I was happy for the owner who had taken delivery of Big Zip, a motoryacht built by Trinity Yachts that would be enjoyed by his family and fortunate guests for many years to come. And I was happy for Trinity too, because the yacht was proof-positive, not just of the New Orleans-based builder’s full recovery from Hurricane Katrina, but of its obvious flourishing in the intervening years as well.
Most of all, though, I was happy for me. This was more than just the opportunity to see Big Zip and to share the story of this yacht and its mysterious name with others; it was an opportunity to spend some time aboard on the kind of warm, sunny day that reinforced all my convictions about yachting being well worth the cost and effort it sometimes entails.
Big Zip, carrying a tri-deck arrangement on a 142-foot hull, is delightfully unpretentious, both inside and out. During my years as a designer with the late Jack Hargrave, he insisted that any new build must look good without sheer stripes, boottop or a deep-blue hull. If a little makeup helped, all the better, but he believed the unadorned form should be attractive on its own. This is certainly the case with Big Zip, designed by Trinity’s in-house design team led by Geoff Van Aller. The basic shape is nicely proportioned and balanced. Knuckles and reveals worked into her exterior surfaces create shadow lines that look good from every angle.
Evan Marshall has taken a similarly straightforward approach with the interior, where midtoned American cherry cabinetry and moldings contrast nicely with light silks and other fabrics on bulkheads and overheads. Honey-onyx soles in the master stateroom and art-glass doors on upper cabinets add to the appeal. The result? A boat where the owner’s family and grandkids can relax in casual enjoyment, while his business associates can meet within an ambience of understated elegance. It’s also advisable to strike such a balance for the charter service in which Big Zip will be engaged.
To that end, Marshall and Trinity, in consultation with the owner, have designed a traditional arrangement that offers great flexibility. There are four guest staterooms belowdecks, nearly equal in size but differing in detail. Three have king berths, while the fourth has twin berths.
There’s an impressive master suite forward on the main deck, with a head with both tub and shower. The side decks go up and over the master suite for access to the foredeck, so the suite enjoys complete privacy. It’s also buffered from the noise and heat of the galley by an owner’s office to starboard and large his-and-hers hanging lockers to port.
