46.3m ZEMBRA Enters Charter at $300,000 a Week With Submarine and Amphibious Aircraft

Northrop & Johnson has added the 46.33-metre ZEMBRA to the charter market, giving the recently delivered Delta expedition yacht her first commercial programme. Rates start at $300,000 per week plus expenses, with the yacht scheduled to spend her first winter season in the Sea of Cortez, Costa Rica and Panama before heading to Alaska for summer 2027.

The charter proposition is built around exploration rather than simply carrying a conventional collection of water toys. ZEMBRA combines the yacht itself with a submarine, amphibious aircraft and a separate shadow vessel, creating a package intended to extend guest activity well beyond the mothership.

A 1,000-foot submarine changes the underwater programme

A three-person U-Boat Worx submarine can descend to depths of up to 1,000 feet, according to Northrop & Johnson. That takes the underwater programme far beyond recreational diving depth and gives charter guests access to an experience that normally requires highly specialised expedition equipment.

The submarine is supported by a custom JR Marine catamaran shadow vessel capable of carrying the four-ton craft away from the mothership. Separating heavy equipment from the main yacht can preserve guest space while also giving the crew a dedicated platform for launch, recovery and expedition logistics.

An ICON A5 adds an aerial dimension

ZEMBRA also carries a two-seat ICON A5 amphibious aircraft accompanied by a certified flight instructor. Because the aircraft can operate from water as well as land, it creates a different way to explore remote anchorages and coastlines where conventional airport access may be limited.

That combination is particularly relevant to the yacht's planned cruising grounds, where geography can make shore access part of the adventure rather than a simple tender transfer. Alaska, the Sea of Cortez and parts of Central America all reward a platform capable of moving guests between the yacht, shore, air and underwater environments.

The charter calendar moves from warm-water winter to Alaska

Northrop & Johnson says ZEMBRA's first winter charter season will cover the Sea of Cortez, Costa Rica and Panama before the yacht relocates north for Alaska in summer 2027. The itinerary gives the new yacht an immediate mix of warm-water exploration and higher-latitude expedition cruising rather than restricting her to one established charter region.

For charter clients, the key question will be how much of the specialist equipment is included in the base rate and what operating, instructor and fuel costs are treated as additional expenses. Even before those details are considered, ZEMBRA enters the market as an unusually equipment-intensive 46-metre expedition yacht with a programme designed around active exploration.