| Golden Yachts 164 |  |
In the main salon, Vafiadis was careful to consider the spatial
requirements and circulation patterns of at least 12 guests. Hence the two large
facing sofas—three meters long with comfortable seating for five people each—are
centered in the room so people can pass behind them without interrupting the
flow of conversation. Still with an eye to guest comfort, the chairs around the
rosewood dining table measure a generous 65 centimeters (two feet) in diameter.
The cream lacquered ceilings have a wipe-clean satin or gloss finish—an
important consideration during a busy charter season when the crew has little
time to clean the dust that accumulates around loudspeaker and air-conditioning
vents. As a yacht destined to provide first-class charter service,
there is a one-to-one ratio of crew to guests. In fact, the extra length was
added to better accommodate the large crew, and the crew quarters are especially
comfortable, with wide beds and a spacious crew lounge. The galley layout is
designed for efficient food preparation, with dedicated work areas for the chef
and stewards. Another common-sense solution is refrigerators with glass doors,
so items can be identified without rummaging around. Foraging allows precious
cold air to escape, affecting the durability of fresh produce on long cruises.
To soften the industrial rigor of the stainless steel pro-spec galley equipment
(Miele dishwashers, Liebherr refrigerators, Technoinox electric hob oven,
Proline freezers), the cabinets have an oak veneer tinted a dark wengé color
with aluminum trim.
 The enormous sun deck is the focal point
for charter guests’ social activities. The entire forward seating area can be
shaded by a mechanically operated bimini connected to the radar arch. (Click image to enlarge)
The focal point of open-air life aboard O’Ceanos is without doubt the flydeck, which provides a
huge area in excess of 300 square meters for alfresco dining and sunbathing. As
with the rest of the yacht that has been designed to satisfy the dual
requirements of a private yacht and a charter vessel, the flydeck can be
accessed by two exterior staircases: one from the main deck for guest use and
another from the owner’s private balcony on the upper deck. With a dumbwaiter to
the galley and a proper bar, the area can seat a full complement of guests
around just two of the extendable tables for intimate dining. If extra guests
are invited for lunch or dinner, two additional tables provide seating for 12 more. The whole dining area forward of
the radar arch can be covered by a mechanical awning that is sturdy enough to
leave in place while under way. There are four large sun beds aft and a massage
tub with a waterfall feature. There is another seating area in front of the wheelhouse, but
two gull-winged garages housing two Yamaha WaveRunners and a 3.2-meter
jet-engined Novurania tender take up most of the foredeck. The main tender, a
custom-built Scanner, resides in the transom garage.
 The tender garages, right, open gull-wing
style and house a 3.2-meter Novurania and two PWCs. (Click image to enlarge)
The elegant wheelhouse in cherry and dark green leather has a
competent workaday layout and sophisticated navigation equipment (Furuno GPS
navigator and echo sounder, Navitron autopilot, Atlas radars) more commonly
found on larger vessels. The ARPA radar system, for example, provides automatic
tracking or plotting of up to 70 targets, even in dense traffic, where the
target trails help to clarify movements. This function is especially useful in
restricted bays to track the movement of anchored vessels due to wind or
current; alarms are triggered if they drift too close. A trial maneuver function
also allows the captain to preview the results of speed and/or course without
actually performing these changes. In addition to the wing stations, there is
also a handheld device on the aft deck that provides full engine and
bow-thruster control. Guests can make use of various modes of connecting to the Internet, including
GPRS for 3G mobile phones and Inmarsat’s MPDS, a packet-based service network
that provides an "always on" connection to the Internet via satellite. The
advantage of MPDS is that the user only pays for actual data transmitted and not
for any idle connection time. A Wi-Fi system serves the whole yacht, which for security purposes is effective only
to within five meters from the vessel (an external aerial permits connection
with Wi-Fi technology while in marinas). Sergio Cutolo’s work on the chined hull of O’Ceanos drew on his
experience in designing fast aluminum hulls as chief naval architect with
Baglietto, a position he held until 1995. "By researching the configuration of
propeller tunnels that can affect thrust and lift rather like trim tabs, we were
able to combine the best qualities of two basic hull types: the lower fuel
consumption of a rounded hull with the higher speed and stability of a chined
hull." In the case of O’Ceanos, this happy marriage translates into
a transatlantic range of 3,400 nautical miles at a cruising speed of 15 knots.
Moreover, her efficient hull lines provide excellent rolling and heeling
moments. Captain Nikos Demertzis, who previously commanded 42-meter
O’Paris,
was pleasantly surprised by her sea-holding and near horizontal trim during sea
trails conducted in Force 7 conditions and rough seas. Working in conjunction
with the hull configuration, her four stabilizer fins help to avoid the yawing
that can occur in a following sea with just two fins. Her lean lines also
influence the yacht’s efficient performance; the bare weight of the aluminum
hull and superstructure is just 60 tons. During her delivery voyage to Athens, O’Ceanos was hit yet
again by bad weather. The yacht performed so well that Captain Nikos felt
compelled to call Cutolo during the crossing to personally congratulate him
on a job well done.
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