Explore further: top 6 reasons to buy an explorer yacht

Explorer yachts might fulfil the truest essence of yachting’s purpose as they are specifically designed to throw off the bowlines, explore the great blue beyond and connect their owners to the water.

Their indomitable range is just one of the many reasons to buy an explorer yacht, and it's certainly one not to overlook. Surpassing transatlantic range, explorer yachts are capable of going further than others.

The 62.97 metre Lürssen explorer yacht Polar Star, currently for sale, has a range of 7,000 nautical miles, for instance, making her ready for worldwide cruising.

And what do you do with all that range that an explorer yacht offers? Go to far-flung destinations, of course. Getting off the beaten path and exploring remote corners of the world that you can only reach by boat is what gives these yachts their name, and it's another big reason to own an explorer yacht.

It's not just about seeing the places, but the people and wildlife that inhabit them, as explorer yacht Big Fish experienced firsthand on its trek around the world. As pictured above, Big Fish sailed in Darwin's footsteps in the Galapagos Islands and saw the indigenous and rare wildlife in this truly unique island chain.

For some superyacht owners, the reason to buy an explorer yacht is to really get their feet wet in some research, scientific expeditions or sea exploration. Many explorer yachts are designed with research functions in mind, or are research vessels later refitted to superyacht standards, so they are definitely up to the task.

Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen is one explorer yacht owner who has put his vessel to good use in this vein. Paul Allen and the crew of superyacht Octopus, the largest expedition yacht in the world, have been busy exploring and  discovered a long-lost WWII shipwreck Musashi last year followed by finding the bell from the battleship HMS Hood just this summer.

As if it's not enough to explore far-flung locales like the Galapagos on board an explorer yacht, some owners really push boundaries and aim to go places where few have gone before. The winners of the Voyager's Award, bestowed during the World Superyacht Awards to owners or serial charters who have taken on extremely adventurous and ambitious cruises, are prime examples.

The 2015 Voyager's Award went to explorer yacht Arctic P, which has travelled the furthest south of any yacht. This incredible journey and achievement is so momentous it earned an entry in the Guinness World Records.

Escape from the untamed wilderness into luxurious comfort when cruising on board an explorer yacht. Those who think explorer yachts are just utilitarian craft with a bare minimum approach to decor surely haven't seen superyacht Northern Star, for sale now.

Pictured in the inset above, the  Pauline Nunns interior of Northern Star is country house chic and boasts a beauty salon, gym, cinema and all the trappings of a glamorous superyacht in an explore-anywhere package with an ice-classed hull and a 7,000 nautical mile range. The exterior by Espen Øino means she's good looking on the outside, too. The ability to explore remote, wild places in homely comfort is another great reason to buy an explorer yacht.

With their big decks and plentiful storage, explorer yachts are the right choice for owners who want to take all their tenders and toys along for the adventure.

Some explorer yachts are built just for this purpose, in fact. Global, ex-Allure Shadow, is a yacht that can shadow the mothership bringing all the toys, tenders and extra staff in tow, but with a pool, cinema and plush interiors, she's also a fine standalone explorer yacht. Mystere Shadow also shines with her own disco, an ultimate superyacht bonus room.

Or take a look at the new All Hemisphere Ocean Rover concept, which is an explorer yacht fit to carry all your toys. Being able to take everything you might need – from your car to sportsfishing yacht to submarine – is another reason to buy an explorer yacht.