Earlier this week we took a look at a pretty radical luxury yacht that uses some sweet home automation. I uncovered yet another awesome cruiser called the Norwegian Queen, a 165-foot luxury yacht owned by Christine Lynn of Florida that incorporates some innovative home automation as well. The family lives on the vessel for months at a time while in Europe, and I would certainly say that it has all the comforts of home – and then some!
From the portable Crestron touchpanels allowing control of music, video and lighting from anywhere on the yacht, to the Kaleidescape media server and satellite receivers transmitting to the numerous flat screen TVs (conveniently hidden behind artwork or inside cabinets) I can see why the owners would love their home away from home (or should I say, yacht away from home). I would totally live on something like this (hmm, I wonder if it’s for sale? Or rent maybe?).
All of the equipment to operate these high-tech systems is housed in an interior wall and concealed by a decorative panel. There are also surveillance cameras positioned strategically onboard that can be accessed via any of the TVs, and the pilot house can transmit navigational information as well.
At any time, the owner can pull up the radar or plotter to see the current location of the yacht,” says Tom Lambert of Yacht Tech Solutions, the Stuart, Florida-based company that designed and installed the electronic systems.
What’s really fascinating about this, is how well Yacht Tech Solutions put everything together without sacrificing style. They really created some sleek spaces, without showing a trace of cables, wires or any of the “behind the scenes” stuff that can get a bit overwhelming–especially with the amount of equipment we’re talking about here.
One of the main hurdles when working on a yacht, says Lambert—even one of this size—is squeezing the electronics into somewhat tight cabin spaces. Fishing wire behind and through fiberglass walls is particularly difficult, and small storage areas afford little space for head-to-toe racks of A/V equipment. Moreover, bigscreen TVs can eat up limited wall and counter space. Still, Lambert and his seasoned team of designers and installers rose to the challenge, giving Christine a hightech home at sea … and a template to follow for the makeover of her 20-plus-year-old Mediterranean-style house on the Florida coast.
Yes, apparently owner Christine liked what Yacht Tech Solutions did so much, she incorporated a lot of the same concepts in her…ahem…22,600 square foot home (seriously? Wow.)
You know what? I think I may even like this yacht better than the first one – maybe it’s the personal touches the owners have added that make it seem a bit more homey than the first one – but homey in an extremely high-tech, gadgety-sort-of-way, of course. All aboard!
Which luxury yacht do you like better? What would you have done differently?
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