45.6m SCINTILLA MARIS Heads to No-Reserve Auction

The 45.6m explorer yacht SCINTILLA MARIS is heading to a no-reserve auction in Palm Beach, Florida, with live bidding scheduled for 5 November 2026. Boathouse Auctions is marketing the yacht at a current listing price of $16 million and says opening bids are expected from $5 million, figures that frame the auction campaign but should not be confused with a reserve or guaranteed sale price.

A no-reserve sale in Palm Beach

Boathouse Auctions describes the sale as a no-reserve auction and has opened registration for bidders and observers ahead of the November date. The auction house also states that hull and mechanical surveys will be available in late September, giving prospective bidders a defined due-diligence window before bidding begins.

The sale structure includes an 8% buyer's premium on the successful bidder's highest final bid. Boathouse also advertises a 5% opening-bid incentive in the form of a seller-funded credit at closing for the qualifying bidder, making the published $5 million-plus opening-bid expectation part of the auction mechanics rather than an indication of the yacht's final value.

From commercial trawler to explorer yacht

SCINTILLA MARIS began life as a 45.6m beam trawler launched in 1988 and built by Damen Maaskant in Stellendam. Damen says the vessel was the first of eight sisterships, and that a comprehensive conversion began in 2019 with the hull stripped back to bare metal and the original interior, decking and propulsion removed.

The project was completed as a long-range explorer in 2023, with Boathouse presenting the yacht as a 1988/2023 vessel. The conversion retained the heavily constructed commercial hull while creating a sub-500GT yacht intended for extended cruising, with accommodation for ten guests in five cabins and a crew complement of eight.

Hybrid propulsion and expedition capability

Damen identifies the hybrid diesel-electric propulsion system as the largest technical upgrade made during the conversion. The original diesel installation was replaced by an electric motor coupled to a ZF Marine reduction gearbox and supplied by three Volvo D16 IMO III generator sets, while Boathouse highlights fully electric operation, dynamic positioning and a quoted range of 14,000 nautical miles.

Those systems underpin the yacht's explorer positioning, particularly for operations where low-noise running, emissions control or avoiding anchoring can be useful. Boathouse also lists RINA CY Class/Green Plus and Polar Code compliance among the yacht's features, alongside an observation platform, beach club, outdoor cinema and extensive exterior areas.

Vripack design around an existing hull

Boathouse credits Vripack with the custom design of the converted yacht, while Damen's account of the project emphasises the challenge of creating a new explorer within an existing commercial hull. The resulting arrangement combines the original vessel's robust structure with new guest spaces, modern systems and a layout designed around long-distance private cruising.

The auction will provide a direct market test for a yacht whose value is difficult to compare with conventional series-built motor yachts because so much of the vessel derives from a specialised conversion. Until bidding closes on 5 November, the $16 million listing price and the expected $5 million-plus opening bids remain separate reference points rather than evidence of an achieved transaction value.