Why do we sometimes sleep poorly in a perfectly comfortable stateroom? Why do we have a favorite place on board – or for that matter, a preferred seat within that place? The likely answer is energy, in Chinese, ch’i (pronounced chee). Specifically, ch’i is life’s energy, that intangible, unseen, unheard essence that in the West is often referred to as "the natural balance of things" and in "Star Wars" as "The Force." Ch’i that is out of balance – moving too fast or too slow, pooling stagnant or draining rapidly – is usually why we answer the questions above with, "I don’t know; I’m just not comfortable there," or conversely, "It just feels right."

In enclosed spaces such as yachts, architecture and décor are the two biggest factors affecting ch’i, and thus how we feel. Fortunately, designers can turn to masters like Hank Reisen of Reisen Design Associates, who use feng shui (pronounced fung shway and literally translated from Chinese as "wind water") to impose architectural harmony and help restore balance to a yacht’s ch’i. Reisen, an MIT-trained architect based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, says feng shui’s Form School, which is concerned with the way people and energy move through space, is appropriate for boats. The Compass School, the art’s other technique based on geographic orientation, can’t be applied to a moving enclosure. Form School principles address shapes and proportions; colors, materials and textures; and all issues related to environmental psychology. Making good choices in all of these areas can help guests aboard feel that everything is indeed shipshape. (Click image to enlarge)

Spreading the general arrangements for Benetti’s 171-foot Sai Ram across his desk, Reisen says, "The idea is to proceed through the yacht interior from the most public to the most private areas, from the salon to the bath and spa." He offers a warning: "A general rule of thumb in feng shui is to avoid secret arrows – sharp corners and acute angles formed by walls and furnishings that can make guests feel anxious." You can’t control the elements, says Reisen, but, "you do have some control over the environment within your yacht."

The First View
"What people experience on entering sets the tone," Reisen explains. The designer should assume that some guests have never been on a boat, and safety and comfort will be their primary concerns. Their transition from the outside must be comfortable. Feng shui calls for easing the contrasts of extremes: yang (sunny, male, expansive) versus yin (shadowy, female, contractive). "The first view extends from the deck into the first room the passengers see as they move from a very bright outdoors to a low-ceilinged and possibly dark salon."

To compensate for lower ceilings and what sometimes can be a limited number of small windows in the salon, Reisen says the space "should be located in a part of the boat that has ample daylight, or can be augmented with pleasant artificial lighting. And to create a grander space in the room’s center, the ceiling can appear higher by the construction of slightly lowered soffits around the perimeter." Upward facing lights, such as open-top sconces, also help "raise" low ceilings.

The bagua identifies a room’s energy centers. Using the main entrance as a reference point, love, for example, is located in the far right corner. A painting or statue of a pair of cranes placed there is said to promote fidelity and romance. (Click image to enlarge)

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