ICE BEAR – a broker’s view

Lead broker Kevin Kramer on what makes the 52m Feadship ICE BEAR a unique purchase opportunity

Describe ICE BEAR

First and foremost, this is a 52m (170.6ft) Feadship so the quality throughout is exceptional, as you would expect. ICE BEAR has only ever been used privately, never chartered, and has always been professionally maintained so she’s in excellent condition. If it wasn’t for her classic styling, which is so emblematic of Feadship, you’d never guess she was delivered in 1988. She’s clearly been cherished and her heritage preserved.

The technicalities are that she has a steel hull and aluminium superstructure built to ABS classification and she’s always been kept in class. De Voogt took care of her exterior design and naval architecture, which is as good as it gets, and Florida-based award winner Paola D. Smith designed her 614GT interiors.

She has a full-beam owner’s suite on the main deck with an office to starboard, king-sized bed to port and his-and-hers bathrooms sharing a shower forward. Steps in the main deck dining room lead down to two double cabins and two twin cabins on the lower deck, all en suite of course. She sleeps 11 crew too so her 10 guests are always well looked after.

What are the yacht's most appealing features?

She has transatlantic range, 4,850nm, so this is a real go-anywhere yacht, cruising at 13 knots powered by twin 1,175hp Caterpillar diesel engines. There’s a wonderful observation lounge on the upper deck with a bar, dayhead, leather armchairs and near full-height glass wrapping around the space to deliver fantastic views. It’s a wonderful feature that really immerses guests in their surroundings, a great place to spend time.

What makes this yacht so rare, though, is that she is one of the few sport-fishing Feadships I’ve ever seen. If sport fishing is your passion, this is the only yacht for you, absolutely tailor-made for the job and designed around that visceral connection with the ocean.

There’s an elevated flybridge so the captain has complete control in a fishing situation, full 360 vision, crew comms, fish finder – the works. The cockpit on the split-level main deck aft has two fishing chairs, transom gates open onto the swim platform and the raised seating conceals a rod store that rises up so everything is to hand without cluttering up the space. It’s another unique feature.

The main deck is all about entertaining with a dedicated dining room and there’s a sky lounge on the bridge deck aft with sofa seating around a coffee table. Both have plenty of glazing, again for that link to the sea. Getting ashore is easy with an 8.5m (28ft) Shamrock sportfisher guest tender on the bridge deck aft with a deck crane for launching and a 5.5m (18ft) RIB beneath a foredeck hatch.

Who will buy ICE BEAR?

She’s a Feadship and that name, that assurance of quality, that stamp of excellence is recognised the world over. That will resonate with many clients. The fact that she’s been so well looked after also means there’s nothing that needs doing, you can just step aboard and sail away.

If you’re into fishing then there isn’t a better yacht on the planet, it’s as simple as that. But even if you’re not, you’ll still appreciate how this yacht has been designed to be at one with the ocean, as connected as it’s possible to be. That’s a design ethos baked into modern yachts so in many ways ICE BEAR was way ahead of her time, trailblazing in that respect.

If ICE BEAR is a yacht that appeals to you, I would strongly recommend you to get in touch and meet me in Palm Beach because this is a yacht that needs to be experienced first-hand to be appreciated. There’s so much more to this yacht than just facts and figures, there’s a real feel on board. It’s impossible not to sense that this is a yacht designed around a deep love for the ocean. She’s really very special.