Yacht Rafter Complements Owner’s Superyacht Fleet

Some owners want just one yacht for one purpose, chasing warm weather on both sides of the Atlantic. Others have multiple boats and yachts in different regions for varying experiences. The owner of the yacht Rafter falls into the latter category, having a fleet where this 175-footer (53-meter) is the newest member.

Rafter is a Yacht Support 53 from Damen Yachting, specifically hull number four in that series. The series includes the yacht Emotional, a delivery from last year that happens also to be hull number three. Damen Yachting’s in-house designers and naval architects borrow the utilitarian profile from Damen’s commercial vessel division. The same is true of the underlying engineering package. In particular, the knife-like bow serves as a way to pierce through big seas and keep spray off the deck. The hull design, meanwhile, prioritizes consistent speed and fuel efficiency even in challenging conditions.

Although the yacht Rafter shares these backbone elements with the rest of the Yacht Support projects, Damen Yachting attracts clients for different reasons. Some like the idea of having a purely utilitarian shadow boat, holding a plethora of big watercraft and extra toys. In fact, 2,153 square feet (200 square meters) of open deck space can hold them. Other owners, meanwhile, want the flexibility to have big groups of family and friends travel together. They design and outfit them accordingly with the Damen Yachting team and often an independent designer.

The owner of the yacht Rafter worked entirely with Damen Yachting’s team, including for the interior. Though images aren’t available, the owner did request accommodations for eight. A further 11 berths are for the captain and crew. Throughout the decks, the décor has time-honored appeal, with Old English inspiration evident. A comfortable but of course practical-in-operations look and feel was central to the goal.

“The collaboration was constructive and efficient throughout the build, which was especially important given the timeframe,” notes Rob Dolling, the owner’s representative. In fact, the contract signing took place in September. (Damen Yachting begins each Yacht Support megayacht project on spec.) Jan van Hogerwou, the commercial executive USA for Damen Yachting, agrees, adding that the delivery from Damen Yachting’s Turkish facilities “is a proud moment for everyone involved.” “We are delighted to see her begin her next chapter as part of her owner’s fleet and with the owner, captain, and crew fair winds and following seas,” he concludes.

Damen Yachting damenyachting.com