| Broward 120 |  |
A funny thing happened to Tom Lewis on his way to buy a yacht. He
bought a boat company. Two years ago, Lewis, an attorney and successful real
estate developer, bought South Florida’s venerable Broward Marine. He knew he
hadn’t bought just any old boatyard. He had purchased one of the most
recognizable brands in yachting. He wasted no time getting down to the business
of building yachts. The first product of his efforts, a 120-foot raised
pilothouse motor yacht, was launched late last year, and more are in the
pipeline. Lewis committed to bringing back an American marque that had fallen on
hard times. Based on his first progeny, he’s well on the way.
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Top: An LCD TV lurks behind artwork in the
salon. Bottom: The formal dining room seats 10. (Click images to enlarge)
Broward had not seen a great deal of activity since 1998, when
founder Frank Denison’s family sold it to real estate developer Glenn Straub,
yet it still had enough name recognition and respect that people wondered
aloud from time to time, "What’s happening with Broward?"
"Plenty" was the answer to that question once Lewis took
the reins.
Founded by Frank Denison in 1948, Broward’s first boats were
wooden military vessels. Its first custom yacht was delivered in 1953, and in
the early 1970s the prolific yard switched to aluminum construction. Although
more than 300 yachts were launched, Lewis says the consecutive numerical
designations, a number that includes military vessels, reached 531.
The keel for 601, Broward’s first boat built under Lewis’
ownership, was laid in June 2005 and the boat launched in December2006—an
aggressive schedule for what was virtually a start-up. In addition to creating a
viable business, Lewis realized he had a legacy to protect and he accepted the
challenge, producing a yacht that improves on Broward’s previous builds in
design and attention to detail. "There were only nineteen people here when I
took over, not even a secretary on the administrative side," Lewis says. The
yard now employs 160 people, not including subcontractors.
A meeting with Evan K. Marshall—the American-born designer
based in London, whose projects include the Millennium 140 The World Is
Not Enough and the 161-foot Trinity Zoom Zoom Zoom—during the 2005
Miami International Boat Show, started the ball rolling even before Lewis had
finalized his purchase of the company.
Top: The wheelhouse has a nav area and an
observer’s settee. Bottom: The galley, is designed for food prep and
serving. (Click images to enlarge)
"We discussed a new exterior and interior look. We didn’t want
it to be confused with Azimut or Ferretti, or any of the current crop of popular
boats," Marshall says.
They agreed that the look had to have international appeal,
yet still respect the brand’s American roots.
Lewis returned to production with a raised pilothouse design.
"The raised pilothouse had been the basic design in the Broward line," Lewis
says. "I thought it was a logical starting point in bringing the yard back to
full production."
Marshall delivered four slightly different drawings. "We took
appealing elements from each and evolved the look of the 120 from them,"
Marshall says.
"I’m building the boat with these renderings, not fishing for a
buyer," was Lewis’ response.
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