Superyacht builder Palmer Johnson’s history is storied. Nearly a century old, the luxury yacht builder was founded in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, in 1918. Trading Lake Michigan for the Mediterranean in recent years, the Monaco-based company has designed everything from aluminum motor yachts for Spanish kings, to, more recently, the all-carbon-fiber composite vessels that resemble leisure-minded battleships of some futuristic fleet. 

What they haven’t designed is a day boat—or any boat—under 70 feet. Until now. The builder recently announced plans to build the above Palmer Johnson 63 Sport.

Given the PJ63 Sport distinction, the initial renderings feature Palmer Johnson’s unique design aesthetic and exterior styling that can be found on its largest of superyachts. All of Palmer Johnson’s heraldry and timeless design is present, including a very fine bow entry that should slice through head seas.

A strong profile emphasizing both sharp lines and curved surfaces flows uninterrupted along the boat’s 63-foot LOA. And like her behemoth brethren before her, the PJ63’s hull has been constructed out of carbon composite—what some builders have been heralding as the material of the future. (The benefits of carbon fiber include dramatically reduced weight, and an innate strength 10 times that of steel and eight times that of aluminum.)

Initially starting with a 250-foot yacht, Palmer Johnson’s Head of Design, Berkeley March, over the course of six years, “worked its way all the way down, and we’ve adjusted its design and requirements for the size of the vessel and for the speed also.” As for the speed, she is capable of 36 knots, an output made possible by a pair of Volvo Penta IPS D600s.

Accommodations below can sleep four guests; while above, an optional hardtop gives owners the choice of either sun or shade. The first PJ63 is currently under construction at Latitude Yachts in Riga, with outfitting to take place in Italy. She is scheduled for completion in June 2017, with the goal of introducing Palmer Johnson to a broader market, bridging the gap—and history—between small yachts and superyachts plying the world’s seas. www.palmerjohnson.com

Click on a thumbnail to enlarge the images:

Specifications

  • Builder: Palmer Johnson
  • Model: 63 Sport
  • LOA: 63′
  • Beam: 20’6″
  • Standard Power: N.3 x Volvo Penta IPSI D600
  • Speed: 36 knots

This article originally appeared in the March 2017 issue of Power & Motoryacht magazine.