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The SS Pacific, a 223-foot side-wheel steamer, departed Victoria, British Columbia, on November 4, 1875, bound for San Francisco. Its cargo included gold and coal, the latter from a mine operated by the ship’s owners, as well as 275-plus passengers and 50-plus crewmembers.

Pacific encountered heavy weather as it steamed west out of the Strait of Juan de Fuca and then south past Washington’s Cape Flattery.

The crew aboard the northbound Orpheus, a 200-foot square-rigger, mistook Pacific’s masthead light for the Cape Flattery Lighthouse. The ships collided, damaging Orpheus’ rigging and—it’s believed—opening planks on Pacific’s hull. Frigid seawater likely swamped the hot boilers, triggering an explosion.

Some 325 souls were lost on that storm-tossed night. Only two people survived, making it one of the West Coast’s worst maritime disasters. Also, because Orpheus was navigationally blind, Pacific’s final resting spot was unknown.

In 1980, Jeff Hummel, then a student at the University of Washington, and Matt McCauley, Hummel’s high school buddy, recovered a World War II-era warplane from Seattle’s Lake Washington. They were sued, but they won the case and all salvage rights.

This is when Hummel heard about another group that was searching for Pacific, which he had known about, piquing his interest. “They eventually quit,” he says, adding that he thought it was a good project. “I just kept doing it.”

A marine-industry career—Nobeltec (now TimeZero), then Rose Point Navigation Systems—followed, but Hummel’s interest in the long-lost Pacific endured. In 2004, he purchased SeaBlazer, an 80-foot Desco trawler that he refitted to search for Pacific, and he again partnered with McCauley. The two founded the nonprofit Northwest Shipwreck Alliance and Rockfish Inc., their for-profit commercial salvage operation.

While numerous expeditions had searched for Pacific since 1985, Hummel says that Rockfish’s approach hinged on careful use of technology—including expertise in modifying off-the-shelf sonar equipment and building remotely operated vehicles—and key pieces of physical evidence.

Generations of commercial fishermen have scoured the waters off Cape Flattery, and they occasionally net artifacts, including chamber pots and coal. “The coal was really the key,” Hummel says, adding that because Pacific’s owners also operated a coal mine, he was able to send a sample to a laboratory to test against coal from the mine.

They matched.

The Rockfish team leveraged this information, coupled with fishermen’s GPS data, to reduce the search area from 338 square miles to just 2 square miles. While this was a huge reduction, technical sonar-imaging work remained. “It was an area that was difficult to search,” Hummel says.

That’s where technology, including their custom-built sonar, came into the picture.

“We made our own transducers,” Hummel says, explaining that the team purchased off-the-shelf Simrad StructureScan transducers, chemically dissolved their potted encapsulating material, removed the piezoceramic elements and microprocessors, and then rebuilt them using “magic concrete” as the replacement encapsulating material. The result, he says, is transducers that can withstand far greater water-depth pressures than the originals.

The next step involved fitting these bespoke transducers into a towfish, which the team flew about 35 feet above the seafloor.

“We also developed our own robotics equipment,” Hummel says. This included two remotely operated vehicles—dubbed Falkor and Draco—that are equipped with Blueprint Subsea-built Oculus multibeam imaging sonars and that are capable of operating at depths down to 3,240 feet. “It’s kind of like having a radar on the robot,” Hummel says, adding that the ROVs were designed around these instruments. “We can find a beer bottle 100 feet away and drive the robot straight to it.”

The team also built a camera sled, which provides seafloor optics and collects artifacts via its rake.

The team leveraged ReefMaster software, plus SeaBlazer’s Garmin echo sounder, to create their own bathymetric charts. Critically, this software also allowed the team to create a points-of-interest database in real time as they scanned the bottom, so they could later revisit and evaluate.

This is how, after 12 search expeditions between 2017 and 2022, the Rockfish team identified their sunken needle in July 2022.

The first job was to comb the search area for points of interest using the towed sonar array. “It took a lot of convincing,” Hummel says of their first look at the wreck. “It wasn’t obvious at all.”

The image that convinced them that they had located their needle was of two circular seafloor depressions. These indents matched the 24-foot diameters of Pacific’s paddle wheels. “You’re not going to find two identical things on the bottom of the ocean,” Hummel says. “It has to be man-made.”

The team returned to the site aboard SeaBlazer, this time with two camera sleds and the ROVs. Once they ensured that the area was free of ROV-threatening snags, they dispatched Falkor to reimage the wreck with its Oculus sonar and to measure the hull’s timber spacing. “That matched up exactly to the timber spacing on Pacific,” Hummel says.

Finally, the team employed Falkor’s grabber arm to retrieve a piece of worm-eaten hull wood, and the camera sled’s rake to collect a chunk of a firebrick.

The team presented their findings and were granted salvage rights in November. Weather permitting, they’re planning numerous salvage expeditions this year.

Finding a long-lost ship isn’t a cheap venture, even if the incentives for finding it—including the gold that’s believed to have been aboard—are handsome. “So far, we have spent $2.1 million,” Hummel says. “We believe it will be a profitable venture. … The value of the wreck is substantial.”

Precious cargo will be sold, with funding being shared among Rockfish’s owners and Pacific’s underwriters. All salvaged cultural artifacts and personal belongings will be donated to a museum that the Northwest Shipwreck Alliance hopes to build in the Puget Sound area.

While Hummel may point to Rockfish’s use of digital and analog evidence as keys to finding Pacific, ultimately, the discovery also required a 40-plus-year friendship between two high school buddies who refused to give up.  

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Built by the Sino Eagle Group, the Aquila 36 power catamaran is a versatile outboard-powered dayboat that is also capable of weekending and angling adventures. There are two en suite staterooms, one in each hull, with nearly queen-size berths and 6-foot-6-inch headroom. On the main deck, which can be covered by an optional fiberglass hardtop, cruisers have a dinette, a cooktop, a fridge, a sink and a smokeless grill. Top speed is 35 knots with 350 hp Mercury Verados. As of July, there were 11 Aquila 36s available, ranging from $439,000 to $725,000.  

From the Archive

“The Aquila 36 is a departure from her sisterships in that she is an outboard-powered, express-cruiser-style catamaran, but she also adheres to MarineMax’s philosophies. With a single main living level from bow to stern and a beam of 14 feet, 7 inches, the Aquila 36 is like a bowrider on steroids. She has seating that can handle 20 adults for outings and barbecues, and there are two staterooms below, one in each hull, for family weekending.”

— Yachting, August 2018

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Long a top honeymoon destination, St. Lucia has lots to love for all visitors. Its lush, natural beauty, rich history and culture, delectable food scene and welcoming atmosphere beckon cruisers to drop anchor and linger awhile in this lovely and laid-back Caribbean port of call.

The Pitons

The twin peaks of the Pitons are the beloved symbol of St. Lucia and the island’s only UNESCO World Heritage Site. Formed 30 million to 40 million years ago by a volcanic eruption, these iconic peaks are now blanketed with a lush tropical forest that’s home to 27 bird species and many rare plants. The shorter, steeper Petit Piton (2,438 feet) is a realm for professional climbers only. But the taller Gros Piton (2,619 feet) is popular for its guided day hikes.

Castries Central Market

Replenish your provisions at the colorful Castries Central Market, opened in the heart of St. Lucia’s capital in 1891. The produce and spice vendors are considered the highlights among the 100 stalls, but you’ll also find handicrafts and souvenirs. It’s busiest on Friday and Saturday mornings, and closed on Sundays.

Diamond Falls Botanic Garden and Mineral Baths

This 6-acre retreat checks all the boxes for a relaxing afternoon. Hummingbirds flit between the hibiscus, heliconia and other beautiful tropical blooms filling the flower gardens. Stroll along the winding path to the 55-foot-tall Diamond Falls, its surrounding rock face a kaleidoscope of colors. And, naturally, follow in the centuries-old tradition and take to the therapeutic mineral waters, choosing between a public or private soak. Guided tours are available, but this is a place where a leisurely wander can be equally rewarding.

Pigeon Island National Landmark

Once the lair of a 16th-century French pirate nicknamed Wooden Leg, Pigeon Island now attracts a variety of visitors for far more legitimate reasons. The trails crisscrossing this 44-acre national landmark off St. Lucia’s northwest tip lead up to the remnants of Fort Rodney, an 18th-century British garrison, as well as to the museum and interpretive center, which provides context for the island’s ecological and historical significance. The island’s two small, calm beaches are considered among the top beaches on St. Lucia and are popular picnicking spots. (A pub and a restaurant are on-site too.) The island is at its liveliest every May when it welcomes music lovers from around the world for the wildly popular St. Lucia Jazz & Arts Festival.

Big Chef Steakhouse

For an indulgent dinner out on St. Lucia, reserve a table at Big Chef Steakhouse in Rodney Bay Village. Since 2007, chef Rosie Joinville and her husband, Marc, the manager, have served up mouthwatering steaks and seafood, wickedly rich desserts, and well-curated cocktail and wine selections.  

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It’s not easy to make a 496-gross-ton trideck look sleek without wasting space, but Italian designer Francesco Paszkowski nailed it with Tankoa’s all-aluminum S501 Series. Check out those lines: the high bow dipping to a chamfer at the bow, the near-square stem, the climbing chine, and the heavily raked bridge windows. They all punctuate the 164-foot length overall, and then the yacht sweeps back to create generous aft-deck overhangs and an elegantly raked transom.

Launched in spring 2022 and shown at the Monaco Yacht Show this past fall, Kinda is the fourth hull in the S501 Series. Like its sistership Bintador that launched four years ago, Kinda has a hybrid propulsion system. There are three cruising modes: diesel-mechanical, diesel-electric and full electric. Choosing the appropriate mode can improve fuel consumption, and the intervals between engine and generator servicing should be longer, saving on maintenance costs and inconvenience. The zero-emissions mode could allow access to otherwise restricted waters.

In conventional mode, the most efficient cruise speed is around 12 knots, at which Kinda’s twin 1,400 hp MAN V-12 diesels burn just over 42 gallons per hour. With a little more than 15,000 gallons of diesel, that translates to a transoceanic range of almost 4,700 nautical miles. Maximum speed is 17 to 18 knots at half-load. In diesel-electric mode, top-end speed drops to around 10 knots.

In fully electric mode using batteries alone, and with normal hotel loads, expect a little over two hours’ autonomy at 5 knots, and perhaps an hour and a quarter at 8 knots. At anchor overnight, owners should get seven hours of run time on batteries alone with normal hotel loads. Twin electric fins from Italy’s CMC provide stabilization at anchor (and when cruising) but can be disengaged to boost fuel efficiency.

Kinda’s outside lounging spaces include the usual cockpit and upper deck aft, but there’s also a sun deck up top beneath a hardtop, and there’s a noteworthy foredeck terrace. Unlike the three previously launched sisterships, all of which have hot tubs on the sun deck, Kinda has its hot tub on the foredeck. It’s a 1,300-gallon glass-wall affair flanked by sofas and able to be shaded by a Bimini top.

Views from all these spaces are enhanced by frameless glass balustrades. Even the hardtop has tinted-glass skylights that cut down on the shadows. Furniture outside comes from Italian brands such as Talenti, Kettal, Varaschin and Tuuci.

The transom’s main event is Kinda’s beach club, which includes a gym, a shower and a day head (one of three aboard). A transverse tender garage aft is big enough for a 21-foot Castoldi RIB, and there’s room on the foredeck for a 14-foot Castoldi RIB, flanked by a crane and a couple of personal watercraft. The transom door folds down, creating a dock abaft the swim platform.

Kinda’s interior was conceived by Margherita Casprini, a longtime associate of Paszkowski. The main salon and sky lounge have a contemporary, soft palette with brushed-oak veneers, rich leather paneling and dramatic Botticino marble. All is cool and calm aboard Kinda. The open-plan salon has three distinct social zones: a lobby aft with a small table and chairs; a conventional lounge with an L-shaped sofa, two armchairs and a coffee table; and a formal dining table amidships. Loose furniture comes from Minotti, Vitra, Flexform and Gallotti&Radice.

Accommodations for 12 guests are in six staterooms. However, the layout aboard Kinda is a little unusual, with two of the staterooms forward on the main deck in what is effectively an owners’ suite with a lobby/study, a master stateroom and a VIP. The master occupies the full beam with a forward-facing king-size berth, an en suite head, a lounge and a walk-in closet. The VIP spans two-thirds of the beam to port with an aft-facing king berth, a lounge chair and a coffee table, and an en suite head.

The remaining four staterooms are belowdecks. Two have inboard-facing queen berths with pocket doors to their en suites. The other two have aft-facing twin berths.

There’s also quarters for nine crew, including a captain’s cabin on the bridge deck. All other crew quarters are on the lower deck beyond an amidships galley and crew mess. Staircases connect to pantries on the main and upper decks, so crew can move around discreetly.

Kinda is this owner’s first trideck yacht and will be used for private family cruises. With luxe accommodations and trans-Atlantic range, the owner’s hardest task will be choosing a waypoint.

Exploring the Med

During its first summer season in the Mediterranean, Kinda was used for intimate family cruises along the French Riviera and the islands of Corsica, Sardinia, Elba and the Aeolians. This summer, the yacht will head to the Eastern Med’s Greek islands and Turkish coast.

In Build Now

Tankoa has more than a half-dozen tridecks in build from 147 to 190 feet. The first all-aluminum Tankoa T55 Sportiva is scheduled for delivery in early 2024, and the second is set to go to a European owner in late 2024. The T580 is Tankoa’s biggest-ever project: a 190-foot, fully custom Francesco Paszkowski/Margherita Casprini design with a steel hull and an aluminum superstructure. It also should be delivered in 2024. In addition, there’s a fully custom 170-foot all-aluminum hybrid project on track for completion next year in association with Philippe Briand and Vitruvius Yachts. The smallest Tankoa to date, at about 147 feet length overall, is a Giorgio M. Cassetta design with a steel hull and an aluminum superstructure. It’s called T450, and it was started on spec in autumn 2020, sold once, and is now available again with a proposed 2025 delivery date.

Capable Hands

For the past few years, the Tankoa team has been steered by CEO Vincenzo Poerio, who previously led the Benetti half of Azimut-Benetti.

Take the next step: tankoa.it

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Renato Cappuccitti used to see it all the time, and it would drive him nuts.

As Bajío’s vice president of operations and Rx, he’d be at a boat show, and people would come over to say they owned and loved the company’s sunglasses. “But they have a pair of readers around their neck on the cord, and they hold them up over the glasses they’re wearing,” he says.

Hence, the line of readers from Bajío that launched in March. By the time this issue of Yachting is on newsstands, reader lenses are expected to be available in every frame style the company makes.

The reader sunglasses are a modern take on traditional bifocals, available in powers of +1.5, +2.0 and +2.5. The magnifier is embedded in the back of the lens, so there is no prominent line (like in the old days) telling the world that the glasses are bifocals. And because the magnifier is on the inside of the lens, it is also a lot less likely to get scratched.

“What’s really nice about a reader like this is that it’s a very quick learning curve versus progressives,” he says. “That takes your brain a week or two to adjust. Anybody who has had that experience with progressives, you don’t have that same experience with these.”

Cappuccitti says boaters find the readers helpful for maintaining protection from the sun while tying flies for fishing, looking at helm displays and using apps on a mobile device. Just like readers from the drugstore, these sunglasses can be worn while doing anything on board that requires a close-up view. “In sunglasses, bifocal makes the most sense for a reader,” he says. “We don’t want someone to be blinded by the bright light when they take off their sunglasses to read something. Now you get the protection from the sun, and you can still read or see something small.”

The lenses are made of polycarbonate, which is the same material most people have in reading glasses at home. Like the bio-based frames that Bajío uses, the reader lenses are lightweight too.

Orders ship from the Florida factory within 48 hours with a choice of frames and lens colors.

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When the 160-foot motoryacht Ohana launched just a couple of years ago, the owners had the idea to offer by-the-cabin bookings similar to a small cruise ship. But demand was so high for full-yacht charters in the Croatian cruising grounds that the practically new vessel is already undergoing a refit.

“We convinced them to upgrade it to a yacht with the amenities and service of a superyacht, and make it just for private charter,” says Aymen Boulehmi, marketing manager at Goolets Ltd. “To do so, they needed to do many upgrades to the cabins, salon and deck, and add many new amenities on board as well.”

The refitted yacht is expected to start accepting bookings this summer in Croatia, a nation that continues to be a highly sought-after East Mediterranean destination for motoryacht charters. The section of the Croatian coastline from the walled city of Dubrovnik south to Montenegro’s Bay of Kotor is particularly well suited to charter, with everything from historical cities to natural islands and quiet bays available to explore. Fans of the show “Game of Thrones” are particularly drawn to this region, where filming for the HBO series often took place in locations that tourists can visit today.

Ohana’s onboard guest spaces include a cinema where those “Game of Thrones” episodes can be watched after days of having fun in the sun. The yacht’s sun deck has an open bar, a barbecue, hanging egg chairs, an open fireplace and loungers for sun-worshipping time. A shade can cover the space around the hot tub for guests who want more protection from the elements. Inside, the yacht has a children’s playroom—an onboard space that is becoming increasingly popular aboard superyachts being ordered from European shipyards. There’s crew space for the addition of a babysitter as well.    

The Croatian Coast

• Dubrovnik has an Old City that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque architecture is centuries old and is preserved in fountains, churches, palaces and more. 
• Korcula is an island about 20 miles long that’s sometimes called Little Dubrovnik because of its preserved buildings. 
• Hvar is another popular island, with fields of lavender, olive trees and vineyards. 
• Brac island is less touristy with rocky shores and popular scuba sites.

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Thrill-seekers, rejoice. Wally’s new wallypower58X combines the luxury and comfort of the inboard wallypower58 (which debuted at last year’s Cannes Yachting Festival) with the muscle of outboard power. Using quad 600 hp Mercury Verado V-12 engines, the Italian builder says the wallypower58X can reach 50 knots and can cruise at 42 knots for 320 nautical miles. This 57-footer made its world debut at the recent Palm Beach International Boat Show.

While the outboard engines will garner most boaters’ initial looks, the rest of the after section of the wallypower58X has a lot to offer. Here, there’s a four-person sun pad with cushions that allows for forward-facing seating or aft-facing lounging by the sea. At the touch of a button, an electrically actuated awning rises to provide protection from the elements. This space is further enhanced when the bulwarks to port and starboard fold outward, creating a 269-square-foot beach club with room for modular furniture and guests.

And, like the wallytender48X and wallytender43X siblings, the wallypower58X has a hydraulic passerelle on centerline for easy boarding.

Farther forward, there are two sofas beneath the cockpit hardtop: one to starboard and one to port. The starboard-side seating is accompanied by a dinette. Forward of the portside seating, there is a customizable galley. Here, the hardtop can open for ventilation, or, for chillier outings, the cockpit can be fully enclosed and heated.

Follow the side decks forward, and there is an additional sun lounge on the foredeck. In total, Wally says, 12 to 16 people can comfortably fit on the wallypower58X’s main deck.

Standard accommodations belowdecks include a forepeak master stateroom with a queen-size berth and an en suite head to starboard. Centerline stairs lead down from the main deck to what Wally calls a “full-beam double salon” with sofas to port and starboard. The day head, with a separate shower, is to port. Owners can also opt to convert the portside salon into a guest stateroom that has direct access to the day head.

To maintain the brand’s trademark exterior lines, and for further protection and privacy, this boat has what Wally calls magic portholes: 55-inch flat-screen TVs that relay external views via hullside cameras.  

Take the next step: wally.com

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Summertime belongs to boaters. Whether it’s on America’s coasts or all along the inland lakes and rivers, boaters spend more days out on the water during the summer months than at any other time of year. And pretty much everywhere a hook can be dropped or a line can be tied off, there’s a festival, a rendezvous or another type of event for boaters to enjoy.

One of the most perennially popular summer experiences for boaters is the Newport Jazz Festival, held each August in Rhode Island. Boaters can avoid the crowds by anchoring out and listening to the music as it wafts across the water. The best seats in the house are on deck in the sunshine and fresh air. This year’s lineup of artists (as with most years) includes a who’s who of musicians, with Herbie Hancock, Diana Krall and Jon Batiste all scheduled to perform.

Another must-do event for boaters is the Fourth of July holiday. There’s nothing quite like witnessing the glow of fireworks from a boat, whether it’s in Boston Harbor, New York Harbor, San Francisco Bay or somewhere else. While everyone ashore is looking up at the show in the sky, boaters can experience the broader view that also includes the city lights and all the reflections dancing across the water—again, often while avoiding a lot of the crowds. And boaters have no need to scramble for a place in line at a barbecue joint on July Fourth. Boats with onboard grills are already set up with everything required for a grand-scale waterfront cookout of burgers, hot dogs, fish and whatever else the folks on board want for the holiday feast.

Yet another rite of passage each summer is the rendezvous, which comes in all kinds of shapes and sizes. Boaters can organize a rendezvous at a marina, in a harbor, on a sandbar—anywhere there’s a spot for lots of boats to gather. These events showcase the camaraderie that exists among like-minded boaters, whether they’re owners of the same brand of boat or the same style of boat, or are people with similar cruising aspirations.

MarineMax locations host rendezvous known as Aquapalooza at various spots around the country each year, with live music, giveaways of keepsake items such as T-shirts, and other kinds of fun. This year’s Aquapalooza event in Boston is scheduled for July 15. It will take place in Perry Cove off Peddocks Island, which is part of the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area.

Marine museums are another great location for boaters to gather in the summertime, with festivals and exhibitions that are specific to the maritime community. In August, the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michaels hosts Watermen’s Appreciation Day, which is a celebration of the heritage of people who have worked on boats in the region for generations. The event includes a “watermen’s rodeo” boat-docking contest, along with live music, steamed local crabs and other family-friendly fun.

Attendance at this festival can be combined with a look at the museum’s exhibits and floating fleet, which includes classic power and sail vessels such as a 1912 Delaware River tug, a 1909 crab dredger and an 1889 bugeye that is registered as a National Historic Landmark. Members of the museum can dock at its marina, including overnight stays with a reservation that’s made in advance.

Up the East Coast a ways is the Mystic Seaport Museum in Connecticut, another of the nation’s best keepers of nautical heritage. In August, this museum hosts the Antique Marine Engine Expo, which is celebrating its 30th year this summer. This expo typically includes more than 300 exhibits, with many of the engines still able to operate just as well as they did on the day they were first purchased. Anyone who enjoys getting their hands dirty in a boat’s engine room can find all kinds of marine machinery here, including steamers, inboards, outboards and more. This expo is a good reminder of just how much easier today’s boaters have it down below, compared with boats of the past.

As interesting as all these getaway ideas are, they’re just a handful of the many waterfront festivals and events that boaters can attend with family and friends this summer. Untie the lines and go. So many memories await.

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The Riviera Yachts 78 Motor Yacht’s sense of “wow” starts with a wave-battling, sharp bow with more than 6 feet of freeboard forward that also has a gentle flare. Then, there are the generously sized hull windows and gentle sheerline that splits to offer high deck railings. The sizable yacht’s main deck includes a fully covered after section, a salon that rivals fine apartments, and a bow lounge typically found on larger yachts. Topping it off is a flybridge deck with an extended aft terrace that offers great vistas or a private hideout.

In association with superyacht designer Luca Vallebona and the Riviera Design Group, the Australian builder set out to create more voluminous spaces, maximize stowage, maintain excellent lines of sight and wrap it all in a functional layout. Goals achieved.

Take the salon: A portside sofa complements the opposing side’s L-shaped sofa (with oh-so-soft pillows) and oversized ottoman while maintaining walking space. One way Riviera creates floor space is by tucking away items that are not always used. Riviera designed a table to hide within the portside sofa, so, after the cushions are moved, the table flips up and out from its base, becoming a dining table for six to eight guests. Additionally, the 55-inch flat-screen TV is not mounted in a credenza, but instead drops from overhead. When fully extended, it’s in line with the lower staircase’s railing, so it doesn’t impede the walking areas. The salon has 6-foot-7-inch headroom and side windows measuring more than 3 feet in height, enhancing the sense of space while offering ocean views and letting in natural light.

The galley is aft with an overhead cabinet along the starboard window, nestled next to the after corner fridge/freezer. There are clear sightlines from the aft deck through the salon, thanks to the absence of bulkheads. Rounding out the cooking amenities are an electric cooktop, options for hot or cold sparkling water at the sink, two ovens, a dishwasher, several fridges and a freezer compartment.

A drop-down electrical window aft, along with the sliding access door, seamlessly connects the salon, galley and aft deck.

The aft deck—16 by 13 by 7 feet—includes a transom sofa with an aft privacy screen, a perfect setup for cozying up with a good book. There is also a starboard-side, L-shaped settee with a walnut dining table. A portside credenza includes a wet bar, a grill, a lower fridge, an ice maker, Corian countertops and stowage.

Dual staircases lead down to the hydraulic swim platform, which not only lowers into the water for handling water toys and swimming, but also rises to clear the aft wash when running. It serves as an additional alfresco social space as well.

Up top, the enclosed flybridge is home to the yacht’s only helm station. This space is also a mini salon, another great social area. Guests can sink into the ultra-soft sofa across from the 44-inch TV. Add in the fresh breeze by opening the sunroof, aft door and side windows. Headroom here is an equally impressive 6 feet, 7 inches. An open-flybridge version is available.

The helm is laid out with four 24-inch Garmin multifunction displays, so the operator can keep eyes on all the vital data, navigation charts, radar, sonar, cameras and more at a glance. With so much glass around the flybridge, visibility is unobstructed in all directions.

Step through the aft door to the flybridge terrace for more alfresco relaxation space. Eat, drink and be merry at the portside corner wet bar, which has two stools (with latches underneath, preventing tipping when in transit). A U-shaped dining area here can be used as lounge seating as well. A half-awning shields some of the space from the elements. Aft space is sufficient for additional lounge chairs. An on-deck day head reduces the need to go below.

Belowdecks, the 78 Motor Yacht is geared for the cruising enthusiast’s family. There are four staterooms and three heads. Down the forward staircase from the salon, an atrium landing provides access to all the staterooms. The full-beam master is amidships with a lounge seat, as well as a head with a shower stall and a separate toilet space. There’s also a full-size office desk that brings new meaning to the phrase “remote working.” Two double-bunk staterooms are forward, with the VIP in the forepeak.

The 78 Motor Yacht is customizable, and Riviera is open to owner requests. Want to replace the pantry with another fridge? No problem. Change the layout of the salon? Sure.

I found that responsive handling comes standard. The 78 Motor Yacht is a graceful craft that reacts well to the single-lever controls, as well as to wheel input. Going hard over on the wheel doesn’t mean it’s a white-knuckle ride. There’s a gentle lean into the turns and an easy rise when hitting the wakes. In other words, this is an easy yacht for an owner-operator or a light crew.

Speaking with Chris McCafferty, international sales director at Riviera Australia, I learned that this yacht was ideal for its owner’s needs—which mirror a lot of owners’ needs in the global cruising community. “For this owner, we were able to check off all the boxes they had,” he said. Room for a cruising family? Check. A bluewater hull form and robust build? Check. Luxurious and homelike amenities? Check. Long range for extended cruising itineraries? Check. Inside and outside living? Check.

It appears that the Riviera 78 Motor Yacht does indeed check a lot of boxes. It makes me wonder: What will they think of next?

Power Up

The Riviera 78 Motor Yacht’s engine options include V-12 MAN diesels in 1,500, 1,800 or 2,000 hp. The yacht I got aboard had the 2000s, providing a 21.1-knot cruise while burning 126 gallons per hour at 1,800 rpm, equating to a 450-nautical-mile range. At wide-open throttle, the yacht hit 29 knots at 2,200 rpm at a cost of 203 gph, yielding a range of 385 nm. Pull back the throttles to 10 knots for a 43 gph burn and a 2,500 nm range. 

Form and Function

Creating multifunction spaces is a focal point for Riviera. For example, the garage door opens to a large stowage room for water toys, rods and secured containers. A staircase (not a ladder) ensures safe footing into the well. When open, the garage door houses a rain-shower head and lighting to illuminate the platform and area aft.  

Bow Lounge

Smart design allows for a foredeck oasis with a forward-facing, U-shaped settee, a wooden table, side lounge seats and access to the foredeck gear.

At the Con

Sitting in the Stidd helm seat and taking in the dash feels like commanding a spaceship. There are touchscreens for most all functions, and buttons for on/off controls. On the right of the seat is an extended platform that houses the throttles, joystick, autopilot and chart-plotter controllers.  

Take the next step: rivieraaustralia.com

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Wooden Boats’ Limo Tender 27 is aimed at owners who want to create a versatile side ride that’s customizable and that can stand double duty as both a tender and a can-do day cruiser. Wooden Boats relied extensively on carbon fiber to create a strong and lightweight hull form that can carry up to 12 passengers—plus two crewmembers—while still attaining speeds of up to 37 knots when powered by a 270 hp Mercury diesel engine with a stern drive.

Whom It’s For: Boating enthusiasts seeking a tender that can accommodate people, pets and provisions while also delivering get-there-quick speeds and the kind of fun that encourages stand-alone adventures.

Picture This: You’re cruising Sardinia, and the internationally famous Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup is unfurling off of Porto Cervo. Your kids and their friends want to watch the massive sailboats racing, so you load up your Wooden Boats Limo Tender 27 and cruise out to the starting line. The guns fire, and, with speed to spare, you easily chase the racing sleds through the Maddalena Archipelago and home through Bomb Alley. Afterward, the boat’s fold-out swim platform proves universally popular.

Take the next step: woodenboats.it

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