28m AllSeas D'NICE Sold by Fraser

Fraser has announced the sale of the 28.04-metre AllSeas expedition yacht D’NICE, bringing the 2010 steel-hulled motor yacht to a new owner after a brokerage campaign centred on her long-range cruising capability. Trevor Carroll of Fraser in Florida represented the seller in the transaction, according to the brokerage house’s 11 September announcement.

The sale adds another completed transaction to a busy September brokerage market, but D’NICE stands apart from many contemporary 28-metre yachts because she was conceived as a compact expedition platform rather than a conventional planing cruiser. Fraser’s sales material describes a 5,000-nautical-mile range, a steel hull and machinery intended for extended cruising, giving the yacht a profile closer to a small explorer than a short-range Mediterranean motor yacht.

A 28-metre yacht built around range rather than speed

D’NICE was built in 2010 by AllSeas Yachts and measures 28.04 metres overall with a 7.52-metre beam and 2.59-metre draft. Fraser lists her at 185 GT, with a steel hull, twin Cummins engines and a cruising speed of 10 knots, while maximum speed is given as 12 knots.

Those figures underline the yacht’s purpose. Instead of chasing the higher speeds common in this size bracket, D’NICE trades pace for endurance, with Fraser quoting a range of 5,000 nautical miles. For an owner interested in longer passages, remote cruising or spending extended periods away from major yacht centres, that range changes the way a 28-metre yacht can be used.

Fraser credits Bruce Culver with the exterior design and Tim Alls with the interior. The yacht’s relatively broad beam and explorer-style proportions allow substantial internal volume for her length, while the low-maintenance exterior and robust construction are consistent with the practical priorities of a long-range cruising yacht.

Five guest cabins and a private owner’s suite

The broker’s current specifications list accommodation for up to 10 guests in five staterooms, supported by accommodation for two crew. The owner’s suite is positioned forward and includes a king-size bed, office area, reading nook and marble bathroom, giving the private accommodation more separation than is often found aboard yachts of comparable overall length.

Fraser’s listing also highlights a large saloon, dining space and a galley configured for extended use, including commercial freezers, a substantial pantry and a built-in dinette. These are not glamorous headline specifications, but they are important on a yacht whose appeal depends on being able to remain self-sufficient during longer voyages rather than operating primarily between marinas.

The machinery spaces were marketed as carefully maintained, while exterior upgrades included new paint, replacement windows and custom varnished mahogany furnishings. Together, those works supported the brokerage presentation of D’NICE as a yacht ready for continued cruising rather than a project requiring an immediate major refit.

Fraser closes another September sale

Fraser’s sale notice does not disclose the final transaction value or the identity of the buyer. Before the sale, the brokerage listing showed an asking price of $3.495 million, providing context for the yacht’s position in a market where steel explorer-style yachts can appeal to buyers looking for range and volume rather than new-build styling alone.

The brokerage house says Trevor Carroll represented the seller. Fraser has already reported several completed transactions during the opening weeks of September, and D’NICE adds a comparatively unusual long-range vessel to that sequence of sales activity as the Mediterranean show season moves toward Monaco.

For AllSeas Yachts, the sale also brings renewed attention to a vessel whose specification demonstrates how much expedition capability can be concentrated below 30 metres. Steel construction, a 5,000-nautical-mile range and 185 GT of volume put D’NICE in a different operational category from many production-derived yachts around the same length.

Fraser’s technical specification lists twin 600hp Cummins diesels and two 55kW John Deere generators. That machinery package is modest in output compared with high-speed yachts of similar length, but it matches the displacement operating profile and helps explain why range rather than outright performance sits at the centre of the yacht’s sales story.

The 7.52-metre beam is also generous for a yacht just over 28 metres long. Combined with the 185 GT figure, it provides the volume needed for substantial stores, machinery access and guest spaces without stretching the yacht into a larger marina category, a balance that can be attractive to owners who want expedition capability without moving into a 35- or 40-metre platform.

Fraser’s former asking price of $3.495 million placed D’NICE well below the acquisition cost of a new steel explorer of comparable capability. A buyer still has to account for the operating and maintenance costs associated with steel construction and long-range systems, but the sale demonstrates why older purpose-built yachts can attract interest when the underlying platform remains difficult to replicate economically.

The yacht’s design brief also gives her a degree of independence from fashion cycles. Exterior lines and interiors can date, but range, hull strength, storage and practical engineering remain measurable capabilities, which can make a vessel such as D’NICE easier to assess on function than yachts sold primarily on styling or novelty.

That combination can also broaden the yacht’s potential cruising geography. A vessel designed around 10-knot passages and long range is less dependent on closely spaced fuel stops, giving an owner more flexibility when planning routes beyond the established Mediterranean and Caribbean marina network.

Why the D’NICE sale matters in the current market

The transaction is a reminder that the brokerage market is not driven only by new models and large headline yachts. Older, purpose-built yachts can remain competitive when their capabilities answer a specific ownership brief, particularly where range, storage, practical machinery spaces and robust construction are more important than maximum speed.

D’NICE also illustrates the growing overlap between conventional motor yachts and explorer yachts. At just over 28 metres, she is compact enough for many marinas and owner-operated cruising patterns, yet the quoted range and steel construction support itineraries that would normally be associated with substantially larger vessels.

Fraser has not announced the yacht’s new name, cruising programme or destination following completion of the sale. The transaction therefore closes the public brokerage chapter for now, while leaving D’NICE’s next operating phase to her new owner and crew.