THE CUSTOM LINE 108 IS A BRILLIANT EXAMPLE OF WHAT THE FERRETTI GROUP DOES SO WELL – BUILD COMFORTABLE MOTOR YACHTS THAT WORK WELL IN HARBOUR AND AT SEA.
THE CUSTOM LINE 108 IS A BRILLIANT EXAMPLE OF WHAT THE FERRETTI GROUP DOES SO WELL – BUILD COMFORTABLE MOTOR YACHTS THAT WORK WELL IN HARBOUR AND AT SEA.
THE CUSTOM LINE RANGE starts where the Ferretti-named range of motor yachts stops, yachts over 24 metres that meet the MCA requirements. The Custom Line 108 fits well into this category of larger yachts and it combines a very sophisticated ambiance and lifestyle with a low profile that gives it a sporting and dynamic look.
As the name suggests, there are a lot of options on offer when you go for this size of yacht and it is possible to tailor the layout and style to meet personal preferences. The end result is a measure of luxury and style combined with generous space that justifies the move up to a yacht over the 100-foot mark. The 108 will impress from the outside wherever it goes, and from the inside it will welcome Owners and guests with a relaxing but very stylish interior.
The master suite is located on the main deck, which allows a lot more light and space plus a good measure of privacy. This layout is largely responsible for the quite dramatic aspect of the exterior styling. In what is generally a smooth flowing exterior, the windows that give a great view of the outside world from the master bedroom takes a sudden jagged upward turn that draws your eye and leads you to the flybridge.
There are other smaller sudden changes of line that give the 108 a dramatic and dynamic style where you take nothing for granted. Maybe this is the reason for the varying size and shape of the hull windows that seem to follow the same rather incohesive but attractive style. These interruptions to the otherwise smooth flowing lines demand attention.
Some serious engineering has gone into developing the 108 and you see this to good advantage in the aft garage. Here the transom door offers the option of being hinged either at the top or the bottom of the door. With the bottom hinge engaged the door lowers to form a beach club area that can be extended into the garage after the tender is launched. Hinged at the top and the garage door opens and a section of the swim platform drops to create a slipway for the launch and recovery of the tender.
The sunbed in the cockpit is equally dexterous and there are five positions for the cushions and backrests to suit different uses. On each side of the garage various engine room auxiliary systems are located, leaving the main engine room clear and uncluttered apart from the main engines and generators.
Another unexpected piece of engineering is found forward, where a whole section of the coachroof hinges upwards to reveal an enormous stowage area. This lifting section includes the forward sitting out area that is let into the coachroof and the space revealed below is big enough to hide all the fenders and store various toys and equipment. You could almost have another cabin in this enormous stowage space.
These engineering enhancements supplement the real strength of this yacht, which is the design of the interior. This has been kept quite simple and logical with the emphasis on quality and light, airy spaces. From the sliding saloon door you enter the lounge with its L-shaped settee nestling up to a half-width credenza that separates the lounge and dining areas. On the starboard side of the saloon the bulwarks hinge down to form a small balcony with access via double doors and this really allows you to open up the space on a fine day. There is a small bar locker to starboard in the lounge section with the TV incorporated otherwise the balcony doors occupy most of this side of the saloon.
The glass dining table can seat 10, which matches the capacity of the cabins and allows for elegant formal dining. A passageway on the port side leads forward to the pantry and the galley, so that the food only has a short journey to the table while a passageway on the starboard side leads to a day head and then onwards to the master suite.
This master suite with its huge windows is the star of the show combining acres of space with a relaxing décor. There is seating and other facilities on either side under the windows and the forward area includes a bathroom designed for two and a walk-in closet. This suite is an oasis of peace where the owner can escape when the need arises and wake up to a wide view of the surroundings while still retaining privacy.
Four staterooms have been fitted into the lower hull amidships and they are accessed from a central lobby. Aft there are two double cabins with generous space and with their en-suite bathrooms providing sound insulation from the engine compartment. There is an option for these two staterooms to be combined into a single large VIP stateroom but the standard layout where the two doubles are combined with two twin cabins might be the preferred layout for a yacht being used for charter work. The twin staterooms can be fitted with fold out Pullman berths, if required.
The crew is well catered for on the 108 with a mess room and small galley on the lower deck below the master suite. Two twin bunk berths are supplemented by a larger cabin for the Captain, and all of them are en suite. Access to the crew area is by stairs close to the galley and this, combined with an outside door in the galley, allows the crew to operate without impinging on the guest areas.
The pilothouse is also another social area with seating and a table installed behind the captain’s chair so that guests can participate in the action. A gull-wing door on the port side gives access to the Portuguese bridge around the front of the pilothouse and there is direct access to the forward sunbeds and sitting out area. There is all the expected electronic equipment installed in the pilothouse with an array of no less than five electronic screens showing the navigation and monitoring information. Analogue engine monitoring instruments are mounted above the windscreen. The visibility from the helm is adequate rather than good, but up on the flybridge you feel much more in control with wide views of the horizon.
Up here the helm is on the port side with a C-settee and table behind it. Behind the starboard seat there is a small bar and BBQ counter with a couple of bar stools, leaving the rest of the flybridge space open to sun worship. The small fixed Bimini reaching forward from the arch mast offers some sun protection to the forward area.
This fine yacht ticks all the boxes for use in harbour. Conditions on the sea trial were quite moderate off Cannes during the sea trial and the 108 performed exactly as you might expect. The top speed from the twin MTU 16 V diesels was 23 knots – at this speed you could start to feel the wave impacts on the very full hull sections. Ease back a shade and life was much more comfortable at the cruising speed with the combination of stabilising fins and gyro stabilisers controlling the ride extremely well. Interceptors on the transom allow the trim to be controlled when underway.
A bow thruster comes as standard, with a stern thruster as an option. These allow good and precise control in harbour even in a fresh breeze. The mooring arrangements are good and the twin anchor system can provide security in an emergency.
The Custom Line 108 reflects all that is good about modern motor yacht design. In terms of engineering it has more tricks than a circus, but these are used to good effect to provide the sort of lifestyle one expects from a yacht of this size. This is a yacht that impresses both in harbour and while comfortably cruising offshore.
