up on. Here you have a radar, you can have depth sounder, you can have charts, you have the Tyson panel which monitors all internal bilge pumps engine functions, air conditioning every piece of machinery in the boat. You have security cameras when you’re at anchor and or when you’re at the dock. The Sperry autopilot here is an example is that once you’re set a course, put it on a heading this keeps it on the heading literally steering the boat. Virtually this boat can go anywhere in the world operating incredibly safely with no assistance from anything else. 

Aft of the wheelhouse we have this IT space. This is where all of that cabling that you’ve seen in the engine room that you can’t see hidden behind the walls, it is where it all leads to. In here you have full control over the entertainment systems and more this is a pretty great spot if you just want to sneak away for a minute. Catch up on the score of the Lakers game. Over here in this cabinet you see that all of your wiring matrixes are readily available. The reason that this is important is sometimes if you’ve got guests on board they can’t figure out how to work their TVs, you don’t have to run back and forth to see what’s going on. You can bring up on this monitor right here, what’s going on on every single TV screen to help you troubleshoot the problem. Another great feature of this boat is it has a kaleidoscope system. In this brain right here you have access to tens of thousands of movies and shows. Each of these units wires it directly to the TV found in the cabins below. And you also have the matrix for your Creston system. This lets you control all of the lights, blinds in each room. And then in this cabinet right here, you can see all of the direct TV receivers, every TV has its own receiver you won’t have any issues staying connected when you are out on the water.

Wrapping up in the wheelhouse, let’s now follow Tom outside and onto the bow which is the next area we’re going to take a look at. Up here teak decks carry all of the way forward on an area of the yacht that’s primarily used by the crew on this size vessel. The first important piece of equipment up here is a Hydromar marine crane with the capacity to lift over 2300 pounds. This is positioned to lift a tender off the bow over either side of the yacht. But rather than carry a tender, this space is left open so you can arrange deck furniture in the area in the event that you want to. Located right next to the davit, are this yacht’s life rafts. The foredeck has a split configuration in which the anchoring system is located on the lower level forward of the davit. These two commercial windlasses raise and lower a pair of Danforth anchors that offer you peace of mind once they’re set. Something I’d like to point out is how maneuverable this Heesen is. At 180 feet, the slip that we were in this morning gave a rather narrow window for getting out due to the size of the surrounding boats and a really sharp turn into a narrow canal. This super yacht thanks to both an experienced captain and powerful bow thruster made getting out of a tight spot look easy. 

Abbracci is a remarkably dry boat thanks to the trademark Pelican Beak bow that cuts through the waves. This design also provides a quiet and soft ride when this long-distance displacement explorer is out in rough seas. When it comes to her exterior design, this 180 foot Heesen has near-perfect proportions considering her size. This is a very real challenge that gets harder and harder to pull off the longer that a yacht gets and is something that has earned Heesen a ton of respect across the industry. 

I love all of these slightly radial lines that pass forward and aft and how these long curves give her a timeless look. These lines also hint at the volume that you find on the interior which is something that you likely noticed throughout. 

Wrapping up on the bow leads us with one final deck to cover as we come closer to the end of today’s walkthrough – the upper deck. The sundeck offers a versatile set of options for guests staying on board Abbracci. There are three distinct areas that make up the sundeck the first of which is the outdoor portion that’s located all the way aft on the upper level. The most obvious feature up here when you have a bird’s eye view is a massive sunpad that faces aft. On the forward side of the sunning area there’s a bench seat that’s part of a larger seating area all three of these built-in seats are great options for cocktail hour on the hook because of the wind protection and the shade that’s offered by the hard top overhead. 

From here looking up you get a real sense of an Abbracci’s size as you get a glimpse of the radar mast. Found up here are the radars that keep her captain in the know as well as the three domes to keep the yacht connected with phone and TV service when you’re away from the dock. Directly forward of the sundeck is an enclosed spa and gym area that’s an essential part of this super yacht’s over-the-top lineup of amenities.

On the starboard side is a vanity head and shower that are connected to this yacht’s steam room which is finished with elegant stonework. Directly across the companionway from here to port is a blissful massage room where you can spoil yourself and unwind. Continuing forward brings us into the climate control gym. This design offers you privacy with the option of opening up the actuated doors on both ends and letting in a cross breeze. In here is all of the exercise equipment that you need to push yourself and escape the pampering that takes place in virtually every other inch of the season. 

Wrapping up in here, the final stop on today’s walkthrough is the Jacuzzi deck located immediately forward of the gym. Under the open sky this is where we find a custom mosaic spa pool with sunpad on either side. The size of this deck and the tub itself makes it possible for you to spend time with eight or so of your family and friends as you finish your day in the lap of luxury. 

Thank you for joining Ryan and I, on the walkthrough of Motor Yacht Abbracci. Hopefully, it’s been informative and if you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

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