| Westport 164 |  |
"For Vango," Starkey noted, "we decided on the
mahogany and pommele mahogany combination as a classic wooden interior that
would have a [broad] appeal. Complementing this would be modern detailing to
follow the modern style of the exterior. The interior has been detailed with
built-in features that allow a buyer to change wood finishes without upsetting
the production methods."One of the key elements in the design of all Westport offerings
is speed, and the 164-footer is no exception. Designed with a maximum speed
target of 24 knots, the boat attained more than 25 knots during trials at half
load and can cruise comfortably and quietly—as well as fairly economically—at
20. Surprisingly, this has been accomplished with a relatively generous beam
and a draft that will allow the boat to be easily operated in shoal areas such
as the Bahamas and southern New England. The same beam and draft combination does not appreciably reduce
the boat’s interior volume. In fact, the 164 has a spacious, well thought out
arrangement that is sure to please most potential customers, including those
contemplating far more expensive yachts from custom builders. It is also
noteworthy that the boat is classed by the ABS and was carefully designed to
admeasure at less than 500 gross tons. "During the development of the detailed design," Starkey recalled,
"fine-tuning adjustments were made to ensure compliance with the tonnage rules,
and so what might have been considered reductions in space became benefits. "Examples are the upper-deck side terraces, created to reduce
the internal volume; one being accessible from the VIP suite on the starboard
side and one on the port side, from the bar area in the lounge. The forward area
in front of the bridge was extended to reduce measurable volume in the forward
deckhouse, providing a further outside entertaining area, and the extensive
sun-deck area, for the same measurement reason, became comparable with yachts of
180 feet or more." As most readers know, Westport has continued to refine its
production yachtbuilding methods year after year, and while the 164 sets a
higher standard of finish, the boat strictly adheres to Westport’s precept of
lean manufacturing. One construction detail that any builder would find
impressive is the small number of parts that are required to assemble the boat.
Because the boat was designed in great detail before any work began on the
tooling, and because the boats are constructed in a purpose-built facility, the
164 can be assembled from only six large FRP parts. Furthermore, the company’s
real-time tracking and accounting system allows Westport to use just-in-time
ordering procedures that minimize the requirement for warehouse space and
dramatically lower the need to carry expensive inventory for long periods of
time. This system, however, does not overly limit the customer in terms of layout.
Wakefield noted that the builder will work with customers to arrive at an
arrangement that is personalized to the highest degree possible.
"Our [mission]," he explained, "is to offer a turnkey,
first-class production yacht with reasonable flexibility in layout. We won’t
move structural bulkheads, but we will move partitions."
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