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In Depth Walkthrough – 85′ Jim Smith “Ovation”

• In Depth Walkthrough – 85′…

Build History with Jim Smith

The 85′ Jim Smith Ovation is one of the most exquisite large custom sportfisherman vessels ever built. Originally built as the Samari, the vessel is a piece of art built by world renowned custom builder Jim Smith Tournament Boats . The original owner was also a huge figure in the marine industry – none other than Mick Rupp, owner of Rupp Marine . The president of Jim Smith, John Vance is a hands on builder, and is always reinventing the wheel with new ideas and state of the art construction. The Ovation is a masterpiece and reflects the perfection and uniqueness that comes with a custom yacht build.

Performance

The Ovation’s performance is a magical formula, a famous Jim Smith quality trait. Boasting a 34 knot cruise with an unbelievable 140 GPH fuel burn, she holds a staggering 330 gallons of diesel. As a result, she has unparalleled long distance range. All this wrapped into a fantastic sea boat, the Ovation delivers incredible, speed, style, and a spacious layout using the most lavish of fit and finish.

Interior Layout – Salon and Galley

The 85′ Jim Smith is a breath taking and rare 5 stateroom, 5 head layout. The format uses every square inch of interior volume. Entering the massive salon of this highly custom 85′ Jim Smith is truly an experience. The interior is complimented by lavish hand rubbed satin finished teak throughout and the oversized custom windows add for a fantastic open feeling. The port houses a generous L-shaped sofa with storage below accompanied by a custom coffee table. Across to starboard are two roomy occasional chairs which face the sleek pop-up TV.

Ovation – Salon

Moving forward to starboard features the large dinette area accented by a teak table with black marble inlay. Over to port is the grand galley area. Highlighting this area is beautiful custom cabinetry, allowing enormous amounts of storage. The galley allows the best of entertaining and gourmet cooking with ample counter space and all of the best appliances.

Interior Layout – Staterooms

Moving down the steps into the companionway immediately to port houses the huge crew quarters. This area features two oversized over/under berths with its own very generous full head and shower. There is also a full working desk area for the captain to manage his paperwork. Lastly, a private entrance into the engine room area allows the crew to come and go discretely.

To starboard is a guest stateroom with larger over/under berths, great storage, and a full head and shower. Moving forward to port features a full sized stacked washer and dryer with its own linen closet.

Over to starboard delivers an immense VIP stateroom designed for a roomy full walkaround queen berth. The stateroom is surrounded by rich teak woodwork and great storage, along with its own custom sofa. The VIP head area has a large custom shower and tremendous storage as well.

Traveling forward to starboard brings another guest stateroom. The room sleeps two guests with a single bunk that also has a pullman berth if needed. The area has its own private head and shower.

All the way forward in the bow area is a magnificent master stateroom. This massive room features a full king berth, a roomy vanity area, and plentiful amounts of storage. The master is very warm and cozy featuring spectacular teak wood work. The head area is just as impressive with a huge shower, beautiful wood and stone work, along with superb storage.

Ovation – Master Stateroom

Exterior Layout

The massive cockpit defines the ultimate custom fishing platform. The area is surrounded by custom teak wood work and a beautifully executed mezzanine area. Additionally, it houses generous freezer space and tackle storage for extended fishing trips. It is truly an angler’s dream.

Ovation – Cockpit

The flybridge boasts ample seating for guests and easy visibility for captain and crew. The helm area houses all the modern technology for safe travels and extreme tournament fishing. From hosting a cocktail hour to enjoying the wide open ocean, the large flybridge is perfect for crew and guests alike.

Ovation – Flybridge

The 85′ Jim Smith Ovation is truly a pleasure and an honor to show. We are excited to have her on display at the 2020 Palm Beach International Boat Show, March 26th -29th. Schedule an appointment to tour this magnificent custom vessel using the contact information below. We look forward to having you aboard.

Schedule a showing on the 85′ Jim Smith Ovation today by contacting Jamie MacGregor at 561.762.5492 or [email protected] .

Not the right vessel for you? See our current inventory of custom sportfishing yachts here .

Author:  MacGregor Yachts Team

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43' Jim Smith | 43' 2017 Jim Smith

Listed at $1,395,000

Interested in this yacht contact us.

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Available for Sale 43' Jim Smith 43' 2017 Jim Smith  

Cold-molded 43' Jim Smith walkaround with 2023 quad 350hp Mercury Verado outboards with approximately 370 hours and extended Platinum engine warranties from startup date. High style vessel with diesel generator, large bridge deck with A/C, Seakeeper gyro stabilizer, new KVH TV5 sat dome, and new EZ2CY enclosure plus Canvas Designers cushions and full bow lounge pad. Boat is kept out of water on a lift. Teak cockpit and cover boards with mezzanine seat and rocket launcher. Faux painted toe rail and full walkaround non-skid decks.

26 North Yachts is pleased to assist you in the purchase of this vessel. This boat is centrally listed by Gilman Yachts of Ft. Lauderdale, Inc.. It is offered as a convenience by this broker/dealer to its clients and is not intended to convey direct representation of a particular vessel

Specifications

Overview and Accommodations

The one and only 43' Jim Smith Tournament Boats walk-around which has recently been upgraded and unexpectedly has just become available. Comfortable bridge deck has A/C and new Canvas Designer cushions on a ladderback bench helm seat and second lounge seat forward of the helm. Cabin entry via sliding panel door is forward to portside.

Five steps down into the cabin with satin finished teak cabinetry which is attractive and well executed. Galley is to the starboard side with bullnose Corian countertop. Forward is a V-shaped seating lounge with teak table which can be lowered and converted to a berth area with a filler cushion. Just aft on the portside is the full head with separate shower stall. The vanity top is matching to the galley and nicely appointed. Moving aft there is a separate cabin with good sized twin berths. Above the door to this cabin is the main cabin TV. The cabin sole is Amtico laminate teak and holly.

She is kept on a boatlift and has been treated in Summer of 2023 to four new 350hp white Mercury Verados which have Platinum warranty coverage.

Cabin and Galley

From the Bridge Deck there is a tinted glass, white aluminum framed sliding door which opens to five teak steps down into the cabin. Beautifully satin varnished teak cabinetry and wainscoting are throughout. Galley is to the right with Corian countertops and forward is a V-shaped lounge with table that can convert with filler cushion to a berth. To portside is the door to the head. Aft is a stateroom with twin berths and above the door is a mounted flat panel TV.

• Dometic CR-0110S 3.35 cubic foot under-counter refrigerator
• LG stainless steel front microwave over in cabinet
• Blanco stainless steel, single basin, undermounted sink
• Moen faucet with removable spray nozzle head
• Corian countertop with bullnose curved edge
• Amtico teak and holly laminate flooring
• Teak drawer and cabinet storage, trash can beneath sink
• Samsung flat-panel TV mounted aft
• Forward settee with blue upholstered cushions and teak triangular table
• Table can lowered and with filler insert can be used as an extra berth

Bridge Deck

• Canvas Designers 2023 3/4 Enclosure with the forward 3 panels done with EZ-2-CY and the side panels with soft panels and U-Zips
• Teak Decking
• Varnished Teak helm pod and Mercury control binnacle on teak mounting
• Upright Electronics console that houses three Garmin 16" screens protected by three sliding clear Lexan panels and magnetic compass on top
• To either side of the helm pod are opening cabinets with instruments mounted
• Bridge Deck A/C
• Helm seating is a bench/cabinet with removable white ladderback. New Canvas Designers cushions and fold down aluminum foot rest. Cabinet is accessed from cockpit and has proper tackle drawers and storage.
• Forward of the helm console is a lounge seat with new cushions and beneath the seat are two stainless lined, insulated, refrigerated boxes which can be set to freezers if desired. Beneath these boxes in another small opening step up which is great for shoe storage or general items.

Electronics, Navigation, and Entertainment

• (3) Garmin 7616 multi-function GPS/Chartplotter
• Garmin GMR 2526 xHD2 open 6' array Radar with bird mode
• Garmin GSD Chirp recording Echosounder
• Airmar B275LH wide CHIRP Transducer
• Garmin GXM52 Sirius Weather module
• Garmin GHP Reactor Autopilot with SmartPump and GHC 20 control
• (2) Standard Horizon Matrix-series GX2000 VHF radios with Comrod 4' Antennas
• Ritchie PowerDamp 5-inch magnetic compass
• GOST NavTracker 1.0
• ACR RCL-100D remote control spotlight
• KVH Track-Vision 5, SAT TV antenna, 2023
• Direct TV H24 HD Sat TV receiver
• Fusion BB300R Marine Stereo, AM/FM/Bluetooth/SAT
• JL Audio MHD 600 amplifier
• (2) JL Audio speakers in Cockpit, M770s
• (2) JL Audio speakers on Bridgedeck, 6.5"s
• The stateroom is aft in the cabin with a teak framed entryway.
• Twin Bunk berths with storage beneath beds
• Between the berths a teak nightstand that is also a cover for the Seakeeper gyro
• Amtico teak and holly laminated flooring
• Teak cabinetry outboard to either side of the berths and on aft bulkhead
• Samsung flat-panel TV mounted on the forward bulkhead wall ahead of the portside berth, new 2023
• Headhunter freshwater head
• Hinged teak door with magnetic opening keeper
• Corian vanity top with backsplash
• Oval Kohler Caxton undermount ceramic sink with brushed nickel Moen faucet
• Large teak framed mirror above vanity
• Teak cabinetry with drawer and door storage
• Separate white painted shower compartment with molded seat and shower wand fixture
• 110v outlet and exhaust fan

Fishing Equipment

• Rupp Top Gun Z-30 radial outriggers with 18' silver single-spreader poles (poles currently stored off the boat)
• Underdeck fishboxes
• Transom Livewell with light / fish box
• Two 12v outlets for electric reels under gunwale
• Teak 6-rod rocket launcher mounted on 4-inch chrome stanchion
• (6) rod holders flush mounted in the coverboards
• (2) rod holders on each rear hardtop support
• Tackle storage area inside cabinet doors on aft side of helm bench seat / mezzanine seat backrest
• Teak Cockpit with rounded Teak coverboards
• Fresh and Saltwater washdown spigots
• Beneath deck, Eskimo crushed ice machine feeding fishbox
• Stainless scupper drains in aft cockpit corners
• Three-sided canvas fly cover
• (2) Lumitec cockpit spreader lights molded into hardtop
• Aft facing cushioned lounge seat / mezzanine
• Beneath aft lounge opens to machinery space containing generator, battery chargers, pumps, water heater
• Storage compartments either side beneath steps to bridge deck
• Dockside power 50amp inlet plug

Hull and Deck Equipment

• Cold-molded hull construction, hull bottom is a Donald Blount design
• Wesmar DC bow thruster with 9-inch tunnel (New bow thruster being installed 10-1-2024)
• Humphree x-series Interceptor blades and auto-trim controller
• Towing eye on bow, stainless steel
• Faux teak painted toe rail
• Non-skid painted walk-around decks
• New 2023 by Canvas Designers - Forward deckhouse has full sun-lounge cushion with Bentley stitching and attached headrest pillow. Entire cushion has a fitted and zippered water-resistant cover for when not in use. Cutout for forward deck hatch.
• Lewmar electric windlass with stainless pulpit chute and polished chrome anchor
• Anchor locker on foredeck
• (8) stainless steel cleats with recessed back plates, (6) are pop-up style
• Armstrong dive ladder, attach bracket at transom
• White single trumpet air horn mounted on hardtop

Electrical Equipment

• 50amp 240v dockside shore power with 50 foot cord and Cablemaster cord winder
• Kohler M-9EK02D 8.5kW generator in sound shield enclosure
• 120v/240v AC / 24v DC circuit breakers, voltmeters, and amp meters in main electrical panel inside cabin. 12V DC switches aft beneath helm seat.
• (6) AMG PC1200T batteries with radial shutoff switches
• Mastervolt battery charger
• Guest ChargePro battery maintainer
• Audible high water bilge alarm
• LED lighting throughout the cabin, cockpit, bridgedeck, and utility space
• (2) Lumishore underwater lights
• Raritan 6.5 gallon hot water heater

Engines and Mechanical Equipment

• Quad White Mercury 350hp Verado outboards with approximately 370 hours, new 2023
• Mercury Platinum engine warranty, coverage into Spring 2030
• Mercury Marine Smartcraft Vessel View 703 display, separate start/stop switches
• Mercury Marine spin-on fuel filters
• Mercury Digital throttle and shift control binnacle
• Seakeeper 6 gyrostabilizer (new 2020), control panel in cabin below main electrical
• SeaStar power steering
• (4) aluminum fuel tanks - fills on port and starboard
• Aeroquip CG approved fuel lines
• Auto Fire suppression system bottle in utility / generator room
• Freshwater washdown water pump
• Headhunter 110v Fresh water system pump
• Two-gallon Jabsco accumulator pressure tank
• (2) Rule 2500 automatic bilge pumps aft
• (2) Rule 2500 automatic bilge pumps forward
• (2) self-contained FCF 12k BTU A/C systems
• Dometic self-contained bridge deck A/C system
• Bronze underwater thru-hull seacocks

Jim Smith Tournament Boats are known for their high quality, handmade construction, and creative design features. This DANIELLE is no exception, as this 43' hull launched a series of outboard walk-around boats from the builder. Boasting a brace of new engines with many years of warranty, along with a Seakeeper Gyro, a comfortable bridge deck, and an outdoor sun lounge for cruising days - this vessel opens many options for the lucky owner.

Custom Disclaimer

The Company offers the details of this vessel in good faith but cannot guarantee or warrant the accuracy of this information nor warrant the condition of the vessel. A buyer should instruct his agents, or his surveyors, to investigate such details as the buyer desires validated. This vessel is offered subject to prior sale, price change, or withdrawal without notice. Buyer should assume that anything not specifically written on the spec sheet could be excluded, certainly all handheld electronics, tools, fishing tackle, dive gear, weather gear/personal safety gear, navigation charts will not convey. Upon presentation of a written acceptable offer to purchase a complete written list of exclusions can be provided by request.

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Jim Smith Boats 86 Review

• By Jay Coyle
• Updated: September 29, 2008

jimsmith861.jpg

In the world of go-fast tournament fish boats the Jim Smith brand has the patina of a well-seasoned legend. The first Jim Smith that passed me was Broadbill . When she was launched in the early 1980s most boats in the tournament fishing fleet could manage little more than 30 knots. With a pair of tweaked Detroit Diesel 8V-92s bolted to her lightweight cold-molded hull, she was capable of 45 knots. I thought of the Jim Smith legacy as I inspected the 86-foot Patsea VII , the latest boat to wear the badge.

To appreciate Patsea VII , it is important to understand the Jim Smith Boats bloodline. If legends in the yachting world are woven with threads of mystery, then Jim Smith’s story is a tapestry. “While he only had a sixth-grade education, Jim was intuitive when it came to design,” said John Vance, President of Jim Smith Boats. “Jim used to say he could see it in his imaginary mind…he really could!”

Smith’s background was eclectic. James Claude Smith was born in 1906 in Cherry Log, Georgia. He quit school after the sixth grade and took a job cutting wood. Wanting to make something of himself, he became involved in the “liquor distribution” business. Spending money in hand, he took an interest in barnstorming biplanes, motorcycle racing, and outboard race boats when “fast on the water” was 20 mph. Smith’s success in boat racing led to a Johnson outboard distributorship. Smith attempted retirement in Boca Raton, Florida, but his interest in the water led him to boatbuilding and charter fishing. One of his first efforts, the 35-foot Boca Jima built in 1959, demonstrated Smith’s passion for innovation. Cold-molded with double-diagonal cedar and epoxy resin, she was strong, lightweight, and capable of 44 knots. To enhance her aerodynamics, Smith designed a pod-like tower supported on four aluminum sailboat mast extrusions. Instead of a ladder, an elevator took the skipper aloft. This was a practical feature for Smith as a motorcycle crash had left him with a wooden leg. Vance suggested the design had another advantage. “Jim would leave the elevator in the up position while fishing so his charter guests wouldn’t bother him.”

Smith had no children and when he passed away in 1994, Vance kept the shop doors open. “I had always been interested in sailing and dreamed of building racing sailboats,” said Vance. “I never imagined I’d be building fishboats.” Vance grew up on Lake Erie and has sailed everything from Lightnings to Farr 40s.

“By the time I began apprenticing, competitive sailboat builders had moved to composites,” said Vance. “I wanted to work in wood.” At the time, Jim Smith was pushing the envelope in cold-molded construction, which appealed to Vance. “Smith had guts… he read about the new epoxy resins in ‘Popular Mechanics,’ figured they were perfect for boatbuilding and gave them a try.” Other boatbuilders took notice. “Before John Rybovich passed away he admitted to me that he had underestimated Jim’s genius,” Vance noted. “John had been certain Jim’s boats would come apart.”

In the old days, boat design and engineering was more or less seat-of-the-pants. Jim’s rule was “never use more than you need but always use enough,” according to Vance. This simple credo still guides Vance’s approach today, although the new boats are carefully engineered. Patsea VII is one of two 86-footers Vance has launched-the first was an open-bridge design. The boats share a hull form designed by Donald L. Blount and Associates. The Blount firm was responsible for engineering the structure and sorting out the hydrostatics. PatseaVII was built using conventional cold-molded construction. Her triple-diagonal mahogany hull skin was cold-molded over a removable jig that held her bulkheads, web frames, and stringers in position. The jig was then removed and her interior and exterior surfaces were covered with two layers of biaxial fiberglass and epoxy resin.

“Blount is good,” said Vance. “ Patsea’s boot stripe was painted before we put her in the water and she floated right on her lines.” Her displacement at half load is 105,000 pounds which is very competitive considering her 3,300-gallon fuel capacity and her 2,400-horsepower MTUs which have a combined weight of 20,000 pounds. Fitted with a full tower, a tender, and her owner’s gear aboard, she is capable of 43 knots. Loafing along at 31 knots (1770 rpm and 72-percent load), she burns 120 gallons per hour. According to Vance the key to Patsea VII’s performance is her slippery hull form, which features a moderate entry with slightly convex forward sections and a transom deadrise of 13 degrees. Propeller tunnels, a Blount specialty, shade about a third of her 38-inch, five-blade Veem propellers. The result is a draft of just 5 feet, 2 inches. “In the early days, Jim Smith boats were known for their speed, not their ride,” admits Vance. “Thanks to Blount, our new boats deliver both.”

Kevin Hutchinson, a local (Stuart, Florida) landscape artist and boat designer, has worked with Vance on the last eight Smith boats and helped pen Patsea VII’s exterior styling and interior arrangement. Her dark-blue hull is highlighted by the aggressive sweep of her sheer forward. She has tumblehome aft, a pleasant traditional touch that is a relatively new feature for Jim Smith boats-concave topsides aft had been the norm-with the link perhaps being the developable surfaces Smith might have used early in his boatbuilding career. The clipper-like cut of Patsea VII’s stem and the slight knuckle where the chines intersect is standard Smith fare. While her angular superstructure has a bit softer look than earlier Smith designs, the cut of the house and window lines are unmistakable-she is pleasing to the eye and clearly a Jim Smith.

While exterior styling is Vance’s charge, the buyers determine interior layouts. “As the project progresses the owner plays more of a role in the creation of the boat and it’s important to me that we are all on the same page.” Vance fine-tunes his layouts on the shop floor by building a mockup for owners to walk through. Patsea VII’s owner needed accommodations for an owner’s party of eight-a master and three guest staterooms. There is an additional stateroom for Patsea VII’s crew of two. Her main cabin is open and has a large commercially equipped galley forward. Vance describes the interior theme as “Old English Library” and it features raised-panel teak joinery complemented by granite countertops and high-end soft goods and hardware. The final touch is a collection of breathtaking nautical art. The enclosed bridge is accessible from an exterior ladder on the cockpit mezzanine. The layout is conventional with the helm forward and a lounge area aft. An exterior balcony control station offers a view of the cockpit and is used while fishing.

While time- and materials-driven projects are still common in the tournament fishboat market, Vance offers a fixed price for his boats. “Pricing is a simple math problem, a matter of figuring out the cost of the hundreds of tasks that go into building a boat,” he says. Vance’s 25 craftsmen usually work on two boats at a time, delivering one a year. They are currently working on a 70- and a 95-footer. “Being successful in custom boatbuilding is knowing when to stop,” explains Vance. “As Jim use to say, there is no sense in polishing the concrete under the boat. His point: don’t waste an owner’s money.”

Patsea VII was delivered to her owner in June-an experienced woman angler moving up from a 72-foot enclosed bridge convertible. Based in Stuart, Florida, Patsea VII will wander waters from New England to the Bahamas and south of the border. “In our business your marketing is your last boat and the customer you built her for,” said Vance. Patsea VII is a winner and her owner is pleased. I’m certain Jim Smith would be, too.

Jim Smith Boats, (772) 286-1172; www.jimsmithboats.net

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Jim Smith 60 – Boat Review

• By Andrew Cox
• Updated: October 6, 2016

I was headed back from the Bahamas when I got the call from John Vance, president of Jim Smith Tournament Boats, that the 60-foot walkaround Dona Re was ready. The summertime sailfish bite off Stuart, Florida, had picked up just a few days before, so we decided to put her through the paces and hopefully see her in action with a billfish behind the boat.

Fishability

Designed for an owner from São Paolo, Brazil, who loves vertical jigging nearly as much as chasing billfish, the 60-footer incorporates thoughtful features that allow everyone on board to enjoy their day offshore — not to mention the added benefits of 360 degrees of fishable space around the boat. “ Dona Re is our first walkaround. We’ve done several expresses over the years, especially when they were big in the late ’80s and early ’90s, but they kind of went away. Now the walkaround seems to really be gaining popularity,” Vance describes.

We immediately put Dona Re to work catching sardines for bait. Perched high above in the Palm Beach Tower, Capt. Elliott Cline spotted bait popping on the surface as we pitched sabiki rigs into the schools from the bow. The ability to catch bait from the bow allowed us to fish well away from the whitewash, keeping the bait on the surface much longer. The pass-throughs on either side of the cabin allowed quick and easy access to the baitwell in the cockpit, even when two anglers passed on the same side of the boat.

The 40-foot outriggers from Rupp are anchored to the boat’s hardtop, allowing an angler to fight a hot fish around the boat without the need to duck under deployed outriggers. While we didn’t find any sailfish during our quick four-hour trip offshore, the benefits of Dona Re ‘s design — especially when fishing from a dead boat on the drift — were immediately evident when we were hooked into multiple bonito at once and were able to fight them from anywhere on the boat.

Bridge and Cockpit

A Bluewater fighting chair in the middle of the cockpit means business, but the expansive cockpit still has plenty of room on all sides for a mate to work with a billfish on the wire. A giant fish box fed by an Eskimo ice maker is located on the starboard-side, with the large livewell located in the same position on the port side.

Rather than a traditional mezzanine, a bait station with a small sink and loads of tackle storage is located to port of the stairs, and a large freezer mirrors it on the starboard-side. Vance and his team added a remote set of throttle controls that can be moved throughout the cockpit to control the boat while bottomfishing. A separate 12-inch Garmin display is located on the starboard-side, perfect for watching bottom contours from the cockpit when deep-dropping.

Without a full settee down below, the air-conditioned bridge on Dona Re becomes the center of the action, and it can be fully enclosed when running in rough weather or back at the dock. The settee on the starboard-side wraps around a gorgeous table, while the backrests on the aft portions of the settee on both sides of the stairs have two mounting locations: One faces forward for running or hanging out at the dock, and the other allows anglers to face aft and watch the baits in the spread. The overall setup creates a two-tier mezzanine with the ability to sit in the cockpit to be close to the rods or sit back and watch the action from above on the bridge.

At the helm, Vance and his team outfitted Dona Re with three 16-inch Garmin displays behind a custom dash with tinted glass. All radios, switches and other controls are hidden under a flip-up console to starboard, which blends beautifully with the rest of the teak helm and accents found throughout the bridge.

Accommodations

The living space below is a simple yet efficient use of space, considering the walkaround design; it is accessed down a set of stairs to port of the helm. The master stateroom is located aft on the starboard-side. An oversize head adjoins the master stateroom, with plenty of closet space and storage throughout. An identical head is located on the port side for guests, and a V-berth forward provides additional sleeping and storage space. A simple galley on the port side features custom refrigeration, a two-burner cooktop and a microwave oven.

Engine Room

The stairs in the cockpit lift up to reveal access to the large engine room below, which houses the pair of 1,250 hp MTU 8V Series 2000 diesels tied into ZF550 A transmissions. There’s plenty of headroom, with ample space for two or three people to work on any of the systems. The electric distribution panel is located forward of the engines on the centerline and above the Seakeeper 9 gyro, with the refrigeration compressors to the port side. The 1,200-gallon-per-day Dometic Sea Xchange watermaker and the Kidde fire-suppression system sit aft of the engines on the port side. The 22.5 kW Onan generator is in the same position starboard.

Although we had nice weather offshore, the benefits of the Seakeeper were quickly felt when Cline activated it from the bridge. “The gyrostabilizer on this boat is really dramatic in that the boat inherently is stable with a low center of gravity,” comments Vance. “And when the gyro is activated, it will allow the captain to remain in the tower in 3- to 5-foot seas. That factor will make people give this style of boat a second look.”

Construction and Design

Like other Jim Smith builds, Donald Blount and Associates designed Dona Re ‘s cold-molded hull with performance and efficiency in mind. “We’ve been building boats like this for the last 30 years, with Douglas fir stringers fore and aft, okoume plywood bulkheads and African mahogany in the bottom. We go to composites in the deckhouse, floor, structures and furniture,” Vance notes with pride. Fernando de Almeida Yacht Design designed the layout of the boat and incorporated unique features with both offshore fishing and cruising in mind.

Performance

Following the distinct lineage of other Jim Smith boats, Dona Re got up on plane quickly. The 60-footer reached an economical cruising speed of 33 knots at 1,850 rpm and touched just over 40 knots on the pins. She was extremely responsive when backing down, and although we were in relatively flat seas, the stern stayed high, with very little water coming over the transom. When discussing performance with Vance, he noted: “A lot of owners may want to put more horsepower in this boat. If you opted for the 12-cylinder [MTUs], you’d see a top-end of more than 45 knots. I’m very comfortable at 40 knots, though — that’s just fine with me!”

The jury is still out on whether the walkaround will be a perennial design for years to come. But one thing’s for sure: If they keep turning out like this one, walkarounds will become a staple in both South Florida and other billfish hot spots around the world.

• More: Boat Engines , Boat Reviews , Jim Smith

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Timmerman Yachts is a Russian builder of quality luxury motor yachts. Based in Moscow, it is owned by a group of Dutch and Russian investors and operates out of Moscow Shipyard. Several noted naval architecture and yacht design firms are involved with Timmerman, including Vripack, Guido de Groot Design, Ginton Naval Architects, Jon Bannenberg Ltd., and Francis Design Ltd.

Founded in 2003, the company was named for 17th century Dutch boat builder Franz Timmerman who brought Dutch boat manufacturing techniques to Russia and co-founded the Russian navy. Timmerman Yachts has more than 1,000 employees working at the Moscow Shipyard.

Timmerman has delivered a number of semi-custom luxury yachts between 26-47 metres in length, including TM26 and Timmerman FD-51, designed by Francis Design Ltd. Other notable Timmerman yachts include Victoria M, Alexandra (now Latitude) and Olsten 125′.

One of the 10 largest yacht builders in the world, Timmerman is focused on building high-quality luxury yachts at more competitive prices. Its Russian-Dutch partnership provides great yacht-building capabilities. Timmerman builds yacht to the highest standards and holds DNV, MCA and Russian River Register certification. The company reportedly has more than a dozen yachts in some phase of construction.

Founded in 2003

Yachts built by Timmerman

Hand hewn stringers for Ovation 100'. Derrick has been with Jim Smith Tournament Boats nearly 30 years.

OWNER AND PRESIDENT JIM SMITH TOURNAMENT BOATS

John Vance has built Jim Smith Tournament Boats for over 30 years. John worked with Jim Smith for several years before acquiring the company in 1989. Today, John and his crew continue to build sport fishing boats to the highest standards of craftsmanship and innovation, following a tradition that began with the  Boca Jima , in 1959.

We continue the legacy and craft of custom built sport fishing boats in Stuart, Florida, one boat at a time.

CUSTOM BUILD

A traditional build for a modern world..

Cold-molded wood construction has been used successfully in construction of boats since the early 1900's. The technique creates a hull that is extremely strong and lightweight, making it optimal for building fast long-range sport fishing boats. Each boat starts as a clean sheet, with it's own unique hull design, hydrodynamics, interior layout, power, performance, and efficiency. The result is a one-of-a-kind Sport Fishing Yacht built to the highest standards and to meet the owners desires.​