Bering Yachts B65 Expedition Series

Who is Bering Yachts?

Bering Yachts are built in Zhangjiang, China, and Antalya, Turkey and the Expedition 65 was constructed in the huge Zhangjiang Shipyards – a virtual monolith of modern shipbuilding and construction.

What are Bering Yachts for?

Bering Yachts design and build semi-custom steel expedition yachts, including the Bering Expedition 50, 55, 65, 77, 80 and 95 classically styled motor yachts, as well as the Exploration 60 and 75 long range cruising yachts, plus the stylish Yachtship B70.

Bering prides itself on designing, engineering, and building yachts that can go anywhere without a large crew or complicated systems. While the range has defined models and styles, the company works closely with prospective purchasers to produce individually tailored vessels.

Who buys them?

The owner of Namaste is Leonardo Bria – an experienced seaman with many commercial hours under his belt as a first officer with the Venezuelan Navy.

Bria purchased his Bering 65 in 2012, after an exhaustive search and had the vessel to be built in China, taking delivery in December 2013 after exhaustive sea trials.

The new owner undertook the maiden delivery personally, sailing his new Bering 65 a hefty 8000nm (more than 1300 hours cruising). His delivery route took him via Hong Kong, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, Bali, Darwin and Cairns on his way to the Gold Coast, over a period of 12 months. The Bering 65 arrived in Australia in November 2014 and we caught up with her at the Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show in late May 2015.

Basic specs

Namaste is a rugged and classic looking steel yacht with a pilothouse deck and a full displacement hull capable of ocean cruising.  

Her displacement is more than 92 tons dry and approximately 110 tons wet and fully loaded, with a beam of 6m (20ft) and a cruising speed of 8kts (top speed of 10kts). Namaste has a full bulbous keel with an 8mm steel hull, 6mm sides and a 5mm super structure, and stands an impressive 10m above sea level to mast tip.

Namaste has four watertight collision bulkheads, and is built to CEA standards.

Engines

The engine room is located aft, and is generally accessed via a companionway and bulkhead door in the lower deck, but access is also available via hatches in the saloon floor.

The engine room is spacious and provides easy access for all regular servicing needs, plus a smallish workshop with washdown sink, video monitoring from the helm and full fire suppression system.

While the standard engines are Cummins QSL-9 turbo-diesels (230-320hp), the customer chose a pair of John Deere 6068 in-line six-cylinder 265hp turbodiesels, achieving maximum horsepower at 2400rpm, specifically for John Deere’s extensive worldwide service back up.

Bering use ZF transmissions with Seatorque ST-250 shafts and she runs ZF five-blade 42in NiBrAl propellers. The engine room also houses Namaste’s 23kW and 13.5kW generators to run a mass of electronics.

Range and fuel economy

The Bering 65 is an efficient long range vessel, giving exceptional fuel consumption figures.

On the maiden trip from Hong Kong, Namaste reported fuel burn averaging 32lt/h (both engines combined) at 8kts, including generators. With a fuel capacity of 17,000lt, you have a cruising range at 8kts of 4000-plus nautical miles.

Marine electronics

While Bering fit Furuno electronics as standard, the owner’s commercial shipping background led him to fit a full spectrum of Transus marine electronics, with dual or triple redundancy on every component.

This mantra was extended throughout the entire boat, with backup systems for every component including autopilot, GPS/plotter, Flir night imaging, Suunto compass, right down to twin watermakers, capable of producing up to 10,000lt of fresh water per day.

There is an Orion 24/12-25amp DC-DC converter with primary distribution electrical panels, inverters, battery chargers, batteries and battery management panels located in the electrical room. There are also 16 240amp deep cycle batteries with a total capacity of 3840amp hours.

From the outside

From first glance you just know that the Bering 65 is built for business. She’s a classic passagemaker with the professional appearance of an ice breaker.

Her rugged exterior features side decks and a rear platform entry with large companionways all around, plus a Portuguese bridge outside the trawler style wheelhouse.

Toss in a multi-level foredeck, rear cockpit, transom platform and a large split level skylounge-style flybridge and you’ve got a lot of boat!

Interior and layout

Namaste’s interior is lavishly crafted with beautiful woodwork and a variety of counter, flooring and upholstery selections.

The saloon features built-in seating on both sides, with a large dinette to starboard and an entertainment center forward of the settees contains a flatscreen TV. Large double doors aft can be opened when maximum ventilation is desired or when entertaining large groups. 

A staircase forward leads to the lower staterooms, and another to the elevated galley and command centre.

Refrigeration units as well as twin ovens are located to port, along with drawer storage and an optional wine chiller.

To the starboard side you have the cooking surfaces, trash compactor, sink, dishwasher, and dry storage and even though the galley is elevated you still feel an essential part of the party.

Forward of the galley we find the beautiful, fully equipped pilothouse. The presentation is nautically timeless, a feeling enhanced by the forward raked trawler-style windscreens.

Price?

Ensign Ship Brokers are new and used boating professionals. The brokerage was established in 1980 and over the last thirty five years has grown into the largest brokerage in Australia, with hundreds of listings, and a nation-wide broker network.

The Bering 65 Expedition Series Namaste as tested is currently listed for sale with the owner considering a larger vessel yet again. She is currently in Australian waters and is listed for sale through Ensign Ship Brokers at USD$2.4m, with current a replacement value of USD$2.8m.

Bering 65 sea trials

Bering 65 with 2x Cummins QSL-9 285hp. These engines not fitted to test boat, but represent most likely fit up for subsequent Bering purchasers.

* Fuel figures supplied by Bering. For both engines combined.

Bering 65 specs

GENERAL

TYPE Displacement passagemaker expedition vessel

MATERIAL Steel

LENGTH 19.3m

BEAM 6m

DRAFT 1.8m

WEIGHT 106 tons

CAPACITIES

PEOPLE 7 plus crew

FUEL 17,000lt

WATER 1500lt

ENGINE

MAKE/MODEL 2 x John Deere 6068 marine engines

TYPE In-line six-cylinder turbodiesels

RATED HP 2x 285

DISPLACEMENT 6.8lt

PROPELLER ZF five-blade 42in NiBrAl

SUPPLIED BY

Ensign Ship Brokers Gold Coast

16 Mariners Cove, 60 Seaworld Dr, Main Beach QLD 4217

Phone (07) 5532 1122

Email markali@ensignbrokers.com.au

Web ensignbrokers.com.au; beringyachts.com