Based in North Carolina, Custom Steel Boats has built a number of rugged-looking passagemakers over the past three decades. Customers range from private yacht owners to the U.S. Coast Guard and commercial clients. Sizes have ranged from 40-something feet up into the megayacht market as well. Within the yachting sector, Custom Steel Boats has collaborated with a number of notable names, including Sparkman & Stephens, C.W. Paine Yacht Design, and Boksa Marine Design. In fact, Custom Steel Boats approached Boksa Marine Design to develop the 85-foot (25.9-meter), steel and aluminum proposal seen here.
The client that the team has in mind is an adventurer: an ardent cruiser who wants to explore as much of the world’s oceans in as many ways as possible. The CS 85, as the project is called, certainly reflects the go-anywhere styling you’d expect of such a purpose. Performance-wise, twin 454-hp Caterpillar C-18s are expected to produce a 12-knot top end and 10-knot cruise, plus a 5,000-nautical-mile range. Seven thousand gallons of fuel will further aid in that regard. The bulbuous-bow-equipped displacement hull should translate to efficient fuel consumption as well.
Equally impressive, the CS 85 will have equipment that will make interesting adventures possible. For one, the CS 85 will be capable of carrying a shark cage. The same boat-deck davit that will primarily launch a RIB will also see duty gently swinging the cage over the aft end of the yacht. Whether checking out sharks, scuba diving, or simply swimming, the owner and guests will appreciate the sizable swim platform. Custom Steel Boats and Boksa Marine Design wish to incorporate a Transformer model made by Opacmare. Why? It’s a multifunction platform made for megayachts that can extend out and therefore expand usable space. It should let guests returning to the yacht literally swim right up and onto it. The divers in the group can then return their gear to the lazarette’s dive locker.
Since the envisioned owner will cruise with friends and family, the CS 85 features customary interior gathering spaces, including a skylounge and three guest staterooms. The 22-foot (6.7-meter) beam should ensure plenty of elbowroom. Boksa Marine Design indicates that one or two crew cabins can be added, with the lower deck redesigned accordingly. The present deck layouts show a staircase from the galley leading to a port-side guest stateroom. Perhaps that, or the space opposite, can serve the purpose.
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