While strong interest in the new ownership of this storied company has been growing among industry and boaters, John and Gigi DiDonato and the craftsmen at Egg Harbor have been hard at work at setting new standards for semi-custom boatbuilding. The result is the 53-foot Sport Yacht.
“(We) recognize how our customers actually use their yachts, (so) we’ve added length and beam to the former 52-foot Egg Harbor and have positioned the new boat as a sport yacht,” says John DiDonato, Egg Harbor’s president since 1998. “While many of our owners fish their boats, we also recognize that they use them equally as a form of entertainment. The new 53 has been built to handle any kind of sea and to provide semi-custom interiors and amenities to suit our customers’ personal needs for yachting.”
While the new 53 features precision building using premium parts – including hand-laid molded fiberglass and vinylester resins, an individually fitted component assembly, and single-unit construction of the cockpit and superstructure – the boat also offers many options not found through high-volume production builders.
From engine options that include Detroit Diesel 8V1830s and 8V-2000s or Caterpillar 3406Es to interior finish selections available in teak, birds-eye maple or satin, the philosophy behind the 53 is to let her owners choose what works for the way they’ll use the boat.
Stateroom layouts feature a choice in amenities while making the most of the 53’s wide beam. Use of space and fit and finish of the entire interior is carefully planned and built to exacting detail. The salon and galley feature upholstered headliners, custom flooring, concealed hinges behind varnished wood paneling and a state-of-the-art entertainment system. The flooring system, incidentally, includes honeycomb sound-deadening technology to ensure maximum enjoyment of the interior amenities while underway.
Hull No. 1 of the new 53-foot line was debuted recently at the Egg Harbor Owners Rendezvous in Essex, Connecticut, where 130 Egg Harbors were lined up around the marina. “Being able to debut the 53 in this atmosphere – amid long-time owners whose Egg Harbors had stood the test of time – was a dream come true,” says DiDonato. “And, true to Egg Harbor form, she passed the test with those who know.”
