And what would boating be without passion?
Empty and expensive soulless floats. But this boat doesn’t just have a soul: it has a history. It began with the birth of this brand, the Wheeler Yacht Company, in Brooklyn, NY, in 1910, and became legend when Ernest Hemingway relied on them to have his only boat built: the legendary Pilar.
At the end of July, more than a century after its founding, the return to the roots: sea trials of the new flagship began.
Built at the Brooklin Boat Yard in Maine, Wheeler 55 is a 16.5-meter, all-wood boat, in keeping with tradition. History is literally in the DNA of this boat since, as the yard itself claims, this design is a faithful reverse-engineering of one of Wheeler’s greatest successes, the 1931 Playmate.
Wheeler 55
Laminated Douglas fir frame, mahogany plywood planking, teak decks and Sapelli mahogany superstructures, bringing the displacement to 27 tons, look like specifications from a bygone era.
In reality, tradition meets state-of-the-art nautical technology: gyro stabilizer, intruder, joystick maneuvering with bow and stern thruster.
A pair of 1000-hp MANs in the shaftline takes the boat to 25 knots of cruising, with a range of 300 miles on 3300 l of fuel.
The timeless design is an ode to majesty.
The juxtaposition of the flatting-painted red mahogany of the superstructures and the white of the hull streamlines the lines.
The same contrast is echoed in the interior partitions: the lower part in mahogany and the upper part painted white.
Combined with the clever use of light, the effect is an airy ambience, a result not taken for granted when wood and glossy paint are used in abundance.
Finally, with nearly two entire living decks, there is no shortage of space on board, making this Wheeler 55 comfortable and cozy for long stays.
Interior for Living Aboard
Timeless style, modern comfort: aboard the Wheeler 55 we find Seakeeper, Zipwake, Garmin electronics, Victron power management, center stereo, Starlink WiFi to stay connected at all times, central air conditioning, watermaker, two galleys, bow and stern propellers connected to throttle and joystick controls, washer/dryer, wine cooler and ice maker.
And who knows, perhaps it is not just a coincidence that the first example of this new model was christened Syntax – syntax – a distinctive element of Hemingway’s writing, just as the lines of this boat are distinctive not only of a shipyard, but of a true style of experiencing the sea.
If you are an owner who is nostalgic for the elegance and classic look of the 1930s and 1940s, but wants an ultra-luxurious interior, a smooth ride, and a high-performance boat, this hull is for you. Click here to contact the site.
Original Article on Barche a Motore