134 november 2008 | SHoWboATS.Com

White, of course, is the predominant color of yacht hulls the world over. It’s easier to maintain and cooler in the tropics. Cheoy Lee’s Global Series

100 Sea Fox doesn’t break with that convention, but you might think the owners would have opted for a little contrast below, as in a darker interior than the cherry wainscoting with oyster white above the chair rail in the salon. The fact is, though, doing that wouldn’t have given the Nova Scotia couple the English garden look they sought.

Didgie Vrana, owner of Argonautica Custom Yacht Interiors, who has worked with Cheoy Lee on a number of projects, received the assignment of translating the owners’ vision into the interior of their new 100-foot (23.43-meter) motor yacht.

“We wanted a cool and calm effect. We wanted it to be very soothing,” says Vrana.

The appeal is in the viewing. But as fresh a look as it is, the designer says it wasn’t an entirely new idea.

“It’s been done before,” continues Vrana. “I didn’t have to look too far to find examples. The old, traditional private yachts all had the painted and paneled look.”

In the telling it sounds a bit too white, perhaps even a bit understated. There is certainly not even a hint of the popular—if overdone—look of floor-to-ceiling wood grain.

Having done this sort of thing before, Vrana enlisted Murray and Associates, a marine engineering and naval architecture firm, early in the design stage to produce interior render-ings. The renderings then were sent to the owners for approval before any time or materials were committed to creating their dream boat.

Entering Sea Fox from the aft deck past the inlaid teak table and through the glass slider, the first thing to catch the eye is the forward bulkhead. The lower portion of wood grain paneling is expected, but the white paint on the top half is a pleasant surprise. Separated by

Story by

Bill Ando

photography by Billy BlAck

LigHTFantaStic Cheoy Lee’s new Global Series 100 is a rustic charmer, resplendent in white

SHoWboATS.Com | november 2008 135

Sea Fox

the curved stairway to the lower foyer, the walls each display an abstract painting, but with a bucolic, country feel. The oyster-white overhead ensures that the look fills the space. Large gloss-white surfaces tend to show imperfections, but as if acting as a silent tribute to the craftsmen at Cheoy Lee, the finish is flawless. The round inlaid teak dining table seats eight and continues the country ambiance. The space is for-malized only slightly by a shape-mimicking coffered ceiling with a center-hung chandelier.

Forward, the bi-level master suite features an enclosed water closet, twin sinks and a shower three steps down in the forepeak. A glance at the overhead reveals the use of wall covering, instead of the mirrored look, to maintain the country feel. In the sleeping section of the suite, a 40-inch LCD TV screen hangs on the wall between the closet doors opposite the foot of the bed. On the GA, it is designated as master suite No. One. It makes sense only when one sees master suite No. Two on the lower level, which on a lesser vessel would be a VIP. The second master features two walk-in closets, a 40-inch LCD monitor, a settee lounge and, in the bath, a Jacuzzi tub and separate shower.

Two guest staterooms are amidships abaft the second master suite, just forward of the engine room. Both have an alternate exit in case of emergencies. In each of the inboard

closets located up against the engine room bulkhead, a door opens into a small common space where a watertight door provides access to the engine room.

The starboard stateroom acts as a gym and contains a weight machine and treadmill. This doesn’t mean the space loses its utility as a cabin, however. The yard built modular furniture that is stored ashore, providing the ability to switch the room from one use to the other. The ensuite portside cabin features a double bed that faces the two large oval portlights.

Kelly Kahler, Vrana’s assistant, designed the wooden handrails used on all of the interior stairways. This was a conscious effort to get away from the wrought-iron handrails that were called for on previous boats. A cherry cap that ties it stylistically and visually into the cherry used throughout the yacht is set on a base of maple burl, which makes for a subtle, yet eye-catching look.

The main starboard hallway leads past the dayhead, and the interior stairway leads to the observation lounge and on up to the pilothouse. The enclosed pilothouse is the key to allowing an observation lounge to occupy its comfortable midlevel space. The area that would be the raised pilothouse is used instead as an observation lounge. This feature was in the first 95-footer launched from this mold and was inspired

Below: The main

salon, with the dining

area forward, proves

white is nice. Bottom,

left to right: The aft-

deck table, built by

SeaStrike with an inlay

designed by Kelly

Kahler, awaits a guest;

the skylounge wet bar

just abaft the helm;

Sea Fox crew shirts in

white, of course.

Sea Fox

by My Way, the 103-foot Cheoy Lee launched in 2002. The owner didn’t have use for two helm stations and asked that the area be turned into a lounge. Not only did the market-ing people like the way it turned out, so did the customers. Whether under way or at anchor, day or night, it is a cozy room with a view that will surely see lots of use.

Nowadays, many owners are adopting the single helm approach, especially once the flybridge is enclosed. With

remote, wired or even wireless helms being as reliable as they are, it is possible to locate a few helm stations at con-venient locations around the vessel. Sea Fox has three wired stations, abaft the pilothouse and on the aft and forward decks. Freeing up the space enabled the installation of two skylights in the dash panel that deliver natural light down into the galley, directly onto the cooking area.

The highly reflective white galley aboard Sea Fox makes the most of the available light. Bead-board paneling, in the same oyster white as the salon, gives it the feel of a rustic country kitchen. The gray and black hues of the galley’s café imperial granite countertops contrast nicely with the painted surfaces, which extend even to the refrigerator door panels. The prep and cooking area is up against the forward bulk-head, while service is handled from the ample counter space that extends down the port side of the L-shaped galley.

The pilothouse features a single captain’s chair and a two-place observation seat to port. Roomy settees are located outside and inside the skylounge, which features a 40-inch LCD screen. Voyager Systems Inc. equipped the bridge with four 17-inch sunlight-readable LCD displays. They display images from two 12-kW Furuno NavNet 72-mile radars, Furuno video sounder, Nobeltec’s Admiral navigation software or the four CCTV cameras. Sea Tel sat-ellite TV and seven Latin America and seven U.S. receivers tell you that this boat is Caribbean bound. The entertain-ment system includes a DVD player in each cabin, a 400 CD changer, and a 46-inch LCD screen and Yamaha sur-round sound in the main salon.

The evolution of the 100-footer’s design is as much a part of the story as the boat itself. The first boat to come out of the mold was a 95-footer, as mentioned above, drawn by naval architect Michael Burvenich with interior design by Lisa Pirofsky. Built on spec and styled to appeal to a mass audience, it sold quickly. The second hull was a 100-footer. The additional five feet was the result of a simple cockpit extension added to accommodate the owner’s desire to fish.

Burvenich says Sea Fox is the first true 100-footer of Cheoy Lee’s Global Series to be made from the mold that can produce yachts from 90 to 105 feet in length. As a result, the extra footage provided additional interior space on

Above: the main-deck

master bath, left; the

second master suite,

right, is on the lower

deck. Below left:

looking aft across the

dining room from the

galley’s service door.

Bottom: The stairway

to the pilothouse and

observation lounge

is trimmed with a

stunning cherry and

maple burl handrail.

SHoWboATS.Com | november 2008 137

two decks. The lazarette is four feet longer, permitting additional space in the crew quarters for three cabins—a double for the captain and two twins—and a galley/lounge.

The engine room also received an additional foot of space. Four feet were added to the salon as well.

With a semi-planing hull, the yacht has a top speed of 26 knots and 2,500-nm range at 12 knots. Burvenich says the hull’s superior planing ability is delivered by a deep forefoot and sharp entry angle that turn into flat sections on each side—between the chine and the 14-degree deadrise—which continue to the stern. With weight being a factor, lightness is achieved by Cheoy Lee’s practice of resin-infusing everything from the built-in furniture and cabinets to the hull and superstructure.

With the myriad choices available to yacht buyers, it is commendable that Sea Fox’s owners followed their

hearts and gave Vrana the freedom to prove that white never looked so good.

Sea Fox

Right: the aft main

deck with the

SeaStrike-built table

set for service. The

owners opted for no

TV on the aft-deck

lounge, but they can

access the 400-CD

sound system at all

locations via a remote.

ReadeR’s ResouRce

Cheoy Lee Shipyards

Bahia Mar Yachting Center

801 Seabreeze Boulevard

Fort Lauderdale, Florida

33316

tel: 954-527-0999

fax: 954-527-2887

www.cheoylee.com

BuiLder: cheoy Lee

Shipyards

Year LaunChed: 2008

navaL arChiteCture:

M.g. burvenich

interior deSign: Lisa pirofsky

and Didgie Vrana of

argonautica custom

yacht interiors

exterior StYLing:

M.g. burvenich

CLaSSiFiCation/CertiFiCation: abS

Loa: 99'10" (23.43 m)

BeaM: 22' (6.71 m)

draFt: 5'10" (1.78 m)

Max. diSpLaCeMent: 105 tn

top Speed: 26 kn

CruiSe Speed: 21 kn

range at CruiSe: 1,100 nm/

2,500 nm @ 12 kn

huLL MateriaL: Divinycell or

equivalent cored material

SuperStruCture MateriaL:

Divinycell or equivalent

cored material

FueL CapaCitY: 5,500 U.S. gal

(20,820 L)

FreShwater CapaCitY:

580 U.S. gal (2,196 L)

engineS: 2x 1,652-hp

caterpillar c32

reverSe gearS: Z-F

propeLLerS: nibral, 5-blade,

class S, dynamically

balanced

generatorS: 2x 40-kW

northern Lights

air Conditioning: reverse-

cycle, chilled-water

air conditioning, 220 V

waterMaker: Fci

StaBiLizerS: naiad stabilizer

system w/9' fins and single-

station MultiSea controls

Bow thruSter: naiad 42 hp,

16' hydraulic bow thruster

w/single station control

hYdrauLiC SYSteM: naiad live

sea pads off both engines

paint: awlcraft 2000

hornS: buell twin trumpet

air horn

anChor windLaSS and

CapaCitY: Vertical twin

anchor windlass, Maxwell

VWc 4000 w/200'5/8"

high-test galvanized chain,

2x 255-lb bruce anchor

davitS/Crane and Load

CapaCitY: 2,200-lb nautical

Structures euro power

rotational

tender: 18' novurania

Widebody w/115-hp

yamaha 4-stroke

SeCuritY SYSteM: cheoy Lee

radar: Furuno navnet,

12 kW/72 nm arpa

eLeCtroniC ChartpLotter:

Furuno 3 navnet Vx2

nobeltec navigation

software

autopiLot: Simrad ap50

gYroCoMpaSS: Simrad cg80

gpS: Furuno navnet

SatCoM: KVh V7

MagnetiC CoMpaSS: ritchie

depth Finder: Furuno

navnet color sounder,

50/200 Khz

wind inStruMentS: b&g

multi gauges, h1000

Monitoring SYSteM:

cheoy Lee

inStaLLed BY: cheoy Lee

138 november 2008 | SHoWboATS.Com