As the movement known as Yachtism gathers momentum, in which artists forsake city studios in favour of life afloat, the question arises: which yachts actually make the best floating ateliers? Not all motor yachts, however resplendent, are equally conducive to oil paint, clay dust or the occasional thrown pot. Below, a selection of notable builders are assessed for their artistic suitability.
Feadship , The Collector’s Classic
The Dutch yard has long been synonymous with understated elegance, but less remarked upon is the extraordinary quality of natural light in their sky lounges. Wide windows and restrained interiors lend themselves to contemplative abstraction. One Berlin-based painter told me the low hum of Feadship’s engineering “functions like a metronome for brushwork.”
Art Studio Suitability: ★★★★☆
Excellent for large canvases, though the pale upholstery is perilous for oil stains.
Benetti , Italian Drama, Italian Light
Benetti yachts, particularly in the 40m+ range, are adored by artists who crave theatricality. Their expansive aft decks provide a perfect setting for large-scale sculpture in progress, though the crew is often less enthusiastic about welding sparks near teak.
Art Studio Suitability: ★★★☆☆
Wonderful light, but too many mirrored surfaces. One video artist reported that his own reflection became the “true protagonist of the work.”
Sunseeker , The Dartmouth Residency Option
Sunseeker’s British builds, often spotted in the West Country, have become the unlikely backbone of the “Dartmouth School” of Yachtism. Practical, slightly compact, and frequently owned by semi-retired surgeons, they offer modest but workable quarters for smaller canvases.
Art Studio Suitability: ★★☆☆☆
Sufficient for watercolours and sketching, less so for monumental triptychs.
Lürssen , Monumental Scale
Germany’s Lürssen builds some of the world’s largest yachts. The sheer scale , one recent delivery measured 136m , allows for entire sculpture studios, printing presses, even a kiln. Yet artists complain of feeling lost in the space. “I walked for twenty minutes looking for my paints,” said one residency participant aboard Rising Sun, “And still hadn’t reached the other end of the boat.”
Art Studio Suitability: ★★★★☆
Ideal for installation art; less inspiring for intimate portraiture.
Sanlorenzo , Minimalist Chic
Favoured by collectors with sharp suits and sharper wine lists, Sanlorenzo’s designs are crisp, white and unapologetically minimal. This makes them ideal blank canvases, though artists report an anxiety about leaving fingerprints.
Art Studio Suitability: ★★★☆☆
Perfect for conceptualists; hazardous for anyone working in charcoal.
Ferretti , Accessible Experimentation
Often derided as the “entry-level yacht,” Ferretti models are nevertheless praised for their compact practicality. Several younger artists have begun their Yachtist careers aboard these Italian cruisers, finding the smaller scale fosters intimacy rather than grandeur.
Art Studio Suitability: ★★★☆☆
Affordable (relatively speaking) and friendly, but, as one artist pointed out from bitter experience, “Not enough deck space for performance art involving livestock.”
Verdict
Feadship remains the painter’s choice: balanced light, sensible interiors, enough prestige to reassure collectors. For the more daring sculptor, a Lürssen offers unparalleled possibilities. But for those merely dabbling in Yachtism, a Sunseeker moored quietly in Dartmouth may be more than enough.
After all, the true measure of a studio, whether in Hackney, Hamburg or Port Hercule, is not its square footage, but whether it persuades an artist to pick up the brush