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Tony Accurso broke all the rules in building his 119-foot dream boat.
by H. Shaw McCutcheon
photography by H. Shaw McCutcheon
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08/01/2005
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The project was scheduled to take three years; it ended up requiring
four. Accurso had stipulated the yacht would have the latest and best systems.
The build took so long, however, that sometimes suppliers came out with
upgrades, and Accurso found himself ripping out the old versions and installing
the new. Fortunately, the pilothouse had been designed and installed by RCS
Engineering, a specialist in integrated, modular pilothouses in which all
components are front-mounted for easy servicing and upgrades. So when a
new-model radar debuted, it was simple for RCS and Larry Smith Electronics,
which also advised Accurso, to replace the old one. "When the boat came out last
year, I wanted it to be a new boat," said Accurso. "I didn’t want it to be a
boat with four-year-old systems on it."
 The master bath. (Click image to enlarge)
Experts were called in to assist
when needed. Atlas helped out with shorepower needs; Ward’s Marine consulted on
the electrical system; Northern Lights reps came to check on the generator
installation; Detroit Diesel of Canada, which had never installed a yacht
engine, was permanently on call; Van Cappellen Consultancy produced a
noise-reduction plan. And every three months Ian Kerr from marine surveyor
Patton Marine inspected and approved the process.
As the build evolved, it
became obvious the hull would have to be lengthened. The crew quarters, forward,
was too small; the three guest staterooms all had to fit king-size beds; and
sidedecks, needed to minimize crew/guest interaction, had to be incorporated
without sacrificing interior space. As the changes took shape the boat gradually
grew (along with the shed, which had to be rebuilt each time) to 118 feet, six
inches, her present length.
In 2002 Accurso hired naval architect Jean Pierre
Balduc to ensure the yacht’s dimensions were mathematically correct. The
original vessel had been built to ABS specifications, and the scantlings were
very heavy. Accurso didn’t go after a new ABS classification, but ABS specs were
always considered during the build. The semi-displacement bottom had been
intended for 20- to 25-knot speeds. Accurso was unconcerned with speed. What he
wanted was luxury, comfort and overbuilt and redundant systems, and he was
satisfied with a displacement-variety 12- to 13-knot speed (which she does
achieve).
The yacht’s lengthening, however, resulted in too much buoyancy
aft, so Balduc found a way to widen the bow underwater to add buoyancy forward
without reducing efficiency. Some of the welding forward also had to be
strengthened. And the propeller shafts were remachined to further reduce
vibration. But Balduc mostly found himself restraining Accurso, who kept coming
up with new ideas and change orders. At some point, he argued, the yacht had to
be finished.
 The lower-deck guest
foyer. (Click image to enlarge)
The final vessel is influenced largely by stylish European
designs. Dufresne’s exterior profiling and interior arrangement follows a
classic approach, with sleek Italian influences inside and out. The sweep of the
forward house extends up and aft, past steeply angled pilothouse windows to the
flybridge, which is largely covered by a hardtop extending fore and aft from the
radar arch. Originally planned for the flybridge, the six-person Jacuzzi was
relocated to the main deck astern, just aft of a round dining room table. The
unusual location makes the covered aft deck a focal gathering place.
Another interesting feature is the dayhead just inside the
sliding doors from the aft deck to the salon. This location makes it convenient
for guests to go from the Jacuzzi to the head to a meal without leaving the
area.
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