The Delta shipyard may not talk as much as other yards do about the yachts it builds, but for a lot of years, its craftsmen have been turning out some serious vessels. There was the 240-foot Laurel back in 2006. The 216-foot Invictus in 2013. The 236-foot Albatross in 2016. Suffice it to say the capability is there to produce major custom designs—a capability that Delta is now applying to a much smaller hull form.
“We’ve experienced increasing demand for a fully custom option in the 110- to 124-foot size range,” says Vice President Michelle Jones. “As most of the yachts in this size are production builds, we were thrilled to work with experienced owners on their unique vision for a Pacific Northwest-focused family yacht, which they could operate with minimal crew and cruise the beautiful coastlines of the San Juan Islands, British Columbia and Alaska.”
The new hull form—which is semidisplacement with a double chine—is Delta’s first new hull design solely tested through computational fluid dynamics. It’s also Delta’s first project that will meet full IMO III and EPA Tier 4 standards, with the newest approved gas exhaust systems on the main engines.
Those powerplants are twin 2,600 hp MTU 4000s projected to allow an efficient cruise speed of 12 to 14 knots, but with enough giddyap to get home at 27 knots if necessary.
The design, Delta says, was developed in response to changing market dynamics. The past two decades or so have seen an increasing number of superyacht yards moving to semicustom designs for faster delivery times in the larger size ranges, but as customers look for more midrange options, they want to have serious customization options as well. Builders are responding with options like this yacht, whose specs include warm oak woodwork with wenge accents and minimalist metalwork, and a combination of sand and sea colors along with Mediterranean blue fabrics. The owners also wanted a garage for toys and gear, and a custom aluminum tender that stows on the boat deck and launches with a 5,000-pound davit. The anchoring system, too, is notable. Delta partnered with the anchor manufacturer to design a hidden, flush-mounted version in the yacht’s stem.
The upshot is a custom yacht in a package that, historically, would have required a lot more standard production features.
Guest Spaces
The master stateroom spans the yacht’s beam. The VIP is in the bow, and two of the guest staterooms have twin berths that convert to doubles. The galley can be open or enclosed, depending on the mood, and there’s a country-kitchen-style dinette for coffee or a quick lunch. A center island with bar seating should be ideal for an occasional snack, with indoor and outdoor dining for formal meals.
