In late spring 2017, an unusual 85-footer will start cruising with her owners and guests. She’s a semi-custom Van der Valk Raised Pilothouse. The owner seems to have really taken the “custom” part to heart, too.
The yacht features styling and interior design by Guido de Groot Design. The studio is responsible for a number of the Dutch yard’s projects, in fact. This Van der Valk Raised Pilothouse, anonymous for now, blends some contemporary looks with classic ones outside. But the real treats come inside.
For one, the saloon promises to be plenty big. Most megayachts in this size range have a combination saloon and dining area. Some have country kitchens, too. This Van der Valk Raised Pilothouse skips the dining area and incorporates the cooking area into the saloon. It’s a central island, with eight seats rimming it. The owner and guests can instead dine alfresco on the aft deck. But, given a Bowers & Wilkins sound system in the saloon, they might be convinced to enjoy their time indoors. Further convincing them: a humidor and wine chiller.
The crew area’s location also makes the Van der Valk Raised Pilothouse different. Typically, it’s below decks, aft of the engine room. (The latter houses twin MTUs, for an expected 25-knot top speed.) This owner situates it forward on the main deck. The crew mess and two crew cabins flow from a utility room. It’s a combination galley and utility room, actually, since a cooktop, oven, and freezers join a laundry corner here.
All of this leaves the lower deck of the Van der Valk Raised Pilothouse to the owner and guest staterooms. The full-beam (20-foot) master stateroom is aft, with a folding desk. Very Important People get the forward stateroom, while a double and bunk-berth cabins lie to each side off the foyer. Whitewashed English oak should keep them light and bright.
The crew area’s proximity to the raised pilothouse is quite convenient. Since a three-seat settee joins the helm chair, guests can enjoy seeing shores come into sight, too. (They’ll enjoy climbing the few floating stairs up here, surely, made of polished stainless steel.) There’s an extra helm station on the flying bridge as well, as you might expect. Dining and sunning are the main focuses of the flying bridge, though it does have stowage for a tender and PWC aft.
Van der Valk Continental Yachts promises the project will have a number of other specialized touches. Stay tuned.
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