Author: Mike Werling
A 90-foot yacht has a presence about it, whether it’s at the dock or many miles from home, plying the waters of the open ocean. The Offshore 90 Voyager is no exception. While it’s not so big that you need a “You are here” arrow on a map, it is large enough that it presents a reviewer with a simple-to-ask but difficult-to-answer question: Where do I start?
The default reaction to that question is to start aft and work forward and then move up or down. After touring the Offshore 90 Voyager on a couple of different occasions, it became apparent to me that the default reaction would be the wrong one in this case. The 90 Voyager is about choices. Heck, there are three floor plans on the Offshore website for the belowdecks accommodations — and the owner of this 90 didn’t use any of them. He didn’t stick to the plans in the galley/forward lounge area or the wheelhouse either. If I had to come up with a name for this yacht, I might have called it Instead. Fortunately, the owner had more sense than that.
Instead … Main Cabin
You can enter the main cabin of the 90 one of three ways: through the main door from the California deck aft or through doors from the port and starboard sidedecks amidships. No matter the entry point, you step into a space that is open from the aft door to the bulkhead between the dining area and the galley. It’s a big open area that is different from the owner’s previous Offshore, an 80 Voyager, in that the rooms aren’t separated by walls, which created a more segmented space that felt smaller compared to the 90.
The salon has an L-shaped settee to port with a wood table (mahogany like the cabinets and walls) that has a burlwood top (like most of the flat wood surfaces on the yacht). Two comfortable chairs are opposite the settee, framing the high-low TV cabinet. The dining area is just forward, and the day head is against the forward bulkhead to port. Large panoramic windows all around provide 270-degree views and let in tons of natural light. Stairways on the port side lead down to the master stateroom, which is isolated from the rest of the accommodations, and up to the wheelhouse.
Instead … Wheelhouse
A beautiful cherry sole is a bit lighter than the mahogany walls and furniture and helps brighten an already bright space, thanks to nearly wraparound windows. Triple captain’s chairs sit at the fully outfitted helm — how does three 17-inch low-profile Nauticomp displays sound? — the dash and overhead of which are burlwood for a high-end look and feel. Aft of that is an instead. The plans call for a four-person bench settee, a table and two barrel chairs at floor level. Instead, on this 90 there is an elevated L-shaped settee and a table. Across from that is a desk with a swinging seat, some shelves and a day head.
The upper aft deck has room for a sizeable tender thanks to 21-feet-plus of beam, in addition to a couple of settees, a table or two and chaise lounges, though our test boat had just the tender. Covered sidedecks run all the way around the wheelhouse.
Instead … Galley
Back on the main level, the galley on this 90 shares the forward space with a dining nook, which is comprised of a six-person C-shaped settee around a table. Makes me wonder if that can really be called a nook. Plans call for a wall between the galley and the dining nook, but this owner opted, instead, to open up the area and add an island where the wall would have been (now the standard). The walled-off separate spaces might make sense if the yacht is going to be chartered regularly and there’s a need to separate crew from guests, but that’s not what this owner had in mind, and the forward part of the yacht is better off for it. Stainless appliances, a double sink, the large island and plenty of storage ensure this is a functional galley that can handle long voyages far from any port, which is good, because the 90 has a 3,000-mile range at about 9 knots, according to the builder.
Instead … Below
Like I indicated earlier, the Offshore website has three layouts for the belowdecks accommodations, and our test 90 had yet another floor plan. There is a stateroom forward with an ensuite head, as per the plans, but instead of a second master that’s a mirror image of the amidships master or two smaller staterooms, each with an ensuite head, this yacht has a single stateroom with two queen-size beds and a big ensuite head with twin vanities and a separate shower stall. You really need to be cognizant of how you plan to cruise to create an arrangement like this — several children who enjoy bunking together or a couple with two kids — but I imagine most buyers will opt for one of the three existing layouts.
Owner Retreat
It seems one of the few places on the 90 that went mostly according to plan is the owner stateroom — a full-beam, isolated, amidships retreat. The queen bed is centered in the room, its headboard on the bulkhead between the room itself and the shower. Desks occupy the hull-side space to either side of the berth (though plans call for a small settee to starboard). His-and-hers heads are separated by a shared shower, and both have a nice-sized vanity top, storage above and below, and a toilet. The hanging locker is sizeable, but whether it fits both owners’ clothes will depend — I’m not going to say on what. Bookshelves are built into the headboard area and above both side desks, so there’s plenty of room for reading material to pass those long voyages.
Burlwood on the desk and the nightstand tops, frosted glass in the head doors, stone countertops and a cherry sole all combine to provide an elegant retreat for the yacht’s owners, and since those touches are found throughout the 90, the master stateroom is part of the whole even though it’s where you can go to get away from it all.
Don’t Overlook
While we didn’t get the opportunity to test the 90 Voyager, some of the features that owners will definitely like include the deep-V entry that slices through rough seas instead of banging and slapping, the flared bow with a spray chine for a dry ride, the covered sidedecks and three exits on both upper levels for ease of movement around the yacht underway and for docking. The California deck and the aft wheelhouse deck are both large enough to entertain several people. The versatility of the layouts will make buyers happy, too.
The Offshore name should tell you what these yachts are about — going places. A 3,000-mile range will take you to most destinations, and an interior that is as beautiful, comfortable, versatile, user-friendly and spacious as home will make even the longest passages seem easy. Anywhere you go can be a home away from home.
