The CHIRON yacht: nordlund boat company's synthesis of luxury cruiser and sportfisher

Introduction: Where Capability Meets Custom Craftsmanship

The world of superyachts is often defined by spectacle, volume, and increasingly aggressive styling. Yet, there remains a dedicated, revered niche for vessels built not merely for show, but for enduring purpose and capability—yachts that embody the rugged elegance of their seafaring heritage. Among these stands the M/Y CHIRON, a magnificent motor yacht delivered in 2001 by the revered Tacoma, Washington-based Nordlund Boat Company. At approximately $34.8$ meters (114 feet) in length and 190 Gross Tons (GT) of interior volume, CHIRON represents a sophisticated synthesis of a long-range luxury cruiser and a high-performance sportfishing vessel.

The CHIRON yacht

CHIRON is more than just a boat; it is a philosophy rendered in fiberglass. It is the product of Nordlund’s decades-long commitment to custom, owner-driven design, collaborating with legendary naval architect Ed Monk Jr. Its powerful silhouette, efficient semi-displacement hull, and thoughtful interior by Pokela Design, Russell Burton, and Mary Flores, speak to a vessel built to tackle the challenging waters of the Pacific Northwest while providing guests with uncompromising comfort. To understand CHIRON is to understand the legacy of Nordlund—a family business where quality and capability are prioritized above all else. This article delves into the heritage of the builder, the engineering that defines the yacht’s performance, and the luxurious, yet practical, accommodations that cement CHIRON's status as an enduring icon of American custom yacht building.

The CHIRON yacht

Part I: The Enduring Legacy of Nordlund Boat Company

The story of CHIRON begins not in 2001, but in 1958, with the founding of the Nordlund Boat Company in Tacoma, Washington, by Norm and Phyllis Nordlund. The company’s roots are deeply embedded in the demanding, practical tradition of Pacific Northwest maritime construction. This region, known for its deep, cold, and often unpredictable waters, fostered a boatbuilding culture that prized seaworthiness, robustness, and reliability above all else—values that became the non-negotiable bedrock of the Nordlund brand.

The CHIRON yacht

The Evolution from Wood to Composite

Norm Nordlund started by building wooden minesweepers during World War II, transitioning to plywood cruisers in the late 1950s. The yard quickly earned a reputation for durable, practical vessels. By the 1960s, as the Alaskan fishing industry boomed, Nordlund diversified into building commercial fishing boats, which infused their yacht designs with an inherent strength and long-range capability.

The most significant turning point came in 1972, when Nordlund built its last wooden vessel and fully embraced the transition to fiberglass-reinforced plastic (GRP) construction. This move was strategic, allowing the company to retain its custom, high-quality approach while leveraging the advantages of GRP: superior durability, reduced maintenance, and the ability to build larger, more complex semi-custom hulls. Norm’s sons, Paul and Gary Nordlund, who grew up in the shipyard, assumed leadership roles, steering the company through this new era and solidifying its position as a specialist in custom composite yachts ranging from 75 to 120 feet.

The CHIRON yacht

The Nordlund Philosophy: Custom Excellence

Nordlund's longevity and esteemed reputation are built on a steadfast philosophy: every yacht is a fully custom endeavor, designed from the keel up to meet the specific cruising lifestyle and vision of the owner. In an industry increasingly dominated by semi-production models, Nordlund remained committed to bespoke craftsmanship. This is evident in the yard’s reliance on experienced, often repeat, clientele—a testament to the transparent, personal, and meticulous nature of the build process.

Paul Nordlund once articulated their guiding principle: “For us, it is not about building bigger and bigger boats, but better boats.” This commitment to quality over volume, often cemented with a simple "handshake deal," fostered long-standing relationships with owners and renowned naval architects alike, including the prolific Edwin Monk Jr., the design force behind CHIRON. The yard’s recent transition in 2021 to new ownership under Captain Jason Machovsky, a long-time Nordlund client and captain of the 115’ Cazador, ensures the continuation of this custom, quality-focused legacy.

The CHIRON yacht

Part II: Architectural Harmony by Ed Monk Jr.

The defining characteristic of CHIRON is its seamless integration of two seemingly disparate maritime genres: the graceful motoryacht and the rugged sportfisher. This harmony is the genius of its naval architect and exterior designer, the late Ed Monk Jr., one of the most influential figures in American yacht design.

The Monk Design Signature

Ed Monk Jr. had a reputation for drawing lines that were both elegant and highly capable, prioritizing seakeeping and efficiency. For CHIRON, Monk penned a vessel that is unmistakably purposeful. The yacht’s sleek, confident profile, with its high bow and low-slung superstructure sweeping back to a substantial aft deck and fishing cockpit, clearly signals its dual personality. It is a superyacht that is not afraid of work, and a sportfisher that is unafraid of luxury.

The CHIRON’s design features a flared bow for managing Pacific chop and spray, combined with a relatively low-profile flybridge, which helps lower the center of gravity, enhancing stability and reducing rolling—a crucial consideration for a vessel that often acts as a serious fishing platform.

The CHIRON yacht

The Semi-Displacement Hull: The Engine of Efficiency

At the core of CHIRON's capability is its GRP semi-displacement hull form. This engineering choice is central to achieving the perfect balance between speed and range.

1. Planing Hulls: Designed for high speed, these lift the hull mostly out of the water, but consume enormous amounts of fuel and are less comfortable in heavy seas.

2. Full-Displacement Hulls: Designed for efficiency and long range, these move through the water, but are slow.

3. Semi-Displacement Hulls (as used on CHIRON): This hull provides a critical compromise. It utilizes a moderate beam and a fine entry point to cut through waves efficiently at lower speeds (10-15 knots), achieving impressive range. When high speed is required, the flat, planing-like sections aft allow the yacht to get partially up on the water, enabling fast cruising or running from weather.

The resulting hull for CHIRON is a robust, cored-fiberglass structure, ensuring both durability and a favorable power-to-weight ratio. The decision to use GRP also speaks to Nordlund's expertise, employing advanced composite techniques like vacuum-formed cored fiberglass to ensure maximum strength and longevity—hallmarks of Northwest custom builds.

Key Dimensions and Access

CHIRON’s principal dimensions reveal a design optimized for global cruising and practical use:

• Length Overall: $34.8$ meters ($114$ feet)

• Beam: $7.19$ meters ($23$ feet $7$ inches)

• Draft: $1.8$ meters ($5$ feet $11$ inches)

• Gross Tonnage (GT): $190$ GT

The shallow $1.8$-meter draft is particularly noteworthy. While many superyachts require deeper water, CHIRON's relatively low draft allows it to access shallower anchorages, bays, and fishing grounds often inaccessible to larger, deep-draft vessels, greatly expanding its cruising grounds in areas like the Bahamas, the Caribbean, and coastal Mexico.

The CHIRON yacht

Part III: Power, Performance, and Purpose-Built Features

The operational profile of CHIRON demands both speed for swift passages and massive range for extended, remote voyages. The engineering package installed by Nordlund achieves this balance with a robust and reliable setup.

The Propulsion Package

CHIRON is powered by twin Detroit Diesel 2000 Series engines, which deliver a combined total of approximately $2,700$ horsepower ($2 \times 1,350\text{ hp}$). This power configuration allows the 190 GT vessel to reach an exhilarating top speed of $21$ knots.

More indicative of its true nature, however, is its cruising performance. The yacht maintains a comfortable and efficient cruising speed of $15$ knots. This speed provides the ability to cover significant distances swiftly when needed, ensuring timely arrival at destinations or evasion of inclement weather.

The CHIRON yacht

Long-Range Cruising Capability

The true mark of a capable cruiser is its endurance. CHIRON excels here, demonstrating a transatlantic-capable range:

• Fuel Capacity: $21,953$ Litres (approximately $5,799$ US Gallons).

• Range: An impressive $2,100$ to $2,200$ nautical miles at a more economical speed of $10$ knots.

This range allows the yacht to undertake serious passages, connecting distant cruising grounds such as the US West Coast to Central America, or undertaking extensive exploration in the remote Alaskan and Canadian Pacific waters—the original hunting ground of the Nordlund tradition. Backed by stabilizers (likely Wesmar or similar), the motion at sea is managed, ensuring maximum comfort across its expansive range.

The CHIRON yacht

Specialized Sportfishing Credentials

What truly sets CHIRON apart from its purely cruising peers are the specialized features dedicated to the art of sportfishing, a crucial element of the owner’s custom brief:

1. Dedicated Fishing Cockpit: The aft deck is not just a swim platform; it features a dedicated, well-equipped fishing cockpit suitable for battling large pelagic species. This area is typically rugged, low to the water, and designed for functionality.

2. The Crow’s Nest: A spectacular feature found on serious sportfishers, CHIRON boasts a crow’s nest high above the flybridge. This post is fitted with a third, complete helm station. This elevated vantage point provides the captain or fishing spotter with unparalleled visibility over the water, crucial for spotting bait balls or the subtle movement of large game fish.

3. Boat Deck and Tender Storage: The boat deck aft of the pilothouse is dedicated to tender storage, ensuring that auxiliary watercraft and fishing gear can be easily and safely launched and retrieved via a robust davit.

These features solidify CHIRON's identity as a 'Yachtfisher'—a vessel capable of five-star luxury one moment and a dedicated offshore fishing expedition the next.

The CHIRON yacht

Part IV: The Thoughtful Interior and Guest Experience

While the exterior and engineering of CHIRON speak to its functional prowess, the interior spaces provide the sanctuary of a true superyacht, reflecting the high standards of American custom finishing. The interior design, a collaborative effort involving Pokela Design, Russell Burton, and Mary Flores, emphasizes warmth, flow, and liveability.

Main Deck Social Spaces

The main deck is designed for social interaction and relaxed living at sea.

• The Main Saloon: The saloon is generous and inviting, characterized by a refined nautical palette that often features warm wood panelling (such as Oregon cherry, a common Nordlund material) and soft, elegant furnishings. The layout is centered around a comfortable seating area, which flows naturally into a formal dining space. The dining arrangement is notable for its spacious table paired with wraparound bench seating, fostering a convivial, family-friendly atmosphere that is perfectly suited for lively meals or quiet evenings.

• The Open-Plan Galley: In a nod to a more accessible, modern cruising style, CHIRON features an adjacent, often open-plan, galley. This positioning ensures seamless service and allows guests and crew to interact easily, keeping the main deck experience relaxed and integrated.

• The Raised Pilothouse: Forward of the main living spaces is the raised pilothouse. This command center is equipped with sophisticated electronics and offers the captain exceptional visibility over the bow, crucial for navigating complex coastlines or approaching tricky anchorages. It serves as a proper, professional working space while keeping noise and traffic separate from guest areas.

  

  The CHIRON yacht

  
  

Guest and Crew Accommodation

CHIRON is configured to comfortably accommodate six guests and six crew, striking an excellent balance that ensures a high crew-to-guest ratio for personalized, five-star service.

• Owner’s Suite: The primary sanctuary is the full-beam master suite, typically located on the lower deck. This arrangement maximizes space, stability, and privacy. The suite is expansive, designed as a calm retreat with ample natural light, dedicated seating, and generous storage. The accompanying en suite bathroom features luxury amenities, including dual sinks and an oversized shower, reflecting a residential level of comfort.

• Guest Suites: Guest accommodation is provided by two further twin cabins, each appointed with its own en suite bathroom. The cabins maintain the sophisticated, yet cozy, aesthetic of the master suite, ensuring guests enjoy maximum comfort and privacy throughout their voyage.

• Crew Quarters: Dedicated accommodation for a crew of six ensures that every operational element of the yacht—from engineering to service—runs smoothly and unobtrusively, guaranteeing a relaxed luxury yacht experience for the owner and guests.

The overall interior aesthetic avoids ephemeral trends, instead favoring timeless, comfortable elegance that remains welcoming and sophisticated two decades after its launch.

The CHIRON yacht

Conclusion: An Enduring Icon of American Yachting

The M/Y CHIRON is a masterclass in custom American yacht building. It is a powerful statement of capability, built on the solid, tradition-rich foundations of the Nordlund Boat Company. The synthesis achieved by Ed Monk Jr.’s naval architecture—merging the long-range endurance and stability of a large cruiser with the swift, sport-focused features of a dedicated sportfisher—is a technical and aesthetic triumph.

From its powerful twin Detroit Diesel engines and impressive $2,100\text{-nm}$ range, to the practical utility of its dedicated fishing cockpit and crow’s nest, CHIRON is built to be used. It is a vessel equally at home hosting an elegant evening on the French Riviera as it is chasing trophy fish in the remote Pacific. This blend of robustness and refinement is the hallmark of a Nordlund yacht.

Today, CHIRON continues to exemplify the enduring value of quality craftsmanship and owner-driven design, remaining a highly respected and sought-after vessel in the superyacht market. It is a proud continuation of Norm Nordlund’s 1958 vision: to build better boats that allow owners to truly enjoy their time on the water, wherever in the world their compass points.