54 FOGHORN PHOTO: MEGHAN MAY HART/CLASSIC HARBOR LINE MEMBER NEWS C lassic Harbor Line begins the 2026 summer season with its most ambitious fleet expansion in New York, welcoming Manhattan III, its largest and most accessible wooden motor yacht. Manhattan III was christened on May 19, 2026, by President of Sail4th 250 Chris O’Brien. “Our partnership with Classic Harbor Line has been a huge part of the coming together of the New York harbor community for Sail4th 250 and it’s a thrill and honor to be here,” said O’Brien. To celebrate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, tall ships from across the globe will parade up the New York harbor from the Verrazano Bridge all the way to the George Wash- ington Bridge “A once-in-a-generation moment,” according to O’Brien. Classic Harbor Line Managing Direc- tor Sarah Pennington welcomed guests and introduced the new vessel, saying, “The genesis of the Manhattan motor yachts is the vision of John and Rick Scarano of Scarano Boat Building to build the most comfortable, elegant sightseeing boat with big overhead sky- lights and observatory windows to give passengers a superior New York harbor cruise.” Manhattan III expands on that vision with a larger, more spacious vessel, a broader outer deck, and a taller cabin with wider panoramic windows. It also boasts new accessibility features of a stairlift to the lower level for guests with limited mobility and an induc- tion loop audio system. Construction of Manhattan III start- ed in 2025 at Scarano Boat Building in Albany, N.Y., and finished in 2026. The 114ʹ long, 24ʹ beam vessel fea- tures an all-wood hull and, according to the company, is the largest U.S. Coast Guard-certified wooden boat built in the country this century. It is the third iteration of the Yacht Man- hattan by John Scarano, which drew inspiration from the commuter yachts of the 1920s and was designed for an elevated sightseeing experience of the island with which it shares a name. Signatures of their boat building style include big skylights and a comfort- able interior with visual warmth and texture from polished wood surfaces throughout. Building Manhattan III entailed 28,000 BF (board feet) of Douglas fir, 5,600 BF of ash locally sourced 15 miles from the shipyard, and 4,000 BF of mahogany. From de- sign to finished build involved 36,011 hours of labor. MEMBER NEWS Manhattan III Joins Classic Harbor Line, Expanding Fleet’s Offerings and Accessibility Manhattan III joined the fleet at Classic Harbor Line in New York City, offering guests a tour of the island in 1920s style and modern com
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