Yachts

Another Word For Special

The Hargrave 76 Wide Body is a spectacular yacht by any standards.

By Chris Caswell Photography by Scott Pearson

Updated: September 17, 2015

Bespoke. Say that word in America and you’ll get a quizzical look in response. But drop it to an Englishman, and it will conjure visions of engraved Purdey shotguns, pinstriped Gieves & Hawkes suits and custom shoes from James Taylor & Son, which advertises itself as “bespoke shoemakers since 1857.” Bespoke is so far beyond “custom” that it defies definition. It is the difference between wearing Walmart and wearing Gucci. If you were to enter a bespoke tailor shop on Savile Row in London and ask for a purple suit with chartreuse polka dots, the tailor would smile deferentially and ask, “And how large would those dots be, sir?” The [Hargrave][] 76 Wide Body is about as close to bespoke as you can get in the yachting world without sitting down with a fully custom, supersize yacht builder.

Words To Build By When Hargrave Yachts CEO and Chairman Mike Joyce bought Jack Hargrave’s yacht design empire, he kept some of the former owner’s advice alive. “Jack used to remind us that part of our job is to protect clients from bad ideas, and knowing what it takes to have success on the resale market. We’ve actually turned down orders we didn’t believe in.” This yacht, Quiet Sun, showcases another Joyce-ism that owners will appreciate and that Mike very much believes in: “Headroom is the third dimension on a yacht.”

The Secrets of Space The Wide Body version of the 76 eliminates all but a sliver of the side decks, so the cabin house extends nearly the entire 20-foot beam. The result: extra interior volume. For the chef: Using the full beam makes the country-kitchen-style galley spacious, even with a large working island in the center. Forward, under the windows, is a wraparound dinette — ideal for family meals. For guests: Accommodations are impressive: two king-berth staterooms and a full queen that can be divided into twins. Each has an en suite head with stall shower. The VIP is forward (unusual for its king berth), and the full-beam master is amidships. For Owners: I can’t call the master a stateroom. It’s a suite, with designs drawn from the Hargrave 125: double windows, inlaid mother-of-pearl mosaic headboard and a writing desk. Two closets (one a walk-in) and a 12-drawer bureau help make this a liveaboard yacht. For teens: A full-beam cabin abaft the engine room can be used for crew or guests. On some yachts, stuffing guests into the crew quarters can end friendships, but this one has a queen berth (plus a pullman), marble shower and flat-screen TV. Teens will love it as a hideaway.

High Impact As architect Mies van der Rohe said, “God is in the details,” and so it is with the Hargrave 76 Wide Body. The Subtle While moving around the 76 Wide Body, I grabbed a rail as we all do at some point, consciously or not. My attention was fixed, as were my fingers, on the welds polished like jewels. It takes a lot of time to get them this perfect. My eyes also discovered the book-matched grain of the silky-smooth teak cockpit dining table. It’s hard to imagine how the Hargrave craftsmen made it so impeccably. They did the same inside the lockers, of all places, which are cleanly finished where they’re rarely seen. The Obvious A word about the standard equipment on a Hargrave: It’s a long list. A very long list. It includes everything that some manufacturers nickel-and-dime you with on an options list. Just a sampling turns up Naiad stabilizers and Naiad hydraulic bow thruster, Glendinning 100-amp Cablemaster, Concord camera system and a KVH Tracvision TV to feed the TVs that are seemingly everywhere (including “the big one,” a 75-inch HDTV in the salon). Let’s see, there’s also a Panasonic telephone and intercoms, full Wi-Fi … as I said, the list is long.

When It’s Go Time Power for the 76 Wide Body is a pair of 1,150-horsepower Cat C-18 ACERT diesels, which give her a top speed of 24 knots and a comfy cruise of 20 knots. A pair of Phasor 30 kW gensets provide electrical power when at sea. The engine room has a centerline walkway and easy access to all systems. Hargrave goes the extra mile with quality such as Aeroquip stainless-steel, braided fuel hoses rather than standard rubber, Reverso oil changers and backup hydraulic pumps on both engines.

The Inside Story When you walk through the staterooms and salons of Hargrave yachts at a fall boat show, you’re probably looking at creative ideas from Shelley DiCondina’s firm, Yacht Interiors by Shelley. This is the team that designed the interior on Quiet Sun, a project that posed some unique challenges. Yachting: What was the brain teaser that caused the most discussion about this yacht’s interior? DiCondina: We wanted an urban, bold and sexy interior, but we didn’t want it to get too far out there because the yacht was built on spec. Yachting: Did the order include any “musts” for the salon? DiCondina: Yes, it had to seat 10 for socializing, and it had to have an elegant bar with every amenity. Yachting: What became your favorite furniture piece? DiCondina: I love the two 42-inch cocktail tables made from burled woods. They’re supposed to be pieces of art, but they need to be functional as well. Yachting: And how about the coolest touch? DiCondina: That has to be the mother-of-pearl mosaic in the master stateroom. Yachting: Open up here. Is Hargrave a difficult client? DiCondina: Very. I’m married to the company’s president, Mike DiCondina!