and English. “I’m trying to strengthen the base of Vicem. We have a
strong tradition, yes. We just put our 162nd keel down. The success
of our brand is already there. My target is to make sure that this suc-
cess will continue for another 25 years.”
The first major step toward achieving that goal was revealed to
the world days earlier at the Palm Beach International Boat Show in
the form of the 46IPS, a boat that in one fell swoop challenged the
builder’s DNA to its cold-molded core.
Vicem got its start in 1991 building cold-molded wooden boats, and
became a player in the market thanks to a high level of craftsmanship
and fine mahogany joinery. Conventional, straight-shaft propulsion
has been another pillar of the builder’s strategy, throughout a sprawl-
ing lineup ranging from 36 to 151 feet. Only for the builder’s Vulcan
line (over 105 feet) has Vicem designed composite hulls.
“Fiberglass,” Ozbakir said, leaning in for emphasis. “There is noth-
ing wrong with wood, but the reality is there is demand for fiber-
glass. You go onto YachtWorld to search for a boat and the default
setting is fiberglass, you see. So if I want to stay in this business, we
need to prove ourselves in that world, too.”
When asked if the move to more mainstream (read: economi-
cal) construction methods would mean more boats built, Ozkabir
shook his head and said, “My target is not to build 100 boats, no
way. When we raise the amount of builds we have then we jeop-
ardize the quality. We’re not trying to build a BMW or Mercedes.
Those are nice, but we’re trying to build a Rolls-Royce.”T
he air was still and warm. The sun was just beginning to
rise behind a series of mansions across the channel; the
sound of a single drill echoed across the empty docks of
the just-finished Palm Beach International Boat Show.
Groggy workers began to arrive to box up displays.
I made my way to the Vicem display, where a striking 55 Classic
and the new 46IPS rested peacefully. A few early morning pleasant-
ries were exchanged as the crew prepared the boat for our sea trial.
I walked up to the bow to catch a dock line. Little did I know that the
first challenge for the 46 was about to begin: The slip, with a long finger
dock to port, required the captain to inch the boat out without hitting
the yacht in front of us; he would need to spin her in place about 270
degrees before heading out. In retrospect, I’m glad I didn’t know it was
only the second time our captain had driven the boat.
As he nudged the 46 forward, 1 inch at a time, I was able to grab—a
little too easily—the boat’s bowrail in front of us as we began to spin
and exit the slip. It was a relatively low-stress maneuver that was a
testament to the modern maneuvering capacity of the 435-horse-
power Volvo Penta IPS 600s.
I stepped back into the cockpit, then through a three-piece sliding ma-
hogany door into a saloon that is constructed, sole to overhead, with a
word I don’t use lightly—beautiful, book-matched brightwork. Where
the boat isn’t solid mahogany, it’s a substantial 1.8-millimeter-thick ve-
neer, meaning that, unlike most veneers, it can be sanded if need be.
The layout is smart, and in many ways traditional, with a generous
amount of space given to the cockpit and saloon. The staterooms,while striking in their own way, don’t offer immense space to walk
around; they’re intended for sleeping comfortably, not to be lavish
suites where you spend extended amounts of time.
Vicem offers the boat in a two- or three-stateroom layout. After
reviewing the renderings, I greatly prefer the two-stateroom layout
of our test boat as the three-stateroom option would sacrifice the
galley for a room with a single berth. Call me selfish, but I’d lose a
friend over the ability to make breakfast any day!
After examining the accommodations I joined our captain,
Ahmed Alvarez, at the helm. We were meandering through the no-
wake zone out to the inlet. Borrowing the helm from Alvarez, I rel-
ished the slow ride after what was a couple of hectic days at the show.
We eventually found the open ocean and a short, 2-foot chop.
Spooling up the IPS600s I noted two things: First, thanks to the pods,
she felt light and responsive; and second, her sharp entry sliced very
comfortably through head seas. A “clog in the fuel line,” according to
Alvarez, prevented the 46 from reaching her alleged top speed of 30
knots. In fact, we only saw 24.7 knots during two-way averaged speed
runs. Sightlines all around the boat were exceptional.
The only criticism I had for the 46, which has become a common
theme on shakedown tests I’ve been on, is that the drawers and
closets seemed to fly open every few minutes, even in what was a
relatively smooth ride with little pounding. I’m told these issues
will be addressed before the boat is delivered to her owner.
At the conclusion of our test, we headed back inside the inlet so Digi-
tal Editor John Turner and I could jump ship to a Vicem 55 Classic
chase boat to shoot photos and video.
Watching the 46 slice through the wake of the 55 allowed me to
see just how cleanly she plies the water. I missed being at the helm
almost immediately.I
recounted my impressions to Ozbakir when he had a rare
chance to put down his phone and take a bite of his lunch.
“If this line is as successful as I think it could be, would you
consider making a shift away from cold-molded boats?” I
asked.
“I don’t think we’ll ever move away from cold-molded,” replied
Ozbakir, who admitted that building wooden hulls has its challeng-
es—specifically, there aren’t as many skilled carpenters waiting in the
wings at Vicem as there once were. “Like here, people are moving
away from this type of work for jobs in the cities. That’s why we’re
going to build a type of school where the new guys work and learn
from the old guys. It’ll be like a two-year university where you as-
sist with a 10-month build or a 14-month build. We’ll train 12 to
20 carpenters at a time. Paint and varnish we can send people out
to learn—but carpentry, no. Ninety percent of their training comes
from experience. For the last 2,000 years, our carpenters have been
building boats in the same exact location, you see. We had huge
ships built here for a long time. We need to preserve that.”
Between his passion for the brand, and a desire to preserve its
heritage while moving design forward, I found myself respecting the
young Turk. But one question—the elephant in the room—nagged atMy target is not to build 100 boats, no way ... We’re not trying to build a BMW or Mercedes.
Those are nice, but we’re trying to build a Rolls-Royce.
Clockwise from top: Mahogany throughout the saloon provides a sophisticated look; the cocktail table flips up to reveal drink holders; a smart-
looking helm; the three-piece door glides open with the pull of a finger; even the galley has impressive brightwork.WWW.PMYMAG.COM JUNE 2017 / POWER & MOTORYACHT 43