Composite Yacht, located on the eastern shore of Maryland, is a family-owned and run business, which was started by the Hardy family. They have been building one-of-a-kind boats for the past 23 years.
“The now owner of the boat called and asked me to build a 55-foot yacht that could reach 55 knots,” says Lewis Hardy, Owner/Production Manager, Composite Yacht. “We hired a team of naval architects and engineers to design a first-of-its-kind yacht, using carbon fiber, Kevlar®, and other lightweight materials. It’s the fastest yacht out there with a conventional driveshaft.”
The project began in 2019 and finished with the 55-foot sportfishing boat having twin, mtu 12V 2000 M96 engines and weighing about 45,000 pounds.
“It gets up to speed very quickly, it reaches its 55-knot top end in 18.5 seconds and a 49-knot cruising speed in just 13.5 seconds,” says JD Messler, Marine Territory Sales Manager, Johnson & Towers, Western Branch Diesel sister company and an Indel Power Group company. “This was an exciting original project, and we hope for more boats to come from this.”
After confirming expected performance through months of computer testing and other trials, which included finetuning the propulsion driveline system, the build began.
“All testing said “go,” so we began building the hull. Our weekly global call ensured teamwork, bringing together mtu, Johnson & Towers, and the rest of the team,” says Hardy. “Along the way, we incorporated changes for the engine package. For example, Johnson & Towers designed reverse placement of the engine to accommodate the strapping for the transmission. This was an amazing project, with everyone working well together.”
For more information on Composite Yachts, visit compositeyacht.biz or call 410-476-4414.
For additional information about marine engine sales through Johnson & Towers, call 609-605-6528.