The S/V Sea Dragon
- Katy Bear Nalven
- Jul 3
- 2 min read
Sea Dragon is the coolest name for a boat ever. I will fight anyone who says otherwise. I'll share pictures of the boat once I see her in real life, but here is a glimpse into the S/V Sea Dragon! All the information below is from Panexplore's website.
When I was first selected to join the eXXpedition Arctic crew, I assumed we would be on a nice boat. I was shocked to learn that not only will our boat be nice, but she is an absolute legend. Meet our lady, Sea Dragon, a 72-foot steel-hulled sailing vessel living out her post-racing career as an expedition vessel—the retirement we can all dream about.
Built in 2000 as a Challenge 72 class yacht, she was purpose-made to compete in the Global Challenge, widely regarded as the toughest yacht race on Earth. Unlike normal around-the-world races that use prevailing winds to push them along, this race forced identical steel yachts to circumnavigate the globe west-about. That means sailing 29,000 miles directly against the world’s most brutal winds, freezing temperatures, and massive storms in the Southern Ocean.
And did she win? She came incredibly close! In the 2004/2005 race, sailing under the name Barclays Adventurer, she dominated individual legs and ultimately secured a massive 2nd-place overall finish in the world. Her hull is made of 1/4-inch British steel, meaning she can take a beating from the elements (and the occasional piece of floating Arctic ice) that would snap a modern fiberglass boat in half.
Here's some specs about the Sea Dragon
LOA 22m (72′). Beam 5.5m (18′), Draft 3.4m (11′)
Gross registered tonnage 57.24
Hull construction 50A mild steel with five watertight compartments and collision bulkheads
Cutter rig, North G2 asymmetric spinnaker, storm sails
Perkins M130C main diesel engine
Northern Lights 6kw 120V auxiliary generator
Berthing: 13 single pipe berths, 1 double berths
Evolution flex shaft coupling, Flexo-Fold prop
400 watts solar and 400 watts of wind turbine renewable power coupled with over 14 Kwh main battery storage capacity
Spectra Farrallon 75gph water maker
560 gallons diesel, 450 gallons water capacity
Furuno NAVNET 3D main processors running MaxSea Time Zero navigation software
Maxwell VW3500 windlass with three anchors
Furuno instruments, autopilot and Interphase forward-looking sonar
ICOM HF radio
Iridium 9555 and Iridium Go Satellite Communications with XGate email and software
Large awning for sun protection at anchor or in port
Twin reverse cycle heat/ air conditioning units to climate control below decks


