Kate Simpson
08/01/2005
Americans like things big: businesses, cars, celebrities,
homes. So when European design firm Nuvolari-Lenard teamed up with U.S. builder
Palmer Johnson to create something different for the American market, it had to
figure out how to marry its inherently sleek Italian style with grand American
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Alter Ego’s spacious lounging and dining
salon. (Click image to enlarge)
With sleight of hand and a trick of the eye, designer and
builder achieved the seemingly impossible; a chic, attention-grabbing 123-foot
yacht with an interior that holds voluminous, eminently livable spaces.
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Alter Ego is the first of a new series of composite-built, raised pilothouse yachts. Its eye-catching design is in step with Palmer Johnson’s new "back-to-the-future" boat building philosophy. The "back" refers to a time when Palmer Johnson, under the direction of Mike Kelsey, regularly lived on the cutting edge and wowed the world with innovative creations. A change of ownership in 2000 didn’t fare well for the company. Then Timur Mohamed took over in 2004, and the company is again building in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, with renewed energy and focus, and a Kelsey – Mike Kelsey Jr. – at the helm. Today, Palmer Johnson is drawing inspiration from past achievements that were ahead of their time, such as crafting the fastest boat in the world in 1979, and building the lipstick-red, carbon fibertopped, 50-knot Force of Habit in 1988.
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The on-deck master stateroom would make a tri-deck proud.
Note how the walnut furniture pieces stand out against the lighter cherry bulkhead. (Click image to enlarge) "It used to be that when you spend ten, twelve, fifteen million on a yacht you would get something you would be recognized for," says Dan Lenard, one of the two principals behind Nuvolari-Lenard. "Now that megayacht production has doubled in the past five years, you cannot distinguish yourself."
"Highly styled" is the new buzzword at Palmer Johnson. "When a person passes one of our yachts at the dock, we want him to say ‘Wow, that’s a Palmer Johnson,’" says President Mike Kelsey Jr. First came the pet project of new owner Mohamed, a line of Euro-style 120-foot aluminum sport yachts. Then, recognizing that not everyone wants a metal boat, Palmer Johnson delved into the composite market when the perfect opportunity presented itself.
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Before taking over Palmer Johnson Inc. in Sturgeon Bay, Mohamed and, more visibly, Kelsey were running a different operation in Savannah, Georgia, under the same product name. Palmer Johnson Savannah bought the assets of the talented composite shipyard Intermarine, including three 123-foot hulls and the mold.
While the hulls were extremely well constructed, thanks to the vacuum infusion process developed by Intermarine (see TechTalk), Palmer Johnson and Nuvolari-Lenard breathed life into the design. Discarding the original superstructure, the team created something very different for an arguably saturated market segment.At first glance, the pearlized paint shows that this isn’t your typical gelcoat job. Then, almost subconsciously, the eye perceives the protrusion of the radar arch beyond the yacht’s full body, creating the illusion of a narrow boat penetrating through the full beam. This clever strategy makes the widebody salon below just a consequence of the design, not the leading factor. In addition, the top deck carries the pilothouse’s smaller width aft, where the slender aft overhead adds to the yacht’s sleek appearance.
Meanwhile, inside the main salon is a space befitting a 150-footer. And the galley forward is big enough for a chef to whip up a banquet. "The boat was built around the galley; it is not leftover space. People want the best food on yachts, so you have to give someone the proper environment to create it," says Lenard, adding that there is an astounding 30 feet of counter space.
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The wheelhouse is a true megayacht bridge, encompassing both
excellent working and observing spaces. The helm is equipped with all Raymarine
navigation electronics. (Click image to enlarge) Forward on the main deck, the yard and designers created a master suite that belongs on a tri-deck yacht. Instead of the country kitchen found on many midsize raised pilothouse yachts, the space is given over to a spacious king-bed suite with his-and-her baths running athwartships forward. "It is a true large yacht for someone who doesn’t want a large yacht," says Kelsey. To maintain privacy, windows facing the port and starboard sidedecks were purposely kept below the eye level of anyone passing outside.
Nuvolari-Lenard designed Alter Ego after working on the 212-foot Perini Navi Felicità west – a modern adaptation of a classic gentleman’s sailing yacht. "We took the experience and language from the Perini and transported it into this boat," says Lenard. "The interior has the spirit of light. It is soft, not too chateau-like."
A tone-on-tone theme of the fabrics and satin-finished joinery runs throughout. The fabrics, by Italian company Rubelli, play on texture variations rather than color. Bulkheads are cherry while much of the furnishings, such as the beds and nightstands, are walnut. "It’s like bringing pieces into a finished house," says Lenard. "You can feel the depth." Elegant dark wengé flooring in the main salon integrates with the two-toned joinery and "floats" the lighter wood dining chairs.
Palmer Johnson’s "big-boat" mentality shines through in the quality of construction. Alter Ego is built like a superyacht, not a production boat. As Lenard says, laughing, "It would be against the mother program for them to do any differently!" The wheelhouse, sporting Stidd captain’s chairs, offers excellent visibility from the helm even with the master stateroom below. The spacious engine room shows the sophistication of the big builds with copper-nickel piping, Soundown exhaust silencers and Delta "T" ventilation. Performance is a respectable 20 knots from twin MTU 16V 2000s.
She’s also exceptionally quiet. Kelsey started up the engines at the Miami Yacht & Brokerage Show for two clients, one of whom ended up buying her. Most builders wouldn’t dare expose any rattle or risk smoking up the dock, but Kelsey had nothing to fear from the yacht’s floating interior and rubber-gasketed doors. Neither of the clients could tell when he shut down the engines. "We insulated this fiberglass boat the same way we insulate all of our aluminum boats. If you take the technology from a louder material and translate it into fiberglass, the results will be even quieter," says Kelsey. Under way, decibel levels register as low as the 40s.At Anchor leisure was another important design consideration for Alter Ego. The flybridge reflects this, equipped with a sit-down bar, dining table, barbecue, sun pads and a Jacuzzi. The soft pearlized paint is easy on the eyes in the harsh sun and tender stowage is neatly out of the way aft. But the yacht’s stern is the real treat. Instead of a swim platform, the transom bulwark hydraulically folds down, creating a step into the sea and adding space onto the cockpit to form an expansive beach. It’s ideal for lounging, fishing and toy launching. When the yacht prepares to get under way, it closes up tight at the push of a button, rendering the area exceptionally safe.
Alter Ego shows a different raised pilothouse personality. From the yacht’s design, décor and construction to the innovative details and finish, Palmer Johnson achieved what it set out to do – build for the most popular luxury yacht market segment without producing just another white boat.
| Yacht Name: | Alter Ego |
| Yacht Year: | 2005 |
| Yacht Type: | Motor Yacht |
| Builder: | Palmer Johnson |
| Interior Design: | Nuvolari-Lenard |
| Draft: | 6' 6" (1.98m) |
| LOA (Actual length): | 123' (37.49m) |
| Displacement: | 160 (half load) tons |
| Max Speed: | 20 kts |
| Cruise Speed: | 15 kts |
| Beam: | 24' 6" (7.47m) |
| Architecture: | Palmer Johnson |
| Hull Material: | FRP composite |
| Superstructure Material: | FRP composite |
| Exterior Design: | Nuvolari-Lenard |
| Fuel Capacity: | 7,500g (28,390.59L) |
| Water Capacity: | 880g (3,331.16L) |
| Engines: | 2x MTU 16V2000 DDEC, 1,800-hp |
| Generators: | 2x Northern Lights, 65kW |
| Engine Room ventilation: | Delta “T” |
| Air conditioning: | Aqua-Air |
| Watermarker: | Sea Recovery Aqua Whisper, 1,500 gpd |
| Bow thruster: | Quantum, 54kW |
| Stabilizers: | Quantum |
| Paint: | Awlgrip, custom pearl white for hull and superstructure |
| Deck Windlass: | 2x Maxwell VWC 6000 |
| Black Water Treatment: | Headhunter |
| Toilet: | Tecma |
| Radar: | Raymarine, 10kW |
| Autopilot: | Raymarine S3G |
| GPS: | Raymarine RS120 WAAS |
| Depth Sounder: | Raymarine DSM250 |
| Wind Instruments: | Raymarine ST290 |
| Sat TV receiver: | SeaTel 2494 |
