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If the
old shibboleth, “blondes have more fun”
could be applied to yachts, NECHA would
be one heck of a party girl. With the
exception of the soles, the owners chose
to finish the entire 93-footer in
soft-hued, unstained maple—in all its
variations and gradations. Flat walls
display the wood’s gentle, flame-like
structure while doors are inlaid with
variegated bird’s eye maple. And then
there are cabinet doors and various
insets which are clad with artistic,
quarter-cut maple veneers resembling
spiderwebs or bull’s eyes. Curly maple
adds yet another tone. The Interior
design by David Boudreau,
email: ebldesign@telus.net
The effect doesn’t hit you in
the face — it’s subtle, understated, low key.
No ostentation here, no frou-frou frills. One
might think that the honey-colored waffle
carpeting, earth-tone furnishings and off-white
deckhead panels would make the interior too
monochrome. Instead, it’s light, modern and
airy. Perhaps the large windows on all levels
are there to remind you that beyond the comfort
of the yacht’s pale interior, nature with all
its colors and verve are there to
enjoy.
 The contrast with the
yacht’s exterior
is arresting. It almost
brings to mind
the commercial,
“crispy on the outside, creamy on
the inside.” NECHA is a robustly
built,
all aluminum expedition yacht with a bow that
seems to reach to the skies. Like a breaching
great white shark, the bow rises one-and-a-half
decks above the water, with the solid bulwark
adding more height.
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Designer Ed Fry of Fry Associates, Inc.
created the yacht’s styling and incorporated
the high bow for anticipated long wave pitches
and a model-tested bulbous bow to improve fuel
efficiency and reduce pitching motion. The
anchor pockets, flanked by shiny, stainless
protective plates accent the bow’s
impressive dimensions even further. “She’s
built to survive 20-foot waves without shipping
water,” explained NECHA’s captain, Jason
Milton. “This is a vessel that can cross oceans
and happily tell the tale.”
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Her owners chose this style
yacht to do exactly that, and Fry delivered
their wishes. They wanted room, range and
efficiency. And those choices influenced the
yacht’s full-displacement design, its four
Guest staterooms, its preferred speed, tanks
holding nearly 12,000 gallons of fuel, size of
engines and space for provisions.
When you step aboard the
extended swim platform, a full-sized,
waterproof door leads directly into the lower
level, the guts of the yacht where much of the
work takes place. Immediately, it’s clear this
is a boat created for passaging while leaving
the smallest environmental footprint possible.
Thus the aft lazarette, besides offering the
huge amount of storage space necessary for
long-distance travel, contains a Fox 1800
Pollution Packer, an industrial waste compacter
that reduces 15, 30-gallon bags of waste to a
single cube.
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The engine room ahead of the lazarette uses the
full 23.5-foot beam to ergonomically position
its machinery and make it all highly
accessible. Two white 500-hp Lugger engines are
balanced to starboard and port of center. These
engines, manufactured by Northern Lights, are
designed to propel the yacht at a maximum of 12
knots, with a preferred cruising speed of 10
knots, giving the yacht a range of 5,000 miles.
The owners know, of course, that speed and
water don’t mix, so they chose lower horsepower
engines that burn about 2.5 gallons per
nautical mile at cruising speed. Compare that
to a semi-planing yacht of similar size with
twin 1,600 horses moving at 21 knots, and the
fuel consumption will reach 10 gallons/nm.
Thus, NECHA emits only a quarter of the carbon
dioxide that the faster yacht burps out.
The space between the two
Luggers is filled by Headhunter’s aerobic
biological sewage treatment system, called
Tidal Wave, which meets both U.S. Coast Guard
and international Marpol certifications. Again,
NECHA’s owners opted to minimize their impact
on nature by discharging only clean water. The
treatment tank uses oxygen and naturally
occurring bacteria to digest solids in an
aeration chamber. A mild disinfectant kills any
harmful pathogens and the process is odor-free.
“This yacht is ahead of future regulations in
its black-water management,” said Milton. “It’s
not yet required to have sanitation treatment
in many harbors, but its coming.” The engine
room also contains two Village Marine
watermakers and twin 65kW Kilopack marine
generators, the latter supplemented by a
compact, quiet, 30kW “on the hook or at the
harbor” generator.
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room, crew quarters are much more spacious than
usual. Twin screens allow the crew to monitor
14 separate views of the yacht’s interior and
exterior, while a separate screen is available
for television. The Captain’s cabin has a
queen-sized bed and a full head. A
supplementary double-bunk cabin is available to
house the additional two crew needed when the
yacht is passaging.
A door leads from the crew quarters to the
forepeak, which offers storage for three large
Danby freezers and an extra fridge. Milton
points out the yacht’s sturdy ribs. “This boat
is tough as nails. It’s a true bluewater
vessel.” Naval Architect McIlwain, who did the
earlier ABD yachts, designed many Pacific Ocean
fishing boats capable of withstanding storms
and Ed Fry created the NECHA styling based on
this early design. Ed Fry incorporated his
years yacht building knowledge into this yacht.
The bow’s frames are on one-foot centers and
only further aft do they become four-foot
centers. He also added a bulbous bow, collision
bulkhead and six watertight compartments to
meet one compartment subdivision rules of the
Classifications Societies and MCA.
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Stairs lead from the crew
quarters into the galley on the main deck. The
galley is unusual in that it’s compact and
completely self-contained. No one can sit
nearby and distract chef from the food
preparation
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The counters, center island and
back splashes are covered with gray-black
granite highlighted with silver flecks, which
are replicated in the brushed stainless
cabinets and appliances. Need to add water to
the soup or potatoes? A “pot-filler” faucet has
been installed above the Viking six-burner
induction cooktop. The Sub Zero fridge includes
four built-in crisper drawers.
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The food can be served in the
combined saloon-dining area, which contains a
stained maple dining table for six, as well as
sofas and easy chairs organized to watch the
Sony 60in pop-up television. Throughout, the
fronts of buffets and cabinets display
artistically cut maple. The living area exits
onto a spacious covered California deck with a
lifting teak table that can be unfolded to seat
additional diners. A fridge/icemaker will keep
everyone supplied with libations.
Moving forward from the
living space, a corridor displays the first of
several areas with ebony-stained Brazilian
cherry soles—a sharp contrast with the blond
walls. Again, the effect is soothing and the
hallway has much less of the “coffin-like” feel
sometimes experienced in narrow passages
sheathed in dark wood. Two double guest cabins
mirror each other on port and starboard, their
private heads featuring a marble-lined, walk-in
shower. The sinks are recessed in bronze, black
and maroon-veined marble, a theme repeated in
the other guest heads. After passing one of
three washer-dryer sets aboard, a roomy VIP
king suite fits into the bow, with high, large
windows providing both illumination and
privacy. The peaceful, low-key theme carries on
in the staterooms through restful sage-tinted
bedding and pale carpeting. Again, figured
maple walls provide restrained decorative
motifs.
A starboard stair leads up to
the pilothouse. The staircase is unusual in
that its treads are inlaid with carpeting,
providing non-slip security in a seaway. The
pilothouse also presents an innovation: its
console is freestanding rather than built into
the superstructure. You can stand in front of
the helm, hold on to a stout railing and peer
directly into the distance — without leaning
forward over the console with its distracting
lights and the five, 21in NEC screens.
Another advantage of this novel arrangement
is that the extensive cabling under the helm is
easily accessible from the console’s rear.
A settee and table, with chart drawers
underneath, are located behind three Bostrom
“Wide Ride” helm seats, which face the console
furnished with top-of-the-line electronics. The
depth sounders, radars, fishfinder, GPS,
compass and fax—all by Furuno—make servicing
easy from Alaska to Cape Horn. The Simrad
autopilot and Icom VHFs, along with a Hanse
security camera system, complement a host of
other electronic gear to make passaging safe
and fun.
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The master suite lies aft of the helm and is
thus completely private. Sizeable windows on
port and starboard, as well as opening doors
onto a personal aft deck make the space look
less like a cabin and more like an open-air
bedroom. The windows prevent the suspension of
a television, so the screen is embedded into a
stand at the foot of the king-size bed.
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A walk-in closet offers built-in dressers and
ample space for hanging clothes. The head
features a jetted tub and steam room.
Owner’s
double washbasins with onyx
tops
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View forward in Master Suite with rotating
hi/lo TV at foot of the bed.
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Complete navigation can take
place from the flybridge deck, where all the
essential electronics are duplicated.
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Behind the helm, covered
bench seats, a U-shaped dinette and a Magnum
barbecue make entertaining a joy.
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On the open aft deck next to
the two Zodiac 12-person life rafts, is a
Steelhead four ton tender davit located on
center is ready to haul the Mako 224™ tender or
the Nautica™ 18 dinghy.
Enclosed stairwell to quarters allows easy
passage even in foul weather
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Captain’s
Comments
ABD took two years to
custom-build NECHA. The 20-year-old Vancouver
yard is known for its meticulously built, stout
expedition yachts. It’s why Captain Milton, is
happy to be aboard. “In the past, I skippered
Exodus, another of ABD’s strong boats,” he
concluded. “I like this builder. They’re small
and construct one boat at a time. That means
their whole focus is one thing and one thing
only. That allows for attention to detail and
an overall superb job.”
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DESIGNER’S COMMENTS
By Ed Fry
ABD Aluminum Yachts
facilities in North Vancouver is ideally
located in one of North America’s most densely
populated areas of experienced yacht builders
so there are many qualified sub-contractors for
quality interior completion to the highest
standards.
Prices are competitive
with worldwide builders and the can-do attitude
of the management makes ABD a good source for
aluminum yacht construction. www.abdaluminumyachts.com
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