The renowned Brooklin Boat Yard is doing sea trials on this virtually completed custom-built luxury yacht. Named “Syntax,” it’s a 55-footer commissioned by the Wheeler Yacht Company of Chapel Hill, N.C. The expectation is that the vessel will be christened and launched officially before August.
This vessel is designed to be a high-tech version of the famous Wheeler luxury vessels of the golden age of yachting in the first half of the 20th Century. (You may have heard of Ernest Hemmingway’s beloved “Pilar,” a Wheeler 38’ on which he wrote “The Old Man and the Sea” and revolutionized sport fishing. She was built for Hemmingway by Wheeler in 1934.) It also will be an example of outstanding American workmanship.
According to the Yacht Company, this new Wheeler 55’ is a cold-molded wooden vessel featuring African mahogany, with Douglas fir structural elements and teak decks. It will be driven by 850 HP i6 MAN engines (with the option to upgrade to MAN V8-1000 engines) and twin straight shaft propellers; the yacht will cruise at 25 knots. Features like the synchronized joystick controls with bow and stern thrusters will ensure easy docking, while the Seakeeper gyro stabilizer and Zipwake systems will provide a smooth and stable ride.
(Images taken in Brooklin, Maine, on July 18, 2024.) See also the image in the first Comment space. Thanks to Barbara Wyeth for the tip.