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Sycara III’s owners were uncertain about building a yacht more than 60 feet larger than their last – until the comforts and accommodations of their elegant new 185-foot Oceanfast swept them away.
by Kate Simpson
photography by H. Shaw McCutcheon
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11/01/2004
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| Oceanfast 185 |  |
“We were on the fence,” says Sycara III’s owners about their new 185-foot yacht.
After eight years enjoying their 123-foot yacht Mercedes, they were unsure
about taking such a huge leap in size. As they flew to Panama to join Sycara III
for their first cruise, they were still saying to themselves, “What did we do?
It’s just too big. It’s not us.
“Twenty minutes on board,” says the wife,
“and we were like, ‘What Mercedes?’ It’s so comfortable, how could you not love
it?”
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The path that led them to Sycara III began in 1986 when the husband
spotted Never Say Never and immediately was drawn to Jon Bannenberg’s distinct
styling. He built two smaller yachts with Bannenberg at Oceanfast. Another key
sighting came when their first yacht arrived in Fort Lauderdale on the same dock
ship as the 162-foot Oceanfast Mystique. “I’ll never forget that day I waited
for my boat to unload,” he said. “I knew I did not want a big boat, but then I
saw Mystique and thought, ‘Wow, look at that yacht.’ I fell in love with her
look.”
The time eventually came – as it does for most owners – when the
couple decided they needed a larger boat. Desiring roomier crew quarters and
more guest accommodation, they returned to Oceanfast. Sycara III would only be
Oceanfast’s second steel-hulled displacement yacht, but the owners had no qualms
about that fact. Since building their last boat, the yard had been purchased by
Austal Limited. John Rothwell, company chairman, impressed the couple as a man
of integrity. The husband made the long journey to Australia only twice,
employing Steve Narkawitz as on-site project manager for the entire
build.
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