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Once those meals have satisfied everyone to his or her heart’s content, Siesser’s Palace lulls her owners and guests into dreamland in four beautifully appointed staterooms below decks. The master, which is amidships and therefore takes advantage of the yacht’s beam, has silk-upholstered walls and a king-size bed. Forward of here to each side of a foyer are guest staterooms, with the one to port featuring a double bed and a bunk above it, the other featuring twin beds. VIPs get exactly that kind of treatment, accessing their stateroom separately via a staircase in the galley, next to the banquette.

The interior isn’t the only place where the owners and their guests get to have fun. The upper deck is the place to be for everything from catching rays to al fresco relaxation, given its two L-shape seating areas (each with a table) and bar. Again because of the wide beam, the tender and the davit to launch it occupy the aft portion of the deck without impinging on the enjoyment factor.

While its primary purpose is serious in nature, the pilothouse does let curious observers gather on a raised banquette (complete with an oval table) to watch the captain at work and take their best guess as to the identity of that land mass off on the horizon. The “standard” layout in Tarrab’s Wide Body Series places the pilothouse on the main deck, but Siesser’s Palace is the first to include a raised pilothouse.

All of these custom touches come with peace of mind, since Tarrab says that it meets and sometimes exceeds the classification rules of Det Norske Veritas (DNV). The plans and materials for the 92, as well as those for every other yacht it contracts, were reviewed and approved by DNV inspectors. DNV then oversaw all stages of construction, randomly testing hull sections to confirm things like laminate schedule, glass-to-resin ratio, and tensile strength. Upon completion of the sea trial—during which a DNV representative was also present, and during which Siesser’s Palace topped out at 26 knots—the yacht received her build certificate.

Tarrab differs from some other fiberglass builders in the way it lays up its hulls, mainly in the fact that it doesn’t use coring. It also employs vinylester resins in the skins because, it claims, they offer better resistance to blistering than orthopthalic resins. And before the bottom paint is applied, Tarrab’s craftsmen apply a blister-guard epoxy treatment, an admittedly expensive step, but one the yard feels is worth it. The structural transverse bulkheads are completely glassed-in from the keel all the way up for extra strength.

To keep noise and vibration to a minimum, no engine-room machinery is directly fastened to the fiberglass stringers. Instead, craftsmen install a U-shape frame of steel over each stringer and then through-bolt it to the stringer. The engine mounts are in turn fastened to this frame. Besides reducing metal-to-fiberglass vibration, which can later result in loosened bolts, this approach also disperses weight over a wider area.

With the summer and fall cruising seasons under their belts—one of our staff members spotted the yacht in New England last summer—the owners of Siesser’s Palace will most certainly have a better time than that other palace occupant, Cleopatra. In the Hollywood version of her story, the Queen sails back to Alexandria after realizing there is no future for her in Rome. The yacht owners shouldn’t have any such difficulties in the ports they decide to explore. And besides, there won’t be any deadly asps to encounter….

Tarrab Yachts (954) 462-0400. Fax: (954) 462-4968. www.tarrabyachts.com.

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