148 Niigata Expedition Yacht Walkthrough [Boat Review + Video]

Take an extensive tour of the 148 Niigata in Bali, Indonesia with Alex G. Clarke.

This article is a transcription of the 148 Niigata 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:

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Alex Clarke from Denison Yachting, and I’m here today to introduce to you IMMORTALIS. 147 foot 45-meter expedition boat based in Bali, Indonesia. IMMORTALIS comes to you with a commercial background and has been converted into an expedition boat, a true expedition boat. Now, one of the challenges we have at Denison Yachting is to properly showcase to you some of these vessels that we have listed for sale in remote regions of the world. In the case of IMMORTALIS, we’ve had to rely on Phil Clark from Helicam to do the video footage as well as Jim Polson, who put together the commentary. We hope you enjoy.

Jim: The tropical island paradise of Bali, Indonesia is where the expedition vessel IMMORTALIS is currently moored. It’s the perfect location to showcase her true capabilities for e remote autonomous cruising while being able to carry all the equipment and toys you could ever dream of.

IMMORTALIS, the name of this boat says a lot. She’s designed and built to last with the ages. And her amazing geometric lines that catch the eye and send your mind wondering at the possibilities. She’s a beautiful boat on the water, strong, stable, robust, and extremely comfortable. Some of her amazing specifications at a glance, she’s 45 meters, LOA, a beam of 7.4 meters and a draft of 3.2 meters. Refitted in 2021 with a gross tonnage slightly above 300, built in steel with an aluminum super structure. She has a single engine with triple gen sets and a cruising speed of 10 knots. A touch and go heli pad with a 3.2-ton capacity and a possibility to increase this load. The EC 135 Robinson and R66 are examples of aircraft that could be considered to land. Another point is that with a touch and go heli pad, she’s future proof for when EV to aircraft will be more available to the wider market. It’s only a matter of time before we see these craft landing on yachts and overtaking heli operations.

She carries a hundred thousand liters of diesel, which allows approximately 30 days of autonomous cruising and can travel an impressive 7,500 nautical miles. This capacity makes her the perfect long-range yacht support yacht where she can be used for crew, security supplies, stores, toys, carrying or even filling the mothership where their capacities are quite limited. She’s a perfect platform for multiple uses. If you’re already a super yacht owner and are considering an upgrade in size, because you’ve already filled your carrying capacity, then one consideration would be to buy IMMORTALIS as a shadow vessel with an instant availability as yacht support. 3,950,000 US dollars versus 50 plus million for a sizable new build and three to four years of construction can be a compelling reason to look closer at IMMORTALIS. Since she’s ready now, she could be a short term solution while your new yacht is under construction. I know owners who have 85 meters under construction who are still not going to do without their support yacht.

IMMORTALIS Is a blank canvas. She’s an extremely well-engineered platform by the Japanese government and was commissioned as a survey ship. She was maintained to a very high Japanese service standard, designed for reliable service and complimented by robust systems which make her the perfect choice for many different applications.

Some history on IMMORTALIS. She was built in 1996 by Niigata Shipyard for the Japanese government as a scientific research vessel. Her work included seismic surveying, fish stock monitoring, carrying large loads, and she also worked as a crew training vessel. She was impeccably kept and used only two months of the year with one to two months of dry dock annually. Japanese steel and machinery is world renowned for its quality, craftsmanship, and longevity. This is complimented by the refit that took place at the Well-Know Shipyard, BBS in Bhutan. If the role of a shipyard was to translate an owner’s vision into a realized dream, it’s hard for this owner to see this shot anything other than objective perfection. To deliver expeditions and exploration of the remote oceans of the world. The refit was overseen by Naval Architect Periscope Marine, and well-known designer Ashley Sutton. During 2020 and 2021, she underwent an extensive refit. And became the specialized expedition vessel you can see now. Some of the key features are what many say are the perfect mixture for an explorer yacht. Ballast of 18 tons of steel was added to the keel to improve stability in all conditions. On top of the bilge keels that run most of the hull to keep a stable at anchor.

A purpose-built great room or salon for conferencing dining working. It’s very large with over 20 people being able to seat in comfort with exceptional windows to look out from. Expansive back working deck for working and storage of tenders of over three and a half tons and up to nine meters long. Two cranes for moving toys and equipment on and off the vessel. Spacious swim platform to allow people to gather ease of boarding and to launch water activities. The Sundeck entertaining area, heli deck for touch and go Helicopter operations. Purpose-built galley for long-term expeditions and gourmet food preparation. Three bars, one on each deck.

IMMORTALIS is Cook Islands commercially registered for a compliment of 25 people. The Sun Deck is one of many impressive outdoor venues we are going to look at, this is just a huge area of just under a hundred meter squared. Half of which is covered with shade and underneath is a bar. The bar is an amazing standout feature of this deck. The view from up here is stunning and inviting. It’s more than symbolic in that every direction you look, there are new places to sit, relax, and enjoy passing the time when underway. This is the perfect place to be on lookout. Fourth of the bar area is the monkey deck. This allows you to sit with four to six people and enjoy uninterrupted views. The touch and go heli pad is above this area and can take a helicopter load of over 3.2 tons. Walking down the stairs from the sun deck, we come to the mezzanine deck. Where the one-ton crane lives, this area can store a tender of up to six and a half meters, a jet ski, and there’s storage on the port side.

A large storage bin for toys and ropes is also on the mezzanine deck. The walk past the great room or salon to the bow shows the spaciousness of the windows that look out from the internal entertaining area, which is named on IMMORTALIS, the great room. Here, we walk up to the bow and you can see the purposeful layout, which is also a great area for sitting when underway on bean bags or for dolphin spotting as they surf the bulb with bow.

This is the working deck where the anchors are stowed. There is a bosons locker and the access to the galley storage for convenience stocking. Arriving onto the aft deck from the outer staircase, we see the surfboard racks and the area which dive tanks can be stowed. The aft deck purpose-built bar with ice machine fridges to port and is shaded and protected from the mezzanine level above.

Great viewing and protection is available through the tinted reinforced glass protection from the wind, rain, or sun. Looking aft, we can see the expansive area for storage and toys on the deck, which is over a hundred square meters, including the swim platform. Through the deck hatches, we can access the storage in the expedition room and the aft blockers. You could even imagine the whole aft deck being covered for an event or when being used as a work deck using the davit as a 10 top fanning out and protecting from the element. On the aft deck, the crane can lift up to four tons and a maximum of a nine-meter tender, or you can store up to two seven and a half meter tenders and some extra toys.

The aft deck has access doors on both sides for disembarking and embarking. Currently sitting here is a Ski GOs, which is an Air rider Bluewater Hole, which has an OX diesel 300 horsepower outboard. This is a true expedition tender that can make the most out the 101 liters of diesel that IMMORTALIS carries. The tenders can be discussed separately to the purchase of IMMORTALIS.

The swim platform is a fantastic place, which allows amazing access in and out of the water or tenders, boasting two showers and a small storage area that is a great versatile place to launch from. The drawings have also been done for an A-Frame crane to be installed here on the aft deck, which would allow a 12 ton submarine to be launched stowed and retrieved.

One of the many unique features of IMMORTALIS is that she has a media lab room. Enter into the media lab room, off the aft deck, we find two conveniently located day heads and a shower, which is great for getting changed quickly off the back of the vessel before departing on a day’s adventure or getting out of a wetsuit with some privacy. This area shows where works stations can be set up for film equipment and other equipment to be stowed. It’s another extremely purposeful area and what makes her so versatile? Leaving the lab room, we go past the guest cabins, which we’ll revisit later on.

Forward on the starboard side is the very well-equipped commercial galley. It’s a functional and productive space for delivering the highest quality cuisine for large group of guests and crew. Some of the highlights are the rational self-cooking combo oven, which are used in Michelin star restaurants, as well as extra-large volume freezer and fridge lockers for the storage of extensive expedition provisioning.

The great. The brief from the owner was simple. I don’t want any space on this boat to look sourced from a magazine or to be impractical. It has to be serving its purpose, super robust while looking smart and feeling welcoming. Basically, if it’s on the vessel, it’s being put here on purpose and compliments a character.

Here in the Great Room, you’ll find three gorgeous tables, which can seat up to 22 people and a bar forward on the starboard side for coffee or. Each deck has a bar, and each one is unique for that area that surrounds it. The views out of these windows are incredible. The lounge seating is absolute comfort for guests to relax and enjoy.

Going forward from here, we see the captain’s cabin, which could also be used as a guest cabin with a day head and shower opposite. The wheelhouse is configured around Farruno equipment. She has an intense compliment of electronics. Farruno navigation system drive the majority of the bridge equipment. Looking forward from the port side, we have the LRIT or the long range identification and tracking system next to the original Japanese sounder and military grade radar. The brand new Farruno plotter, which also has a separate radar and sounder system. Brand new autopilot system. And in the center of the bridge where the wheel is, we have the original Japanese autopilot in perfect working condition and the controls of the engine monitoring system.

Next is the original Japanese chart plotter and the monitor with the CCTV. With a variable pitch propeller and a massive bow thrust, she’s extremely maneuverable. The vessel can turn 180 degrees in two minutes at seven to eight knots. Although she’s not currently in class, the owner maintains the high standards that class surveyors would require. Because of her robust engineering and stringent demands of Rena class surveyors working on behalf of the Cook Islands flag, she’s able to be commercially registered under the large yacht code. Having just completed her annual flag survey, there is virtually no location on Earth that’s out bounds.

The engine room access is through the watertight door on the main deck or through the crew quarters. The engineer’s control room allows engine watch keeping and direct comms to the bridge to be done in the comfort of air conditioning. All monitoring systems are maintained here and at the bridge. IMMORTALIS has a Niigata 1,480 horsepower main engine and three generators, two of which are Niigata and one emergency generator. Two desalination plants run the vessels freshwater, which can generate in excess of a thousand liters an hour. New MICFIL fuel filtration system, large lube oil service tank, oily water separator. All of the engine room is equipped with fire pro fixed fire suppression system.

IMMORTALIS is unique in that she has a single main engine, but she’s also the incredible space around it to maintain and inspect during operation. She carries an extensive spare parts list. The Japanese were fastidious about being safe at sea and having backups and redundant systems for everything is what you see here. And it’s accumulation of many years of refinement from the best ship rights and engineers from Japan. These engines are commonly used in ships, tugboats, and other commercial vessels. They have very reliable and can be run fuel efficiently without an issue of major breakdowns if they are maintained well. With a 12 knot top speed and a cruise speed of 10 knots and only burning 130 liters of diesel an hour. She has a stunning 7,500 Nordica mile range making her more than Trans-Atlantic.

The guest cabins are named after places you should absolutely cruise to. The gala fagus Cabin, one of two master cabins with an amazing view through original port house. King size bed, two desks and storage space, spacious bathroom and shower. The Maldives cabin, the second biggest guest cabin, king size bed, two desks, and a lot of storage space. The barley cabin, the guest room opposite the galley on the port side, spacious en suite room with one queen birth and a single bunk, each double bed on board can be converted to two singles using bed separators and specially designed mattresses. There is a small desk and storage. The Maui coca cabins, portside aft.

These two cabins have shared bathrooms. There is a separate entrance to the bathroom from both cabins, a bit smaller than the other cabins holding each a queen bed and a single bunk, a desk, and some storage. Every cabin has its own riding desk adding another perfect place for privacy and focus. Let’s head down to the crew accommodation using the central staircase, which also boasts the impressive fishing rod storage. At the base of the stairs on the port side, we find a cabin that can be used by guests or for additional crew if needed. For this cabin, we find a door that leads to the crew mess. Accommodations and the laundry area. The crew accommodation has five cabins, each one with bunk beds, storage, and a small fridge. There are two bathrooms for use by the crew.

It doesn’t matter which journey you are setting out on. We all hope we don’t lose our way in that process, IMMORTALIS will remind you that life is out there to be seen and to be felt. This is the very spirit of expedition. Finding yourself in pursuit of something bigger than you. Crossing oceans and giving you a home for your treasures and your memories. The spirit and the clear direction of both owner and the builder placed an emphatic period on today’s walkthrough. In case you can’t tell, I love this vessel, and I’m sure you will also too. If you have any questions about this incredible ship or if we can guide you through the buying process, we’d love to talk. It’s our pleasure.

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