It must be that owners of Horizon’s E82 like surprises, because the new E84 they helped dream up is full of them. The builder already had a successful vessel in the E82. The existing hull by Swedish naval architect John Lindblom is seaworthy and efficient, and owners especially like the yacht’s volume. From there, Horizon poured in all the input and worked some magic.
Immediate Impact
The effects of owner feedback are obvious when you step aboard the [Horizon E84][]. Certain features stand out as if they’ve come directly from those who would use the yacht on a regular basis — which is the point exactly. For example:
Bridge Protection The cockpit settee and teak table are quite stunning, but the real attraction is the unobtrusive two-level bar in one corner. A glass top reduces the bar’s apparent size. The cockpit area is shaded thanks to the flybridge overhang, which is longer than the E82’s by about 18 inches.
Bump-Free Spaces A formal dining table can cramp a yacht’s otherwise gorgeous entertainment area. Comments from E82 owners led to the idea of cleverly hiding the filler leaf for the table, which is always a stowage headache. Where’s it hidden? It tucks into a slot under the table where it’s protected when not in use.
Clear View Photos of the E84’s salon don’t begin to show its size. There are no bulkheads, so your eyes can range forward through the pilothouse windows. Large side windows enhance the unobstructed feeling.
Country Kitchen Owner input led to the pilothouse’s country-kitchen-style galley, with a dinette for six adults under the forward windows and a U-shaped counter to allow two or more cooks to work. The galley can be closed from the salon with a high-low glass partition.
Only on this Yacht
It isn’t often that I can say a yacht intrigued and amused me. This, however, is one of those times.
Start with the full-beam owner’s stateroom. Horizon is the first yacht builder to create a “signature” window in the master suite. Literally, it’s a signature: a sweptback “H” so there’s no question from across the harbor that this is a Horizon.
Also in the master suite, where typically you’d find a his-and-her head, there’s a single large head with oversize shower. This allows for a walk-in closet (in addition to two hanging lockers in the stateroom).
Then there’s the crew’s quarters. Two cabins each have a head and shower, plus there’s a crew mess with a lounge and galley. A stairway leading from the cockpit prevents crew members from tiptoeing around the swim platform at night.
I also took special note of the flybridge’s curved bar with swing-out stools. Even more clever is a hidden, full-size propane barbecue here that pops up and lowers so it’s protected from the elements when you’re not grilling.
Finally, forward on the bridge is the helm, which, like the barbie, pops up when needed and lowers to protect the electronics when not in use. This particular E84 had been upgraded to the Garmin 8000 series electronics suite.
They Got Me … Twice
I was a little disappointed that there was no lower helm station, since an open bridge would mean the skipper has to be outside regardless of the weather.
But I was wrong. A cabinet next to the dinette hides a complete lower helm station with go-kart-size wheel, joysticks for the thrusters, Garmin 8000 monitor and VHF radio. Bonus: A pantograph door to starboard opens to the Portuguese bridge and foredeck, making short-handing easy.
I was also about to question why the E84 has a hydraulic swim platform as well as a Steelhead 2000 crane, which seems like a belt-and-suspenders approach to stowing the tender. Yes, the 16-foot Novurania diesel tender can be hoisted by the crane and chocked on deck when underway, but when you get to an anchorage, just lower the platform, put the tender on chocks and raise it out of the water. It’s simple to relaunch, and it makes getting ashore easy. Given Horizon’s eye for detail and talent for building its customers’ wishes into the E84, it’s clear why this is a feature-filled yacht. Your hardest decision will be picking which direction to go.
