Morris 57 Launched!

Morris' custom 57 takes her first dip!

Circe is a collaboration of the yachts owners, designer and builder that reflects the owner’s desire for long distance cruising amid luxurious surroundings. Having spent the past 15 years sailing a similar sized yacht the owners thought it was time replace the old with the new while at the same time maintaining the proven sea keeping qualities of his previous vessel.

The hull configuration of Circe is the evolution of the highly successful shallow draft centerboard “Delta Form” hull, developed by designer Ted Fontaine of the Fontaine Design Group. This 6’0” shallow draft design enhances stability through beam, minimizes wetted surface by creating steep dead rise hull sections with soft U-shaped fore and aft sections. The high lift hull form combines low wetted surface with a high interior volume to provide fast passages with comfortable accommodations while allowing for entrance into shallow anchorages.

The concept for Circe evolved from the owner's desire to keep his yacht as small and as practical as could be. The design is based on the interior necessities of the owner, as well as sail handling capabilities geared towards single-handed or two couple sailing. Accordingly, all sheets and control lines lead back to the helmsman for confident shorthanded sailing. Emphasis has been placed on comfortable offshore sailing performance, without sacrificing safety for speed. The sailing systems are a development of the owner’s years of experience with an in mast furling systems from Leisure Furl. Carbon fiber construction will keep the weight low and sail area high while the 6' draft of the design (with board up) is designed for sailing New England, the Chesapeake and points beyond.

The pilothouse features a retractable sunroof but the interior is also heated for those chilly nights. The cockpit is also designed with comfort in mind, a highlight being the watchman’s station under the hard dodger for comfortable passage making.

The interior of the yacht will be finished in the traditional style of satin-varnished teak. Cabinet doors are caned with satin finished chamfered teak frames. All fiddles, grab rails and window valiances are also teak and finished with gloss. The rich wood is offset by the creamy white hull sheathing and the teak and maple cabin soles. Accommodations are as commodious as they are thoughtful and include a fully appointed walk-thru galley and a comfortable main salon featuring a bar area and a U-shaped dinette that converts to a double berth. There is also a pop-up flat screen TV along the centerline. The boat features three cabins including a very comfortable aft owners cabin with king size centerline berth, a desk/vanity with laptop capabilities and a head with an independent walk-in shower. The owner’s shower, in addition to the galley, provides full headroom access to the engine room. Boarding the boat from a dinghy or taking a dip has been eased by custom hydraulic fold-down transom stairs.

The cruising range of this custom yacht is limited only by imagination and desire of her owner.