Who We Are
Global Explorer Yachts consists of a few investors with Darren Nightingale in place as the General Manager.
Darren was born into a yachting family in Australia in 1969. He grew up racing sailing dinghies and the family spent their holidays on the family’s sailing yacht. He completed an apprenticeship as an electrical and instrument technician with a large petro chemical company and continued to work for them for some years. After which he returned to yachting as this is where his aspirations lay. The next 15 years on the sea and in project management positions built a solid foundation of the technical, operational and management side of the superyacht industry.
When asked about superyacht construction, Darren had this to say:
“To construct a superyacht today you must have someone with extensive technical knowledge managing the project, from writing specifications and contract negotiations, general arrangement and design, through the entire build process until delivery. One of the biggest issues I find on superyachts today is in the system design, which is where I focus a lot of my time. From calculating machinery space ventilation, correct pump selection for the application, optimum stabilization sizing, generator size selection, sufficient fresh water and bunker capacity, effective machinery vibration isolation, the items are numerous. We strive to make educated and calculated decisions, and I find my technical background, especially in electrics, irreplaceable. The proof is in the product.”
How we came about
The company was set up by a demanding owner and an experienced captain that wanted
to buy the ultimate dream vessel, combining global cruising capabilities, a highly efficient design, and unbeatable value. As this combination did not exist in the current market, they teamed up and decided to build such a vessel themselves. To build it, they were looking throughout the whole yachting industry and bringing together renowned US naval architects, Russian tank testing facility, UK interior designers, a Brazilian shipyard, and modern state-of-the-art equipment for interior technology and machinery – all under tight and rigorous project management, which is critical for successful construction.
Who we are working with
- Overing Yacht designs
- Kirschstein Designs Limited
- Krylov Maritime Institute
- Inace Shipyards
Where we are building
Fortaleza is situated on the North East coast of Brazil, with endless beaches and a friendly local population. The shipyard, Inace, has been in business for some 40 years, beginning their time as a commercial shipyard constructing fishing vessels, oil rig tenders, and naval vessels. They have been producing yachts for some 15 years. We chose Inace as the place to construct these vessels because of their willingness and enthusiasm to adapt their process to different ideas, and their ongoing pursuit of increasing quality through new techniques and technology in the shipbuilding arena.