The Perfect Recipe
Experienced owners cook up a new Marlow 58E.
Typically, a chef does not make a perfect signature dish on their first attempt. It can take several iterations in choosing the right ingredients, knowing which seasoning will enhance the flavor without overpowering and determining the sought-after tasty balance. This could surely differentiate between a plate that gets lauded or one that’s sent back to the kitchen. It takes experience, fortitude, and lots of taste-testing to achieve the highest goal.
It’s pretty much the same way when researching a new yacht. It takes time to create the perfect custom vessel. All of the qualities mentioned above should come into play. They did with the newest Marlow 58E motoryacht, and for very specific reasons.
Owner Jeff Saplis knows his way around a kitchen and creating perfection. With a history in the food business, from working in his high school cafeteria slinging grub to fellow students to running and owning a number of fine eateries, Saplis was determined to instill that knowledge to designing his third Marlow. Key area of concern, as to be expected, was the galley/country kitchen.
As Saplis expounded to me with pure passion in his voice, “I love to cook and I love to entertain,” the Marlow 58E allowed him to setup the galley and interior as he liked. There are several components that Saplis and his wife, Anna, identified as “must-haves” to make this work.
To Have or Have Not
Located forward of the salon and up a few steps, a plateau includes a spacious U-shaped settee/dining table (it’s more than a dinette) nestled under the windshield and an aft U-styled galley. Saplis purposely enlarged the size of the dining table, explaining that this is the main dining spot on the yacht other than the aft deck.
“It’s big because I don’t want to eat dinner in the living room.”
With two movable stools along the outer side of the table that also can be used to sit at the galley counter, there’s standing and sitting room for all.
There is not a bad view in the house thanks to three large forward windows along with side windows (all with electric blinds) and port/starboard deck access doors (yes, with windows). Using space for the table, Saplis opted for just a flybridge deck helm. “Why use up all that space below for a helm when the enclosed bridge works fine?” he added. Good call.
The running joke among the Saplis’ friends in the BVIs, where he has lived for 25 years, is where’s the best place for dinner? “On Jeff’s boat!” is the typical answer. That’s because Saplis has everything he needs to create perfect meals. Four 30-inch Sub-Zero fridge/freezer drawers and a separate ice machine keep things cool (there are two 24-inch freezers elsewhere on board), while the full-sized GE oven and four-burner induction cooktop complete with pot rails get things hot. Saplis also installed a top-of-the-line Wolf overhead hood that vents directly to the outdoors and not just recycles the air. Two recessed sinks, over/under storage and cabinets, and what seems like a mile of Vetrostone counterspace fill the area. But there is no microwave. “Real chefs don’t use them,” Saplis said.
Salon Style - The Marlow 58E Way
Additional well-thought-out ideas abound. Jeff and Anna like to entertain, so the salon has long and comfortable port and starboard beige Ultraleather sofas to seat as many guests as possible. Surrounded by rich teak walls and flooring in a satin finish and a high-gloss coffee table with two portable ottomans, the salon is warm and inviting.
The fact that Marlow doesn’t run ducting and vent lines behind the seating, allowing them to be pushed further outward, offers more usable interior space. Ducting runs through vertical air lockers in the aft corners with filtration to the outdoors. For safety, an overhead teak grab rail is the icing on the cake for the salon.
Alfresco dining can be enjoyed on the aft deck that is fully covered by the flybridge deck overhang. Foldout chairs can be added to the standard transom bench for the table.
Reach the integrated swim platform via the twin aft gates. There are also side gates for dockside access.
Marlow yachts have full walkaround deck access, so grabbing lines or loading provisions is easy. That’s important when you have an owner/operator setup and a limited number of hands. It also means there’s no interrupting the crowd inside when there’s work to be done outside.
Let's Fly Away
Access to the flybridge deck is available from the aft deck exterior staircase or the interior staircase near the galley. The helm is protected on three sides by extra-large glass windows and along with the open aft section (that can close up with Isinglass-style coverings), visibility is unimpeded. With the aft side covered, this yacht becomes an all-season cruiser.
The centerline helm houses three 22-inch Garmin multifunction displays, Volvo Penta engine monitors, 20-hp Sidepower bow and stern joysticks, Naiad fin stabilizer controls, and dual Icom VHF radios, but there’s still room for Saplis to add a few controls if he likes. With an overhead console that houses the switches, breakers, and other “glance-at” displays, Marlow styles a very user-friendly helm.
Saplis opted for a carbon-fiber steering wheel which is as strong as metal but brings some tough looks to the helm. Of note is the side space for a paper chart (yes, people still use them) and twin Stidd helm chairs (handy for the companion).
Aft is an L-shaped settee with fiberglass table. Saplis opted for a no-wood exterior for easy maintenance along with the ceramic coating on the entire yacht that eliminates waxing. All decks are fully covered with non-slip surfaces.
There is plenty of space out on the flybridge aft deck. Grill up the day’s catch at the mini galley, also with sink, fridge, and storage. Store the dinghy up here utilizing the 1,000-pound crane, or make this a getaway spot with a few lounge chairs.
Creature Comforts
An interesting thing I found when checking out the master stateroom below is that there is no TV. Saplis explained that he and Anna did not want one in the master. “The room is for sleeping and relaxation.”
But the cabin is not plain and bare either. Saplis wanted a king-size mattress, and that’s what he has. “It matches the one I have at home,” he says with a smile. There are more than a dozen drawers and lockers in the full-beam master, and the ensuite head has a single sink and a large shower stall with custom tiled walls and a rain head shower.
A door in the head leads to a compartment that houses a full-size washer and dryer. It also offers access to the engine room (access is also from the transom), a nice idea for Saplis to keep an eye on the powerplants and house systems without going out the back.
Midship is a stateroom with double berths, and forward is the VIP with access to the shared head that also has a generously sized shower stall.
Interior access to a mechanical room that houses pipes, electrical runs, access to the bow thruster motor, and other systems is under the hallway floorboard.
Power When Needed
Speaking of systems, you can get to all of them in the engine room. The Volvo D13 engines are robust on the power side and also somewhat slim on the footprint side. You can get around the blocks to any system mounted outboard, including the two 21kW generators. This is essential for the private owner who does their own mechanical work.
Winding up the Volvo D13s will yield 24.5 knots at wide open, a nice cut of speed for a 58-footer. Cruise at 18.8 knots burning only 62 gph or slow to 9 knots, sipping only 9.5 gph to extend your range. The Marlow 58E was not designed to be a “go fast” yacht, but more like a “go and get there without worry” vessel that suits the owners just fine.
When it’s time to play in the water, the beach club at the transom offers the ability to enjoy cocktails or pull out the toys. There’s also a bunk and small head to avoid going up to the main deck or if an additional crew member is required. The beach club can also reconfigure to a storage/work area to carry extra parts and supplies.
As Saplis knows, every dish is all about presentation. This Marlow 58 is dark gray Awlgrip on the lapstrake hull, and the white superstructure accents the soft lines of the yacht yet highlights the overall design. The Marlow 58E is one dish that will not be sent back to
the kitchen.
Tom Serio
As a freelance photographer, I have been offered the opportunities to step aboard some of the beautiful yachts in the world, capturing not just their opulence but a bit of their soul. My work has been published globally complimented by my writing in many respected publications.
