Houseboating Adventures - Issue 17 - (Page 50) 1) Blur the distinction between yacht and houseboat; 2) Be suitable for protected saltwater cruising; 3) Incorporate HVAC, plumbing and electrical systems with higher quality components and superior engineering than those currently used on houseboats 4) Utilize new diesel azipod-type powerplant and control systems similar to the Volvo IPS or MerCruiser Zeus systems 5) Incorporate redundant power generators which can be brought on and off line as power needs cycle up and down. HBA: What does it take for a boat to be worth more than a million dollars? DS: To us its all about creating a vessel with high dock appeal, that exudes quality and style, that is technically reliable and is a joy to drive. While this product costs more up front, it also provides its buyer with a more enjoyable ownership experience and a higher resale value in the end. Desert Shore builds only two or three boats per year, so we are able to focus 100% of our attention on every boat we build. This focus takes the form of designing an individualized yacht look for every vessel, engineering the unique fabrications required to construct the design, and of course assembling and troubleshooting the final product. Value and cost are also added due to the fact that the catamaran hull we build is more complex but provides a level of stability and performance with which most house- DS: Serenity is a 75’ x18’ triple deck vessel with a small second deck cabin. The interior is laid out around a rear salon with four bedrooms and two baths on the main level. The upper cabin contains another two bedrooms and a third bath. The most distinctive feature of the boat is the sundeck canopy, which is all-aluminum. The design was created in Rhino3D and then the fabrication components were modeled in Solid Works. When you look at the canopy from all possible angles it becomes apparent that it is basically a collision of curved planes converging from every direction. I doubt that it could even have been conceived in the days before computer software made this sort of thing easy. The hull for Serenity represents the fifth generation catamaran hull for Desert Shore. In this iteration the hulls were redesigned to maximize interior space and flotation. The result is extremely roomy and comfortable cuddy cabins as well as a very buoyant hull. Serenity feels very light and responsive to drive. I would have to say that it is my favorite boat to drive that we have built to date. It moves very well, tracks absolutely straight, and feels completely stable even in rough water. We had an occasion to dock the boat in its slip at night with a 25 mph cross wind and the thrusters were able to hold the lateral position completely neutral as we slid forward into the slip. I am very confident in our vessels, but I even had to smile at that feat. HBA: What are the exclusive innovations that appear on Serenity? DS: Perhaps the biggest This page: Serenity. Opposite page right, Desert Shore’s luxury, award winning Little Tahiti. Note the innovation is simply the differences and similarities of the two distinctive designs. increased use of aluminum fabrications as an architectural element. This boat has very few of the traditional pipe handrails that are so common to houseboats. Instead we formed rail sections out of aluminum sheets and had them powdercoated to add color. I felt this produced a more refined look and it saved us the multi-step process of adding white panel skirts to traditional pipe rail sections and them having to trim the edges. The arches are more advanced than what we’ve done in the past in that they have a very subtle lateral warp in addition to their more obvious curved shaping. While this is not immediately perceived by the eye, the brain still processes the information and realizes that there is something interesting going on. Those unfamiliar with Desert Shore boats may not be aware that we place the generator in between the engines at an elevation where it extends above the rear boaters are unfamiliar. Taken altogether, this adds up to a more personalized and expensive process, but it is what gives the vessels their individuality and dock appeal. We realize that our product and our approach are not for everybody, but we feel strongly that it is important to the customer and to the industry to provide the alternative. HBA: Please describe Serenity in detail. )6B@" A05("%C&5AB9&@
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