For Immediate Release: January 27, 2004
MARBLEHEAD, MA - Fast on the heels of singer/songwriter Billy Joel’s acclaimed Shelter Island Runabout, yacht designer Doug Zurn, Billy Joel, and Coecles Harbor Marine unveil their newest collaboration, the Shelter Island Commuter. This big sister to The Runabout keeps with Zurn’s blend of classic styling in a fifty-knot package, while offering a much larger platform from which to enjoy Long Island Sound and quick jaunts to other coastal destinations.
In the wake of his highly successful 38’ Runabout with 36 hulls built to date, Joel again consulted with Zurn on creating an upscale 57’ Commuter Style Yacht. The end result, the Shelter Island Commuter, boasts ample cockpit space and interior appointments, yet is lean enough to roar down Long Island Sound leaving other yachts in her wake.
Billy’s recent completion of his Oyster Bay, Long Island house and his frequent trips to NYC was the driving force in deciding to proceed with the design and construction of a commuter style yacht. "Her appearance harks back to a bygone era of Long Island Sound commuter boats, combined with the performance and speed of The Shelter Island Runabout," Zurn said. "She will provide a quick, smooth ride in the often short chop of Long Island Sound and the menacing Hell Gate”
Weighing only 40,000 pounds, the Shelter Island Commuter glides atop the open ocean with speeds in excess of fifty knots, while twin 1300 horsepower MAN diesels coupled to POWER-VENT ® Marine Drive System quietly drone under a well-insulated engine room. A relatively narrow, modified-V hull, with plumb bow, slight rocker forward and straight sections aft, makes for an admirable performer, whether ambling in the calm of a secluded cove or piercing wind-whipped swells on an open sea.
Douglas Zurn
Zurn Yacht Design
89 Front Street
Marblehead, MA 01945
Phone: 781-636-6776
Peter Needham
Coecles Harbor Marine
P.O. Box 1948
Shelter Island, NY 11964
Phone: 631-749-0582
www.therunabout.com
LOA: 57.25'
BEAM: 15.00'
DRAFT: 3.96'