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Northern Marine’s latest expedition yacht sets the standard for its entire market segment.
by Mark T. Masciarotte
photography by Neil Rabinowitz
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02/01/2007
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| Northern Marine 80 |  |
For lovers of character boats, the range of expedition yachts
built by Anacortes, Washington–based Northern Marine is, as the old Yankee
expression goes, a joy to behold. Hefty and rugged, the boats have handsome
exterior lines that at the very first glance offer the promise of a seakindly
ride in all but the most extreme weather conditions. Delivered last summer to
Larry and Joan Castellani, 80-foot (24-meter) Julianne is no
exception.
Before settling on a builder, the couple looked at yards in the
United
States, Europe and Asia and considered building in steel, aluminum and
composite. In the end, however, it was an encounter with Bruce and Joan
Kessler,
Northern Marine’s first customers, that sold the Castellanis
on the yard and on
the boat’s propulsion package.
| Click on the Spec tab at top to see complete list of resources. |
Julianne’s open-plan main deck merges the salon(top) galley and dining area (bottom). Large windows capture natural light
and lovely views. (Click images to enlarge)
"Even though I’d talked to quite a few builders," said Larry,
"I had never taken into consideration the idea of having a single-screw boat.
One day, I saw Bruce Kessler’s boat, Spirit of Zopilote, and I was trying
to take pictures of it on the dock, when this booming voice comes out of nowhere
and says, ‘You back up any farther, you’re going to fall in the water.’ So I
turn around, and I was right at the edge of the dock…and [Kessler] says, ‘If
you want to see it that bad, come on aboard.’ "Kessler was so kind. We had lunch, and he went over the whole thing and
gave me a whole new paradigm about all the benefits of having a single screw. I
would never have gone out [to Northern] had it not been for Bruce Kessler."
The interior is a pleasing amalgam of
traditional yacht details and cozy residential furnishings. Joinery, stonework
and finishes are exceptional. (Click images to enlarge)
As is often the case, the process that the owners used during
the
design phase of the project was based on a list of requirements that were
drawn from experience on their previous boats, the last of which was a
semi-custom, 64-foot motor yacht. The difference, however, was that for
their
job the Castellanis emphasized to their designers that they
wanted the
smallest boat that would meet those requirements.
"We had a very detailed list of things that we absolutely had
to have," Larry said. "[For example], we determined that we wanted four,
relatively good-size, all-ensuite staterooms. We wanted one king, two queens,
and we wanted a V-berth with one very wide berth…and two over-and-under berths.
We were willing to give up an extremely large master in order to have a better
balance for four staterooms.
"Another example of an absolute was ergonomics. We wanted the
boat to be acceptable to muscle memory, much like you enjoy at home. For
example, all the stairs are a minimum of ten-inch [treads] with eight-inch
risers. From the pilothouse to the galley there are full wooden handrails on
both sides of the steps.
"We wanted to design the boat so that it would be comfortable,
easier to get around and accommodating, which is why we left it to the
architect, Stuart Archer, to determine how long the boat was going to be. It
matriculated in two-inch steps until it ended up being eighty feet four
inches."
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