S10 ELA 3 2016 VIP travel_Layout 1 12/07/2016 10:12 Page 50
50 VIP TRAVEL
HISTORY CLASS With 200 years of boat-building heritage, Hodgdon Yachts is using its experience to create custom vessels. BY GEORGIA LEWIS
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ooden schooners represented humble beginnings for the Hodgdon family when they started building boats for local fishermen in 1816. Based in East Boothbay, Maine, Caleb Hodgdon started a business that has been in the family ever since with more than 400 vessels rolling out of the Damariscotti River shipyard. From fibreglass yachts to lobster boats to defense composites, the Hodgdon family business diversified over two centuries. In 2011, Hodgdon Yachts has branched out into bespoke boat-building with the Hodgdon Custom Tenders division. This is aimed squarely at discerning customers seeking a yacht tailored specifically to their needs. Enter then, the 10.5-metre custom limousine tender, the tenth vessel built by Hodgdon Custom Tenders and the one that the company sees as a perfect way to celebrate 200 years in the business. Offering a smooth, fast ride and exemplary attention to detail, this stylish stunner will be a head turner this summer. Designed by Michael Peters Yacht Design, this is an example of the Venetian series of custom tenders. The elegant pale turquoise, the exquisitely handcrafted wooden decks and the stainless steel hardware on the exterior conspire beautifully together to achieve a look that is both modern and with a retro nod to art deco. ELITE LIVING AFRICA / ISSUE 3 2016