SUM OF ALL THINGS

A heritage of keen craftsmanship, storied culture and advanced tech was revealed on our visit with Horizon Yachts in Taiwan.

Wwhen you’re spending a lot of money on something, like, for example, a multimillion-dollar yacht, you’re going to want to see where it’s built — even if the yard happens to be halfway around the world, as is the case for Americans who want a Horizon. Taking a trip to see the factory is the best way to ensure the quality of a future prize possession. Plus, the journey is a cool opportunity to forge a connection with a company that an owner will be intertwined with for some time. Business is all about relationships, after all. ¶ Horizon builds its yachts in Kaohsiung, an industrial city in southern Taiwan that serves as the country’s boatbuilding hub. Horizon’s headquarters is where soft debuts of the FD87 Skyline and V68 models recently took place, showcased at the builder’s marina near the main facility, a combination of sites that most other companies here can’t offer. ¶ The FD87 Skyline, so named because of her blue-and-white paint job, is a Cor D. Rover design that’s meant to be a liveaboard cruiser. Hull No. 1’s owner plans to be aboard about six months a year, sailing the Caribbean with his family and home-schooling the kids. As such, the yacht has substantial interior volume for her size, as well as a leggy range of 1,780 nautical miles at 10 knots. ¶ The Jonathan Quinn Barnett-designed V68 is a beamy (19 feet 6 inches) motoryacht with a plumb bow and a bow deck