Vicem Yachts has made its reputation on building cold-molded mahogany boats in multiple styles, including superyachts, cruisers, flybridge motor yachts, and open runabouts. The Turkish yard is best known for classic down-east style boats that compete with American brands like Hinckley and Sabre, aiming for a traditional yachtsman.
The V58 that premiered last week at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show could well be its best classic yet. The exterior has a long, lean profile that would look at home in any New England port, but the interior is where the 58-footer really excels. From the main saloon to the forward stateroom, the boat is a mahogany palace that showcases the yard’s woodworking expertise. Subtle curves, delicate inlays, and meticulous patterns bring out the warmth of the wood, which is offset by the cream-colored planked ceiling, off-white fabrics in the furniture, and indirect LED lights at the base of the lounges. The aft saloon connects seamlessly with the cockpit through a fully opening sliding door, retaining a simple, traditional look with the all-wood interior. Even the helm is clad in mahogany, a rarity on most yachts.
Four steps down into the galley is where Vicem’s skills really shine. The tall cabinets, wood-covered appliances, and marble countertops look more like a kitchen in a high-end lake home than a 58-foot yacht. Turan Ozbakir, Vicem’s general manager, says that every section can be identified by an individual carpenter who typically works on the same areas of each Vicem. “We take our time to ensure everything is done correctly,” says Ozbakir during a press tour of the V58 at the Fort Lauderdale show. “Some of these men have worked at the yard for decades, so nothing they do is haphazard.” Despite the old-world craftsmanship, the V58 has the latest electronics, entertainment systems, and equipment.
Belowdecks, the three staterooms share the same level of fit and finish, with a full-beam master in the bow and two cabins with twins. The shape of the hull gives the V58 a spacious feel down below. The hull is also built of mahogany, though not the long planks one might associate with a wooden boat. Cold-molding means applying thin, solid-wood pieces at different angles around a mold that is designed by a computer, and saturated with epoxy to form a lightweight, seaworthy hull that is impervious to water penetration. Vicem says its cold-molded yachts are lighter, stronger, and quieter than similar fiberglass boats. Each Vicem is also custom built, according to Ozbakir, so an owner could have it built in fiberglass. “We work closely with the owner’s specs so they get the details they really want on their boat,” he says.
The V58 has a top speed of 29 knots, with a cruise of 25 knots.
