“I wanted it to look sporty. Mean. Like a battleship.” So says John Curry about his Steeler Yachts B67 Beachclub as we stand dockside in Port Jefferson, New York. The yacht’s thoroughly modern, muscular profile is accented with metallic-gray Awlgrip paint. Grit is John and Holly Curry’s first custom build—and first aluminum yacht—after years of owning an armada of fiberglass production boats. The excitement of their largest vessel’s recent delivery is palpable.
“The welds. The aluminum. It’s art,” John says. “Every single one is perfect.” He would know, as he and Holly made seven trips to the Netherlands during Grit’s three-year build.
When I met up with the Currys, it was only the second time they had taken Grit out for a spin. I stepped across the full-beam, teak-covered hydraulic swim platform, walked past the Williams Turbojet 325 tender, and took in the outside spaces. They are designed to level up the relaxation equation.
Mezzanine seats at swim-platform level flank the centerline steps, bringing guests to the water’s edge. Up those steps are two mirrored sun pads to port and starboard for several guests to lay out. Carbon-fiber poles and awnings—easily stowed in cavernous spaces under the actuated pads—provide shade when the sun gets high.
Beyond the pads are two bar tables perched over the cockpit to port and starboard. The Currys will need all this seating and space, since boating is a family affair for them, their adult children and their grandchildren.
In fact, one of their sons helped design Grit, including the yacht’s muscular profile. Family input also meant that every deck has an average of 7-foot headroom because, well, they’re tall. Yet the yacht’s air draft is under 16 feet, letting it access more waterways.
The volume is particularly evident in the beach club, accessed from the cockpit via sliding glass doors on centerline. The beach club’s light-tone herringbone sole—a custom request—picks up the light passing through the doors and hullside windows, creating a sense of warmth and perceived space. The layout includes a U-shaped dinette to starboard for six to eight guests, and a galley to port with a concealed fridge and freezer, two-burner cooktop and Miele oven. This fridge and freezer are among the total of five refrigerators and two freezers on board, ensuring no one has to travel far for refreshments.
A companionway provides direct access to three staterooms, including guest spaces to port and starboard with twin berths that convert to a queen with an insert. The stateroom to starboard has an en suite that doubles as the day head. The en suite owners’ stateroom is forward with a fingerprint lock on the door. Each stateroom has its own thermostat, and all the soles and door panels are rich-tone leather.
There are also suede headliners on all the decks. John says he wanted to use natural materials.
Grit’s bridge deck, which John calls “the man cave,” juxtaposes the beach club’s light-tone vibe with blacks and grays, reflecting Grit’s bold exterior. There is double U-shaped seating with two leather-topped tables to starboard, easily serving 10 or more guests. This setup converts to sleeping space in the form of two king berths, John says, and the entire deck can be blacked out when it’s bedtime. In total, this B67 Beachclub sleeps 12 guests.
To port are a Kenyon grill, counter space for practicing mixology, and a wine chiller.
A dual-seat helm is forward and to starboard. That’s where I got to have my fun with Grit. I took the wheel, powered up the 725 hp Volvo Penta IPS950 diesels, disengaged the Seakeeper 9 gyrostabilizer, and found the B67 to be real-time responsive to wheel input. The yacht turned on the proverbial dime. I could carve my name into the ocean. It drove like a sportboat. Add the Side-Power bow and stern thrusters, and the Volvo Penta joystick, and you have a vessel that’s agile around the dock too. John says he “wanted an easily maneuverable boat.” Mission accomplished.
We ran in hot, flat-calm conditions. The twin 19-inch Garmin GPSMap 8619 multifunction displays showed a top hop of 30.1 knots at 2,550 rpm. Fuel burn was 71.3 gallons per hour. Considering a 10 percent reserve, range was 326 nautical miles. At 2,000 rpm, 21 knots and 41.2 gph, it kicked up to 394 nm. Grit could easily jog along at 23.5 knots all day with a 52.3 gph fuel burn, providing a cruising range of 347 nm.
The Currys asked for something sporty, mean and like a battleship, and the Steeler B67 Beachclub delivers on all three. They also got a yacht that oozes luxury and reflects their boating lifestyle. Most important, Grit is their dream realized.
Raise the Roof
One fascinating feature—and an impressive technological feat—is Grit’s actuated hardtop. Press a button and the entire unit comes up 14 inches, adding light and fresh air. Two side windows also drop down, opening the bridge deck for cross breezes and salty air.
Alloy Armor
Grit is constructed with 5083 H111 aluminum plates, which are designed for use in extreme environments, including salt water. The hull bottom has 6-millimeter (0.23-inch) plating, while the sides are 5 mm (0.19 inch). The decks, inside bulwarks, superstructure sides and front plating are 4 mm (0.16 inch).
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