Amer Yachts made its name on light composite motor yachts built for efficiency. The Amer 42 Explorer points somewhere else entirely: it is the Permare group’s first full custom build in steel, a 41 metre ocean crosser drawn inside and out by Luiz de Basto, with a claimed range close to 8,900 nautical miles. The debut hull, Even Further, was delivered in 2026 and has already completed her sea trials.
A builder leaves its comfort zone
Founded on Italy’s Ligurian coast, Amer Yachts and its parent Permare group spent decades refining composite motor yachts admired for their fuel economy. The 42 Explorer, developed under the working name 41 Steel Explorer, is the yard’s first steel hull and its entry into the expedition segment. It is a deliberate change of direction rather than a line extension, and it puts Amer into a market it had never built for.
Steel below, aluminium above
Her hull is formed in steel and her superstructure in aluminium, the long established pairing that gives an explorer the strength to work demanding open water while keeping weight sensibly in check. The scantlings and build are matched to a yacht meant to operate far from easy assistance. De Basto’s exterior lends the tall, purposeful volumes a cleaner line than most yachts in the segment carry, so she reads as a considered ocean yacht rather than a utilitarian one.
Range that reads like an expedition brief
The numbers answer the brief. At around 440 gross tons she stows 56,300 litres of fuel for a claimed range near 8,900 nautical miles in Eco mode, enough for ocean crossings and long spells in remote cruising grounds. Power comes from Volvo Penta IPS pod propulsion, refined over more than twelve years of work between Amer and Volvo and applied here for efficiency and close quarters handling. It is worth saying plainly: much of the explorer market is fast displacement yachts styled to look the part, where a genuine steel hull at this range is a different proposition.
Built for time in remote places
Twelve guests are accommodated across five staterooms, with nine crew to run her on long passages. The deck layout is shaped for adventure. An open foredeck doubles as a toy and tender store served by heavy duty cranes built into the superstructure, and a forward helipad extends her reach, while generous outdoor areas make the most of time at anchor in wild places. De Basto’s interior brings warmth and a contemporary calm to spaces meant to be lived in for weeks at a time.
A semi custom series, proven afloat
Even Further has been delivered and has run her trials, proving the concept in the water rather than only on paper. As a semi custom series the model lets later owners tailor layout and finish to their own programme, from high latitude expedition to extended family cruising. The guide price sits at around 25 million euros. For a buyer who measures a yacht by the horizons she opens, she is a serious proposition from a yard willing to start again in a new material.
