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Equal attention has been paid to systems within that hull. All plumbing runs are clearly labeled, and wiring is loomed, bundled, and labeled at every terminus. Wiring, plumbing, and anything else that passes through structure is protected against chafing by rubber grommets. In the engine room there's a standard valving system that lets either engine's raw-water pump pull from the bilges instead of through the strainers in the event of a major leak. In a space with 6'2" headroom, 360-degree engine access, and white surfaces predominating , the standard Cummins QSM11s frankly looked a bit lost. The 11'7"-long lazarette immediately aft is just as nicely finished, available for stowage (and, says Hampton, crew quarters in the future), and accessed primarily by a watertight, pantographic transom door. However, should conditions preclude you from venturing out on the swim platform, you need only push a button in the 6'4"-long cockpit, and an engine-room hatch in its sole opens hydraulically. Cockpit controls that include joysticks for the bow and stern thrusters make the 580 easily handled by a couple.
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Examining all the 580's structure and engineering, I almost forgot what Far East boats are best know for: wood, and plenty of it. That is until I stepped into the saloon. Scelzi opted for the dark-stained, high-gloss makore, and "impressive" does not begin to describe both the joinery and the lacquerwork. I might also add "oppressive," at least in some below-decks places like the forepeak VIP, where a half-dozen halogen bulbs labored to overcome the gloom imparted by all the dark wood. Were this my boat, I'd have opted for light wood or upholstered panels to offset the makore, but there's no denying the fact that overall the effect is impressively masculine.
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I found the cockpit table a bit narrow for dinners of more than two people. |
Besides being beautiful, the 580's interior spaces are generously proportioned, with seven-foot headroom just about everywhere. That and large windows make the area feel big, and it is. Yet there's room for generous side decks covered by a bridge overhang from about amidships aft. Because the galley, immediately aft of the pilothouse, has refrigerator drawers instead of a stand-up model, the helmsman can actually see the transom, a nice surprise on a 58-footer.
There are other pleasant surprises as well. Retractable LCD TVs are nothing new, but on this boat, the 37-inch Sony Aquos is fixed. When you don't want to look at its blank screen, you can conceal it behind an elegant etched-glass panel that rises from a credenza. Cedar-lined closets are also nothing out of the ordinary, but those in the 580's master and VIP staterooms are each heated by a copper pipe to keep mildew at bay. That pipe is part of the system that also heats the soles of both heads. Most boats of this size have bilge access, but on this one you can crawl the entire length of the area beneath the accommodations level. Just lift the steps leading from the midship landing down and aft to the master, and you can hands-and-knees your way through a lighted, gelcoated passage forward to a VIP hatch.
Details like these, plus solid engineering and, yes, that gorgeous woodwork prove that Hampton is not trying to match competitors but to exceed them. Were the 580 a $2-million yacht, she'd be a fine vessel. With a base price of less than $1.4 million, she's all that and a bona fide bargain to boot. I'd say this battle goes to the Far East.
For more information on Hampton Yachts, including contact information, click here.
SPOTLIGHT ON: Crash Pump
No one likes to think of a crisis at sea, but they do happen, and nothing is more frightening than a major leak or holing. This standard crash-pump system on the 580 is designed to deal with just that possibility. Like most systems, it lets you close an engine's sea-water intake and pull water from an internal intake in the bilge. This system has a single intake (with strainer) that can be valved to run off either or both engines. So if one dies, you can still remove water from your bilges using the other one. Another interesting aspect of this design: You could actually supply both engines from one through-hull, which could be handy if a through-hull became clogged. Of course, you couldn't run both engines under any significant load this way.—R.T.
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This article originally appeared in the January 2008
issue of Power & Motoryacht magazine.
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