Arriving at the lower foyer, guests are greeted at the base of the stairs with beautiful and intricate wood inlay of a nautilus seashell, a shape that emulates the curvature in the staircase and a reminder of all things nautical. It quickly becomes the focal point in the teak and holly sole. A testament to the artisans at Cheoy Lee.

The full beam master stateroom is understatedly dramatic. The size alone belies the size of a 68’ yacht. The king size centerline bed and a luxury yacht-like settee to port, cedar lined closets and generous stowage are all there, but in a spacious and “old world classic” ambience that sets this abode apart. Sound levels were pleasantly appropriate while underway, in large part due to the honeycombed and fiberglass sound deadening construction of the bulkhead. A large walk-in cedar closet conceals the engine room door entry while providing for generous wardrobe space.

The ensuite master head cleverly uses a highly-polished, stainless sheet for the ceiling. This simulated mirror gives depth and dimension, while reflecting indirect light. The concept adds a sense of spaciousness to the facilities. Trendy, raised-style sinks provide a raised edge to help keep toiletries from finding the floor when the going gets rough.

Furthest aft is the VIP stateroom with 6’ 8” headroom. One could easily settle into this stateroom mistaking it for the master. The same elegant and warm milieu and amenities are continued. Although slightly smaller than the master, it is still larger and more comfortable than many master staterooms on other similar sized yachts.

If you look closely at this pictures, the outboard walls are fiberglass panels that simulate tongue and groove or lapstrake planking and add superbly to the nautical decor. The large, stainless steel screened portholes are beefy. The fine cabinetry with just the right amount of inset carpet, teak trim and wall fabrics, all contribute to the feeling of nautical elegance that permeates the yacht.

Continuing with the trawler characteristics, safety features become mandatory inclusions. The sea chest for engines’ and generators’ intake and the discharge posts become a compelling way to eliminate the number of thru-hulls and appeal to the trawler aficionado’s compulsion for reducing risk potential. Of course the watertight engine room adds to that comfort level. Not only is there a full-size engine room entry from amidships through a watertight door, but there is also a smaller aft entry watertight door connecting with the master stateroom. Aside from convenience, it’s a nice safety feature to have an exit at each end of the engine room, perhaps the ultimate in redundant safety features.

Aside from the 6’5” headroom and gargantuan size in general, noteworthy features include the centerline stainless steel work station and sink, meticulous labeling on all pipes and equipment, excellent wire bundling, and the sea chest as noted earlier. The sea chest intake picks up for the air conditioning (seven air compressors), the two main engines and the two 20kW generators. The discharge posts, standpipes, are for the air conditioning cooling water, galley sink, dishwasher and engine room bilges, where the ac condensate flows. The only other thru-hulls are for head discharge.

The engines are continuous-duty; D-rated 315 hp and are each surrounded by a safety rail for working in all sea conditions. The fuel system is simple and redundant. There are two saddle tanks, a forward and aft tank, and a day tank. There is a manual and electric fuel transfer system, primarily used for adjusting trim; the feed into the day tank is manual, electric, or by gravity. The exhaust risers are simple yet well supported and a testament to the Cheoy Lee engineers. The wet exhaust exits hull-side just below the waterline, with barely audible subsurface gurgling without the soot.

Aft of the foyer is the watertight full size door entry to the engine room. It’s not just the fore and aft doors, the engine room is watertight as are the bilges, including an absence of limber holes. All tanks are integral to the hull, something Cheoy Lee has been doing since the fifties; as well, they are double lined. The engine room is spacious, clean, well lit, and supremely organized with every function having its designated space which makes for an inviting room for work performance and maintenance.

Naiad 9 square foot stabilizing fins are hydraulically powered. The hydraulic steering is powered by a PTO off each engine. It might be beneficial to have a backup system so that in case of dual engine failures (bad fuel?), you wouldn’t also lose steering. But then without the engines, you’d probably have bigger problems than steering. Would also be nice to have the hydraulic system support the bow thruster. And engine room air conditioning would be an added plus for what comes close to being an ideal engine room setup. These are issues perhaps being addressed in subsequent hulls and might also come under the “semi-custom” capabilities.

Of course standard expectations include tank tender, inverter, fire suppression system, camera, Glendinning cable, oil transfer system, isolation transformer and a long list of engine room specifications. Overall, the engine room was a design that worked well on the hundreds of prior Cheoy Lee long-range cruisers; Cheoy Lee took an incredible engine room and simply made it safer and better inching even closer to ideal.

Improvements throughout the yacht are evidenced by technological innovations. For example, the trim is comprised of a teak veneer over a resin-infused FRP base. Amazingly, it is seamless, even on compound curves! Why go to all this trouble to simulate wood? Because fiberglass eliminates the potential for water absorption, swelling, warping, flexing or any of the other detrimental potentials present in wood. Although this costs significantly more to manufacture, it affords durability and sound reduction, as well as significant weight savings. Look closely at this picture. This is a crown molding corner piece... and it's NOT wood!

And yet another example of weight reduction, while maintaining the strength, solidity and look of real wood, this cabinet door cut-out simulates mahogany and burl wood. Using an aluminum honeycomb laminate for support, the fiberglass panel is covered in a veneer process that is super lightweight and structurally rigid.

This is a trim piece that is probably used to keep furniture from banging into walls (or guests!). This shot shows... what appears to be... real wood, but the cross section exposes the real substrate.

Cheoy Lee Shipyards has 139 years of shipbuilding to their credit, but their latest bragging rights include the building of the 5000th hull over 80 feet, since World War II. Never one to rest during economic lulls, preparations are already underway for building the Serenity 59, 83, and 103.

With this new trawler-yacht, Cheoy Lee has created what is certain
to become a new classic and a serious segment buster... the Serenity series.

<end>

by Judy Waldman

Specifications:

Length Overall: 68' 0" / 20.73 m
Hull Length: 65' 7" / 19.99 m
Length Waterline: 59' 0" / 17.98 m
Beam: 18' 0" / 5.49 m
Draft: 5' 3" / 1.60 m
Displacement (full load-est): 116,000 lbs / 52,600 kg
Fuel: 2,350 USG / 8,900 ltr
Water: 600 USG / 2,270 ltr
Black Water Tank: 140 USG / 530 ltr
Grey Water Tank: 40 USG / 150 ltr
Engines:Twin John Deere 6081AFM75 (330 bhp each)
Generators: Kohler 20kW, 60Hz, 2 sets

Performance:

2,000nm at 9 knots; 10gph
2,500nm at 8 knots; 7gps
3,000nm at 7.5 knots; 5.6gph
Top speed: 13.7 knots

For more information contact:

Cheoy Lee Yachts
801 SeaBreeze Blvd.
Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33316
(954) 527-0999
www.cheoylee.com

***

If you would like to put Cheoy Lee's new Serenity 68' LRC on your desktop, click here...

Cheoy Lee Desktop Wallpaper

Deck Plans: Top to Bottom...

1. Flybridge
2. Main Deck
3. Lower Accommodations

***