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NES Supplies Stone for the Largest Yacht in America
January 17, 2010 |
Less than 15 miles from New England Stone’s Milford headquarters lies the sight of the construction of America’s largest yacht, the Cakewalk 5. With its premium architecture and James Bond-like boat storage area, this yacht sports one more defining feature—premium stone fabricated by New England Stone, Inc. The boat yard currently constructing the boat was recently featured in a Connecticut Post article written this past summer. Below are some highlights from that feature.
Building America’s Largest Yacht
Mystery owner’s 281-foot floating mansion will cost more than $82m.
By Rob Varon, staff writer.
“With each opening and closing, like a slowly blinking eye, the giant door at Derecktor Shipyards’ harbor side boat works has provided glimpses of the progress the workers have been making [on] the 281-foot Cakewalk V.
“Paul Derecktor, the shipyard’s president, said in a previous release, this massive private yacht was the most important job in the company’s 60-year history.
“These days, Derecktor has been very tight-lipped about the project and the only reason the price tag is known is through court records from Derecktor’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing.
“‘The main prerequisite in selecting a shipyard for the project, was to find one that combined both yacht and commercial boat building experience,’ said Bill Zinser, the Cakewalk’s build captain and the owner’s representative. ‘You have to have a commercial shipyard mentality to build a boat this big, plus the owner really wanted to build a boat here in America, because he’s American.’
“Neither Zinser nor the shipyard will reveal The Cakewalk’s owner. Court records also do not name the owner, but it does state the contract is valued at $82 million. Zinser said this is just a figure used for the contract and a vessel like this would cost more, but the owner will never reveal that final price.
“At 281 feet long, the Cakewalk will be the largest private yacht built in America in 75 years and by volume, it’s the biggest ever. It’s the kind of job that usually goes to a European yard, so Derecktor’s landing of this contract remains big news. At least six articles in trade magazines have been written about it.
“Zinser said he’s found the Bridgeport yard is ‘equal if not better than European yards.’
“‘We’re hoping, things keeping on, keeping on and the boat comes out beautiful,’ he said Thursday while boarding a plane. ‘It will be a big story around the world of yachting. The largest by volume ever built. Nobody in Europe thinks we can do it.’
“Beyond its size, the Cakewalk offers many challenges for the workers. It’s a Tim Heywood design in which the designer has created a lot of curving lines to test the skills of the welders and craftsmen working on the boat.
“There are six main decks to this water mansion, which includes a James Bond-like boat storage area with doors that swing open allowing smaller craft to be lifted and placed in the water by cranes.”
Cakewalk 5’s Specs
Length: 281 feet.
Beam: 46.92 feet.
Draft: 13.1 feet.
Gross Tonnage: 2,950.
Speed: 17 knots.
Fuel Capacity: 97,000 gallons.
Range: 5,000 nautical miles at 15 knots per hour.
Interior Design: Elizabeth Dalton, Dalton Designs, Inc.
Exterior Design: Tim Heywood Design.
Naval Architecture: Azure.
Engineering Design: BMT Nigel Gee and Associates, Gibbs and Cox.
Construction: Steel Hull, Aluminum Superstructure.
Builder: Derecktor.
Accommodations, recreation, and other crew areas: Owner and guests: 12 in six cabins and one master cabin; Staff cabin: 2 in 1 cabin; Crew: 24 in 16 cabins.
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