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Luxury Seacraft Christensen Yard Presents Mega Yacht - Prima Donna - SOLD Maybe it was the 99-degree heat on the day I boarded Prima Donna at Christensen’s Shipyard and Marina in Washington State , but something about this 142-footer kept whispering “Ultra Hot” in my inner ear. Let’s start with that fighting chair. Simply bolting it to a backing plate in the midst of an enclosed cockpit just wouldn’t do. Onboard the Prima Donna it’s practically a throne, poised on a rail-like stainless steel pedestal rising out of the livewell. And no ordinary livewell would do; this one is adorned with a billfish logo that’s visible even at night, thanks to fiber-optic lighting. The 170,000-square-foot shipyard houses an electrical department, plumbing and pipe fitting department, a metal shop, two paint shops (one for wood, the other for metal), and an upholstery shop, but for this project Christensen relied on subcontractors to handle the unusually complex custom glass work, stone work, and inlays. While previous launches have featured the handiwork of subcontractors, Emerson says coordinating all of the agents for Prima Donna made her one of the most complicated yachts he’s ever worked on. The first place where guests see how the juggling act came together is the starboard-side foyer on the main deck. Here they’re greeted by an intricate sole detail comprised of hand-chipped glass pieces and madrona wood inlays that are in turn arranged on a mirrored surface. The effect lends depth and sparkle to the overall design. Even the master bath features fiber optics—plus other noteworthy touches. The marble counters are lined with fiber optics that when turned on make the counter glow from beneath. However the most extraordinary feature is the shower separating “his” side from “hers.” It has a waterfall effect that is certain to be the envy of many a yacht owner. When the water is turned on it cascades dramatically over a custom spillway lip mounted to the bulkhead and into a series of other spillways. It’s custom features like these that set this luxury world cruising craft into a league of it’s own. And what about those speakers mentioned earlier—the ones to each side of the sunbed on the bow? Suffice it to say that when John Lance, Christensen’s marketing director, turned on the music to demonstrate the quality of the sound system, the boat was rockin’ just sitting at the dock. The cool rhythms emanating from the speakers kicked up the heat of an already hot summer’s day, and like the rest of this exceptional mega yacht had me dreaming of sparkling lagoons and living the high life in exotic ports of call. Talk about a passport to the sea of dreams. This is really how you get there!
STATS: LOA: 145'0" Beam: 28'0" Minimum Draft; 6’6“ Displacement; 282.5 tons /565000 lb Construction: double Airex-cored fiberglass hull, Airex-cored fiberglass superstructure Classification: ABSXA1 AMS
Fuel Capacity: 12,000 gal.
Contact us for more information on available mega yachts which are not publicly listed and are available for private sale.
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Her name hints at what’s to be found inside this dressed-to-the-nines 145-foot long ultra luxury mega yacht. The Prima Donna is a spectacle of complex design in modern marine architecture, and as plush and lavish inside as anyone could imagine in their wildest dreams.
There was an abundance of custom glass work in both the saloon and throughout the rest of the yacht, all designed with ingeniously intricate inlays of wood, stainless steel, and glass, and making for a distinctly personal showpiece for her Nevada based owner who commissioned the craft. The sheer number of rich, different marbles used was dizzying.
And after an afternoon spent in that fighting chair reap rewards from the sea, the owner and his guests get to enjoy an unusual show when the chef prepares the catch inside. Like a curtain raising on a command performance a large fine art painting hanging in the forward portion of the dining area ascends at the press of a button to reveal a panoramic window into the galley. Through it the owner and guests can take in the beautifully executed ‘Provincial French’ design of the galley, highlighted by a lovely light-tone marble counter tops (intriguingly named Colonial Dream) and a tiled sea scene on the stove’s hood, and watch as the evening’s gourmet dinner is created.
There’s a feast for the rest of the senses throughout Prima Donna due to the collaborative efforts of Christensen’s in-house project manager Robert Emerson, the interior design firm Paola D. Smith & Associates, and the various subcontractors who supplied the marble and inlay work.
Jeff Homchick, the Seattle-based marble expert who’s well-known in megayacht-construction circles, directed the selection and installation of the nearly a dozen different marbles.
Savoy Studios in Portland, Oregon, and Belina Interiors of Seattle did the glass installation and decorative metal work, respectively, although the glass pieces for the dining table and saloon’s coffee table were actually crafted in Holland.
Aft, in the saloon, madrona wood columns flank a glass panel that’s adorned with a shell pattern, and the tops of the wood columns feature gilt metal “leaves” looking much like tropical palm fronds. The coffee table in front of the settees features a combination of etched glass and rich parquetry, the latter of which is fashioned in the shape of a whale.
Everything about Prima Donna is dressed to the nth degree, with the focus set squarely on opulent fun. There’s a sizable hot tub on the flying bridge and the large bar has not only a dumbwaiter for bringing delectable treats up from the galley but also sports a Rum Runner frozen cocktail machine for unlimited Pina Coladas, Margaritas, and Daiquiris (sadly I didn’t get to test it out, much to my chagrin, on that particular scorching afternoon).
