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Aficionados of large custom yachts may be familiar with the Astondoa marque; founded in 1916, the Spanish yard has been building custom pleasurecraft through three generations of family ownership. Steeped in tradition, the builder is known in the United States for its line of motoryachts ranging in length from 66 to 138 feet. But during the past few years, the company has also been building a line of express-style yachts for customers in Europe. Two of those models have recently been introduced to the American market; one is a 43 Open powered by twin 435-hp Volvo Penta IPS drives, the other is a 53 Open powered by twin 800-hp MAN inboards. When I arrived in Stuart, Florida, on a sunny, sultry day to test the latter, little did I know just how many intriguing features I was about to discover.
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Although she was tied stern-to, boarding the 53 Open was a snap thanks to the optional eight-foot Opacmare passerelle. Once onboard, I was greeted by Ian Vale, president of Sound Yachting Group, the U.S. distributor for the Astondoa line. The first of many features of the yacht he pointed out was just how easily the passerelle stowed; with just the touch of a single button, a mechanism automatically leveled the gangway, dropped its stanchions and lines, then retracted it into the stern. Deployment is just as simple.
Eyeballing her bridge deck, I commented on how spacious it seemed, what with triple helm seats forward, an outdoor galley, an L-shape settee and dining table big enough to accommodate six or more in comfort, and an open deck area as big as a dance floor just forward of a nearly full-beam settee at the stern. Vale explained that the open deck space aft was normally fitted with a big, triple-width sunpad. Personally, I prefer the more open layout on the aft deck; for die-hard sun worshippers, there is an enormous sunpad on the foredeck, big enough for four or more bathers to soak up rays.
Other features of the bridge deck were not so apparent but equally pleasing. For example, raising a stylish countertop lid revealed the two-burner cooktop, stainless steel sink, and modest work space that comprise the outdoor galley. Nearby, concealed in a cabinet just forward, is a refrigerator/freezer, while nestled into a similar cabinet on the starboard side is an ice maker. And for on-deck entertainment, our test boat was fitted with an optional 20-inch LCD TV that rises up from a cabinet directly behind the helm station, in perfect viewing position from the L-shape dining area.
It being well before noon, and with bright sun bringing the temperature to near 90 degrees, I opted to check out the engine room without delay. It proved to be a good decision. Access to the machinery space is via a small hatch on the starboard side of the aft deck; climbing down a short vertical ladder was tight but manageable, and a relay panel alongside the ladder allowed control of several systems without having to actually enter the engine space. And that was a good thing, because the only way to enter the machinery space is to crawl on hands and knees from the base of the access ladder, athwartship to the centerline, then forward between the 800-hp MAN diesels. Only upon reaching the forward engine-room bulkhead is there standing (or for me, at 6'2", stooping) headroom. However, other than being on hands and knees, I found access to systems in the lazarette good, and access to both sides of the engines was adequate, albeit a bit tight on the outboard side because the fuel tanks are outboard.
What makes the machinery space so cramped, of course, is the transom tender garage. Stepping aft onto the hydraulically operated swim platform, Vale raised the door to the transom garage, revealing all the space that was not in the engine room, but instead allowed the 53 to carry a tender up to ten feet long. Although our test boat was not yet equipped with one, it appeared that the winch and roller system would make launch and retrieval a breeze. And for major engine work, the floor of the tender garage can be easily removed by unscrewing a few fasteners, creating an opening more than eight feet long into the engine room.
As the Florida sun climbed to its apogee, it was a refreshing relief to retreat to the comfortably air-conditioned lower deck. But it was not just the cool air that was refreshing; the shape and textures that Astondoa chose for the space were comfortable and inviting. To begin with, the saloon was not configured in the usual boxy rectangle shape. Instead, the forward bulkhead was angled, so rather than being directly opposite the galley, the angled settee seemed partially recessed into an inviting nook of its own. And executed in both pickled oak and wenge, the joinery was stylish but not overtly contemporary. Another nice touch was a 14"x33" skylight in the overhead that allowed natural light to bathe the entire space.
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