Winter,
Elsewhere
Launched by Sanlorenzo in the summer of 2023, the 47-meter explorer Para Bellum is based in Dubai and open for charter this winter across the Gulf and the Indian Ocean, from city waterfronts to the atolls of the Maldives and the Seychelles.
Some yachts are drawn for a single kind of water. Para Bellum was drawn for range: a skyline one week, a reef the next, and enough yacht in between to make both feel like home.
She comes from Sanlorenzo, one of Italy's most established superyacht builders, and belongs to its explorer line as a 500EXP of 47 meters, launched in the summer of 2023. Her owners specified a series of custom features that set her apart from her sister ships, and the result is a new yacht with an explorer's profile and the comforts of a much larger one.
This winter, Para Bellum is available for charter from her base in Dubai across Abu Dhabi, the wider Gulf, the Maldives and the Seychelles. It is a region of contrasts, and she is built to cover it: the art, architecture and dining of the Gulf's cities on one side, and on the other, island anchorages where the only company is the water.
A Para Bellum charter lives outdoors
The profile says explorer at first glance. The superstructure is pushed forward, and that decision frees an aft deck that would be generous on a far larger yacht: 113 square meters close to the waterline, with an infinity pool at its edge. The pool arrangement was a first for the 500EXP series.
The rest of the outdoor spaces follow the same logic. The main and upper decks offer several places to gather or to find a quiet corner, each shaded by a hardtop or an awning, while the sun deck adds a jacuzzi. Forward, an observation lounge looks out over the bow. For families and groups of friends, the variety matters as much as the size: there is room to be together and room to be alone.
An explorer's lines, a beach house inside
The exterior carries the signature of Francesco Paszkowski, with the upright, purposeful bow that gives explorer yachts their character. Inside, architect Antonio Citterio set a different mood: warm wood, light fabrics, soft curves and quiet textures that recall a house by the sea more than a ship.
On the upper deck, a skylounge with a sofa, a sofa bed and wide views; on the main deck, a salon and an indoor dining room aft, all of it air-conditioned for the heat of a Gulf afternoon.
The superstructure moves forward; the life of the yacht moves aft, to the water.
USA Onboard EditorialFive cabins, one with a terrace
On the main deck, the owner's suite has its own bathroom forward, a walk-in wardrobe, large hull windows and a terrace that folds down over the sea: a private place for the first coffee of the morning or a drink at dusk.
On the lower deck, two VIP doubles and two twin cabins with Pullman berths, each with its own bathroom, accommodate up to twelve guests in total.
Between the skylounge, the main salon and two exterior dining tables, one for twelve and one for ten, there is always somewhere to meet. A gym completes the picture.
A garage for every age
The garage is stocked for a full day on the water: inflatables, towables, jet skis, Seabobs and water-ski gear for adults and children alike.
The chase boat extends the yacht's reach. At 8.5 meters, the all-weather XO tender opens the way to hidden coves, remote inlets and smaller islands, or simply to an afternoon for two, away from the main yacht.
Ten people, one purpose
On a charter yacht, the crew is the experience as much as the yacht itself. Para Bellum sails with a team of ten, whose role extends well beyond running the ship: they read the rhythm of each group, stay as present or as discreet as the guests prefer, and act as guides to a region they know well.
That combination, an explorer's platform and a crew devoted to the guests, is what turns a week aboard into something closer to a private expedition, whether the plan is a gallery in Abu Dhabi or a reef off the Maldives.
A winter worth the distance
Para Bellum brings together what a winter charter in this part of the world asks for: a yacht with the range and character of an explorer, outdoor spaces sized for long, warm days, and a crew prepared to make a region of cities and islands feel personal.
For the winter of 2023-24, she is available from Dubai across Abu Dhabi, the Gulf, the Maldives and the Seychelles.
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At a glance
Figures as published for the yacht's charter launch in 2023.
An explorer's bow, a pool at the waterline and a winter between the Gulf and the Indian Ocean.