President Campaigner
With the soul and form of an explorer, this superyacht is ready for world-wide adventure
A custom-designed and built 115-foot superyacht on the hardstand, bow peering out imperiously from her shed at Gold Coast City Marina & Shipyard, navy hull and cream superstructure soaring to the rafters, is a breathtaking sight to behold.
Just two-years-old, one-of-a-kind Charlie Grace
At 35-metres, Charlie Grace is a large volume, statuesque long-range cruising superyacht built for 5-star comfort. This superyacht’s ideal pace is a stately 9 knots and 17 knots is achievable when the owner’s whim or conditions command.
This President 115 was the culmination of the owner’s lifetime of experience, having owned several expedition superyachts over the decades. Destined to circumnavigate Australia and explore the South Pacific, Charlie Grace is designed and equipped for ambitious voyages.
HULL
Endowed with a hull Captain Richard Pedder describes as “over engineered”, Charlie Grace is a lifestyle yacht in the body of an explorer vessel.
“President are renowned for their hulls and this one is extremely solid and efficient,” he said.
The hull is a modified V-hull bottom with stitched multi-axial reinforced single skin, Hydrex vinyl ester resin for hull skin coats and foam sandwich construction for hull topsides. Transverse and longitudinal stringers were glassed in the hull bottom and all the fibreglass was laid up by hand.
Captain Richard, who was the owner’s agent throughout the build process and has worked for the owner since 2005, says the vessel is, “extremely well built and well-priced, thanks to the owner’s strong ties with the shipyard.”
“The two props have been designed for optimal fuel efficiency and minimal vibration,” he continued. “There are tips on each blade and the props draw in water for efficient propulsion. The Hydraulic ABT Trac fin stabilizers add to the seakeeping. She is extremely smooth in all conditions.”
DESIGN
Onboard, the layout has been devised for simplicity and ease of movement, with sightlines from bow to stern — a welcome safety feature when children are aboard, as are the 1.2-metre high gunwales and wide walkaround decks.
On the marina, Charlie Grace has an alluring ovalesque transom, oversize swim platform, hot and cold shower and sculptural stainless-steel railings for ease of boarding. At night, she glimmers with underwater LED lighting.
A curved dual stairway leads to the aft deck where banquette seating is ideal for large family gatherings and complements the dining table and chairs. This superb social space is equipped with Asko fridge, retractable TV and day head, with a stairway down to crew quarters and engine room. Ideal for entertaining al fresco, this expansive area could easily accommodate a more imposing dining setting, daybed, barbeque, icemakers, bait boxes and more.
The owner’s grandkids enjoyed the aft deck with its combination of undercover play area and seating in the sunshine. It also offers the ideal vantage point to enjoy the antics of those involved in watersports off the swim platform.
Another family-friendly feature is the foredeck leisure space, where U-shaped seating and table are a welcoming nook for meals or cocktails at sunset. The ship’s bell here is a unique attribute, one of many that endow this exceptional vessel with character and a touch of nostalgia.
INSIDE
Accessed by glass sliding doors from the aft deck, the saloon is notable for its generous ceiling height — around 7 feet. There’s an L-shaped lounge, coffee table, bar and retractable 50-inch flatscreen TV. The impeccably maintained maple with sapele stripe flooring and expertly crafted joinery in American cherry are luminous under the LED lighting trim around the ceiling and the bar.
Large windows ensure guests enjoy panoramic views from every position, and Hunter Douglas concertina blinds provide full or partial protection and privacy.
Above the Italian granite dining table with seating for eight, a custom-crafted rose ceiling light endows the formal dining area with an ambience of opulence. Wine connoisseurs will appreciate the Vestfrost temperature-controlled fridge that holds up to 60 bottles of your preferred drop.
While the timber panelling, teak decks and flooring are timeless, this superlative superyacht offers prospective owners plenty of potential to stamp their own personality and preferences in the layout, décor and furnishings.
Adjacent to the lift, an Art Deco-inspired curved staircase leads to the pilothouse deck.
To port, there’s a bathroom featuring the vessel’s signature checkerboard tiling, and further forward, the L-shaped professional Chef’s galley will impress with its size and accoutrements.
Bosch appliances include two full-size fridge/freezers, dishwasher, oven and induction stove with extraction vent. Other features include stainless steel double sink, garbage compactor, InSinkErator, Corian counter tops, ample bench space and the ubiquitous coffee machine.
A twin-table dinette completes the picture and wraparound windows mean guests enjoy natural light and views over the foredeck.
THE ACCOMMODATION
From here, a wide staircase with LED lighting in the carpet treads leads to family accommodation on the lower deck. There’s also a totally separate companionway to the VIP cabin and ensuite.
Along with the queen-size bed in the VIP cabin, features include the characteristic ceiling height, cedar-lined robe, Corian benchtops in the ensuite and spacious shower stall.
Radiating from a foyer and handy service room for laundry and storage, with Corian benches on all sides, is the family accommodation comprising three spacious staterooms.
At the heart of the layout, the full-beam master suite is positively palatial, and can be shut off from the rest with double doors. Elegant and tranquil, with tatami-style screening over large central portholes that open to capture the breeze, the master comprises king-size bed, cabinets on either side and chaise lounge. LED lighting is on a dimmer.
The lift is located within the walk-in robe on the starboard side, maintaining privacy for guests, and to port is the ensuite, which boasts a bathtub, large shower, Corian benchtops and mirror panelling, backlit with LED lighting for a diffused effect.
A double guest suite with ensuite is located portside and a twin room, also with its own ensuite, is starboard. Both have cedar-lined cupboards and underbed storage.
Another master stateroom is located on the upper Pilothouse deck. The king-size bed with storage beneath is located portside, adjacent to the large ensuite. Windows allow sensational views plus automatic blinds offer the choice of sheer or blockout protection. A spacious deck with retractable TV and optional awning for shade over the dining setting is the perfection spot for enjoying breakfast or an evening aperitif, in seclusion from guests.
The lift is on the starboard side and to port is a pantry/service room which could convert into an office. From here, the owner has easy access to the pilothouse.
EQUIPMENT
Designed for “absolute simplicity and all ship’s systems visible”, according to Captain Richard, the helm station consists of four Furuno screens and navigation equipment, Glendinning EEC-3 electric dual level engine controls, Maretron Vessel Monitoring System and Caterpillar 360 precision control with GPS position hold.
Three custom-made hi-lo pilot chairs in satin-finish leather, plus dinette and teak table arrangement mean guests can enjoy the view from the bridge throughout the voyage. Dual pantograph doors provide access to the deck.
As well as the main helm station, there are two external wing stations, remote controls with joysticks concealed in hatches on either side of the pilothouse and four cameras which assist in manoeuvring and precision docking.
Wired for sound, vision and comfort, the vessel has a Fusion stereo, TrackVision TV5 satellite system and CruiseAir air conditioning throughout.
The two 32kVA generators and one 5kVA generator are Northern Lights and the yacht uses the sophisticated German-made Hamann sewage treatment system designed for long-range voyages.
POWER PLANT
Accessed from the main aft deck is the tender garage, workshop (which could be converted to a galley for the full Beach Club experience) and crew quarters comprising two bunk-bed cabins each with ensuite.
The engine room is the domain of Captain Richard, a self-confessed ‘diesel monkey’ with formidable skills acquired during his career in the British Merchant Navy and a lengthy stint piloting tugs and barges along the Brisbane River.
Befitting a superyacht of this stature, it’s kept in top shape from its non-skid floor to its gleaming motors. Powered by twin Caterpillar (C18 Acert) 1050hp Diesel engines, Charlie Grace has a fuel capacity of 20,818 litres and freshwater capacity of 2,650 litres. An Australian-registered ship, the vessel is specified 240V AS3000.
As Captain Richard explains, “This vessel was built with simplicity in mind in every aspect. The cable runs are beneath the panels in the walls and ceilings and are easily accessed for maintenance and repairs.”
Ensconced within the garage, the tender bay accommodates the TT Charlie Grace, a zippy Williams Jet Tender Turbojet 385 which is a versatile addition to the vessel’s equipment and can be used as a guest tender or for towing inflatables, skiing and other on-water activities. Working in tandem with the hydraulic swim platform which lowers one metre into the water, an electrical winch operates the cradle track to launch the tender at the push of a button. There is also plenty of space to spare for jetskis, fishing gear and any other watertoys her new owners require.
Charlie Grace is priced to sell, primed and poised for the next chapter in her life, to fulfil her new owners’ global cruising dreams
FACTS & FIGURES
PRICE AS TESTED
$5,950,000
GENERAL
MATERIAL Fibreglass
TYPE Monohull
LENGTH 35.18m (115ft 5in)
BEAM 7.21m (23ft 8in)
DRAFT 1.83m (6ft)
DISPLACEMENT 112 tonnes
CAPACITIES
PEOPLE 10 plus crew (overnight), 60 (events or day cruise)
FUEL 20,818L
WATER 2,650L
BLACKWATER 606L
ENGINE
MAKE/MODEL Twin Caterpillar C-18 Acert diesel engines (632 hours)
TYPE shaft diesel
RATED HP 1050MHP x 2 @ 2300RPM
DRY WEIGHT 1539KG each engine
GEAR RATIO 2.250 to 1
PROPELLER Aqualoy 22HS prop shafts, 3 1/4 inch diameter, 5-blade NiBral propellers
STABILIZERS Hydraulic ABT Trac 16-inch 36HP bow and stern thrusters
SUPPLIED BY
Leigh-Smith Yachts Sanctuary Cove
Phone 07 5577 9200
Web www.LSYachts.com.au
Email Sales@LSYachts.com.au