Photo: Wheeler Yacht Company
Perhaps one of the most famous fishing boats in the world, the 38-foot (11.5-meter) Wheeler Playmate named Pilar, belonging to author Ernest Hemingway, is getting a second shot at life. Sort of.
Pilar was delivered to Hemingway in 1934: it was built by Wheeler Shipbuilding Corp. and was part of the Playmate lineup. Hemingway used it to pioneer big-game fishing, sailing it between Key West, Bimini and Cuba. It is currently in Cuba at the Hemingway Museo, after a long-due restoration process.
Wheeler, on the other hand, closed shop in 1966 but is looking at a comeback. This September, Wheeler Yacht Company will be bringing back to the market an exact but very modern replica of the Pilar, with a starting price of $1.5 million.
The new Wheeler 38 will look like a classic but its very heart and soul will be anchored in modern times, with plenty of tech and amenities on board. Built at the Brooklin Boat Yard in Brooklin, Maine, it has been reproduced following exact measures provided by the Hemingway family and Wheeler records, with reverse-engineering by Bill Prince Yacht Design. Performance-wise, it will mark an improvement over Pilar, which, though excellent for those times, did not benefit from today’s tech.
Improvements start with the hull: the Wheeler 38 is, like Pilar, crafted from wood, but using epoxy cold-molded construction techniques.
The Wheeler 38 will feature iPad and iPhone control of most systems on board, a touchscreen navigation system, autopilot, A/C, stabilizer and Sub-Zero refrigeration. It will pack twin 370 hp Yanmar engines that will take it up to speeds of 30 knots, more than twice the top speed of Pilar, with range estimated at 400 nautical miles.
Accommodation on board will be for four to six people, with the décor described as elegant, yet masculine.
“The custom interior is an idyllic place to spend a weekend away, or simply kick back with a good book,” Wheeler Yachts says. “There is no other yacht of her size available today which combines the famous Wheeler’s timeless elegance with such well-integrated luxuries.”
And there is definitely no other new boat that comes with the kind of history this one has.
Wheeler, on the other hand, closed shop in 1966 but is looking at a comeback. This September, Wheeler Yacht Company will be bringing back to the market an exact but very modern replica of the Pilar, with a starting price of $1.5 million.
The new Wheeler 38 will look like a classic but its very heart and soul will be anchored in modern times, with plenty of tech and amenities on board. Built at the Brooklin Boat Yard in Brooklin, Maine, it has been reproduced following exact measures provided by the Hemingway family and Wheeler records, with reverse-engineering by Bill Prince Yacht Design. Performance-wise, it will mark an improvement over Pilar, which, though excellent for those times, did not benefit from today’s tech.
Improvements start with the hull: the Wheeler 38 is, like Pilar, crafted from wood, but using epoxy cold-molded construction techniques.
The Wheeler 38 will feature iPad and iPhone control of most systems on board, a touchscreen navigation system, autopilot, A/C, stabilizer and Sub-Zero refrigeration. It will pack twin 370 hp Yanmar engines that will take it up to speeds of 30 knots, more than twice the top speed of Pilar, with range estimated at 400 nautical miles.
Accommodation on board will be for four to six people, with the décor described as elegant, yet masculine.
“The custom interior is an idyllic place to spend a weekend away, or simply kick back with a good book,” Wheeler Yachts says. “There is no other yacht of her size available today which combines the famous Wheeler’s timeless elegance with such well-integrated luxuries.”
And there is definitely no other new boat that comes with the kind of history this one has.
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