When a longtime sailor considers making the leap to a motoryacht, the design brief is always unique. In this case, speed took a back seat to comfort and efficiency. The design brief began with a very traditional early 1900s aesthetic inspired by the Elco cruisers and Lake Union Dreamboats. As the design developed, the owner pushed us to think outside the box and worked with us to develop a truly unique look that ticked all the boxes of his use profile. The arrangement is simple, but carefully refined. A low target cruise speed allowed for a spacious semi-displacement hull with lots of room for machinery, tankage, and generous spaces above and below decks. The crew accommodations are an example of one of the many carefully thought out details: Many small motoryachts are sold without thought to future crew needs, or with a completely separate and cramped hole for a paid hand. This owner had enough experience with how he used his boats to know that he would want a part-time captain, but didn't want the captain to have to settle for second-class accommodations. We developed an arrangement that allows for separation and privacy for the owner and his family while providing comfortable accommodations for a captain, all while allowing the space to be dual-use for guests when the captain was not on board. 

This design is a great example of the many paths a custom design can go. The look we ended up with is totally different from where we started, but met the evolving needs of the owner perfectly. 

The client for this design is still enjoying cruising aboard his sailing yacht and decided to put this design on the shelf for now, but hopefully we’ll get the chance to dust off the drawings and continue the evolution of this yacht some day!

To inquire about building or purchasing this design, email Will at wsturdy@brooklinboatyard.com