Did you see any cool yacht design features at the Palm Beach International Boat Show?
You know what they say, time flies when you are having fun! I cannot believe it is already 2 weeks since the Palm Beach International Boat Show 2019. And what a great show it was: lots of interesting boats, many fun accessories, and a great atmosphere in a wonderful location. Did you see something you liked at the show? I saw many wonderful boats. In this blog, I want to highlight some of the fun and innovative features in yacht design I saw on some of them.
First, I think the design trend of using transformable and open spaces is wonderful, including on yachts. One great example I saw was the spacious galley on the Horizon FD77 and FD87 which can be completely open to the salon, completely closed, and with variations in between. Indeed, there is a kitchen island/bar (with stools on the FD77) separating the salon from the galley with a partition/privacy screen that slides up and down. There is also a door from the galley to the salon and a double pocket door to the side, providing a free and open flow from the salon and through the galley when desired. This gives you the option to have the galley fully open if you want to prepare snacks or a meal in the galley and still be part of the conversation with your guests, friends and family, or have the galley as a welcoming open space where everybody likes to hang out at a party. But, you can also close the galley if you don’t want others to see your culinary secrets, don’t like getting food smells in the salon, or if you have a chef and/or other crew working in the galley.
I also really like how we are seeing more and more light in yachts, usually with great big windows in the salon and in the master stateroom. One innovative example I saw of adding light – below deck – was on the Pearl 80. Indeed, the guest staterooms to port and starboard have big windows on to the interior corridor, opening and brightening the space. Blinds can be closed at the touch of a button for privacy.
Finally, the beach club concept found on large custom designed superyachts has also made its way on to relatively smaller production boats. Three great examples I saw at the show were on the Maritimo X60 Beach Club, and on the Horizon FD77 and FD87. These spaces offer a nice place to hang out right on the water, with room to relax, enjoy some snacks and beverages from the fridge, and watch a game on TV if you need a break from the water. They also feature a full head with shower so no need to go upstairs or inside of the boat if you want to use the head still dripping from being in the water, or if you want to have a quick shower to rinse off. I was very impressed with the use of space, especially on a 60’ boat like in the case of the Maritimo.
Are there any design features that caught your attention at the show?
In my next blog I will revisit the most innovative, fun, and a little crazy superyacht I saw at the show. Can you guess which one I am referring to?
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