| Royal Huisman 117 |  |
"Being a displacement yacht, fast boat speed was not a
priority," Castro said. "The emphasis was put on seakeeping and a very long
range at around 11 knots." Arcadia carries 11,464 gallons of fuel and
achieves 5,000 nautical miles at 10 knots.According to technical design manager Jan Bokxem, one of the
owner’s concerns was dealing with contaminated fuel in remote regions. To solve
the problem, an interconnected fuel system was designed so that fuel can be
isolated and cleaned, then stored by transferring it between any of seven bilge
tanks. No matter which tank the fuel is pumped from, it goes through a
centrifuge and water-separator filter system before being transferred to the
423-gallon day tank. "The fuel is always cleaned before it gets into the
day tank," Bokxem said.
 The teak "beach." Photograph by Roy Roberts. (Click image to enlarge)
Flanked by the custom stern anchor system and the Akerboom
retracting passerelle, the carbon-fiber transom door lowers and, suspended
18 inches off the water, acts as an at-sea dock for a pair of 15-foot Nautica
RIBs. The diesel inboard-equipped tenders are stored aft on the upper deck.
"There are two things we had to consider," Royal Huisman’s U.S.
representative Michael Koppstein said of the stern anchor system, "having it
work well and look good." The latter is accomplished via a flush transom door;
achieving the former took a bit more engineering. Installed in the stern
portside, the hydraulically operated anchoring apparatus remains hidden until
pressed into service by a series of remote-controlled button pushes. The transom
door hinges upward, allowing the gantry to be deployed. Once extended over
the water, the anchor is in the proper position and situated at a downward angle
so that when the windless is released, gravity takes over. As the anchor
deploys, the 5/8-inch (16-millimeter) stud-linked galvanized chain drops into
the integral stainless steel roller, which is built into the rub rail. A final
button push slides a pin across the opening, capturing the 525 feet of chain, so
no matter what the conditions the chain doesn’t jump out and reign havoc on the
hull. It is strong enough to support its own weight plus a 400-pound CQR anchor
perched on the outer end while moving fore and aft upon request. Surrounded by a closed Portuguese bridge, the pilothouse has
plenty of room for the on-watch and observers. There is no noise or light
intrusion from the skylounge because it is thoughtfully located aft of the
captain’s stateroom. Just outside are wing stations with covers cleverly designed as
part of the cap rail. Apply slight pressure outboard on the section of rail and
the top lifts, revealing the necessary controls—engine throttle, thruster
control and a tiller. "We didn’t want to eat up too much space. We put only the
necessary equipment on the wings," Koppstein said. Castro said, "The exterior design was developed to suit the
client’s wishes to have a classic-looking yacht." He noted that the client was
looking to recall features reminiscent of Feadship, Diana Yacht Design and
Sparkman & Stephens. To that end, he drew a classic uncluttered exterior
fronted by a clipper bow at the end of a rising sheer line. A low profile was
achieved visually while maintaining 6-foot-11-inch headroom throughout and
plenty of under-floor storage. "It’s a well-considered boat," said the yacht’s interior
designer Dick Young, who added that it’s a shame to cover the engineering with
an interior. A worthy compliment from the man responsible for the interior,
which has been conceived and finished with the same attention to detail and in
the fashion Royal Huisman knows best—breathtaking.
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