b'Perhaps most importanthouse. Unlike ash, mahogany is grown primarily in South is that the passengers areAmerican, as well as Central America and Honduras. Rick pointed out that there are several materials on any given near the water to reallyvessel. A sailboat may have a carbon fiber mass. There may be a balsa core deck, or teak laminate incorporated into the experience it. I think thatdesign. At Scarano, although theyre currently returning to wood as a main material, there has always been a curiosity was one of our motivationsabout what options exist and what will work best. Working with the same substrates repeatedly may bring understand-for doing what we do,ing and experience, but they find that their approach enables them to know a wide variety of options and how to use them well. In any one of their vessels, Rick noted that there is likely Rick said. There is, anda greater number of different materials than on most boats. now Ill use the word,Each new boat is better than the last with small adjust-mentsandmodifications;thenewManhattanIIIisno intimacy with the water,exception. Drawing on 30 years of operating Manhattan I and Manhattan II, they have modified the design of the with the surroundings.newest member of the fleet. Rick noted that their team has always been interested in and listened to customer feedback. The company pays close attention to what is working on gers stepping on board. Well, I cant explain why people likea cruise, and what isnt, and responds with changes to be being inside of wooden spaces, but they do, John said.ever improving and evolving the boats and operation. The Manhattan III will be larger than the previous iterations, Different types of wood serve different purposes on a vesselcarrying more passengers and allowing room to incorporate like Manhattan III which is being completely constructedfeatures like a bigger bar and a chair to make the lower-level ofwood.DouglasFiristhemainstructuraltimberforrestroomsaccessibleforallguests.Theyhaveworkedto PHOTOS: TOP LEFTMEGHAN HART / SCARANO BOAT BUILDING; ALL OTHERSSARAH FERRETTI building anything, John explained. As it is common therekeep the boat relatively narrow to maintain sight lines so is a large supply of it, and it grows in long lengths with me- passengers can see out both sides for a close-to 360 view, as chanical properties that are well known and trusted. A typewell as keep the intimate feel that guests respond so well to. of cedar that has slightly higher mechanical strength proper- The Manhattan III will probably be the largest vessel Sca-ties is used interchangeably with the Douglas Fir. However,rano will build for their own operation. Rick explained that its grown only in the Northwest and is scarcer than the read- theres a certain element of the company culture that centers ily available Douglas Fir which can be dependably sourced.on smaller vessels. From the sailboats to the yachts, the vessels Moving up from the hull, the timber of choice changes.at Classic Harbor Line carry a limited number of passengers Mahogany is the quintessential material used in furnitureand it shapes the guest experience. All the staff on board are with a dark look that compliments the very light ash that isa part of the cruise for a passenger, even the captain. While incorporated into the design. John remarked that ash isnt atheres plenty of room on the ship and guests are comfortable traditional boat building material, but they like the look ofand not crowded, theres a warmth to the environments, a it as well as the fact that its indigenous to the area where thecloseness that feels inviting. Perhaps most important is that shipyard is located. An ash tree used in their constructionthe passengers are near the water to really experience it. could have grown less than 20 miles from their yard. WhileI think that was one of our motivations for doing what the ash is part of only non-weather exposed areas onboard,we do, Rick said. We really appreciate getting folks out, the deeply colored mahogany is found on both the interiorsailing, whove never been before. There is, and now Ill use and exterior, such as the finished work around the pilotthe word, intimacy with the water, with the surroundings.41 OCTOBER 2025'