Yachting October 2015

WHEN I WAS A KID, my parents and their friends would head into the city (that’s what Long Islanders call Manhattan) for the New York National Boat Show. It was an epic event at the time. For more than a week, on-the-water enthusiasts got to indulge in all that was new in the yachting world: shiny, freshout-of-the-mold boats, sparkling gear and eye-catching accessories, some of which were cool while others were simply novel and quirky. Nonetheless, the show inspired you to think about upgrading to a bigger, newer vessel. It motivated you to add some cool new beeping gadget that would help you become a better helmsman. It reminded you of your passion for this amazing pastime we are so fortunate to pursue. And it sparked dockside and dinner conversations…

PERSONALIZATION, IT SEEMS, is the buzzword of the times. We can go online and click to build everything from our ideal John Deere tractor to our ideal Harley-Davidson motorcycle to our ideal Porsche or Maserati sports car. The custom options go well beyond paint colors too, extending to features as small as ashtrays. And yet, even the most customized automobile configured online is unlikely to have a price tag topping $250,000. Yachts are a whole other ballgame. Would anybody really click to build a $20 million vessel and then call the shipyard to order it? “Our sales team is extremely busy with processing all incoming requests that are generated from the online configurator. We have four serious leads and hope to share more information by the end of the year,”…

You might think from the rendering above that the sun-deck shade on the top deck is the only thing that separates the new Dyna 60 Hardtop from her flybridge sistership, but rest assured, more design tweaks await inside. On the main deck, the flybridge model’s aft galley has been moved forward, creating an entire second area of salon seating while keeping the cook close to the conversation. Belowdecks, the three guest staterooms remain the same (including the full-beam master) but the crew quarters are reconfigured, allowing space for a lounge area. Look for the new model at the show stand of Dyna Yachts’ East Coast dealer, 26 North Yachts. Take the next step: dynayachts.com…

ANY BOATER who has meandered along the shore where locals swing metal detectors has heard of Mel Fisher. He’s the chicken-farmer-turned-treasurehunter who found the wreck of the Atocha and her $450 million booty off Key West, Florida, in 1985. After Fisher died, his heirs sold the rights to the wrecks of the 1715 fleet. Today, Brent Brisben continues the hunt and sublets the rights to other seekers of buried bounty. This year, they had a heck of a summer, finding millions of dollars’ worth of gold in two shallow-water strikes. The first was in late July, when a family subcontracting rights from Brisben found more than 50 gold coins and one beautifully preserved royal (see sidebar), a haul worth about $1 million. Then in August, about 35 miles away, Brisben’s…

PRESTIGE, as you might guess from its name, styles itself as a builder of refined luxury yachts to about 70 feet in length. The company designs its yachts on three basic concepts: all living spaces are on one level, each yacht has an independent owner’s suite, and every salon has 360-degree panoramic views. This is a significant order to fill in a 41-footer like the Prestige 420 Fly. The salon has a raised area to provide headroom for the stateroom below — not quite one level, but this is a good thing because both the dinette and the helm are on this raised platform and have a wonderful view of the scenery passing by. There are two blind spots aft on each side, but our test boat resolved this with…

I LIKE SHAPES A ND LIGHTING ON SHAPES. I LIKED A BOAT WITH A LOT OF SAILS BECAUSE IT GAVE A LOT OF DIFFERENT SHAPES. I LIKED THE WAY SUNLIGHT HIT THE SAILS AND THERE WERE CERTAIN ANGLES AND WIND AND SUN COMBINATIONS WHERE YOU WOULD GET A DIRECT LIGHT ON THE EDGE OF THE JIB AND THAT WOULD TURN TO A SHADOW AND THE SHADOW WOULD TURN TO A BACKLIT SECTION, SO YOU’D GET THREE DIFFERENT LIGHTINGS ON ONE SAIL . — PETER BARLOW MARINE PHOTOGRAPHER Peter Barlow didn’t grow up in boating. He didn’t start as a marine artist either. He was actually a painter. Barlow was walking along a beach one day when distant sailboats caught his attention. At that time, he thought he’d do a series…