|
|
|
A hands-on owner prefers to handle his Hargrave 93 raised pilothouse motor yacht himself.
by Jill Bobrow
photography by Dana Jinkins
|
02/01/2008
|
| Hargrave 93 |  |
"I wanted wing stations, and I got them," says Rowe. He
especially likes the fact that there are now five stations for handling the
boat. "
I also customized the engine room so that you can get to the
engines from both sides," says the man to whom the engine room is of paramount
importance. "I did this by shortening the fuel tank, and still I added more
fuel. I tucked away all the air conditioners on a shelf. I also set up a
workbench in the lazarette with a vise and room for all of my tools. Hargrave
had an extra refrigerator down there, but I had enough refrigerators."
Top: The master has a centerline king bed facing a
42-inch home theater system. Bottom: The opulent, ensuite marble
bathroom. (Click images to enlarge)
Other modifications are small, but important. Rowe raised the
helm seats to improve visibility and added steps to get up to the top deck. His
daughter Kathy found a spot for an extra sun-pad lounger. He saw dead space in
the aft cockpit and snuck in a bar sink and small service refrigerator and extra
storage. "It’s the small things that make a boat truly yours."
The raised pilothouse has three levels and umpteen places for
relaxation and entertainment. At the main-deck level in the cockpit, there is a
hardtop protecting the aft dining area. Through the aft doors is a traditional
21-foot-beam main salon with cherry paneling and lovely Sholette window
treatments. Soft neutral tones are prevalent in the upholstery of the sofa,
armchairs, carpeting and accent pieces. The formal marble-clad dining table is
immediately forward of the salon, with easy access to the pantry and to the
galley just forward of it. State-of-the-art entertainment systems include a
42-inch enhanced definition TV and a 16-by-9 plasma TV. Accommodations include a
spacious master stateroom, a VIP cabin and two twin staterooms. There are crew
quarters for four.
 The flybridge is owner Dick Rowe’s favorite place
to spend time and relax when he’s on board Donna Marie. (Click image to enlarge)
The pilothouse features black leather Stidd low-back admiral’s chairs facing an array of Raymarine, Furuno and Simrad
electronics. The pilothouse is welcoming to guests who want to hang around with
the driver, who is usually Rowe himself. Rowe added an additional pilothouse
door for easier access to the foredeck. Powered by twin 1,825-hp C32 Caterpillar
diesels, Donna Marie cruises at a comfortable 20 knots, with a top speed
of 24. The flybridge, with its fiberglass hardtop, is the most popular space on
board. It features a bar, barbecue and comfortable seating with hi-lo tables.
Aft, the 16-foot Avon Seaport tender and 90-hp engine can be lowered into the
water easily with the Quick Lift davit. Rowe’s adult children have six children
between them who collectively have produced six great-grandchildren. He can
handle one family at a time, Rowe says with a smirk.
Donna Marie is everything that Rowe and Donna dreamed of.
Tragically, prior to the boat’s delivery, Donna passed away unexpectedly. One
day, as part of their usual routine for health and fitness, Rowe and Donna were
at the gym together in Miami. She was on a stationary bicycle and had a brain
aneurysm. It has been more than a year since her untimely death, and Rowe is
finding solace in being aboard his yacht. His captain, Jim, and first
mate/chef, Ann, have adopted Rowe—or is it vice versa? They take all their meals
with Rowe and family when they are on board.
Rowe claims to dislike captains. Jim doesn’t take this
personally. Rowe is at the helm when they leave a dock and when they tie up. Jim
is happy to stand by and let Rowe handle his own boat. Since taking delivery,
Rowe has cruised from Florida to the last lighthouse in the United States, north
of Lubec, Maine, to Canada and throughout New England. He headed back down to
Florida for the boat shows and plans to go to the Dominican Republic in April
before heading up to Washington D.C. for the NMMA conference. After that he may
cruise back north to Maine.
Donna Marie is a real boat that goes real places and gets real use. Rowe
does not appear to be slowing down. He confided that he has another Hargrave—a
bit bigger—in the works.
|
|
|
|
|
; function voidFunc() { } voidFunc();)
; function voidFunc() { } voidFunc();)
; function voidFunc() { } voidFunc();)
Email This
Printer Friendly Version
Reprints & Permissions
Most Popular Searches
; function voidFunc() { } voidFunc();){kind=link}