Considering megayachts reflect their owners’ taste and style, why shouldn’t christenings do the same? That seems to be the spirit embraced during the recent christening of the 92-foot Cabernet at Aleutian Yachts.
The morning of November 13, Cabernet was christened with not just one bottle, but two. Not only that, but while the first contained the customary champagne, the second held wine–specifically, the rich red for which she’s named. Makes sense once you learn that Cabernet’s owners, Raymond and Sally Duncan, are the founders of the California-based Silver Oak Cellars winery.
The christening bottles weren’t the only departures from the norm. Aleutian, a four-year-old enterprise in Tacoma, Washington, built the beamy (nearly 25-foot-wide) expedition yacht out of steel. In fact, all of its yachts, from 82 to 122 feet LOA, are made of steel. Aleutian’s founder and CEO, Greg Ward, got his start in the commercial shipbuilding and fishing industries and believes this metal is the best material for safety and durability and results in less roll than either fiberglass or aluminum.
Cabernet, with five staterooms and a four-person crew, is no lightweight. She displaces 180 tons, is fitted with twin Caterpillar engines, and carries 6,800 gallons of fuel, which should allow for a 5,000-nautical-mile cruising range at 10 knots. Her captain, Rocky Thomlinson, told the local newspaper The News Tribune that Mexico, Panama, Costa Rica, and the Cook Islands are on their future itinerary.
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