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- Cruising Speed: 8.4 kn
- Maximum Speed: 13 kn
- Beam: 21' 10''
- Hull Material: Steel
- Max Draft: 10' 6''
- Displacement: 175 lb
- Fuel Tank: 1 x 44000|liter
- Fresh Water: 1 x 1730|liter
- Holding: 1 x 1000|liter
- Max Passengers: 9
- Cabins: 5
- Heads: 2
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ASTRA is a super strong expedition vessel that can go anywhere in the world, regardless of the weather. After completing her 151 day circumnavigation via the five southern capes in May followed by an extensive shipyard period she is ready to depart for Antarctica or the Northwest Passage.
In Dag Pike’s article on ASTRA in Passagemaker magazine in March 2018 he said:
“...I would put this 80-footer in the category of the ultimate passagemaker - a vessel capable of taking on the world’s toughest oceans and coming out on top. She has to be one of the toughest boats of her size ever built... with traditional sheer lines and purposeful superstructure. No frills here, just a proper functional boat built for one of the toughest jobs in the world”.
ASTRA is a 23.35 meter customized polar expedition vessel with the highest ice class rating and ice breaking capability. All this on a vessel that is just below 24 meters in length and also European CE certified.
According to construction drawings on board (and confirmed by thickness measurements carried out during the survey in September 2020), the hull shell plating thickness varies from 15mm on the bottom plates tapering through 13, 11 and 9mm on the outer shell plating and deck areas. UTI testing (Sep 2020) indicated less than 4% reduction in the original shell plating, in part attributed to ASTRA having operated in fresh water in the Baltic for her initial 22 years.
She is powered by a low/medium speed Mitsubishi main engine (M.E.) of 1,350 BHP, that is started by compressed air at 30 Bar, in the same manner as a merchant vessel. You do have to remember that ASTRA was built as strongly as was feasible for a vessel of her size and she is a big step up from the small scale electrics and battery starts commonly found on other vessels below 24 m.
The main engine goes through a 3:1 reduction gearbox, reducing the RPM at the propeller to 1/3 of that at the engine. The propeller shaft is approx. 12” in diameter and, on seeing it, you start to get a real sense of her strength and design capability for adverse weather. The propeller itself is a 4 bladed controllable pitch propeller (CPP) of 1.72 m in diameter and the rudder is a high performance Schilling rudder (+/- 64°) that can be operated either hydraulically or electrically.
The Schilling rudder, combined with a 100kw hydraulic bow thruster, provides incredible maneuverability for a vessel of ASTRA’s size. Fitted with 4 conning positions from the navigation bridge, the vessel can be handled from Port, Centre and Starboard (looking forward) and the centerline aft when maneuvering astern.
Anyone that has ever owned a SAAB or VOLVO will have had the opportunity to appreciate Swedish engineering. A substantial hydraulic system is at the heart of the ship’s systems on ASTRA and hydraulics power the following systems:- Bow Thruster- Anchor Windlass- Towing Winch- Stern Flap- Forward Crane- Aft Crane- Fire Pump
The key systems on board are provided with a back-up system that provides 100% redundancy, including:- Engines- Steering- Bilge Pumps- Air Compressors- Power Generation.
Built as a rescue vessel, ASTRA is incredibly stable and has no ‘point of vanishing stability’. When fully laden, with all tanks full, she still has a GM of 0.98m.
In addition to air conditioning, ASTRA has substantial heating capability from her CTC boiler (that can run electrically or from diesel) and is very cozy onboard, with ample heating radiators and lots of hot water. Heating is one of the areas where her ice class comes in to play, with heating blowers in the foc’sle store and steering flats, hot water discharge points from the engine cooling discharge to deck if required for clearing ice (lancing) and, running just below the bulwarks, is a heating coil for clearing ice from the scuppers. This has stainless steel pipework, as is common for the majority of systems onboard.
During ASTRA’s refit in 2017, aside from the work you might expect in a repair period, the following major additions were made:- Air conditioning in all areas- new Portuguese bridge- new Furuno navigational equipment- new 4 automatic rotating stabilizers- large additional battery banks (to be able to lie at anchor without auxiliaries)- increased fuel capacity- fresh water maker- new oak cabin soles- new toilet and shower facility on the lower deck
With the new MagnusMaster rotating stabilizers fitted in Sep 2017, even in seas of 4-5 meters in height and it was remarked that “...this went largely unnoticed, with coffee cups staying firm on the table and the passengers able to get on with their normal activities. The vessel was only moving steady slightly up and down without rolling side to side”.
Anyone that has ever owned a SAAB or VOLVO will have had the opportunity to appreciate Swedish engineering. A substantial hydraulic system is at the heart of the ship’s systems on ASTRA and hydraulics power the following systems:- Bow Thruster- Anchor Windlass- Towing Winch- Stern Flap- Forward Crane- Aft Crane- Fire Pump
The key systems on board are provided with a back-up system that provides 100% redundancy, including:- Engines- Steering- Bilge Pumps- Air Compressors- Power Generation.
Built as a rescue vessel, ASTRA is incredibly stable and has no ‘point of vanishing stability’. When fully laden, with all tanks full, she still has a GM of 0.98m.
In addition to air conditioning, ASTRA has substantial heating capability from her CTC boiler (that can run electrically or from diesel) and is very cozy onboard, with ample heating radiators and lots of hot water. Heating is one of the areas where her ice class comes in to play, with heating blowers in the foc’sle store and steering flats, hot water discharge points from the engine cooling discharge to deck if required for clearing ice (lancing) and, running just below the bulwarks, is a heating coil for clearing ice from the scuppers. This has stainless steel pipework, as is common for the majority of systems onboard.
ASTRA's owner is a Master Mariner who has prepared her to an extent this broker has never seen aboard any yacht. She has my absolute highest recommendation. It has been a highlight of my career assisting with her purchase and now an honor to represent her.
~ John Clayman ~
Denison Yacht Sales is pleased to assist you in the purchase of this vessel. This boat is centrally listed by Seaton Yachts.
Denison Yacht Sales offers the details of this yacht in good faith but can’t guarantee the accuracy of this information nor warrant the condition of this boat for sale. This yacht for sale is offered subject to prior sale, price change, or withdrawal from that yacht market without notice. She is offered as a convenience by this yacht broker to its clients and is not intended to convey direct representation of a specific yacht for sale.
ASTRA's accommodations are appropriate for a polar exploration yacht with low maintenace in mind and comfort at sea.
On the maindeck are the saloon, galley, laundry, skipper/owner's cabin and large toilet compartment with stall shower.
Three watertight doors lead to the decks. There are external stairs to the engine room and also the wheelhouse. There are four double cabins on the accommodation deck along with another toilet compartment with stall shower. In 2021, the lower saloon as shown on the attached drawings has been replaced with a 1500 litre freezer and lockers sized for long life milk containers and dry stores.
During the circumnavigation, the crew enjoyed freshly prepared meals in all conditions as the galley is highly functional with the cook kept secure.
GALLEY
LAUNDRY
WHEELHOUSE
ASTRA's engine room occupies over half her length with plenty of room to work around for maintaince. Located amidships/aft, the engine room is an ideal location to work in almost all weathers. The electrical switchboard and new 23 kW Cummins Onan genset are in the control room removed from any contaminants. In the event of an engine room fire, the genset would be safeguarded and would be able to provide electrical power for communications and navigation equipment. Access to the Engine Room is through watertight doors leading to the control room and the workshop. An escape hatch to the aft deck is also provided. A soft patch is fitted around the escape hatch to facilitate removing large equipment from the engine room.
There are 3 sources of generating power from the shaft generator, Volvo Penta and Onan.The 2021 MECC ALTE 50 kVA shaft generator is a big plus in that the running hours on the other generators is not increased and it is so amply sized that it can power everything on board.
A last generation mechanical engine, the MITSUBISHI at 8 tons is an incredibly large engine for a vessel of this size. It is coupled with a very heavy duty gearbox and 1718 mm controllable pitch propeller in a 2021 nozzle. If there was an issue with one cylinder head you can work on that cylinder on its own rather than having to lift the whole bank of cylinders.
The water maker only needs to run four hours daily for the ship's complement's needs and Silver-ion dosing of the fresh water ensures purity. Two complete independent air-conditioning systems provide 100% redundancy.
The workshop, with ample space to carry out repairs even has a lathe and proper drill press.
There are two separate systems (Main Engine or Volvo) to run the hydraulics and the Volvo Penta also provides get home power to the main shaft.
ASTRA has one electric and one hydraulic steering pump. Having one that is hydraulic, powered off the main engine, means there is less electrical demand for the generator. The hvirtually maintenance free rotary vane steering gear requires less space to fit and there is not the associated hydraulic oil leaks that occur with steering gears of the hydraulic ram type.
Following her circumnavigation all equipment was fully serviced.
Fully upgraded in 2021 with the latest Vector Chart Radar system and additional safety measures, such as Wave Height Analyser and infra-look ahead.
There are six banks of batteries aboard.
All batteries are sealed maintenance free. The emergency bank is fitted in a locker aft of the bridge deck. The radio bank is fitted are located below the bridge console. The inverter bank is in the workshop. The other banks are in the engine room or the control room.
The various banks are charged by the following battery chargers.
GENERATORS
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