"Nyala": Customised ketch according to S&S plans has dream yacht potential
Alexander Worms
· 03.08.2025
Dark clouds appear on the horizon. A thunderstorm cell is approaching from the south-east. The Dutch equivalent of the DWD announces Code Orange - the second-highest warning level. All the boats head for nearby harbours such as Enkhuizen. Almost all of them.
The "Nyala", however, continues its course undeterred. The first gusts come, and for a moment the ship's potential can be glimpsed. But shipyard manager Hans-Peter Baars ultimately also urges the ship to return to a safe harbour. After all, the ship has not yet been handed over to the owner and he does not want to take any risks.
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This is understandable, as he has been thinking about this feast for the eyes almost day and night for the past two and a half years. He has considered solutions, sought out and agreed project partners, repeatedly consulted with the owner and, last but not least, created an almost ideal working environment for his employees so that they can transform Sparkman & Stephens' design into the beauty that now has to flee from the storm in the best possible way.
Unsaleable "Impala" chosen as dream boat
It thunders. And as soon as the "Nyala" is safely moored and the crew has gone into the harbour restaurant, the apocalypse breaks loose: buckets of rain, gusts of wind and a dark sky at night. Barely 20 minutes later, the spook is over and the storm has passed. The good news is that the wind has stayed.
While the 56-foot ketch was already clocking up around four and a half knots in the morning at just 3 Beaufort and even more in the aforementioned gusts, it was now clocking up eight nautical miles an hour at just under 5 Beaufort. There's no doubt about it: Mr Stephens could build boats like this - built for ocean voyages, mostly as a ketch and, in keeping with the times, as a long keeler. The legendary "Stormy Weather" or the even more famous "Dorade" was one such boat. And the "Impala".
It was built by Abeking & Rasmussen in 1954 and has belonged to Alfie Sanford, the owner of Sanford Boat, one of the guardians of the New England yacht scene, so to speak, since the 1980s. He, in turn, prefers to sail his "Impala" in the Mediterranean. And it was there that the current owner of the "Nyala", a Dutchman with a lot of sailing experience, saw the ketch for the first time and was certain: "This is my dream boat, the crowning glory of his career as an owner. But he bites the bullet: Sanford is not even thinking of selling his boat. He is also certain that he would like to sail the ocean of infinity on the "Impala" one day.
An ideal project for boat builders
So what to do? The Dutchman is fond of the yacht's fine lines. So it had to be a new build. The plans were bought by S & S and digitised by naval architect Arend Lambrechtsen from Sneek and adapted to modern requirements and construction methods. A shipyard is also quickly found. It was Ventis Scheepstimmerwerk in Enkhuizen, because although they had no experience with completely new builds, they did have experience with total refits and other major nautical projects in the classic yacht sector.
In addition, VMG Yachtbuilders, a renowned composite company, is located in the immediate vicinity of the shipyard. This is crucial, because the "Nyala" will have a woodcore hull. In other words: wood in the centre, resin and mats inside and out. These consist of a glass-aramid mixture for extreme resistance to collisions. Naturally, only high-quality epoxy resin is used.
The core is formed by strips of yellow cedar, which are moulded over an auxiliary metal frame and the bulkheads with resin and stainless steel pins. This creates a rigid hull that is also highly resistant to water. "This is an ideal project for a boat builder," explains Baars. "The owner simply wanted the best solution at every point, it wasn't so much about the money. Rather, it was the experience gained from many years of building our own yachts. This allowed us to build without compromise," continues the boss.
"Nyala" is built for ocean voyages
Stephens had drawn just as uncompromisingly at the time. The pushers cause no problems for the 21-tonne ketch. Thanks to the modern design, which does not require an elaborate frame, the hull is around one tonne lighter than the original. In order not to change the waterline and thus the entire line plan, the keel was made correspondingly heavier, which provides additional stability. A slight overtake, then she sets off. Without ever overtaxing the helmsman on the wind - two fingers on the wheel are enough, the balance is just right.
The hull lies in its wave, the water flows along the curves as if this is exactly what it has been doing for ages. Only long-keelers radiate this grandeur, this naturalness and sovereignty. After just a few miles on the IJsselmeer, the thought of long ocean passages by boat and the desire to complete them on board the "Nyala" is impossible to get out of your head. The design is fascinating.
The owner seems to have seen this in the lines of the "Impala" at the time. "He has a lot of experience at sea. He's the kind of guy who says on Fridays: 'I'm off to Bergen for a fish dinner. I'll be back on Tuesday'. And then he really does go to Norway," reports Baars. Hence, and because of a planned circumnavigation, the desire for a very seaworthy ship. And this was realised with great consistency.
The masts are made of aluminium. This almost led to Ventis turning down the order. This is because the company also owns Brasker Masten, a manufacturer of exquisite round timber for yachts and cargo ships. "Wood wouldn't even have been heavier. I even offered to send a painter to wherever the masts needed maintenance on the planned trip around the world. In the end it turned out to be aluminium. That's a shame, but of course the customer has the final say," says Baars.
Adaptation of the "Nyala" to modern aspects
In other areas, however, the shipyard managed to convince the owner to make adjustments, such as a bow thruster or two electric winches in the cockpit. However, this was not feasible on the mast, where the halyards are operated; "as simple as possible" was the credo. And this despite the fact that in future the ship will be sailed by two people who are no longer the youngest.
"That's why we've fitted handrails here and there," grins Bars. Alfie Sanford is over 80 and also sails his "Impala" with a small crew. According to the owner, she is so good-natured that hardly any other ship could be more age-appropriate.
However, there is one thing that stands in the way of geriatric preparation, as Baars calls it: The owner has hardly any headroom below deck. He can only stand up completely in his aft cabin, otherwise he has to adopt a slightly submissive posture. "Of course we could have managed the headroom. However, as the exterior lines had to remain untouched, we would have had to make the tanks under the saloon floor smaller in order to lower the floor and thus achieve more height. But the owner didn't want that," explains Baars.
Apart from the issue of interior height, a lot of thought was given to ergonomics during the construction process, which the shipyard boss calls "dry sailing". The owner had to line up with his crew and manoeuvres were simulated on the ship under construction: sheet angle, placement of the winches, size of the helm, the cockpit itself. Baars: "The cockpit has been lowered compared to the gangway, which offers more protection. It's not like that on the original, where everything is at the same level, with a coaming around it."
Concealed stainless steel work for flexibility
The cockpit in general: the hatch covers close onto a stainless steel frame. This is exactly where wooden ships would start to rot first, because of the standing water in the gaps and drainage channels. On the "Nyala", however, these are made of fine steel and will last for eternity. In order to save time during construction, the scaffolding and cover were manufactured simultaneously at different locations in different Dutch factories.
"This is only possible if the ship is completely pre-planned in CAD. Arend Lambrechtsen did a great job. Everything fitted," says Baars happily - and talks about the important marriage of hull and keel. The bolts and holes came together perfectly on the first attempt. However, several visits were made to the lead casters to ensure the required accuracy.
The concealed stainless steel work is a further delicacy. The saloon table can be adjusted to several different positions. And this work can also be described as flawless in other respects. "We work with a small company from Friesland. They know a lot about boats and think along with us. It's simply fun," says Baars. You can't manage a project like this on your own; a good network of specialists is essential.
This specialised team can also be found below deck. Striking: the companionway is not centred, but leads down past the small superstructure on the starboard side. As a result, Stephens created a large, undivided owner's cabin aft.
Sophisticated details for seaworthiness
Once downstairs, the large navigation table is waiting to be used immediately afterwards. Located close to the companionway, it can be used for direct communication. Above the large work surface is another example of good craftsmanship: the control panel is custom-made and blends seamlessly into the yacht's appearance. Stainless steel buttons that click heavily when they switch and a base plate with milled switch functions make an impression.
Opposite is the wet room, which saves long journeys through the ship at sea. The porthole from the owner's cabin to the cockpit is also conducive to good communication: if the watch is needed on deck, a call through the window is sufficient. By dividing the berth into two parts, it is possible to sleep downwind on either bow. The small sofa is not only extremely comfortable, it is located in the centre of the boat, making it easier to get dressed at sea.
The cosy saloon adjoins the front. Wooden details everywhere, which lovers of such work will never tire of, even after years. Solid wood and perfect transitions everywhere, a dream for aesthetes. And: pilot berths. They want to utilise the width of the ship. Whether anyone will ever sleep there, however, is uncertain - they are not particularly expansive. No matter.
Unusual: the galley is located in front of the saloon. There, in the centre of the ship's movements, it is easy to cook. At first you wonder whether the mast will get in the way. In fact, however, it serves as an ideal support for cooking, regardless of the bow. The owner has also attached great importance to enormous cooling capacities, as his goal is also warmer climes. In the foredeck there is an adjoining chamber with a wet room. Here, the berth on the port side is offset to the side, which provides cupboard space on the starboard side.
"Nyala" is a real type
A new build costs around 1.7 million euros. For a trip around the world, you could buy something exquisite from the series or something similarly large made of aluminium. But the thought alone is sacrilege. The owner has fallen in love with the lines, so what does reason matter? And the "Nyala" is not even that unreasonable. The modern construction and meticulously finished surfaces with modern two-component paints guarantee several years of maintenance-free use.
The owner has also resisted the temptation of too much technology. Only the bare essentials, but a split sail plan that is just about manageable, even with a small crew; and a design that stands for good-natured sea behaviour. Okay, the headroom is missing, but isn't it precisely such deprivations, such flaws, that only make the love grow stronger? What characterises a ship, what makes it a real type? Of course that polarises - to love or not to love. In the case of the "Nyala", many people will probably feel the former, even though looking at it is a completely different thing to wanting it.
The owner wanted exactly this ship. And that is very understandable, because: The price also includes something priceless. A feeling, the Feeling - the dream yacht feeling. Where every view, every angle from which you look at your boat is simply perfect, coupled with flawless workmanship and good sailing characteristics. The certainty of having arrived on the ultimate ship of your dreams.
Technical data of the "Nyala"
- Design: Sparkman & Stephens
- Design engineer: Arend Lambrechtsen
- Torso length: 17,27 m
- LWL: 12,20 m
- Width: 3,81 m
- Depth: 2,30 m
- Weight: 22 t
- Sail area on the wind: 126 m²
The article was first published in 2018 and has been revised for this online version.
