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Yacht Haven, just beyond the I-95 bridge, was where we ended up. And as soon as Hercules was tied up port-side-to, Druek gingerly shut down and restarted our two commercially rated 350-bhp Cummins MerCruiser Diesel 6CTA8.3-Ms, a move that magically reset the Glendinning electronic engine control and put the starboard transmission back on-line. Go figure. Then, with a firm resolve to get to the bottom of the glitch another day, we shut both mains down for good and began touring the boat, stem to stern. The ensuing hours brought back fond memories of my many days working aboard steel-hulled vessels prior to getting into marine journalism, and because Hercules is essentially comprised of a steel hull (with double-bottom fuel tanks) and a welded-aluminum superstructure (joined to hull and deck plating via an explosively welded interstitial strip of Detacouple), I was generally familiar with her workboat-turned-yacht makeup and specifically impressed with the following aspects.
a d v e r t i s e m e n t
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Let's look at the lower deck first. Five watertight bulkheads divide it into six watertight compartments, which are, working back from the bow: anchor locker/bulb area; crew quarters (with queen berth, large lounge/galley, and en suite head); midship stateroom area (with VIP to starboard and guest to port); master stateroom (with double king, vanity, walk-in closet, and en suite head); engine room; and lazarette. The presence of genuine, wheel-activated, six-dog watertight doors as well as a plethora of bronze opening ports (with lenses of 3/4-inch-thick tempered safety glass) instilled as much oceangoing confidence in me as the glimpses I got of the 1/4-inch-thick steel plating that composes the bulkheads. And the level of engineering in the machinery spaces? Whether it was stainless steel manifolds for bilge-pump and fuel-transfer systems I was examining, stainless steel hydraulic lines cushioned in synthetic rubber hangers secured to the overhead, or the seeming miles of high-density Soundown foam strips that isolate the interior from hull- and/or machinery-generated sound and vibration, everything was decidedly overbuilt and shippy.
Outfitting's next on my list. Above Hercules' lower deck are the main deck with dining area, galley, saloon, and day head; the pilot deck with wraparound Portuguese bridge, central helm station, two Stidd helm chairs, complete control stations on both bridge wings, another day head, and double berth/dinette for the relief watch; and the flying-bridge deck with two more Stidds, yet another control station, an L-shape settee, and bimini top. Whether I was admiring the Viking gas/electric range in the galley, the optional Furuno-based glass bridge in the pilothouse, the Izerwaren hardware that accouters exquisitely joined, 13/8-inch-thick raised-panel doors throughout the boat, the tasteful fabrics and finishes from Anita's Interiors of Fort Lauderdale in staterooms and living spaces, or the big, hand-carved, good-luck-ensuring "mythical dolphins" commissioned by Druek to both artistically augment and structurally solidify the teak railings of the boat's central stairwell, the overall theme was crystal clear: Hercules sports crème de la crème fitments and equipage everywhere.
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Shaw McCutcheon |
The galley offers an unusual Kohler stainless steel "farm" sink with matching faucets. |
And finally, there's the steely seafaring heritage the Molokai Strait 75 so resolutely embodies. Well before I had the opportunity to navigate Hercules up the New River to her berth at Yacht Haven, I enjoyed an all-too-brief moment at her primary helm station, with my butt in a perfectly adjusted Stidd, the autopilot purring away like a Cheshire cat, and my eyes gazing off through the windshield at an empty blue horizon. A set of quadrantal spheres (traditional deviation-nixing compensators typically seen on commercial-type steel vessels) hovered on either side of a big, front-and-center Ritchie compass and framed the scene ahead. With the Wesmar stabilizers off, a slow, gentle roll prevailed—an absolutely distinctive and pleasant one.
"I'd almost forgotten how flat-out powerful a heavy steel hull feels goin' through the water," I said to Druek, who'd just turned to watch an array of flying-fish flash past on the port side. I turned to watch the fish myself, then added, "You picked a great name for this baby, by the way."
"Yeah," Druek responded with a proud, paternal grin, "Hercules."
For more information on Molokai, including contact information, click here.
SPOTLIGHT ON: Cool Jewel
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Charles Dalten |
While the wheelhouse on the 75 is technologically sophisticated, it's also comfortable and practical. Certainly, the watchstanding basics are all there: a glass-bridge-style electronics suite, a day head, an L-shape settee with dining table and nearby berth for relief watchstanders, a chart
table/desk, and tilted windows to cut down on glare. But one of the coolest touches is all but invisible. Within the port leg of the settee is a top-loading Norcold refrigerator/freezer (with teak fascia) that pulls out on tracks. It's the ideal spot for stowing foods that appeal to watchstanders. Frozen Klondike Heath Bars, for instance.—B.P.
Thetford Corporation
(734) 769-6000
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This article originally appeared in the July 2007
issue of Power & Motoryacht magazine.
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