A real passage before the show
Fort Lauderdale's autumn boat show will welcome a 22.1-metre explorer with an unusual arrival story. The Steeler Ocean Explorer 72 Two Bubbles did not simply appear as an exhibition delivery: her owner captained her across the Atlantic on her own hull before the yacht continued through the Caribbean to Florida.
Steeler says the vessel will make her United States boat-show debut during the 28 October–1 November exhibition. The point of interest is not an untested design promise but the operating experience accumulated on a demanding ocean passage.
An 11-day ocean crossing
The passage began with a departure from the Netherlands and continued via Portugal, the Canary Islands and Cabo Verde. The decisive Atlantic leg from Cabo Verde to Barbados extended approximately 2,000 nautical miles and took 11 days, according to the Dutch builder's account.
Conditions were not consistently benign: Steeler reports winds of 30 to 35 knots and waves reaching four to five metres. The owner had previously crossed oceans under sail, but this was his first Atlantic crossing in a motor yacht, making his observations particularly relevant to sailors considering a change of platform.
Displacement engineering designed for range
Two Bubbles measures 22.1 metres overall, with a 6.45-metre beam, a steel hull and an aluminium superstructure. The specification places robust, long-distance cruising ahead of the high maximum speeds sought by conventional sport-yacht buyers.
Twin MAN diesels of 290 kilowatts each provide the vessel's propulsion, while the builder lists eight knots as the cruising speed and approximately 4,500 nautical miles as the indicative range at that speed. Such figures depend on loading and conditions, but they explain why a transatlantic passage was central to this owner's plans.
Capacity and onboard independence
Steeler lists 18,900 litres of fuel and 2,630 litres of freshwater capacity for the 2024-built yacht. Those generous stores are important on routes where refuelling options are widely spaced and itinerary decisions are dictated by weather windows rather than marina reservations.
Three cabins and three bathrooms form the published accommodation specification. The yacht's 1.70-metre draught also indicates the practical distinction between large ocean-going explorers and shallow-draught coastal dayboats: access must be planned, even when offshore range is plentiful.
From sailing experience to motor-yacht comfort
The owner reportedly sought greater stability and everyday comfort while retaining the ability to travel independently over great distances. For an experienced offshore sailor, the change from sail to motor does not remove passage planning; it changes the balance between fuel management, machinery redundancy and weather routing.
The Atlantic report is therefore more instructive than a routine showroom claim. It demonstrates that a yacht conceived for displacement operation can be used for an ocean passage by an owner who treats navigation, preparation and endurance as part of the pleasure of cruising.
What visitors can examine in Florida
Steeler has placed Two Bubbles at Bahia Mar Yachting Center's Face Dock, slip DE8, for the five-day Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show. A dockside visit gives prospective owners the opportunity to consider deck circulation, wheelhouse visibility, engine-room access and liveaboard storage against a genuine passage history.
The yacht is also presented by Steeler's brokerage operation, which identifies her as a 2024 build, so the show appearance should not be confused with the launch of a newly completed hull. What is new for the US audience is the opportunity to inspect this particular Dutch explorer after a documented Atlantic voyage.
