A family that cooks and dines together, stays together—and in the case of Nicostasia, cruises together. The open-air galley aboard their 85-footer (26-meter) is, in every respect, the heart of their new megayacht, delivered by Van der Valk Shipyard.
Repeat customers of the Dutch builder, the owners sought a bigger boat to do more extensive cruising. Currently, for example, Nicostasia is in Montenegro. Adriatic explorations are in their plans for the rest of the summer, too. While they may eventually keep her berthed in Croatia, Nicostasia has a variety of Mediterranean ports on her future itineraries as well.
While pursuing this active schedule, the owners wanted their family to spend abundant time together. They also especially thoroughly enjoy cooking, doing so while chatting with guests. Their design brief to the shipyard and Guido de Groot Design, responsible for styling and interior design, made both of these clear. That’s why the galley and saloon follow an open concept (top). It’s unusual for a megayacht of any size, and a first for Van der Valk’s raised-pilothouse series, to which Nicostasia belongs. She’s the fourth hull in the series, in fact.
That raised-pilothouse configuration makes the open concept even more attractive. Sunlight streams in from the high-up helm ports. Since floating, versus fixed, stairs connect the raised pilothouse to the main deck, light passes between the treads. Finally, the raised nature of the wheelhouse allows for far higher headroom in the galley. On a related note, the square lights above the cooking space may appear simply to be just that, lights. However, they’re embedded in the extractor hood. The hood itself is directly beneath the access between the pilothouse and alfresco flying-bridge area. This required additional structural engineering.
It’s an example of how Van der Valk Shipyard welcomes customized solutions for this semi-custom series. Those solutions extend down into the guest accommodations aboard Nicostasia. One of the three guest staterooms below decks has bunk beds, for kids in the family. The double stateroom across the hallway has a desk, for grown-ups. Naturally, decor materials in these and the VIP reflect the family members’ tastes. Overall, Nicostasia features whitewashed oak and cheery colored accents.
If you see Nicostasia, be sure to wave quickly. She’s meant for a top speed of 25 knots under MTU power.
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