The Pearl 82 is a mini-megayacht that wows with interior style and a seaworthy ride.
As I approached the Pearl 82 yacht recently on an unusually cool Fort Lauderdale morning, I couldn’t help but chuckle at her appropriate name. The boat lay gleaming and sleek behind a chic waterside eatery, and with her white hue and gracefully rounded superstructure, she looked very much like, well, a massive pearl. Yet, even at 83 feet long, this boat is somewhat ironically being marketed as small. She’s meant to be a pocket megayacht, and after giving the boat a hard once over in Cannes last fall, and then this sea trial in South Florida, I would say that’s an apt description. In particular, her design stands out. Her interiors, done by longtime Pearl collaborator, South African-born British designer Kelly Hoppen (Kelly Hoppen CBE, to you), are remarkably lovely, with a level of detail and fit and finish that helps set this boat apart from her peers. And the exteriors, done by Dixon Yacht Design, are just different enough to further help this model stand out in a very crowded field.
There’s good reason for that crowded field. Namely, new regulations in France have made boats with waterlines below 24 meters (about 79 feet) unable to approach as close to shorelines as in the past, due to efforts to preserve seagrass. Thus, there has been a rush from builders to push out boats that meet these requirements, but which also maintain the level of quality that an owner of a larger boat may expect. So effectively what we are seeing is a rush of 80-foot boats with the designs and finishing of 100-footers. And Pearl has well-positioned itself at the vanguard of the movement.
As a happy bonus for yachtsmen looking to dabble in this market space, the Pearl 82 yacht offerings come a shade less expensive than some of its peers. This dip in cost is due to the builder, which bills itself as a British brand “assembling in China,” as most of its yachts’ components come from places around the world with strong nautical heritages and are simply put together in China. The low cost of labor in that country translates well to an owner’s wallet. For example, the 82 I was aboard in South Florida came in at right around $8.1 million fully specced. For a yacht of this size and with this design pedigree, that’s not quite a steal, but it’s definitely a bona fide competitive advantage.
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Welcome aboard the Pearl 82 Yacht
I boarded the Pearl via her hydraulic swim platform that allows easy access to the water both for people and for toys and tenders. The garage here houses a Williams SportJet 395 and a Sea-Doo Spark PWC—an able and fun combination. Stairs to either side of the swim platform lead to the cockpit where an aft sunpad can fit at least three tan-obsessed guests. Just forward of the sunpad is bench seating accompanied by twin folding tables that make an excellent place to set an ice-cold cocktail or two and some salty snacks. Twin fold-down terraces to either side of the cockpit offer extra beam for entertaining. They aren’t the largest terraces I’ve seen on boats this size, but they do have an extra-sturdy feel to them. Meanwhile, a console forward and to port can serve as either a wetbar or cold stowage. A control station just to port of that functions as a third helm for the 82 and will be of major use when docking.
Wide side decks running the length of the yacht to both port and starboard have hip-high bulwarks that offer a reassuring feeling for crew and owner-operators. The side decks lead to a bow deck that is a high point (at least for me; I’m a sucker for bow decks). These spaces are great because of the privacy they offer, not just when docked stern-to, but really at any given time. A good bow deck lounge serves like an alfresco snug—a getaway within a getaway. On the Pearl 82, there is seating with folding tables aft and a separate sunpad section forward. Just beyond that, at the tip of the bow, is a technical area that this boat’s three to four crew will appreciate for its safe and spacious layout. But there is also a secret here that has nothing to do with laying anchor.
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Interior Aspects
A sliding glass door aft leads down into the master stateroom, meaning it has private access to the bow. And stepping down into the master, you enter this boat’s strongest suit. Hoppen knocked the interior out of the park. Multi-tone grays and underlit LED lighting throughout make the whole space elegant but warm—no small feat of design, and one that will no doubt perform well on the resale market. The gray color scheme is known as “Indulgence” and is one of three offered on this model. The other two include “Modern” which is defined by light oak with black inlays, and “Luxury” which has very masculine, high-gloss dark woods throughout.
Whichever color scheme is chosen, large wraparound windows allow natural light to shimmer and carom off the surfaces in a delightful way. A small sofa to port in the master stateroom is an excellent place to enjoy a relaxing cup of tea or tuck into a good book. A spacious ensuite also to port has a shower big enough for American shoulders (and bellies). The aft starboard-side area of the room has a walk-in closet and a desk and/or make-up station. I could see myself using this space for work, as with the increasing prevalence of Starlink on board yachts, connectivity has improved to the point that you can fire of a work email from Papua-New Guinea just as easily as from downtown Manhattan.
The yacht’s salon is also done in the gray tones and rich woods of the master stateroom. A bar forward with three stools is an excellent place to get your evening started with a well-mixed drink. A dining table just aft of that handles more formal meals while an adjacent L-shaped, white leather sofa is a magnificent spot to lounge amidships. Large windows to either side illuminate the space well, while a galley forward and to port has ample counter space for preparing food.
Exterior Amenities
The Pearl 82 pilothouse is reached via steps amidships just forward of the salon. This model is exceptionally sleek for this size and type of boat. Dixon did a fine job of keeping the lines low-profile and enticing. However, the tradeoff appears to be in this pilothouse where sightlines were a bit tight for my liking, with visuals aft nearly non-existent. That’s okay though, because I think it’s far more likely that captains will want to wheel this vessel from the flybridge. That’s where I chose to pilot the yacht, and I had no complaints. I really do love the feeling of the wind in my hair when I am running a boat. The flybridge is covered by a hardtop with a slatted sunroof, so you can control the amount of UV rays passing through to the deck. A jacuzzi is an option amidships, though there wasn’t one on my test boat. A wetbar to port easily services a dining settee to starboard—perfect for alfresco meals. The aft section of the deck is largely dominated by more sunpads, pointing toward this yacht’s future as a cruiser of semi-tropical locales.
Underway, I found the Pearl 82 yacht a pleasure to drive. I zipped her through S-turns with real confidence, and the Dixon-designed hull sliced right through a small chop with no problem. Pearl reports top ends right around 31 knots, though in a two-way speed run I saw no higher than 28 knots on the pins. (We had a full load of people on board.) Cruise is 24.5 knots at 2,000 rpm, where the Pearl burns 142 gallons per hour. Range here is 287 nautical miles—just about the distance from Key West to the Abacos. The performance numbers are a product of optional twin 2,000-hp MAN V12s housed in an engine room with good access to all maintenance points. A pair of Kohler generators are aft; you need to crawl to reach them, but it won’t be an overly tight squeeze for most.
In sum, I found the Pearl 82 to be a yacht well in tune with her raison d’être. Comfortable and safe underway, with well-laid-out decks and interiors that will outshine many of her competitors, this is a boat well worth a second look, as she really does live up to her name.
PEARL 82 YACHT SPECIFICATIONS
LOA: 83′
Beam: 20′ 10″
Draft: 6′ 3″
Weight: 78 tons
Power: 2x MANs @ 1,650-hp (standard)
Max/Cruise Speed: 31/24.5 knots
Fuel/Water: 1,661/370 U.S. gals.
Contact: Pearl Yachts
-by Kevin Koenig
