Sometimes, it takes a little while for a full story to come out. That’s what is happening with the 115-foot Gramac VII, a 2024 fully custom sport-fisher that Yachting Developments in New Zealand is now sharing all kinds of details about.
This carbon composite vessel, with design by Warwick Yacht Design, has a lot of what you’d expect to find on a 200-gross-ton build with a beam just over 25 feet. The power package is twin MTU 16V 2000 M96L engines with a combined 5,200 hp, allowing Gramac VII to hit 31 knots on a wide-open gallop across the water. Humphree interceptors and fins, Sleipner electric thrusters and Veem propulsion components are also part of the package, helping to ensure efficiency and a smooth ride.
But then, there are also surprising design features aboard this vessel, with Gramac VII being wheelchair accessible throughout the whole boat. Gramac VII has an elevator that services all decks, and a private access route from the master stateroom directly into the engine room for the hands-on owner. He has spent months aboard cruising in the South Pacific, making the most of what appear to be interior spaces with a surprising amount of room to maneuver.
“Extended owner use is the ultimate validation of a custom yacht,” says Ian Cook, managing director Yachting Developments. “Gramac VII was designed to be lived on and trusted. Her time cruising the Pacific has confirmed the strength of the concept, the execution and the people behind it.”
South Pacific Shakedown
Since entering service in 2024, Gramac VII has spent close to five months cruising Fiji with the owner on board. The team at Yachting Developments notes that few yachts are tested so thoroughly so early in their life cycle, especially with an owner living aboard, to make sure everything works exactly as planned.
