Superyacht Project 174046 Enters Construction at Delta

Dubbed Project 174046, the high-performance motor yacht features an aluminium hull and composite superstructure.

“The clients were looking for a high-performance motor yacht of less than 175 feet in length with a shallow draft for Bahamas and Caribbean cruising,” says Delta’s Chief Naval Architect Jay Miner.

“They liked the style and build caliber of Silver Shalis and this project expands upon the technical achievements of that build.”

Seattle-based designer Jonathan Quinn Barnett, who was responsible for the interior design and collaborated with the late Bill Langan on the exterior design of Silver Shalis, was contracted from the start of the project.

The clients worked closely with the Delta Design Group and Barnett in designing the topsides, sheer, chines and stem line of Project 174046’s semi-displacement, aluminium hull. The result is a classically influenced exterior design with a hull form allowing a shallow 7.7-foot draft that has been optimized to provide increased tank capacity, more accommodation space and improved powering efficiencies and seakeeping characteristics.

Interior deck heights were carefully managed in the design of the composite superstructure

in order to maximize the yacht’s 34-foot beam and impressive interior volume, while at the same time maintaining a low, sleek and aerodynamic profile.

“Jonathan Barnett’s exterior styling gives a fresh and forward look to a proven hull design,” says Miner. Not only does the design manage to maintain its sleek shape in profile and elevations, it provides superior glazing dimensions for unobstructed sightlines — something quite unique when considering the interior volume and open deck viewing spaces with windbreaks.

“I know one might say, ‘We’ve heard all that before,’” says Barnett, “But working as a dedicated team and utilizing shared 3-dimensional computer modeling, we have maintained the elegance of a long, low yacht that is more hull in appearance than house — like many early 20th century designs — while achieving greater usable guest spaces, greater than aboard larger vessels.”

The model of Project 174046 will be on display for the first time in Delta’s booth at the upcoming Fort Lauderdale Boat Show.