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But the flat water gave me the opportunity to re-experience a defining moment of my own: being at the helm of a big boat as she hits her stride. After topping her out at just under 36 mph, I pulled her back to 2000 rpm, where she settled in at a cruise speed of about 31 mph. Ain opted to increase tankage to 615 gallons from the standard 540, giving Ingrid a range of 368 NM at that speed. I noticed no effect of the optional grounding skeg, which protects the props and rudders. Finally, during four acceleration runs, she averaged a top speed of 35.9 mph in just about 20 seconds, not bad for a boat that displaces more than 40,000 pounds.

But with all the excitement the 60 offered me out on the water, she was just as sensational inside. There's wood and lots of it. The dark-stained lower helm console to port, with its array of flush-mounted electronics, is as functional as it is a beautiful piece of furniture. Opposite is a four-person dinette featuring a teak and holly table. (The cockpit and main deck are covered in solid teak.)

Below, in the accommodations area, a teak and holly sole is accentuated by highly varnished, light ash bulkheads with wainscotting. Dark frames highlight the doors, also of light ash, and the two heads, one for the owner's suite forward in the forepeak and one for the double berth amidships and to starboard, have countertops fashioned of teak and finished in durable acrylic varnish.

As much for comfort as safety, Ain installed a pair of electrically operated Stidd pedestal seats at the lower station. The three large forward windows here, which afford excellent views of the seaway, have Warner Linear electric actuators that open and close the bottom third. And the starboard ladder leading to the bridge folds up into the overhead via an electric winch.

In the galley, which is down, amidships, and to port, the microwave is on a sliding rack so it can disappear into a cabinet. The Kitchen Aid electric stovetop has no knobs--buttons control its four burners--and a two-drawer refrigerator fits neatly under the counters.

For Ingrid's cockpit fishing package, Ain had Alden install a rod locker to port with room for longer poles, two lockers to starboard (the after one houses the Glendinning Cablemaster), seven flush-mounted rod holders, and a pair of electric downriggers in each aft corner. The transom is just as fishing-oriented, with a hefty center door, a livewell to port, and a washdown cabinet on the other side.

On the bridge, Ain specified a tall, substantial mast that elevates the radar antenna enough to avoid a radiation hazard. It also holds triple Kahlenberg air horns and a remotely controlled 200-watt Carlisle & Finch searchlight. Folding teak leaves on either side of the mast snap in place to form a table with built-in drink holders for those seated on the aft settee.

In many ways, Ain helped define his own moment. He knew what he wanted and chose a builder that he felt could bring his dreams and desires to fruition. The result is a special blending of modern boatbuilding techniques and classic styling, the kind of vessel that could provide any real boater with a defining moment of his own.

Alden Phone: (401) 683-4200. Fax: (401) 683-3668. www.aldenyachts.com. Circle Reader Service No. 260.

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