I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul

TM
Issue 4 - Summer 2013
“I am the master of my fate,
I am the captain of my soul ”
William Ernest Henley
By Invitation Only
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Study
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Study
ROYAL HUISMAN 122’ SY PUMULA
By: Diane M. Byrne Photography:
Cory Silken, Tom Nitsch and Pumula Crew
TIME TRAVELLER
She may look gentle, even genteel, but Pumula is pushing for world adventures beyond the popular ports, cruising
more than yachts double her age. Combining the grace of yesteryear with modern technology and build quality,
she's proving to be a valuable international ambassador for her builder, Royal Huisman.
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ROYAL HUISMAN 122’ SY PUMULA
> SPECIFICATIONS
LOA: 122’ 6” (37.33M)
REACHER: 4,575SQ FT (425SQM)
LWL: 90’ 1” (27.47M)
TOTAL AREA UP-WIND: 8,407SQ FT (781SQM)
BEAM MAX: 24’ 6” (7.48M)
TYPE: 390 CLASSIC CUTTER
DRAFT (KEEL UP): 9’ 9” (3.00
NAVAL ARCHITECT: DYSKTRA NAVAL ARCHITECTS
DRAFT (KEEL DOWN): 16’ 4” (5.00M)
INTERIOR DESIGN: RHOADES YOUNG LTD.
DISPLACEMENT (LS): 264,500 LBS (120 TONS)
PROJECT MANAGEMENT: JENS CORNELSON
HULL SPEED: 12.74-KNOTS
BUILDER: ROYAL HUISMAN
MAIN SAIL: 3,918SQ FT (364SQM)
CLASSIFICATION: LLOYD’S REGISTER EMEA AND
BLADE: 3,197SQ FT (297SQM)
MCA (CAYMAN ISLANDS) MALTESE CROSS 100A1,
STAYSAIL: 1,507SQ FT (140SQM)
SSC, YACHT, MONO, G6, LMC, AND UMS
Dedicated access aft
to the owner's suite
(top right) is just one
of Pumula's innovative attributes.
The phrase ‘Modern classic’ is one that tends
to get tossed around a lot, so much so that it
can lose some of its true meaning. Often it’s
used to describe a contemporary
interpretation of a work of art from a far
earlier era. While that pays homage to
tradition, if it’s simply a carbon copy, it just
doesn’t seem right to call it a modern classic, because it lacks the
ability to elicit a response from us the way the original does – and
does so well. Instead, “modern classic” more appropriately
describes something that proffers time-tested qualities within the
framework of the present, in a way so seamless that it merits
enduring appreciation. It reminds us of the bygone era while still
keeping us firmly rooted in the here and now, evoking emotions
without making us wistful for the past.
T
Just like a great piece of literature, painting, or other work of art, a
yacht can be a modern classic. To that end, the 122’5” (37.33-meter)
Pumula (pronounced poo-MOO-la, meaning “rest” in Zulu) is an
ideal example. To see her is to be reminded of classic cruisers from
the past, given her rich-colored hull, long overhangs, low-profile
deckhouses (clad in varnished teak, of course), single central wheel
for the helm, and seemingly continuously planked decks. When
you really begin to examine this cutter-rigged sloop, however, you
see thoroughly modern features like a retractable bulb keel, a
carbon fiber rig, carbon fiber vents that bear teak veneers to
seamlessly blend into the deckhouse, navigation electronics that
appear and disappear at the touch of a button, and teak-topped
hatches that are deftly margin-free to avoid disrupting the rest of
the decking. Pumula appears to be every bit the gentleman’s yacht
from days of yore, but she has modern-day engineering to take on
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ROYAL HUISMAN 122’ SY PUMULA
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"THE OWNERS
HANDED THE
CAPTAIN A FILE OF
PAGES RIPPED
FROM MAGAZINES
AND NEWSPAPERS,
DETAILING PLACES
THEY WANTED TO
VISIT... THE
PASSAGE PLAN
WAS DESIGNED
FROM THERE."
the oceans of the world. She also certainly reflects the modernday thinking about global cruising, covering nearly 12,000
nautical miles within her first year… and not done yet.
Pumula was commissioned by a couple who have longed to see
the world. In fact, Pumula’s captain, Michael van Bregt, says
that when the owners hired him, the husband handed him a file
folder packed with pages ripped from magazines, newspapers,
and more, detailing all the places in the world he and his wife
wanted to visit. The instructions were simple: Figure out
itineraries to last the next five to ten years.
When you examine the world’s fleet of ocean-capable
superyachts, whether sailing or power yachts, the majority
spend the seasons poking around the popular ports that pretty
much every other yacht visits. Certainly, they explore both
sides of the Atlantic, but the journey from one continent to
another is often made aboard the deck of a transport ship or by
the crew. Nothing wrong with that, of course, but the owners of
Pumula envisioned explorations undertaken on her own
bottom and with themselves onboard. And while they don’t
dislike the customary cruising destinations, they didn’t
necessarily want to visit them first. In fact, upon delivery in
spring 2012, rather than heading south from Royal Huisman’s
headquarters in Holland, they, Capt. van Bregt, and the threeperson crew aboard Pumula went north. And, they kept going
north until they reached Norway and subsequently
Spitsbergen, an archipelago in the Arctic Ocean about halfway
between Norway and the North Pole, with 60 percent of its
surface area covered by glaciers.
Among the reasons why Pumula can venture to glacier-laden
waters is her above-mentioned retractable bulb keel. Part of the
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Visible brushstrokes in interior paintwork
and the patina of the sole were included as
subconcious details of a bygone era.
design and engineering contributions of Dykstra Naval Architects,
it’s fully ballasted and extends to a depth of about 16’ (5m) for
windward traction. For shallower-water anchorages, the keel lifts up
to 9’8” (3m). The lifting ability is key, because as Capt. Van Bregt
explains, there’s no real way to know how deep the glaciers go.
(Glaciers’ dimensions grow and shrink based on climate
fluctuations.) Pumula was able to venture farther into ice-laden
waters than some fixed-keel sailing yachts can. In fact, Capt. Van
Bregt put Pumula’s bow right to the edge of the pack ice.
Of course, Pumula wasn’t meant just for polar climes, so Dykstra
Naval Architects designed her rig and sail plan to handle a variety
of conditions and sea states. Total sail area up-wind, for example, is
8,407sq ft (781sqm). The rig itself consists of a carbon fibre mast
and furling boom supplied by Rondal, the company also preferred
for Pumula’s custom deck hardware, reel winches and custom flush
deck hatches. The drum winches came from Lewmar’s
comprehensive catalogue, while the standing rigging of headstays,
rod rigging and Kevlar backstays were fabricated by PBO and the
running rigging from Gleinstein. This all sets atop a hull plated
with ‘Alustar’ Temper H321 (AA 5059-H321) aluminum for hull
plating and finished with a lustrous paint system from Awlgrip and
Axo Nobel International. When not under sail, Pumula maneuvers
on her single Scania DI 12 62M engine that produces 450hp and is
rated for 1,800 rpm.
While the current and wind presented anything but a challenge
when the yacht headed from the British Virgin Islands to Florida
this past spring – “You could balance an egg on your head,” Capt.
Van Bregt says – the transatlantic crossing before the winter did.
He describes the conditions as being “hairy,” yet says Pumula
handled them well, even when she reached a higher-than-normal
19-knots. Royal Huisman puts her hull speed at just over 12½ knots,
and on a recent brief cruise off West Palm Beach, Florida, Pumula
handily hit speeds of 14 to 15-knots with winds at 17 to 18-knots.
The owners’ expectations for the general arrangement and decor
were just as important as the performance expectations. Rhoades
Young Design, and Royal Huisman’s in-house joinery department,
were each instructed to make Pumula’s interior reflect a more
traditional era yet still feel fresh and even (dare we say?)
contemporary. Paneling and overheads are painted white, offset by
oak soles that look well aged beyond Pumula’s relative youth.
Rhoades Young Design had to source oak panels with natural
knots, a refreshingly realistic look that some other owners and
design teams eschew. The treatment for the soles, done in house by
Royal Huisman, involved hand-painting stains until the desired
color was reached, then hand-waxing to achieve an additional
appearance and texture akin to the smoothness that would come
from years of natural footfalls. In addition, the brush strokes on the
white panels and deck heads are visible, though subtly so. (In an
interesting side note, this directive took Royal Huisman’s
woodworkers by surprise, accustomed to customers wanting
perfectly smooth panels.) Contemporary elements come into play
with the selection of furnishings, which lend a beach-house feel,
and even the general arrangement. From the main deckhouse’s
dining area that seats eight, down to the lower saloon and on
through the guest staterooms, there’s a low-key, casual ambiance.
Even with luxurious touches like leather-clad nightstands in the
staterooms, made to look like steamer trunks turned on their sides,
Pumula’s owners didn’t want an “us and them” relationship with the
crew. That helps explain why the space opposite of the dining table
does double duty as a casual seating area, complete with a table, and
a navigation area, the latter hidden when not needed. Furthermore,
the galley has a welcoming breakfast/cocktail bar straddling the
space between its cooking and prep areas and the saloon. The bar
top may look like polished stainless steel, but it’s actually pewter,
chosen so that it would gain a natural patina with age as well as
small, scattered dings and dents that come from use. While a sliding
screen (additionally fireproof, of course) can close off the bar and
salon from the galley, it’s really only activated when the stew/chef is
clearing dishes or otherwise doing a bit of noisy work.
When guests have had their fill of delectable delights for the
evening, they can retire to either of two twin-bedded staterooms, or
a double berth forward, near the galley. That same double
stateroom is used to accommodate a pilot when Pumula ventures
to remote waters, or areas where this type of professional is
required. As inviting as the guest staterooms are however, the
master suite understandably has the best ambiance. The bed faces
aft, toward a raised seating area and additional steps that lead out
to the owners’ private cockpit. There’s no need for them to climb
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out of bed to enjoy an anchorage. They can simply leave the
deckhouse/cockpit door open, or gaze up through the skylights. It’s
the best of both words: the benefits of a room with a view, with the
privacy afforded by a two-level suite. A small settee on the raised
seating area even converts to a little wider couch, ideal for napping.
At first look, Pumula may seem pretty straightforward, but as the
myriad details about her design reveal, she’s really anything but
simple. Also keep in mind that her waterline length of just 90’ – a
length that had to house the raising bulb keel as much as people –
complicated matters further. It takes accomplished design and build
teams to ensure that the crew and guest flow below and above deck
within these limitations does indeed flow. Dykstra Naval Architects
drew on its 44 years of experience designing dozens upon dozens of
sailing yachts, some of which presented equally high hurdles. For
proof, consider the rebuilds of four classic J Class yachts, requiring
them to be kept as authentic as the day they were originally built yet
incorporating modern technology, too. As for Royal Huisman,
there’s a reason why sailing aficionados turn to the family-run
business time and time again. Founded in 1884, and gaining the
prestigious “royal” designation in 1984 (an honor bestowed in
Holland only to companies operating for 100 consecutive years or
longer), the builder pushes technology on a regular basis.
Of course, credit also goes to the owners of Pumula. The mix of
classic and contemporary elements, and their desire to travel the
world for years to come, may make them seem like a different
breed, but interesting enough, their attitude falls right in line with
that of other Royal Huisman clients. Indeed, a few years ago, Royal
Huisman commissioned an illustration depicting the cruising
routes that many of its deliveries have taken, each in a different
color, superimposed over a map of the world. The lines tend to
crisscross in popular areas like the Mediterranean and Caribbean,
but nearly as many head across the Pacific Ocean (on their own
bottoms) and intersect around Australasian countries. A few even
head up to the Arctic Circle. With the Arctic ice already behind
Pumula, and with voyages to South America, Antarctica, and the
South Pacific still to come, she’s set to crisscross some of those
same passages. If word gets to some of those other Royal Huisman
owners, perhaps it will prompt them to reflect fondly on the times
they spent in those regions. And perhaps Pumula’s adventures will
inspire them to embark on a few new ones in the process. Now
that’s a modern classic approach if we’ve ever heard of one! I
The owners next look forward to
passages in South America,
Antartica and the Pacific.
Pumula was built to sail.
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Pumula name translates as peace and rest from the Zulu
language, a sentiment that inspired her flag. Consisting of the
same colors as that of the South African flag, Pumula’s private
signal is a swallowtail that includes a black circle with outer
yellow ring that depicts an eclipsed sun. During these natural
phenomena birds and other wildlife invariably fall silent,
producing an all enveloping peace and quietness… Pumula !