Rugged Refinement, Symbol launches a new series of go anywhere, anytime yachts, By Kenneth Masi

When Phil and Susan Tyson of Sarasota, Florida, began looking for a boat to replace their 40-foot express cruiser, their search led them to Symbol Yachts. With a reputation for building solidly constructed semi-custom yachts, Symbol seemed a perfect match.

"I did a lot of research on the yards, and found that in many cases if you build overseas, you are basically renting a yard and dealing with contract employees," says Phil. "In Symbol's case they own their yard. All (the workers) are their employees. I wanted to know who I was dealing with and that the people that were working on my boat were working for that company." Guilding the Tysons through the entire build and commissioning project was Symbol's exclusive southeast dealer Lucid Marine of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Barin Cardenas recently founded Lucid Marine and has developed and delivered more than 20 Symbol yachts.

Even though Symbol was the yard choice, the Tysons had nearly given up after none of the yard's stock designs met all their cruising requirements. Since they would be running the boat on their own for long passages, safety at sea was a primary concern, and having a Portuguese bridge was nonnegotiable. At the Tysons' insistence, Symbol went to its exclusive designer, acclaimed Washington state-based naval architect Jack Sarin, and challenged him to provide a solution.

To appeal to the Tysons, as well as a growing number of other owners looking for a boat that could stand up to long passages, the naval architect modified the lines of Symbol's 54 and 58-foot Raised Pilot House hull to carry greater loads and more fuel and to provide the profile and space of a huskier boat. Thus, Symbol's Classic series was born, and a two-year build process began during which the owner and designer continually tweaked the details.

The 59 Classic features traditional lines with a raised pilothouse, Portuguese bridge, high bulwarks, and covered side decks that provide a cruising couple with security and peace of mind at sea. Safe access to all points around the boat is guaranteed while underway by virtue of the design. "Since we will be running the boat on our own ninety percent of the time," says Phil, "I didn't want to worry about Susan going down the sides or up front while underway."

His wife was not the only family member whose safety concerned him, and that led to the addition of wing doors. "We have two dogs we wanted to be able to corral while cruising," he said. With the wing doors shut, the dogs can have the run of the forward part of the boat without the owners having to worry that they might jump or fall off the back deck.

Outdoor seating areas are found both fore and aft with a transom lounge and built-in seating on the foredeck flanking a central passage from the Portuguese bridge. For a custom touch, Symbol installed deck sockets for market umbrellas to shade the forward seats.

Another area where Phil requested modification to the standard design was the flybridge. Off.Line has an extended flybridge that covers the entire aftdeck and adds about 60 square-feet above. Phil utilied this extra space for a large grill and electric cooktop, which complements the refrigerator and with Lucid Marine, which takes a hands-on approach to commissioning the yachts once they arrive from the yard in Taiwan. Lucid offers a large list of notable upgrades to add custom touches to a boat. One example of this is the beautiful granite, which adorns the counters in the saloon and galley and the onyx selected for the two heads below. Due to these extensive designer upgrades, as well as the customized flybridge, saloon and galley layouts, Off.Line is being marked as the "Lucid Edition" 59 Classic.

The saloon is accessed from the aft deck or pilothouse and has a sofa to starboard with a hi-low coffee/dining table and food prep area. Three stools on the other side of this alfresco galley provide bar seating and there is also a portside settee. A custom hardtop was added by PipeWelders and outfitted with LED lights, which are used throughout the boat. Along with the benefit of lowered energy consumption, these LEDs turn red when dimmed so they can be used while running at night.

The stunning interior offers comfortable living in an elegant atmosphere. Cherry wood is used throughout with a teak and holly sole. The interior styling was developed in conjunction club chair aft. Opposite, a wet bar, wine fridge and flat screen TV are concealed in the cabinetry. Forward storage cabinets include two pullout freezer drawers.

Steps lead up to the galley and pilothouse. The U-shaped galley is starboard with plenty of counter space and storage above and below. A small settee with table is next to the centered helm offering a convenient dining option up front. Heavy-duty, pantograph-style watertight doors provide access to both side decks. A starboard staircase leads below to the accomodations. The forward stateroom a queen-size berth with interior access to the guest head. The port stateroom has twin berths.

The master stateroom is located amidships. It features a king-size berth with onyx-topped end tables and a mirrored vanity. Off.Line features a customized master head arrangement starboard. The toilet is concealed in its own water closet leaving the sink and shower open to the stateroom. This provides more user flexibility and gives the effect of a full-beam master. Phil also had Symbol remove the shower door, practically ensuring that no other 59 Classic will be exactly like the first. "We have a similar situation at home. We'll have to see how it works here," concedes Phil.

To test out the open shower, as well as the rest of the details, the Tysons will be taking Off.Line down to the Keys and Dry Tortugas for a thorough shake down before heading to the Caribbean. If Off.Line continues to perform as well as she has during sea trials, providing a stable, dry ride and answering the helm quickly, it is sure to be smooth sailing ahead for the Tysons.