Yachting July 2016

THE VIEW FROM ON HIGH at the Doria Park Hotel in Lerici, Italy, was simply stunning. This ancient town sits on the Gulf of La Spezia, also known as the “Gulf of Poets,” thanks to writers such as D.H. Lawrence, Lord Byron and Mary Shelley, who spent time here being inspired. Below, the plaza’s shops and restaurants bustled with activity as the late-afternoon sun gave the placid sea a trance-inducing golden hue. Gazing down at the horseshoe-shaped bay overlooking the boat-filled mooring field, I could see an armada of mostly locally built, rugged craft bobbing in rhythm. An admittedly certifiable boat nut, I needed to take a closer look. I strolled down a winding walkway and onto the plaza, where the scent of salt air wafted across the promenade, leaving…

Patrick, your letter in the May issue was perfect. Thank you for writing it. Talk about somebody who gets it! Also appreciate your nod to our service members. Freedom indeed — it’s not only the name of my boat, it’s why I got into this business after “retiring” from the Corps. Please keep up the great work! LT. COL. MATT HOWARD, U.S. MARINE CORPS (RET.) We’re glad you enjoyed it, Matt. And thank you for your service. THE EDITORS READER FEEDBACK Looking for photos and yacht news? Get social with Yachting: visit facebook.com/yachtingmagazine By Email: letters@yachtingmagazine.com By Mail: 460 N. Orlando Ave., Suite 200, Winter Park, FL 32789. On the Web: yachtingmagazine.com…

LAST FALL, YACHTING posted a video on Facebook showing how a Seakeeper stabilization system can level out a center-console in choppy water. Our online audience was so excited about this type of technology that they shared the 40-second video nearly 30,400 times. It reached more than 5 million people. Now, from another corner of the marine industry, comes word from Volvo Penta that it has acquired a majority stake in Humphree, a Swedish company that makes stabilizing fins, trim systems and more. For several years, Volvo Penta has used Humphree as the supplier for its Interceptor System; the strengthening of the partnership now means yachtsmen can expect even more developments in terms of comfort at sea. “Who knows what’s going to happen in five or 10 years from now, but…

ANDY HERRINGTON HAD spent more than 20 years with Christensen Shipyards when the gates closed because of financial trouble, throwing him and the other craftsmen out of their jobs. Like his co-workers, he scrounged what work he could to make ends meet. “I did a little bit of logging and tree chopping and horse training when we were off,” he says, “but mostly we just figured out how to reopen.” That problem was resolved by Henry Luken, who purchased his first Christensen, Liquidity, in 2001 and had been part-owner of the yard since 2003. He’s now the principal yard owner and owns one of two yachts that are partly completed on site. Two other partly finished yachts, the 164-footers Silver Lining and Chasseur, will have launched by the time you…

WHEN ITALIAN yacht designer Luca Dini described his Kifaru 43 Baby as looking like “a fighter plane without wings,” he wasn’t kidding. With her angular low profile and 42-knot top end thanks to twin 370 hp Yanmar sterndrives, this aluminum day boat looks like she’d be almost as at home in the wild blue yonder as she is on the deep blue sea. • WHOM IT’S FOR: This is a day-tripper’s boat — open, fast and fun. She’d make an excellent tender for a superyacht owner (call it 150-plus feet to keep the proportions right) with an eye for forward-thinking design choices such as a minimalistic helm and carbon-fiber Bimini. • PICTURE THIS: You’re eight days into a monthlong Mediterranean cruise on your 180-footer. The pressures of your normal life…

COUNTLESS YACHTSMEN around the world admire the creations of Nathanael Herreshoff, the “Wizard of Bristol” who dominated yacht design at the turn of the 20th century. But his shop where he built his yachts tells even more of a story, one often underappreciated. The Herreshoff Manufacturing Company was not just one building; it was a collection of sheds and shops along Burnside Street in his birthplace of Bristol, Rhode Island. The vertically integrated system that he and his brother John created was unusual at the time, says Norene Rickson, librarian and archivist at the Herreshoff Marine Museum. Design and production were one and the same — most anchors, capstans, cleats, engines, fittings, lines, sails and spars were designed and built at the shop. Six to eight buildings were dedicated to…