Boat Review | 55' Portland

In perfect lobster style

Headed by Oreste Porciani, Abati Yachts is based in Rosignano Marittimo and produces two lobster fishermans, a type of craft enjoying great popularity here in Italy at the moment. The Abati Yachts’ 55’ Portland has the lines of a working vessel but marries that toughness and reliability with a typically Italian finish and elegant interiors. However, Abati Yachts doesn’t see the lobster boat as a fashion statement but a technical and stylistic opportunity. The lobster boat is a very specific kind of working vessel with a high, almost vertical bow, a large cockpit and a vertical transom. This particular 17.9-metre LOA fibreglass hull can deliver a maximum speed in excess of 30 knots and can keep a steady 26-knot cruising speed too, thanks to either 800 hp Volvo or Man engines (the choice is left up to the owner). The Abati yard specialises in semi-custom builds, which means that owners have a wide range to choose from in terms of the interiors as well as the engine power. The 55’ Portland was designed by Carlo Ciuti and is a very protective kind of boat in which passenger safety is guaranteed by high quarter boards which run along the sides of the cockpit. This makes it an ideal area for children both underway and when riding at anchor. The model’s unusual hull is exceptionally seaworthy too and is soft on the waves even in big swells. It boasts a long keel that runs from an extension of the stempost almost all the way back down to the props. This configuration gives the boat excellent directional stability and significantly damps roll, particularly at low speeds. The 55’ Portland’s lines were designed to deliver an optimal trim in virtually all kinds of sailing too - from displacement navigation to planing ­ without the skipper having to make any adjustments to the flaps. The hull consists of vinylester resin outer layers and isophthalic inside ones. The superstructure, on the other hand, is made from an Airex sandwich. The cockpit and deck are finished in vacuum glued 12 mm teak planks while the gunwale is in mahogany laminate. Like all lobster boats, this model has a central pilothouse with helm. It also has a roomy, uncluttered stern cockpit. The saloon gets its light from large windows which also provide great views. It is furnished with a semicircular sofa, a folding table and a well-equipped bar nook. Below, the master cabin is forward. It could really be called a suite as it includes the galley and dinette. The two guest cabins have double berths and their own heads. They lie forward of the engine room and both have direct deck access. Thoughtfully designed interior spaces have yielded good headroom below decks which, in turn, makes life much more pleasant. The feeling of luxury is heightened too by the fact that the floors in the sleeping quarters are made from leather which has been specially treated for a marine environment.
(Yacht Capital, n.5/2006)

editoriale

The glittering world of yachting

Facebook Login