Low Tide

Yacht Designer Tad Roberts' Web Log

Elegant Motoryachts

Elegance is a quality missing for some time in motoryacht design….but what is elegance and how could one define this? Our Oxford dictionary defines elegance as “dignified richness and grace”. This sounds good to me, dignity is sadly lacking in much of yacht design with our “over the top” mentality. Forty foot boats with 4 heads and gold plated taps, disco underwater coloured lights, and fake leather upholstery is less than dignified. In fact it all becomes junk after the first run upwind in a moderate sea. Many modern motoryachts seem to have splashed down into our bay straight from Mars or someplace further.

The above sketch is another attempt at something more restrained and dignified, that will look at home underway or at anchor, on the BC coast or in Italy. Styling wise she is a smaller (refined) version of the 83′ Black Knight, designed by Walter McInnis. Black Knight was originally called Cassiar, built in 1968 by Goudy & Stevens in East Boothbay. She was the middle boat of three yachts built on similar lines, the first being Lions Whelp of 1966, and the last the 1989 Yorel. The last was well along in construction at Hodgdon Yachts when I first met Tim Hodgdon, but I did get to design a couple of tables which went aboard her. This hull was intended to run at moderate speed (mid-teens cruising) and be comfortable in a sea….the epitome of grace and dignity.

  • Specifications

    • LOA 61'3"
    • Beam 15'0"
    • Displacement 60,000 pounds

Post a Comment

Your email is never published nor shared. Required fields are marked *

*
*

You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong>

Powered by WordPress. Built on the Thematic Framework.