Where's the galley gone?

When visitors step into the saloon of the Hopyacht 30, they often look confused and ask where's the galley gone? In reality, they have just walked past it without noticing! This is yet another design feature where we have broken with tradition to create living space that is not just multi-functional, but also a lot more socialable!

Preparing food with family and close friends is a fun activity, so why banish the chef to the inside of the boat, whilst everyone else is having fun on the outside? And why cram the galley into a claustrophobic space that locks in the cooking smell?

The HopYacht 30 galley is located in the cockpit area. Designed as a L-shaped unit mounted against the main bulkhead, many people simply don’t notice it at first. Cooking 'alfresco' is great way for everyone to enjoy being together and food is prepared right where it will be served.

And if the weather isn’t playing along, the drop down awnings completely enclose the cockpit area, to create flexible living space come rain or shine! The awnings have two layers. Firstly, a breathable see-through mesh layer to make life more comfortable in windy conditions and secondly, a clear Isinglass weatherproof layer. Life and cooking can continue normally.

The custom-made galley sink has a flush mount cover to provide extra work surface when not in use. The 2-plate induction hob gets things sizzling in seconds and we’ve even managed to fit a whopping 130L drawer fridge with a seperate freezer compartment, all within easy reach. Plus there’s lots of built-in storage space for food and cleaning materials.

Next question ... where's the garbage bin? How about a 40L tip-out bin that uses standard off-the shelf rubbish bags, also in the cockpit, right where you want it!

Why the radio silence?

If you search for the word 'BUSY' in a Thesaurus, you'll come across synonyms such as 'ENGAGED', 'IMMERSED', 'BUSTLING', and 'HUMMING'. Yet, the most fitting word to depict the current high level of activity at the HopYacht factory is 'HOPPING'. Yes, we've been hopping!

And hence the radio silence! We've had very limited time to put digital pen to paper, to continue to tell you more of the HopYacht story on this blog.

At our new factory in Cape Town, we are currently producing HopYachts HY005, HY006, HY007, and HY008. These four HopYachts are destined for four different countries, and we are excited about several new features being built-in, to enhance the original design.

We've always been proud of having full standing headroom (1.98m | 6.5 feet) throughout the interior ... with the exception of the shower! One of our tallest owners said he found it a little uncomfortable to have to tilt his head slightly to fit under the shower head and asked if there was any way we could create more headroom?

The height of the original shower tray meant we lost valuable space. So our design team has come up with a new drainage system that lowers the base of the shower almost to floor level. And we have achieved this without affecting the folding glass door which seals off the shower. Problem solved, and you won't find yourself having to stand on a wet floor when you are brushing your teeth!

We had already upgraded the helm seat to be a two-seater from HY002 onwards; however, we've added a new development. You can now unlock and drop the seat base down, so you have more space when you want to helm in a standing position. It's a small change, but it makes a huge difference to both comfort and functionality.

It was one of our owners who casually commented that "the HopYacht 30 is a small yacht that masquerades as a big yacht"! Her point was that even though it's a small yacht, it's really nice that we have so many high-quality finishes. This has become a really important guiding principle for us.

When you open a cupboard door on a superyacht, you automatically expect to find the same quality of finish on the inside. For our cupboards and lockers, we have incorporated fibreglass inserts to ensure that the inside now has a matching white gelcoat finish to the exterior. This not only enhances the overall appearance, but also makes them easier to wipe down and maintain cleanliness.

We've also added black glossy plexiglass panels to replace the previous paint and vinyl finish, just aft of the side windows. In the photograph above, you can see how this creates the effect of a seamless transition onto the smoked glass windows. Plus, it really shows off our new HopYacht logo! Did you notice the subtle change?

Over the next few weeks, we promise to keep you updated with more of the developments happening. In the meantime, if you would like to download the latest HopYacht 30 brochure, you'll find a PDF at this link. https://www.hopyacht.co.za/hopyacht-brochures

Right now we need to get back to ‘Hopping'

Summertime and the sailing is easy.

Would it make it easier for you to get through winter knowing that you could have a brand new HopYacht 30 ready to make next summer the best ever?

The timing is perfect. We have just finalised the 2024 HopYacht specification with a significant number of new features, all designed to add so much more to your summer lifestyle on board.

Firstly, anticipating long lazy summer days ahead, we’ve upgraded the fridge from a 60L capacity to a 130 litre Isotherm Inox stainless steel fridge / freezer. This is built into the space under the helm station, opposite the galley unit. Alongside the new fridge we've added a large grocery storage cupboard.

With more room for refreshments, we added a great new place to enjoy a sundowner. The new gangplank design can also be deployed to join the two aft hulls giving you a walkway and a unique beach area to sit, drinks in hand with your feet dangling in the water!

And with more refreshments, you also have a better solution to recycle all the empty bottles or cans. On the aft side of the helm station plinth, we’ve added a built in 40 litre tip out bin!

If summer gets a little hotter than expected, you now have the option of a low-energy air conditioning system built in, designed to keep the cabin area cool, even if you don’t have shore power connected.

Only one build slot left for 2023!

This means if you hurry, you could still have your own HopYacht in time for the northern hemisphere summer in May 2024. Are you keen to explore the opportunity further?

We have two HopYachts in production right now and we will happily set up a video call to give you a virtual tour of the boats at our new factory. If you would prefer to fly into Cape Town (it's sunny here) and visit our factory, we can arrange complimentary accommodation for you. And when you order your HopYacht, we’ll happily refund the equivalent of an economy airfare.

You can start exploring the options right now by requesting our new 2024 HopYacht 30 specifications. Email hello@hopyacht.co.za