Outer Reef 780 Adventures Forth
We recently reported on the launch of the new Outer Reef 780 Adventure. In May 2025 the vessel entered the water at the new Outer Reef Netherlands facility which is up a Dutch waterway 60 miles from the coast near Amsterdam. After commissioning and testing, she embarked on her maiden voyage, cruising over 2,500 nautical miles and bound for her destination in the Mediterranean.
The greater Amsterdam area of Holland, which is sometimes referred to as the ‘Venice of the North’, is known for its labyrinth of intricate waterways that stretch many miles inland. In July 2025 the Outer Reef 780 Adventure worked her way from the yard where she was launched to the North Sea for her first voyage. She entered the North Atlantic, traversed the English Channel, rounded the Atlantic coast of Spain and Portugal and entered the Mediterranean through the Strait of Gibraltar.
During this 2,545 nautical mile offshore shakedown cruise that took 12 days and 7 hours, the vessel ran near continuously with no issues reported by her crew.
In the Bay of Biscay, big Atlantic rollers came abeam but according to Trevor De Faoite, managing director of Outer Reef Europe, “She was very stable beam on, for that period the stabilizers were only working 20%.”
He also noted that the worst weather during the passage was from Gibraltar to Palma, “We had head on slop for 18 hours, hard to tell exact wave height as the worst part was during the night, but I would have guessed 8’ish with a short frequency. The boat felt very, very solid, the best way I could describe her is the impression of a CAT D11 dozer ripping up a golf course, but a very quiet dozer.”
In Gibraltar in addition to De Faoite, Outer Reef president and CEO Jeff Druek came aboard and finished the journey. They travelled through to Palma, Spain and on to France where the vessel will be based for the summer.
“Getting on board and seeing how well the 780 functioned in real world conditions was a great experience,” said Druek. “The fact that she ran over 2,500 miles on her first voyage with no issues was a testimony to the rigorous engineering, robust design, and attention to detail we put into this new class of Outer Reefs and really made me proud.”
During this epic maiden voyage, onboard systems were rigorously tested from fuel consumption and sound levels to handling and seakeeping. According to Outer Reef, performance exceeded design expectations previously calculated using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). Fuel burn during the trip with standard twin Cummins 425 HP QSB 6.7 engines was just 5 gph (18.6 liters/hour) at a 7.2-knot Eco speed, providing a range of over 5,000 nautical miles with expedition tanks, (3,500 nm with standard tanks). De Faoite says a 9.7-knot moderate cruise is a sweet spot and that she can run up to 12.5 knots when needed. This versatility speaks to the success of her fast displacement hull, which was designed to perform efficiently at a range of speeds to allow ocean crossing capabilities but also work well when coastal cruising. For those that want to go faster, Caterpillar C32s are a higher horsepower option.
During the voyage the crew reported that the vessel had a smooth, stable ride during offshore passages even when navigating with rollers abeam and into head seas. A professional captain on board the passage who usually runs 40-meter vessels said, “She feels very shippy, feels very planted, nothing fazes her.”
The Outer Reef 780 Adventure was also remarkably quiet. Decibel readings taken as the vessel past Gibraltar at 8 knots showed only 59 dB in the pilothouse and never exceeded 65 dB even in the galley with fans running and below decks in the foyer. Normal conversation could take place throughout the vessel while underway with no slamming or other hull sounds interrupting nor undo noise from the engines and systems.
At 78′ 7” (24 m) LOA and with a 22′ 2″(6.75 m) beam, the Outer Reef 780 Adventure proved to be spacious and comfortable during the passage. Multiple staterooms, ensuite heads, a full galley, and her well-equipped pilothouse kept crew and passengers content.
The new Outer Reef 780 Adventure is currently available for viewing at the Outer Reef Yachts office in La Napoule, France. The vessel will then make her European boat show debut at the Cannes Yachting Festival in September.
Price provided on request, note that many custom options are available.
Outer Reef 780 Adventure launched and loaded
