Photo: Su Marine
These days, boating lovers can metaphorically jump from one era to another, thanks to the huge diversity out there. Complex, Sci-Fi-inspired megayachts take you to the future, while majestic sailing boats made of wood take you back to a golden era. Modern gentleman’s yachts are somewhere in between. Comparable to superyachts in terms of onboard comfort, they turn heads with their classic silhouettes and timeless elegance.
Superyachts have their fair share of haters, self-proclaimed enemies of the “ugly” modern design trends that are taking over the yachting industry. They denounce today’s increasingly larger motor yachts as tacky monsters that are out of place in any location because of their ridiculous proportions. Not to mention their gargantuan appetite for air-polluting diesel.
By contrast, modern pleasure craft that replicate the understated elegance of the classic gentleman’s yachts are like a breath of fresh air. And, with the right maintenance, they can stay in shape for decades. Case in point, the 94-foot (29 meters) Darwin. Although it was built precisely a decade ago, it was still attractive enough to find a new owner. The sale was recently completed in-house, with the final price somewhere around $4.5 million (€4,2 million).
There’s no doubt that Darwin looks beautiful, but it also didn’t hurt that it got some mechanical upgrades last year, and also completed its ten-year RINA survey one year earlier. In other words, Darwin is officially ready to go, for at least the next decade of its life.
The proud creation of a Turkish shipyard with a long history in boat making, Darwin claims to be the quietest yacht in its range. Cruising comfort for its passengers is also ensured by underway and at-anchor stabilizers.
At the same time, it beats other yachts in its category at performance too, thanks to the 65 HP hydraulic bow thruster. Coupled with two 1,600 HP MAN engines, this gets the classic-looking yacht to cut through the waves at 16 knots (18 mph/30 kph) and even up to 22 (25 mph/48 kph).
One of the advantages of smaller and sleeker yachts is that they get close to shore, and reach places where others can’t, thanks to the shallow draft. Plus, Darwin has another ace up its sleeve. Its wooden hull isn’t just aesthetically pleasing, but also built for exceptional resilience.
The Su Marine shipyard built a cold-molded hull with a first layer of Iroko strip plank, followed by three layers of Acajou (Khaya) veneers, laminated at different angles for extra ruggedness. All of that was then reinforced with fiber cloth with Epoxy resin.
Due to this process, this modern classic’s hull basically needs no maintenance throughout its entire life. Add to that a sophisticated, yet warm interior that can welcome no more than eight guests, and you’ve got an unbeatable family yacht.
By contrast, modern pleasure craft that replicate the understated elegance of the classic gentleman’s yachts are like a breath of fresh air. And, with the right maintenance, they can stay in shape for decades. Case in point, the 94-foot (29 meters) Darwin. Although it was built precisely a decade ago, it was still attractive enough to find a new owner. The sale was recently completed in-house, with the final price somewhere around $4.5 million (€4,2 million).
There’s no doubt that Darwin looks beautiful, but it also didn’t hurt that it got some mechanical upgrades last year, and also completed its ten-year RINA survey one year earlier. In other words, Darwin is officially ready to go, for at least the next decade of its life.
The proud creation of a Turkish shipyard with a long history in boat making, Darwin claims to be the quietest yacht in its range. Cruising comfort for its passengers is also ensured by underway and at-anchor stabilizers.
At the same time, it beats other yachts in its category at performance too, thanks to the 65 HP hydraulic bow thruster. Coupled with two 1,600 HP MAN engines, this gets the classic-looking yacht to cut through the waves at 16 knots (18 mph/30 kph) and even up to 22 (25 mph/48 kph).
One of the advantages of smaller and sleeker yachts is that they get close to shore, and reach places where others can’t, thanks to the shallow draft. Plus, Darwin has another ace up its sleeve. Its wooden hull isn’t just aesthetically pleasing, but also built for exceptional resilience.
The Su Marine shipyard built a cold-molded hull with a first layer of Iroko strip plank, followed by three layers of Acajou (Khaya) veneers, laminated at different angles for extra ruggedness. All of that was then reinforced with fiber cloth with Epoxy resin.
Due to this process, this modern classic’s hull basically needs no maintenance throughout its entire life. Add to that a sophisticated, yet warm interior that can welcome no more than eight guests, and you’ve got an unbeatable family yacht.
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