Q&A with Naval Architect Nick Boksa - Part 2
Cheoy Lee Yachts is proud to introduce the Discovery Series, a new line of yachts combining the range, seaworthiness and reliability of an explorer with a megayacht’s looks, luxury and living space.
Q: How did your collaboration with Cheoy Lee on the Discovery Series begin?
A: My team and I met with Cheoy Lee Shipyards Director B.Y. Lo at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show in 2023. We showed him a concept vessel that is an explorer yacht in the 120-foot range. B.Y. was very receptive because Cheoy Lee Yachts was looking for an explorer-type vessel that was both long-range and robust. So, we started with a clean sheet of paper and the idea of designing a series.
Q: What was your design goal for the new series?
A: The idea was to have transoceanic range in order to get to places that a lot of yachts can’t. Ample space for proper crew, a lot of flexible spaces throughout the vessel, and for the first one, putting what you might find on 150 foot vessel in 127-foot envelope.
Q: What is the concept behind the Discovery 127’s exterior profile?
A: My team and I do a lot of work on commercial vessels. We looked at offshore supply vessels that have that traditional look to them, that robustness. That’s what I was looking for with the exterior of the Discover 127. You see with a lot of explorer yachts where the pilothouse is pulled way back. They don’t really have good visibility forward. So, I wanted to pull the pilothouse as far forward was practical in order to give the captain proper visibility for operating.
Working our way back, I wanted to put the center gravity of the boat down low, and to bring the weight of the tender down. So, we left an open area on the main deck aft, so you can operate the davit and deploy your tender from there. The idea is this would be a working deck, while the aft end of the bridge deck, where the tender typically is stored, is for casual entertainment.
Q: Talk us through your design for the yacht’s interior.
A: It has a five-stateroom layout, with the master suite in the traditional location at the forward end of the main deck. That’s a good, comfortable, private location, which is why I like to keep it there instead of on the deck above. I like to keep the bridge deck aft open for entertainment for the entire group of guests, as I said. It’s the greatest place on the boat, right? The guests will be here watching games on the television or entertaining around the bar. It also has the best visibility all around.
The large main-deck galley is designed for ease of crew operations. It includes a crew lounge (one of two on board) and there is a dumb waiter from lowest deck to the bridge deck so the crew can serve guests on every deck easily. You have a formal dining area next to the galley for easy access, along with a formal salon for where the guests can have cocktails before dinner.
Regarding crew size, the concept is for typical cruising, you might go with a smaller crew, but there’s ample space for up to 10 crew, depending on whether it includes a husband-and-wife team. The crew has good access to the guest areas, but they also can stay private. Unusual for this size of yacht, the captain’s stateroom is on the bridge deck in the traditional spot in order to be able to access the pilothouse at any time. There is also an engineer’s cabin aft of the engine room.
Q: Will there be a beach club on the Discovery 127?
A: Yes, a large one. The concept there is that the transom opens up and you step in and walk down into the beach club lounge. There would also be a three-stage hydraulic swim platform the crew could lower down into the water.
Q: What is the design goal for the hull?
A: There has been a strong direction from Cheoy Lee that they would like to have a very stable vessel. It will have a steel hull, and the hull form is a traditional displacement style, with a sharp entry. I wasn’t planning to add a bulb, simply in order to keep construction costs down. At the speeds these types of vessels typically operate and the amount they are used, I think a bulb is not really as necessary as on a container ship, which is at sea most of its life. I added in a spray chime to knock down the bow wave and spray coming up along the hull. Cheoy Lee Shipyards Director BY Lo and I have discussed ways in which the Discovery 127’s hull can be adapted when we add larger vessels to the series.
Our team has not yet completed computational fluid dynamics (CFD) studies on the hull of the 127 yet, but with twin 800-hp Volvo D13 diesel engines, we are estimating a top speed in the 13-knot range, cruising speeds of about 11 or 12 knots, and a long-range speed of about 10 knots. For range, our target is around 4,000 nautical miles.
Q: How do you balance functionality, aesthetics and sustainability in a project like this?
A: For me, being a merchant mariner, the balance is weighted towards functionality always. It is important to me to first be able to operate the boat and safely at sea. That’s the most important thing. As far as aesthetics, I try to go with a more a robust look, so it gives that influence of power and capability. Sustainability comes through staying abreast of the newest clean technologies and adopting those that are practicable, as well as working to refine the hull form and make it as efficient as possible.
Stay tuned for more on the new Discovery Series from Cheoy Lee!
