28.5m Van der Valk BLONDIE Offered at $10.9m in Florida

A Dutch aluminium explorer on the Florida market

Van der Valk Shipyard is advertising the 28.5-metre explorer BLONDIE for sale in Florida with an asking price of $10.9 million. Its official pre-owned-yacht listing identifies a 2020 delivery and presents a custom vessel conceived for owners who want more than a short coastal trip. The boat combines an aluminium fast-displacement hull with raised-pilothouse architecture, substantial tankage and accommodation that suits longer spells on board. The advertised figure is an asking price rather than a reported sale, and anyone considering a purchase should confirm current availability and location with the seller.

BLONDIE belongs to the shipyard's Explorer family, an approach that aims to combine traditional seaworthiness and practical systems with contemporary living areas. The build has a 7.20-metre beam, a published draft of 1.80 metres and a waterline length of 26.10 metres. Those proportions are relevant to both interior volume and the anchorages accessible to a 28.5-metre yacht. The combination of guest accommodation, machinery, deck circulation and crew space is more informative than length alone when assessing whether a particular vessel can match an owner's intended cruising programme.

Design lineage and naval architecture

Guido de Groot Design is credited with both exterior and interior styling, while Ginton Naval Architects and Diana Yacht Design are named for the naval-architecture work. Van der Valk describes the round-bilged form as a fast-displacement hull, intended to bring a useful balance between sustained passage-making and a speed envelope above that of many traditional steel explorers. The company places the model in a lineage that followed its Dutch Falcon and Santa Maria T projects, illustrating the yard's continued interest in custom expedition-capable motoryachts rather than one-size-fits-all production hulls.

The official specification records aluminium alloy construction for both hull and superstructure, with different alloy designations appropriate to their structural roles. The advertised displacement is 144 tonnes. For a buyer, these are starting points for the real technical conversation, including corrosion management, hull coatings, welding history and inspection access. Aluminium is valued for strength at relatively low weight, but purchase diligence should still consider condition of underwater fittings, electrical bonding and the vessel's individual maintenance record. A competent surveyor can assess these much more reliably than photographs or a brochure.

Five guest cabins and a raised pilothouse

The general arrangement sets aside a forward main-deck owner's suite, two VIP guest cabins and two twin guest cabins. The yard lists a crew complement of three or four in two crew cabins, making the division between guest and working areas particularly important. The owner's cabin has its own bathroom and separate storage, while the raised pilothouse amidships includes three pilot seats. That arrangement gives interested guests somewhere to join the passage without having to crowd the primary working position of the captain and crew.

A raised pilothouse can also influence how social areas connect. By lifting the navigation space above the main living zone, the design can preserve desirable views and circulation elsewhere, while placing professional equipment in a purpose-built compartment. Buyers should assess sightlines and crew movement in person, including how easily staff can reach exterior stations, handle mooring lines and maintain privacy between the guest cabins. The advertised guest plan is versatile for families, but how well it works will depend on sleeping preferences, storage requirements and any applicable passenger or charter restrictions.

Propulsion, speed and range-related equipment

The current yard listing specifies twin MAN V12-1650 engines, each rated at 1,650 horsepower, with shaft propulsion through five-bladed VEEM propellers. It gives 17 knots as a cruising figure and 20 knots as the specification's top speed, while a separate descriptive passage refers to 21 knots. Those figures are not identical, so a prospective purchaser should rely on current sea-trial evidence and the latest verified technical sheet rather than treating a brochure number as a guarantee. Engine hours, maintenance invoices and recent performance testing should all form part of the review.

Fuel capacity is published as 22,000 litres, alongside 4,000 litres of fresh water and 4,000 litres of holding-tank capacity. These volumes suggest the boat was planned for more substantial journeys than typical weekend use, although the source does not give a certified range figure under specified loading and sea conditions. A pair of 32kW Northern Lights generators supports domestic electrical demand, while hydraulic bow and stern thrusters assist close-quarters manoeuvring. The vessel's stabilisation system is described as a VEEM VG145 zero-speed gyroscope, an important feature for comfort at anchor that should be included in any service-record review.

Ownership considerations beyond the brochure

For an owner who wants to use the yacht across different regions, the operating questions extend well beyond the attractive guest spaces. BLONDIE's declared draft, propulsion arrangement and fuel capacity have to be considered alongside desired marina access, seasonal weather, insurance limits, flag requirements and crew arrangements. The shipyard's listing states RINA hull and machinery classification, but the present status of certificates and any survey recommendations should be verified during diligence. The fact that a vessel has been built to a particular class notation is not the same as proof that every item remains without outstanding condition.

Nor does an advertised equipment list automatically establish what will transfer in a sale. Purchasers should ask for an agreed inventory of tenders, navigation equipment, spares, furnishings and any owner-specific contents. The costs of dockage, maintenance, crew and insurance can differ markedly between intended cruising areas, making a realistic annual budget essential. With a vessel of this size and complexity, a well-documented technical inspection can be more valuable than small variations in the initial negotiated price. These are normal considerations for any serious superyacht purchase, not allegations about BLONDIE's condition.

An individual build with a defined asking price

BLONDIE is a distinct example of Van der Valk's ability to adapt the Explorer formula to a particular commissioning brief. Her 2020 build date, five-cabin guest arrangement, fast-displacement hull and relatively generous tanks place her between smaller owner-operated motor yachts and the larger, more crew-intensive expedition fleet. The official sales page currently identifies Florida and $10.9 million, while the yard's separate fleet page provides a complementary description of the yacht's design and origins. Neither source establishes that a sale is pending or that a transaction has closed.

The next practical step for a prospective buyer is to request the current full specification, class documents, machinery-service history and any disclosure of past refits from the authorised seller. A full inspection should include sea trials and review of the aluminium structure, stabilisation machinery, propulsion equipment and domestic systems. Such scrutiny helps decide whether the combination of relatively brisk passage speeds and long-range intent is right for a future cruising itinerary. On the published evidence, BLONDIE remains a well-defined Dutch custom explorer proposition, with the final commercial and technical details requiring direct confirmation.

Official company source and imagery: Van der Valk Shipyard — official pre-owned yacht listing, checked 2 November 2026. Prices and specifications are subject to confirmation with the company.