VESSEL REVIEW | Boardwalk – 117m custom yacht built for family retreats
German shipbuilder Lürssen handed over the 117-metre (384-foot) motor yacht Boardwalk on May 13, 2026. Built for family use, the yacht has a sliding structural plate that closes over the stairwell between her main deck aft and beach club.
An American owner commissioned Boardwalk in 2022. She was launched in December 2025 and headed into the North Sea for trials in March of this year. Lürssen said the owner remained involved in decisions about the yacht’s structure and use of space throughout the design process.
The Cayman Islands-registered Boardwalk measures 18.55 metres (60.86 feet) in beam and has a gross tonnage of 5,602. Her hull is steel while aluminium was used for her superstructure. Lürssen was also responsible for the naval architecture.
The ship has a 4.5-metre (15-foot) draught while her propulsion arrangement includes two MAN engines.
Sliding structural plate providing additional deck area
Frank Woll designed the exterior and worked with the late Amy Halffman, Suzanne Glover and Teresa Francis on the interior spaces.
The sliding plate is fitted over an exterior stairwell leading from the main deck aft to the beach club. The closed section completes the deck surface above the stairs, allowing that area to be used without leaving a permanent opening in the aft deck. When the plate slides open, the upper steps deploy automatically.
A large swimming pool and adjoining whirlpool are installed level with the deck in the same aft deck area. The glass doors to the main salon can open fully, connecting the indoor space with the pool deck.
The closure serves a different purpose from the salon doors. Those doors open the accommodation to the aft deck, while the sealed plate forms part of an exterior deck above a passage to the lower level.
Maximising void space for cables and piping, thus allowing for wider passages
Lürssen made the guest corridors as wide as the structure would allow. To retain that width, the builder concentrated piping, cabling and other services in insulated voids behind wall finishes and overheads. The arrangement placed technical runs in confined spaces around the accommodation rather than taking more width from the passages.
A catwalk with glass walls traverses the machinery space. Lürssen described the walkway as an engineering gallery: the glazed sides keep the engine room in view along the route through the space.
Exterior lighting forms another extensive technical installation. Lürssen put the number of light points at roughly 3,000. Woll said the lighting was intended to show the shape of the yacht after dark, when the profile and bulwarks would otherwise be less visible.
Multiple vehicle and tender options
Boardwalk also has space for three Hodgdon custom-built tenders, each measuring 12 metres (39 feet) long, as well as an amphibious tender, quad bikes and other land vehicles, all kept within a dedicated garage.
Two helipads provide another means of reaching the yacht. One certified pad is forward on the guest deck.
The yacht has 11 guest staterooms. A forward VIP suite includes a private outdoor lounge overlooking the bow, while glass doors provide the other suites with direct access to terraces along the wide side decks.
A cinema, a putting green, a spa, and a gym are also available to guests.
