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Columbus Crossover 42 Big Naan, exploring without leaving home behind

Steel, aluminium, more than 5,500 nautical miles of range and a structural glass swimming pool define the Columbus Crossover 42 Big Naan

Big Naan is the first Columbus Crossover 42, a 42-metre explorer combining long range, generous outdoor spaces and a surprisingly residential atmosphere

The Columbus Crossover 42 Big Naan was created to travel far, yet it does not feel like a yacht conceived solely for long-distance cruising. Within its 42 metres, two apparently different personalities coexist: that of an explorer with a steel hull and a range exceeding 5,500 nautical miles, and that of a home at sea, where art, materials, light and intimate spaces make time on board feel more personal.

Big Naan is the first yacht from the Columbus Crossover line to reach the water, with exterior design and naval architecture by Hydro Tec and interiors by Hot Lab. With a gross tonnage of 443 GT, it offers substantial interior volumes while retaining the compact visual proportions that characterise the project.

An explorer carrying much more than a tender

The expansive aft cockpit immediately reveals part of the Crossover 42 philosophy. It accommodates a 5.9-metre tender handled by a crane integrated into the starboard bulwark, allowing the deck to serve as an operational space during longer passages and to change character once the tender is launched.

This ability to transform is one of Big Naan’s most interesting qualities. An explorer needs to carry equipment, water toys and support craft without compromising guest areas. Once cleared, however, the same deck can become part of everyday life on board.

The swimming pool becomes architecture

One of the yacht’s most distinctive features is a seawater swimming pool with a capacity of approximately 17 cubic metres and a depth of around two metres at its deepest point. Rather than simply being installed on deck, it has been designed as a structural part of the hull.

Its four glass walls allow natural light to pass through the pool and reach the beach club below, establishing an unusual visual relationship between two levels of the yacht. Located on the lower deck and accessed through two hydraulic openings on either side of the stern platform, the beach club receives daylight both from large side windows and from the pool itself.

On Big Naan, this area has been fitted out as a gym with Technogym equipment, although its flexible layout could equally accommodate a wellness area, massage room or complete spa.

A home away from home

The yacht’s explorer credentials do not translate into austere interiors. Big Naan instead seeks a more personal atmosphere, combining marble, metals, soft-touch fabrics, pop art and objects collected during travels to create spaces that feel less formal than those traditionally associated with large yachts.

The main saloon uses neutral shades of beige, cream and warm grey, while accessories, artwork and selected furnishings introduce controlled touches of colour. A perforated metal ceiling and marble surfaces add a stronger architectural character.

The dining area centres around a custom Minotti table, while the lounge features Eichholtz sofas and Gervasoni poufs. More important than the individual brands, however, is the overall intention: to create spaces designed to be lived in every day rather than simply admired.

Privacy without isolation

The owner’s suite is positioned forward on the main deck. It begins with a study featuring a leather-covered desk, followed by a generous walk-around cabin, wardrobe and marble bathroom with a double shower.

Below deck, four guest cabins include two VIPs, one double and one twin that can become a triple thanks to a Pullman berth. Each has its own bathroom.

The arrangement separates private areas from social spaces without creating a succession of isolated rooms. The same philosophy appears on the upper deck, where the exterior lounge connects directly with the media and gaming room through large sliding doors.

A sun deck with exceptional proportions

At approximately 12 metres long and 7 metres wide, the sun deck becomes one of the yacht’s principal living areas.

Beneath the hardtop are a custom teak table, bar, refrigerator, icemaker and cooking area. A television with an up-and-down mechanism can rotate through 360 degrees to serve different parts of the deck. Forward, two facing sofas create a conversation area, while aft there are sunpads and additional seating.

The available space allows the sun deck to change use throughout the day, from lunch and cruising to evening relaxation, without being limited to a single purpose.

More than 5,500 nautical miles to choose your own route

Propulsion is provided by two Caterpillar C32 ACERT engines rated at 742 kW each. Columbus states a top speed of more than 14 knots and a cruising speed of approximately 12 knots.

The figure that best reflects Big Naan’s explorer character, however, is its range: more than 5,500 nautical miles at 10 knots, supported by fuel capacity of around 60 cubic metres.

Two watermakers can produce a combined 8.6 cubic metres of fresh water per day, while two pairs of stabilisers operate both underway and at zero speed. These systems are less visible than the swimming pool or sun deck, but become essential when the yacht is intended to spend extended periods away from port.

Travelling farther with greater attention to emissions

Big Naan is equipped with a selective catalytic reduction system compliant with IMO Tier III standards. According to Columbus Yachts, this allows the yacht to operate in areas subject to particularly strict emissions regulations.

It does not, of course, turn a 42-metre superyacht into a zero-impact vessel, but it adds an important element to the design of a yacht specifically intended to travel through different regions and spend long periods at sea.

The journey becomes part of the design

Big Naan makes the distinction between an explorer yacht and a lifestyle yacht considerably less clear. Its steel construction, long range, storage capability and onboard systems describe a vessel built to travel beyond familiar routes; the swimming pool, beach club, artwork and residential interiors describe what happens once the destination has been reached.

That may be the most interesting aspect of the Columbus Crossover 42: rather than choosing between exploration and comfort, it treats both as essential parts of the same journey.

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Columbus Yachts, Crossover 42 M/Y Big Naan

08 September 2026
© MED Yachting Editorial Team
Columbus Crossover 42 Big Naan, exploring without leaving home behind
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The information in this article has been sourced from and adapted from official sources and/or press releases, in accordance with our editorial code of ethics.