friends and for charter guests, and accessibility
is a subtle theme throughout. For example, the
wide companionways that heighten the sense of
space also accommodate wheelchairs. An
elevator links all four decks, while a fully
submersible articulated stern boarding/bathing
platform enables physically challenged guests to
enjoy the water; for trips ashore, they can even
board kayaks on the stable platform and then
lower them into the sea, so guests can paddle
away without risk of tipping.
This spacious aft platform is the staging point
for watersports, from scuba diving to jet skis,
kiteboards, hydrofoil surfboards, Seabobs,
a floating island, inflatable lounges and
so on. The platform is connected to a lobby,
where the crew can fit equipment and, with the
help of videos, instruct guests on how to use it.
The upper saloon’s fold-out balcony ofers a
great vantage point for watching friends
and family enjoying watersports (including
a giant slide from the sundeck to the sea)
or simply enjoying the passing scene. With
the doors to the aft deck also open, fresh air
wafts through this area, while a sliding
internal door seals off the rest of the interior
to maintain its air-conditioned state. “Once
we are away from the dock, that balcony stays
open all of the time and is a versatile space that
can be used for whatever the setting suggests,”
Hodgson says.
There are plenty of other indoor and outdoor
spaces on ofer, so guests can always find a spot
to join the fun, or curl up with a book. Family
games and entertainment are a big consideration.
The upper deck saloon table, for example, can
just be a table for drinks and jigsaws, but when
the card games get serious its top flips over to
provide a Las Vegas-style green baize surface.
Music and entertainment are channelled
from multiple sources throughout the vessel,
with more than 1,000 movies on the server and
satellite television on hand to keep up with
current events. And those who want to enjoy the
ultimate viewing experience – starlit nights,
warm tropical breezes and a movie all at the same
time – can recline on the aft deck loungers while
the drama is projected from the mast onto a big
outdoor screen.
Given the accomplishment and quality of this
new addition to the global superyacht fleet, there
is nothing to suggest the challenging
circumstances of its creation. The Endless
Summer project began with all due excitement
and anticipation with a September 2013 keel
laying at the Christensen yard in Vancouver,
Washington. This was not the first large yacht for
the North American owners, but it was their firstsuperyacht build. Previously,
they owned a 38 metre originally
built in 1986 by Lloyds Ships in
Brisbane as Bravo Papa. They
were the third owners and
renamed it Endless Summer.
Australian skipper Hodgson
ran that boat for the owners for
more than a decade. “They loved
it. Every time, it was like their
first time on board. They were always so thrilled
to come on board and enjoy it. They loved
sharing it with family and friends, which they
did a lot. They are very sociable and generous.
It’s always nice to be part of a programme like
that.” However, their children had grown up
and the boat was in its third decade; it was time
to consider moving to something larger and
more modern.
The broad outline of the replacement brief
was to include more accommodation, low
maintenance and running costs, a shallow
draught (the Bahamas are a favourite cruising
ground), quality workmanship and, preferably, a
US shipyard. Christensen matched the brief with
its 49 metre platform. Attracted by the style and
accommodation layout, the composite
construction and the workmanship, the owners
signed a contract and work began on hull No 41.http://www.boatinternational.com | April 2018