Burger Debuts Lady Gayle Marie

Repeat clients of Burger Boat Company will soon be cruising aboard their new 140-footer (42.7-meter), which has been known since the contract signing simply as Hull 508. While the yard cannot release photos, as per the owners’ wishes, amateur shots reveal her nameboard reads Lady Gayle Marie.

If you’re a yacht-watcher or a football fan (or both), no doubt you recognize the name. It’s the same as that of a 122-foot Burger built in 2002, which is also currently for sale. It also incorporates the first name of one of the owners, Gayle Benson, whose husband Tom is the owner of the New Orleans Saints.

Since the smaller Burger was a familiar sight in New Orleans and South Florida, perhaps the new Lady Gayle Marie will follow suit. Like her smaller sister, she’s a trideck design and all aluminum. But there’s a significant difference in how she was constructed: via modular construction. It’s a practice widely in use in commercial shipbuilding for some time, and just within the past few years it started being embraced by a few yacht builders like Burger. Since the yacht is built in sections (modules), different parts can be outfitted earlier than if traditional yacht-building practices were followed. This in turn increases efficiency and shortens overall construction time.

Highlights of the beamy (29’2”, or 8.89 meters) Lady Gayle Marie include ample entertaining spaces, a priority for the owners. A circular glass elevator lets them and their eight guests access the yacht’s three decks. All guest staterooms are below decks, as you’d expect, while the owners have a main-deck suite. Up on the bridge deck, they’re sure to spend time in the skylounge and adjacent alfresco dining area. (Hopefully Tom Benson will spend more time in those areas than the owner’s office, also located on this level.) The stews’ job of serving meals up here will be simplified by the inclusion of a butler’s pantry. There’s also a sundeck complete with a handful of dining spots, a barbecue, sunpads, and a hot tub, plus a glass-enclosed and air-conditioned gym.

Performance-wise, Lady Gayle Marie should top out around 15 knots, given twin Caterpillar 3508C diesel engines. At her 13-knot cruising speed, she should be capable of a range just exceeding 2,000 nautical miles.

Lady Gayle Marie will be delivered within the next few weeks.