The first hull in New Zealand shipyard Circa Marine's Circa 24M series Mollymawk has completed sea trials after hitting the water last month.
The yacht, which is named after a type of albatross native to the southern hemisphere, first began construction in June 2019 and is scheduled for delivery in June 2021.
The yard has described Mollymawk as its first “expedition Passagemaker.” The Lloyds-classed motor yacht is equipped to cruise for extended periods, boasting a range of 5,000 nautical miles at a speed of speed of 11 knots and a fuel capacity of 11,000 litres. She is also equipped with multiple redundancies across her essential systems for safety at sea and has a desalination plant on board for making fresh water.
Mollymawk has also been designed with green credentials; She has a highly efficient hull shape and driveline that will help her cover large distances with a low carbon footprint. She also carries alternative fuel options including a large Lithium battery for energy storage, solar energy sources, and a large Genset and Alternators.
"The vessel has an extensive insulation package that exceeds anything we have ever done before, and solar collection to provide ample back up for extended periods at anchor in isolated locations,” explained Barnard, adding that the boat is “capable of being certified to IMO cat 0 if required.”
Her two-tone exterior in grey and black references the colouring of the bird after which she is named, while nside, Mollymawk features two large cabins per the owners’ requests and a 5.9 metre beam.
The yard has confirmed that the owners are an Australian couple with many years of yachting experience, who were looking for an upgrade that would cruise at higher speeds than their current trawler-style boat. Circa Marine has delivered on this brief, with Mollymawk able to reach a top speed of 13 knots under the power of twin Scania D109070 M, 250hp engines.
The second hull in the Circa 24M series, named Deo Juvante, is already under construction at the shipyard.