environmental control switches are mounted on the
panel next to the settee. Just around the corner, the
electrical distribution panels are housed in a tall, glass-faced cabinet that makes quick work of visual checks of
energized systems (labels are illuminated for night use),
digital voltmeters and ammeters, and the systems status
panel. As mentioned earlier, Selene offers an option to
replace the pilothouse settee with a galley up, which
will consume a bit more floor space, with its U-shaped
counters running athwartships but not blocking access to
the side doors or the companionway leading down and
aft. This may be an inviting option for those who do
most of their boating by themselves and do not need the
extra seating for guests.
The standard layout for the main deck includes a
galley down and a saloon with a settee to starboard and
individual chairs flanking an entertainment center to
port. Howard Chen has drawn a wide-body version that
broadens the saloon by eliminating the port side deck.
In the galley-up version, there is enough room in the
forward part of the saloon for a dining table and chairs.
Whichever option you prefer, there are large windows
along both sides to bring in lots of natural light.
Finished in straight-grain teak or cherry, the U-shaped
galley is stunning in beauty and function. Counters are
granite or Corian with backsplashes. Overhead and
under-counter storage is voluminous, with room left
over for built-ins like a Broan trash compactor and
Miele dishwasher below, a Force 10 three-burner
propane stove with oven, and a GE microwave with
exhaust above. On the centerline, a tall refrigerator
with two drawer-style fridge and freezer units below
will keep all your perishables safe and close at hand. In
short, this is a galley any cook would love.
Likewise, the large stateroom in the bow offers
accommodations any guest would appreciate. There’s
semiprivate access to the spacious head compartment—
larger than the head in the master cabin—with a
separate shower. The third stateroom to port can be
configured several ways, with either a double and a
single bunk or twin bunks. For those who must stay in
touch with business concerns while under way, the
semi-custom abilities of the Selene craftsmen make
the possibility of converting this cabin to a large,
well-equipped office a very appealing option.
One of the many nice features of the new Selene
59 is the private stairway leading down to the master
stateroom, a full-beam cabin located in the center of
the hull for optimal comfort in a seaway. Inside are a
private head compartment with separate shower and
Tecma freshwater toilet, an island queen berth, built-in
bureaus, and large hanging lockers. The landing at the
Selene 59
bottom of the quarter-turn spiral staircase also leads to
a midship utility room. Down three steps you’ll find a
Splendide washer/dryer, a large Grunert freezer, and
storage shelves behind louvered doors, along with
handy work counters.
To port, an electrical room contains major system
components, including a Newmar 120/240VAC battery
charger system—placed out of the engine room for
longer life and convenience. On the aft bulkhead to
starboard, a watertight door with an inspection port
leads to the engine room.
PRECISION ENGINEERED
During my tour of the engine room, I made note of
an optional ESI fuel polishing system that augments
the work done by the standard Racor 75/1000 Max
dual-element fuel filter-water separator for the main
engine and the Racor 900 MA for the generator. Fuel
tanks are equipped with inspection ports, internal baffles,
and magnetic fuel sight gauges, with shutoff valves
bottom and top. The fuel management system, fitted
with Parker ball valves, is well marked and easy to
understand. Fuel lines are USCG- and CE-certified
hose from Racor.
A single John Deere 6125AFM diesel, rated to
produce 526hp at 2100 rpm, occupies the center of the
engine room. There was no side I couldn’t reach easily.
There’s also ample room for the 16k W Northern Lights
genset, which has its own starting battery, a 120Ah
Vision AGM. (AGM batteries are used throughout
the vessel.) Seacocks on all through-hulls are fitted
with double hose clamps, and there are bronze
basket-type internal seawater strainers for the
main engine and for the generator.
Brian Calvert told me that most Selene 59 owners
are opting for a hydraulic get-home engine from
Wesmar or Keypower. The yacht’s transmission, a Twin
Disc MG5114SC with a 3: 1 reduction ratio, turns a
3-inch-diameter Aquamet 22 shaft and a Faster four-blade nibral prop.
This setup, put through its paces by a John Deere
technician, produced a top speed of 11. 7 knots at 2060
rpm while burning 27.6gph. Pulled back to 1,000 rpm,
speed dropped to 7. 2 knots and fuel consumption was
2.7gph—far better than a mile per gallon and providing
an approximate working range of 4,800 miles. That’s
impressive. So were the sound levels, recorded in the
low 60s on the dBA scale at top speed.
Equally impressive is the care with which the Selene
59 is engineered and fabricated. The vessel is built to
Lloyds Register Category A specifications and follows
European CE and American Boat & Yacht Council
