Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Fri, 23 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Seasons Greetings!

We have had a happy, busy year here at Pacific Yacht Management and want to take this opportunity to thank all of you. It is our hope that this holiday season finds you and your family happy and healthy.

We take pride in maintaining your yachts and value your trust in us to do so. With the new year right around the corner, so is the cruising season! It's not too early to start planning.

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year from all of us at Pacific Yacht Management!
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The 2011 Re-Fit of Sea Lion

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT

One look at Sea Lion reveals a unique yacht with a very special heritage. Sea Lion is not a Palm Beach boat. She is a Bering Sea boat. The difference is obvious at first glance.

She is one of only five Delta 70 yachts ever built by the world-renowned Delta Marine. For the first twenty-five years of its history, Delta built fish boats for the Gulf of Alaska, Bering Sea, and Bristol Bay fisheries. Zopilote was the first Delta 70 yacht: a remarkable yacht built using one of Delta’s Alaskan crabber hull forms. As serious yachtsmen took notice, four more Delta 70’s were ordered and built, including Thunder in 1988. Thereafter, Delta declined to build anymore 70 foot yachts, and began building a long line of larger yachts, all with the DNA of its coveted fishing boats most of which – built three or four decades ago – are still in service.

In October of 2010, after passing through the hands of four different owners, Thunder was re-sold and her new owners changed her name to Sea Lion and undertook an extensive re-fit. Planning took place in October and November, and interior demolition began in early December, 2010.

The boat already had world-class operating capability: 5,500 gallon fuel capacity which gave it a 5,500 mile endurance at 9 knots; 900 galllons of water storage, 700 feet of ¾” stainless steel chain and cable with a 350-pound stainless anchor. She had a bulbous bow, bilge keels, stabilizers, and bow and stern thrusters. Her complement of navigation electronics was state-of-the art, including a satellite compass, Nobeltech charts, a Furuno 2117 radar with AIS and ARPA capability, NavNet 2 (including a second radar), sonar, two VHF’s, a wireless router, and SatComm.

But her new owners wanted to completely change the interior and to fundamentally upgrade the engine room.

The re-fit was done at Salmon Bay Marine Center in Seattle by Jeff Sanson’s Pacific Yacht Management Company. The interior designer was Sylvia Bolton Design. Both firms have offices at Salmon Bay Marine Center, an exceptionally well-conceived super-yacht facility on the Ballard Ship Canal in Seattle. Pacific Yacht Management assembled a dream-team of Seattle area craftsmen, probably made possible by the timing of the re-fit in a down economy. Almost all the cabinetry in the salon, dining area, galley, and master stateroom, and the new teak decking and teak flooring in the salon was built and installed by West Coast Marine under the direction of Kevin Johnson. The beautiful pilot house cabinetry was done by Bakketun & Thomas.

The main deck – salon, galley, and master stateroom – and the pilot house were gutted literally right down to the fiberglass hull. New soles, overheads, bulkheads and cabinetry was designed, built and installed. The boat was extensively re-wired and substantially re-plumbed. Almost all the old incandescent and fluorescent lighting was changed to LED. The lower deck (two ensuite staterooms and a three-berth crew quarters) was not substantially re-built, but the interiors were completely re-finished, including new floor coverings, wall coverings, ceilings, and bathroom fixtures and counter tops.

The bulkheads and overheads in the engine room were replaced and extensive re-design of mechanical and electrical systems and replacement of machinery was undertaken. The main engine, a Cat 3408, was not replaced, because it had only 3,500 hours since a major overhaul. However, the three existing generators were removed and replaced with two new 30 KW units. The main electrical panel was completely re-built and two 4,000 watt inverters were installed. Two 240-volt shore power transformers and fore and aft Glendenning cablemasters were added. A Maretron electronic systems information system was installed. Two 1,800 gallons-per-day watermakers replaced the antiquated 900 gallon per day system. A diesel furnace was added to allow heating of water and ambient air without running the electric watermaker or the chillers.

On the boat deck, a large built-in settee was removed, the composite deck replaced with teak to match the aft deck and side decks, and a new 17-foot Boston Whaler was installed on aluminum chocks to complement the existing 12-foot AB tender. A kayak rack for three sea-kayaks as built and added along with two long deck storage boxes. The existing barbecue/refrigerator installation on the boat deck was converted to propane storage (for the gas stove-top in the galley) and a “garage” for a portable auxiliary pump/fire hose engine. With its 2½ ton Marquipt crane, the boat deck became a serious repository of recreational capabilities.

Generally, the owners wanted Sea Lion to be a relaxed, friendly, safe environment that was not overbearing in its décor which they wanted to be both warm and elegant. She also had to have a high level of functionality in the living spaces and a range of recreational options including trolling, shrimping, crabbing, kayaking, and exploring by dinghy.

Sylvia Bolton’s command of textures and tones and forms and surfaces assured the warmth and elegance. Her selections of furnishings and fabrics, carpets, wall coverings, fixtures, and appliances blend to give elegant but inviting living spaces throughout the boat.

Jeff Sanson’s long experience at sea (he holds a 1600-ton license) informed his vision of ultimate yacht capabilities (from the engine room systems right down to the trap hauler on the port quarter rail) and Kevin Johnson’s supreme mastery of spatial relationships and his unequaled craftsmanship, together, assured a sublime functionality. His impeccably high standards, demand for on-time performance by all involved, and his meticulous follow-up resulted in delivery of the completed Sea Lion by mid-June, in time for a full season of cruising in British Columbia and Alaska.

The owner’s central re-fit parameter was that the boat could comfortably accommodate eight people, including two in the crew quarters. This meant food preparation for eight and meal seating for eight in both the dining area (forward portion of the salon) and on the aft deck, sleeping for eight, laundry for eight, unrestricted showering for eight, and sanitation for eight. It also meant providing very comfortable, defined spaces – staterooms, salon, pilot house, aft deck, and flying bridge – where people could find some seclusion.

One of the specific re-fit parameters was that Sea Lion could lie at anchor at the end of a day’s cruising, and through the night without running a generator. Another was to be able to fill the two 450-gallon water tanks – from empty – in six hours.

The owners wanted wall-to-wall carpeting in the salon, and teak flooring in the dining area. A sound-down blanket was installed on the salon floor prior to laying the carpet to dampen engine room noise. Sylvia specified a custom sofa with a rich wool fabric. The owners specified a sofa that was long enough and wide enough to provide comfortable napping for a very tall person. The resulting sofa is nine feet long, and it is not built in; rather Sylvia purposely specified it as a separate piece of furniture. Even so, it was designed to provide commodious built-in storage. She added two plush club chairs to go on either side of the entertainment center which she designed to accommodate a large-screen, high-definition t.v. that rises out of its cabinet at the push of a button. A Sonos sound system was added to allow streaming of music off the Internet. Different music selections can be played simultaneously in five different zones on the boat. The lighting scheme – changed to all LED – was completely re-designed to not only provide ample, variable intensity, ambient lighting, but also localized reading light and art lighting. The salon and dining area can be lit throughout across a wide range of candlepower.

One of the signature design features is the overheads in the salon, galley, and pilot house. They are glossy white, faux tongue-and-groove paneling that has the appearance of 19th Century craftsmanship on an old sailing vessel. Kevin Johnson managed to align the grooves with a subtle convergence aft to match the slight convergence of the bulkheads aft.

A stand-out design feature is in the living area is Sylvia’s dining chairs. They provide a stunning, formal accent in the otherwise relaxed, subdued luxury of the salon and dining area; and they are wonderfully comfortable, encouraging lingering postprandial conversation.

The galley was designed by Sylvia with lots of direction from the owners and with lots of practical adjustments by Kevin Johnson, West Coast Marine Interiors’ master builder. On the port side, there is a large service area that includes an ice-maker, a small refrigerator (for cold beverages) and a wine cooler. It features a wide, stone counter top with an extra large sink (and a pneumatically switched garbage disposal). The galley features teak paneling on all the appliances and on the cupboard doors. The floors are cork, and there is extensive stone counter surface wrapping around the entire galley, providing ample food preparation area as well as serving area and a counter for casual dining. The galley incorporates a stand-up freezer, a stand-up refrigerator, a dishwasher, a trash compactor, an electric oven, a gas stove top, and a microwave. The sink is the same size as the one in the service bar and also has a pneumatically switched disposal. The owners put a premium on storage, and it is provided extensively throughout the galley and service area, and even in the dining area.

The master stateroom was designed to be a sanctuary as well as a comfortable working area for the owners. It features the same ambient and local lighting as is provided in the salon and dining area. All the paneling is teak, and thanks to Sylvia’s design and Kevin’s grasp of spatial relationships, there is vast storage that blends artfully into the rich façade of the space. A built-in, generously-sized, leather-surfaced desk and work area occupies most of the starboard bulkhead. The bed is queen-sized. The ensuite bath has been completely re-finished from floor to ceiling and now includes a marble shower, stone countertop, mirrored walls (which mask extensive cabinet space), and cork floors.

Probably the most dramatic interior space on the boat is the pilot house. While the instrument panel itself was not re-configured, it was re-finished. A polished burl face was fabricated and three computer monitors and the GPS and Maretron monitors were installed in it. A rich, brown leather was used to upholster the instrument console. A large, built-in, bench pilot seat for two was removed and two Stidd chairs covered in the same leather as the console were installed. The original settee, with its large double, step-up and its high back and sides that obscured much of the view out the side windows was removed. In its place a completely new settee was designed and built in place with a 6-inch step up and back and sides that rise to just above the bottom window sills. The new settee features deep seat and back cushions that are also upholstered in the same brown leather used on the console and Stidd chairs. A pilot berth is situated behind the settee. The original teak floor was retained, and artfully patched where the old bench pilot seat was removed. The wall covering is a rich, brown vinyl weave that matches the all the teak and leather, and sets off the white tongue-and-groove overhead.

Despite some knowledgeable predictions of a re-fit that would take a year, or more, Sea Lion left Seattle in mid-June, after a little less than seven months of intense effort, and has been cruising in Southeast Alaska all summer. She will return to her berth at Salmon Bay at the end of September.

Sea Lion’s interior and mechanical/electrical transformation from her incarnation as Thunder is remarkable. With the exception of minor punch list items, the delivered boat is performing exactly as planned. That the entire re-fit took place on an open dock at Salmon Bay Marine Center, including the change-out of the generators, is a testament to the skill and integrity of the carpenters, mechanics, electricians, and other specialized craftsmen who did the work, to the extraordinary ingenuity and uncompromising standards of Kevin Johnson of West Coast Marine Interiors, to the inspired design concepts of Sylvia Bolton, and to the remarkable end vision, initiative, and unrelenting insistence on highest quality and timely execution by Jeff Sanson. Some 6,000 man-hours were expended in the re-creation of Thunder into Sea Lion on an open dock in sun, rain, even snow over a seven-month period. As many as a dozen craftsmen were aboard working at any one time. The scheduling and management of these talented people, as well as the project planning and accounting, were accomplished by Jeff and his staff with unfailing care and devotion to the owners’ best interests.