| Lyman Morse 82 |  |
It’s not common, at least in the Northern Hemisphere, to name a
boat after a burrowing, plant-eating Australian marsupial, but then,
Wombat isn’t a common boat.
 Honduras mahogany and teak were used to create a traditional-
feeling interior with a nautical flair, including the main
salon. (Click image to enlarge)
Her profile is reminiscent of the 77-foot Lyman Morse-built
motor yacht Magpie. Wombat’s owners saw Magpie dockside
from across a channel at the Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo. Even in the fading
evening light, she stood out. "We liked the lines immediately and decided our
next boat should look like that," the husband recalled.
| Click on the Spec tab at top to see complete list of resources. |
The master stateroom (top).
Hand-worked headboard carvings (middle), and a compass rose inlay in
the galley (bottom), further the theme. (Click images to enlarge)
That may seem like a snap decision, but it was actually one
made from the experience of having owned about 30 boats. Sure, among those was a
16-foot skiff, but there was also the 151-foot Delta Sally Ann – aboard
which the couple enjoyed a four-and-a-half year circumnavigation. Wombat
is perhaps their most important choice. "This will probably be our last boat,"
he said.
Admittedly addicted mariners, they are never without a boat.
When the couple saw Magpie they were downsizing from Sally Ann.
"We wanted a boat that looked nice, was reasonably fast and could deliver a
thousand-mile range," he said. They also wanted to get back to a boat they could
operate without crew. Five feet longer than Magpie, Wombat’s extra
length shows up in a spacious wheelhouse salon abaft the helm.
The husband commissioned the Setzer Design Group and Maine boat
builder Lyman Morse, the same team who had brought Magpie to life. He
requested performance criteria based on his recent experience. The couple’s
80-foot Offshore, an interim boat that replaced Sally Ann, used 4.5
gallons per mile at 13 knots. "I wanted better performance for that economy," he
said. Setzer used a proven planing hull with long smooth tunnels, a 16-degree
transom deadrise with a single lifting strake and a deep forefoot. Cruising at
18 knots, Wombat’s twin Caterpillar 1,000-hp C18 engines burn 4.4 gallons
per mile and at that speed deliver a 650-nautical-mile range. Top speed is 26
knots.
He knew of Lyman Morse’s construction capability using SCRIMP
infusion technology and its reputation for impeccable woodwork. Using
Magpie as a style guide for fit and finish, work commenced in January
2003.
"I didn’t want to micromanage the project," the husband said.
"I told them what we wanted and gave the go-ahead to build it."
|
; function voidFunc() { } voidFunc();)
; function voidFunc() { } voidFunc();)
; function voidFunc() { } voidFunc();)
; function voidFunc() { } voidFunc();)
Email This
Printer Friendly Version
Reprints & Permissions
Most Popular Searches