Special Boating Section: A Fine Feadship
October 1, 2002
When Nick Baker first saw Kwikumat, a 152-foot Feadship, he was immediately struck by how expansive the boat appeared to be. It seemed to stretch across the water, its lines unbroken, its open areas free of clutter and misshapen design. “There is a tremendous amount of space on the boat,” says Baker, an agent for yacht broker Camper & Nicholsons Interna-tional. “It’s deck space you might find on a 175-foot boat.
The highlight of Kwikumat, which is being offered for sale by Camper & Nicholsons for $15,750,000, is its upper deck. The yacht’s twin tenders are located on the lower aft deck, freeing the upper deck for dining, entertaining and lounging. It features a large Jacuzzi and a forward dining area that is covered and air-conditioned. Kwikumat also comes with a 22-foot Grady White center console sportfisherman, which is located on the sundeck.
Kwikumat, named for the deity who, in Yuma Indian mythology, emerged from the ocean and created land and humans, was not always so spacious. The yacht was originally launched in 1987 under a different name—and at a different length. It was 142.6 feet long and cruised at 14 mph, but in 1992, the yacht underwent a refit at its original Dutch shipyard, where Feadship extended the yacht by 10 feet.
The current owner then purchased the boat, and in 1998 he installed new Caterpillar 1,000-hp twin main engines along with a new shaft, gear engines and propellers. The upgrade increased Kwikumat’s cruising speed to 16 mph and enabled the yacht to ride more smoothly across the water. “That significantly reduced what little noise and vibration there was,” says Baker. “The owner was keen on having a quiet-running boat. The boat may be 15 years old, but the engines have only 5,000 hours on them, so they’re hardly warmed up."
advertisement
