Warwick 55-meter Motoryacht

By Mike Smith

August 13, 2009

You expect to see innovation all over a new boat, but in the placement of the deck furniture? Well, even standard features such as this got a rethink on this 55-meter (180-foot) design from Warwick Yachts. The New Zealand builder cast off the typical centerline bench-style settee on the aft deck in favor of two C-shape settees in the corners of the bulwarks. The smaller of the two tables is to starboard; the port-side table pulls out to the center to create an alfresco dining area for eight. If more guests drop by for dinner, they can still dine outside on the larger table on the bridge deck.

Once their meal is finished, the group can continue just a few feet forward on the same deck to the semicircular bar, with seating for ten. And should it rain, everyone can retire inside to enjoy dessert (or Japanese barbeque) and chat around the L-shape Teppanyaki dining table in the main-deck saloon.

But the smart ideas go well beyond dining amenities. The two davits on the aft bridge deck stow facing athwartships to allow room for four sun lounges. There’s also an owner’s deck, a feature you don’t often see on yachts of this size. On it is an owner’s saloon with a small bar, card table, and central sitting area, while forward of it lies the master stateroom with an aft-facing king-size bed, his and her heads, and walk-in closets. Due to a hallway on the port side that leads to the owner’s foyer, the master is not full-beam, but it does get plenty of light from massive starboard-side picture windows.

The main deck is also atypical. Its after portion contains the main saloon, dining room, and galley, while the forward half holds quarters for the captain, two engineers, and four other crew.

This is in addition to a crew area on the deck below, with a mess and three double-berth staterooms. The after half of the lower deck holds four guest staterooms surrounding a lobby. Aft of them are a tender garage and next to it, a gym.

Although the overall layout is far from ordinary, it’s still highly functional. Which goes to show that great things can happen when you begin thinking about a concept from the bottom—and the bottom of the world—up.