Lürssen 195

Her owner, an American entrepreneur, decided on a new build after repeated charters aboard the 141-foot Trinity Relentless (ex-Mia Elise). The experience helped him sort out his likes and dislikes, and allowed him time to establish a relationship with Robert Scott, the yacht’s South African captain who later signed on as the owner’s representative for the project. Familiar with the build process, Captain Scott helped guide the owner through the unfamiliar waters of selecting a builder and designer. The two visited Europe’s most significant yards and eventually chose Lürssen, not only for its quality shipbuilding but also, according to Scott, for the yard’s "ability to weather a storm—financially."

With the capital to build the yacht in place, the owner was eager to start—and finish—the project. But, as anyone who has ever been involved with a new custom build will attest, this sort of request is typically unfeasible, particularly for busy yards such as Lürssen. Thinking creatively, the parties decided to use an existing hull, the sistership to motor yacht Capri, and adapt it to their needs—which were only conceptual at this point. The deal was finalized in December 2003 for a two-year build out. (Click image to enlarge)

The hull worked for the owner’s target size, just under 60 meters LOA. He knew his wife had an affinity for "parking" in all the right places, and at this size the yacht could be berthed in such coveted ports as St. Barth’s, Saint-Tropez, Capri and Portofino. He also knew he wanted to put the vessel into charter service; his goal size allowed for a comfortable six-stateroom arrangement.

Beyond the LOA and accommodations, the brief dictated only that the layout be maximized—a loose order that subsequently gave Captain Scott and the design group a great deal of influence over the yacht’s specifications.

The last member added to the Oasis team was designer Glade Johnson. Fond of Johnson’s exterior and interior styling on Capri, the owner enlisted the designer in spite of a nine-hour time difference between Johnson’s Washington State–based office and Lürssen’s yard in Bremen, Germany. The offset was, according to Captain Scott, no small challenge for the owner, considering the daily go-between for builder and designer.

Tender garages are located both port and starboard. (Click image to enlarge)

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"Their goal was to create a unique yacht with individual exterior styling and a distinctly contemporary, warm and luxurious interior," explains Johnson. With his experience on Capri, he was particularly qualified to take the design to the next level and worked closely with Oasis’ owners and Scott to grow the design into something that would meet their needs. Despite their shared heritage, Oasis varies greatly from Capri, evolving all aspects of her design, from styling to technical applications.

Feeling that Capri sat a little low in the water, Scott adapted the tankage and reduced net tonnage and net weight for better performance. Although her transom and swim platform are longer than Capri’s, Oasis’ overall displacement is 56 tons less, which "really helped her come out of the water," Scott says.

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