| Royal Huisman 117 |  |
Table fiddles are a necessary fact of life aboard a sailboat at
sea—they keep things in place. A first glance at Arcadia’s tables in
the crew mess and galley makes it seem that fiddles weren’t considered. A closer
look reveals that the teak tables’ four-inch perimeters are separate and held on
by sliding tabs. Simply release the tabs, remove the rim, turn it over and
reinstall it, and one-inch-high fiddles, permanently affixed on that side, are
ready to work in a rough seaway. Save for detours toward the traditional with teak in the
pilothouse and skylounge, the yacht is fitted with unstained Swietenia mahogany,
a West Indies genus of the worldly wood, throughout. The divider between the salon and the dining room, though full beam and full
height, imparts an open feeling, thanks to three opening glass panels flanked by
shelves. Starboard, arched double doors open the walkway to the dining room and
forward to the owner’s suite. The other two identical double panels feature
storage in the bottom half, while the glazed panels open to increase the airy
ambiance. The arches match the doorways throughout Arcadia. All of
Arcadia’s exterior doors are double recessed and include a sliding screen door. At
100 percent power, the salon registered a 54-decibel noise reading; at cruising
speed it read 48 decibels. Considering that conversation produces 60
decibels, watching movies under way on the salon’s plasma screen is not a
problem. At the bottom of the stairway to the guest quarters, aft starboard
in the salon, two antique barometers were given place of pride on facing
white reflecting panels on either side. Not much space is wasted in the foyer,
although it is where the portlight storm covers are stored on custom-sized
shelves in a built-in cabinet. Easy to find, their location is an indication of
their importance aboard Arcadia. Off the foyer, there are two ensuite twin cabins forward. Aft
against the lazarette bulkhead is a full-beam queen VIP suite with a sitting
room that becomes a cabin by means of a sliding divider and a convertible sofa.
The overhead hides an escape ladder; by turning a small recessed latch, the
section drops out at an angle and a stairway can be folded down manually. The level of detail and finish aboard Arcadia is an indication
of the respect the owner has for his boat, and of what he will ask it to do. He
extends this same respect to the crew, knowing what he will ask of them. Their
quarters forward are finished to the same level as the rest of the boat, a point
proven especially by the mahogany shower doors.
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