Sunseeker’s New Ocean 182 Yacht Is Magnificent

Among dozens of luxury yachts vying for attention at the recent Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, it would be hard to top Sunseeker’s magnificent new Ocean 182. Making its global debut in Fort Lauderdale, the fabled British yacht builder’s newest yacht drew significant crowds each day of the show, including prospective buyers who flew in from overseas to see what all the fuss was about.

One hears a lot of superlatives at boat shows, but in this case, they’re all fully justified.

Named for its displacement (of 182 tons) rather than its length (27 metres from stem to stern), the Ocean 182 is indeed an ocean apart when one steps aboard and sees just how much space Sunseeker has managed to bring into that 88-foot-11-inch hull. The yacht uses an open concept, flowing layout with a single helm station up front on the upper deck. Removing a superfluous second helm on the main deck opens up a huge amount of space at the forward end of the salon, creating the impression of a yacht much larger in size.

But it’s not just its uninterrupted, near-full-length living space that impresses, it’s the tremendous elbow room as well. The Ocean 182 rides on an innovative hull form with a 7.16-metre beam that extends very far forward, allowing the salon to maintain its full span over its entire length. This is just not something one sees in a 27-metre yacht, and the impact is startling, to say the least.

The spacious interior and fresh, light decor augment a more than seven-foot coffered ceiling height to further contribute to that sense of wide-open space. Sunseeker refers to the 182 as its “floating penthouse,” and it’s an apt description, particularly in light of its surrounding oversized windows that yield eye-popping, panoramic views in every direction, uninterrupted by the traditional helm. The sense is of being truly connected to one’s environment.

The yacht shown in Fort Lauderdale was configured with an inviting aft salon leading to a starboard-forward dining space for eight. Opposite, to port, a brilliantly executed open galley contributed to the residential feeling of the yacht, though Sunseeker notes the boat can be configured with an enclosed galley, if preferred.

Also forward on the salon, a beautiful and elegantly curved open staircase leads up to the upper deck, where fully retracting sliding doors connect the upper cockpit—with its full wet bar—and the upper salon—with its full bar and 55-inch QLED 4K television—as a single, continuous living space.

A second stairway leads from the forward main deck salon below, where four opulently appointed guest cabins and a stupendous owner’s suite provide luxurious accommodation for 10 in all.

Moreover, the Ocean 182 is a Sunseeker, bringing its owner the level of build quality, precision finish, and extraordinary attention to detail that has raised the legendary British marque to iconic status around the world.

All luxury yachts are impressive. But Sunseeker’s magnificent Ocean 182 impresses the impressed. For those who appreciate the space of a yacht over 100 feet but who can live without the added hassle, this is very much the one.