| Originally Posted by Viceroy Many thanks for your comments. For clarity I should have added that our cruising ambitions are pretty lame. Ocean crossings (been there, got the t-shirt) and hosting hoards of family and friends are no longer in the picture. Yes, we occasionally do have to punch our way through some nasty seas in the Inside Passage waters but we’re never more than an hour or two run from some protective cove or lee shore…even at 8 to 10 knots…to consider our options. The Nordhaven is too much boat and the 87 footer, way too much!
I’ve actually been thinking of having a stock or semi-custom vessel with an aft salon modified and constructed asymmetrically (side deck only on starboard side, flush on port) to provide the necessary width for a proper stateroom and head, plus a passageway to the aft deck. That would eliminate the salon for all intents and purposes. However, a large bridge deck with helm, seating and dining area would serve as a central operating area and it’s where everyone gathers, anyway. For the two of us…perfect.
A galley down is likely, albeit not the handiest location but it can contain (with proper ventilation) the odours and moisture that comes with cooking. Any guest accommodation would be down and forward. I’m probably looking at a double/queen and a couple of Pullman berths for grandkids.
High on my priority list would be a commodious engine room, ideally, walk-in with sufficient room for all the “stuff” of self-sufficiency and redundancy. Thinking about what has been written already, the engine room would be located amidships, under the bridge deck, where in most conventional yacht configurations, a master stateroom would probably be located. And this presents a long list of other modifications, not the least of which would be the long shaft run.
Oh well, back to the drawing board! Maybe a completely custom build is in the future. Thinking outside the box (hate that expression) I guess I should look at diesel electric propulsion and other innovations. No rush, though, as current semi-retirement leading full time boating is still a couple of years away. Again, any thoughts? Cheers, Richard. |