Not all yachts begin life on a drawing board. Scintilla Maris is a 45.6-metre former fishing trawler with more than 30 years’ experience at sea.
The four-year conversion project, for which Vripack undertook the interior design, turned her from a single-prop fishing trawler into a capable and competent explorer yacht.
The owner’s vision was three-fold; to create a home away from home with a go anywhere hull, go anywhere seaworthiness, and a beautiful yet functional Vripack-designed interior that brings light, space and comfort to the fore.
“Scintilla Maris is less of a conversion and more of a rebuild on an existing hull,” says the owner. “I wanted to make use of the magnificent Dutch fishing trawler hulls that have been built over the centuries and to create something that offers optimum comfort and quality of life rather than luxury.”
The 2023 conversion was completed at the yacht’s home shipyard of Damen Maaskant in the western Netherlands. The yard worked alongside Vripack to reduce the original 570GT to below the 500GT threshold. The hull – now painted blue – was stripped back to bare metal, and the entire interior was ripped out. The new interiors, built from high pressure laminate (HPL), have a contemporary loftlike aesthetic, incorporating skylights, curved feature walls (to avoid straight angles and squared edges) and an eclectic colour scheme of reds, greens and yellows. HPL was selected for its durability, cost efficiency and easy maintenance.
Key to the interior design brief was an abundance of natural light in all guest areas, which led to a proliferation of portholes in the hull and skylights on deck. This includes the full-beam owner’s suite amidships, with a skylight converted from the original hatch to the fish hold – a standout design feature.
Scintilla Maris comfortably sleeps up to 10 guests in five double staterooms, each with en suite. There is further accommodation for a crew of nine, and a separate crew galley and mess. A new hybrid-electric propulsion and harbour generator were installed to comply with stricter emission regulations, reduce the yacht’s carbon footprint, and minimise noise and vibration.
“The owner had a clear idea on how he wants to use the boat, and we incorporated that into the interior styling,” says Marnix Hoekstra, co-creative director at Vripack. “He requested a functional aesthetic that feels both classy and utilitarian without being overly opulent. He liked our studio’s approach to the project, underpinned by our experience designing commercial vessels.”
The owner’s ambitious 2024 itinerary will take in Norway, Iceland and Greenland as part of the maiden voyage.
