Delivered in early June by Feadship’s Royal van Lent shipyard, 198-foot Blue Moon is Richard and Judi Duchossois’ third yacht of this name and the second to be built expressly for them by van Lent, with space planning, interior design and exterior styling by Donald Starkey. Although longer, deeper and wider, this boat has interior and deck arrangements that are nearly identical to those on their previous boat.

“The flow of people, the ability to easily get wherever you want, and the usability were very important to us,” Duchossois explained, “We were very happy with Blue Moon Two, however, Blue Moon Three expands on all of these features. This boat gives us an owners’ area where we have a larger office space and a separate exercise room, both with full bathrooms so they can easily be converted to two large staterooms, if desired, and there is an additional exercise room on the accommodations deck.”

Another design feature that has been retained from the previous boat is the location of the tenders—a restored 1972 Riva Aquarama Special and a 25-foot Chris-Craft Launch—which are positioned just forward of amidships on the bridge deck. This frees up the entire exterior lounge on the aftermost part of that deck, as well as reserving the aft deck below for the owners, who use the area frequently while cruising.

The bridge deck also has an added feature, known to the owners and crew as the “Judi Patio,” where, by sliding a series of glass panels, an exterior seating area can be converted in minutes to a climate-controlled interior space, seamlessly extending the bridge deck lounge. “When we were in Denmark (for the maiden voyage), the weather was horrible,” Duchossois recounts, “but because of its floor-to-ceiling glass, we could use that area for dining. It’s just like being outside but without the elements. In good weather, the glass partitions fold away, and with glass fashion plates, there is nothing to obstruct the view.

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”Unlike the previous boat, which was entirely built of aluminum alloy, the new Blue Moon has a steel hull. The owner noted that his family found that for their preferred cruising grounds, the relatively shallow draft that was possible on the previous boat was unnecessary. Thanks to the steel hull’s increased volume, extensive utility, technical and accommodation spaces—including a sizeable crew lounge—could be arranged on the tank deck.“We felt that when you have a crew of this size,” explained Duchossois, “there are always some who want to get away, or some who just want to visit, read, watch TV or just relax. If you don’t have a comfortable crew, you don’t have a happy crew, and then it isn’t much fun sailing.”

Here, Blue Moon provides a tip for yacht owners who plan to cruise for extended periods, or who plan to charter. Although the crew is generally 14, the crew lounge on the tank deck has an additional feature that allows it to be divided, converting half of the space to a cabin with a private head. This arrangement provides berthing for two, in the event a pilot must be carried to satisfy navigation regulations. Under operating regulations, the berths cannot be used by full-time crew, because they are located below the cabin deck.

Other changes include a tubular, glass elevator, encircled by a staircase terminating in an observation lounge on the sun deck. Duchossois acknowledged that, because of cold or windy weather, the couple was often unable to use the sun deck on the previous boat, adding, “Now, by having an observation area surrounding the elevator and wind-break doors on the port and starboard sides, we have a deck that can be used most of the time.” But the most noticeable difference is Starkey’s exterior styling, particularly the increased length of the foredeck, which gives the boat a sleeker, more balanced appearance. Another departure from the two previous boats is the décor, done on the new boat by Robin Waterman of Lee Perot Design. Waterman collaborated closely with the owners in choosing soft goods and loose furniture. The finished product has a relaxed, residential feel.

“You can have a house, or you can have a home,” Duchossois stated. “We look at this as more like a home. It isn’t over-contemporary. It isn’t over-traditional. It’s sort of in between, and I think that, with Don Starkey’s layout and Lee Perot’s interior, working along with my wife, everything fits together.”

Duchossois is not one to compromise on yacht systems. “State-of-the-art equipment ensures comfort for everyone. If people are important enough to bring on board, they’re important enough to be given the very best. After all, when we’re aboard, it’s our home. It’s not a showcase to be on exhibit. It has to be livable for us and our friends; it has to be comfortable, friendly,” he said.

What makes the interior work so well are the same design details that were a success on the previous boat: large spaces with an intimate feel, finishes that are pleasing to the eye and touch, and a color palette that is soft and inviting.Starkey noted that another attractive feature is that the guest cabins can be converted into two large suites, each with sleeping cabin and spacious sitting room. The forward cabins, he explained, can also be arranged to include the gym, making it a sort of “super VIP suite.”

Many of the boat’s mechanical aspects are noteworthy, and each was carefully analyzed by the boat’s captain, Emile Bootsma, and his consulting engineer, Charlie Baker, as the boat was being designed. For example, stability at anchor has been augmented by the combination of ZeroSpeed stabilizers and bilge keels, and by the addition of a Veth azimuthing thruster that retracts into the engine room. The stern thruster can be used for docking, trolling or heading control at anchor. Another is the pair of Caterpillar C-9 electronic generators—the first installation on a yacht.

 “This boat is an evolution,” Bootsma explained. “All three have been Starkey designs, but each has been better—more refined and more user friendly—than the preceding one. On the last boat, we told the yard about the things we wanted to change, but we forgot to tell them about the features we liked. As a result, some of the things that worked well for us got changed during the build. On this boat, the things that worked, we kept; things that didn’t, we tried to change.”

Duchossois concurs. “Blue Moon Two is a wonderful ship and had the very latest of everything when launched in 2000; however, there have been many new and creative innovations in design and equipment since then. Building the new boat gave us a very interesting and exciting opportunity to try them out as well as create some of our own ideas.

“But the real impetus was that I like to build boats,” he laughed. “It wasn’t that we needed another boat, there were just several new things I wanted to do.”

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