Cheoy Lee Yachts Global 104 (2018-)

Brief Summary

The elegant Cheoy Lee Global 104 is a tri-level pilothouse yacht with five venues for entertaining plus a broad sunlounge at the bow, positioned well above the water to stay clear of spray.

Key Features

• Epoxy hull barrier with five-year structure and osmosis warranty
• Honeycomb cored cabinetry and partitions
• Raised panel cabinetry in guest areas
• 176 lbs. (80 kg) Bruce-type anchor stowed on roller assembly on bow
• Fresh water anchor wash down
• LCD touch screen control/alarm/monitoring PLC with audible and visual signals
• Racor vacuum gauges on main engine and generator filters
• GE stainless steel side-by-side refrigerator/freezer with ice dispenser

Specifications

Length Overall	103' 10" / 31.65 m
Beam	22' 6.71 m
Dry Weight	211,500 lbs. 95,935 kg w/ engine
Tested Weight	N/A
Draft	5' 10" 1.78 m
Deadrise/Transom	N/A
Max Headroom	N/A
Bridge Clearance	N/A
Weight Capacity	N/A
Person Capacity	N/A
Fuel Capacity	5,200 gal. 19,684 L
Water Capacity	600 gal. 2,271 L
Total Weight	N/A

Engine Options

Tested Engine	Currently no test numbers
Std. Power	2 x 1900-hp Caterpillar C32 Acert
Opt. Power	Not Available

Captain's Report

MISSION

Cheoy Lee has leveraged its long experience building both ocean-going recreational and commercial vessels to create a long-range motoryacht that can travel most anywhere on the planet… and/or be a world-class entertaining platform for the most discriminating guests. Clearly, the designer of the Global 104 has tried to maximize the interior living space of this 104’ (31.7 m) tri-deck motoryacht with a 22’ (6.71 m) beam.

To this basic mission, Cheoy Lee has added its efficient, state-of-the-art production techniques to save time in construction and money. Its commercial boat-building expertise has clearly been put to good use in the engine room to make the mechanics as reliable and trouble-free as possible.

Overview

The Global 104 has five staterooms and a full beam master on the main deck with large windows in the superstructure, which makes it bright as well as large. Below, there are four ensuite staterooms and three crew cabins.

The boat has the length and the beam to have a formal dining area that seats 10 and a dining table that seats eight in the main deck’s country kitchen, as well as on the aft deck. The interior has been fitted out with luxurious appointments that have been hand-crafted by Cheoy Lee’s best artisans picked from its 1,000-man workforce -- one of the largest and most experienced in the business.

Most important to veteran boaters, the mechanical aspects of the Global 104 are world-class, and by this we mean as good as can be found on the most expensive motoryachts in class. The reason is because Cheoy Lee builds commercial vessels for applications all over the world; it is accustomed to building to the most stringent requirements of the most respected rating services and governments’ demanding safety standards.

MAJOR FEATURES

• • Five (5) Staterooms -- For a boat with an LOA of 104’, the Global 104 packs a staggering amount of space, a great deal of which takes shape as accommodations. Five guest cabins between the main and lower decks don’t also count the three crew quarters cabins.




• • Full Tri-Deck Motoryacht -- The Global 104’s innovative tri-deck design is surprisingly low and does not look like a wedding cake -- a problem often encountered with tri-deck designs.




• • Two Full-Sized Salon Spaces -- The Global 104 features two full-sized salon spaces, one on the top deck and one on the main deck.




• • Three Cabins in the Crew Quarters -- The crew quarters, on the accommodations deck, can sleep as many as six in three cabins with two heads. There is a mini galley, common area, and dinette.




• • Finish Options Available -- With the ability to avail oneself of interior design specialist Sylvia Bolton during the purchase process, potential owners can choose between a wide range of stones, woods, fabrics, and other materials to customize the interior of the Global 104. Virtually every visible area of the yacht is meticulously gone over with clients so that everything is to their tastes.




• • Resin-Infused Hull -- Often hulls this big are not resin-infused, but this boat is built that way with vinylester resin and a skin coat of epoxy, which is a belt-and-suspenders way of eliminating water osmosis. The boat has a five-year anti-blister warranty.








• • “Light” Displacement -- At 211,500 lbs. (95,935 kg), the 104 is among the lightest boats in its size range. This is thanks to the resin infusion, foam coring in bulkheads, hull, and superstructure.




• • Large Tank Capacity -- This vessel carries 5,200 gal. (19,684 L) of fuel, the greatest amount by far than virtually all boats in class. This should give her a prodigious cruising range at displacement speeds.




• • Fiberglass Tanks/Double Bottom -- By fabricating fiberglass tanks which rest in the bottom of the boat, Cheoy Lee is able to keep the fuel, freshwater, gray water, and blackwater low for added stability and to create a double bottom where the tanks reside. Fiberglass tanks are hard to make, but are much more desirable than aluminum tanks, which are strapped and glassed into fittings and are subject to movement and corrosion.




• • Master Stateroom on Main Deck -- The heads are on the same level and not down a flight of steps, which is not so unusual in this size.




• • Country Kitchen/European Galley Combo -- Most European-built boats in class have a galley that is almost completely isolated from the rest of the boat. The 104 has a galley set apart European-style, but it also has a huge dinette that can be used as a country kitchen if that is the owner’s desire. If not, the crew can use it.




• • 10 Heads -- Each stateroom has an ensuite head with stall shower; the master has two. There are two heads in the crew quarters, and there is a day head on both the main and top decks.

Distinguishing Features

In addition to some of the details mentioned above, probably the most distinguishing feature is the yacht’s full beam master stateroom on the main deck. This design serves several purposes that are all intertwined with other issues.

First, the boat has a beam of 22’ (6.71 m) which is larger than some yachts and more narrow than others in class. If the boat were wider, say, 24’ (7.32 m), it would be much heavier, have more wetted surface, and require far larger engines than the CAT C32 ACERTS it has. That means a more expensive build, higher operating costs, and not much more speed, if any at all. And, remember, this boat carries 5,200 gal. (19,684 kg) of fuel, so she is built for long range at cruising speeds, and bigger engines are not a good solution.

CATs have a good reputation for being reliable, and they can be serviced worldwide. Going larger would require going to another brand, which many owners are reluctant to do for a variety of reasons.

Second, in order to have a master stateroom as large as one on a boat with a 24’ beam, the 104 would have had to use all of the beam that it could. Since most boats in class have wide side decks going to the bow, this necessarily means that the Global has a wider stateroom than most. But what to do about the side decks to the bow?

Third, since the captain and crew pilot the boat from the top deck, it would be time consuming to have to run back to the stairs, down them, and run forward to handle anchoring or mooring chores. Why not just give them a way forward -- port and starboard -- from their on-deck workstation, the pilothouse? And that is what the designer did. We have seen this concept before on far larger megayachts. We would make sure there is good non-skid on those fiberglass steps.

So the naval architect of the Global 104, Jon Overing, has in effect killed three birds with one stone by: creating a large master; keeping weight, wetted surface, and costs reasonable; and making it easy for the crew to get to the bow from the pilothouse.

Times are Changing. We are seeing more and more large motoryachts with the superstructure pushed forward onto what has traditionally been a large foredeck that essentially has no purpose, other than keeping water out of the boat, unless a table and seats are put there. When that first occurred 15 years ago on an Italian motoryacht, Americans laughed. Now, builders all over the world are putting complex seating and dining amenities on the bow of motoryachts.

Clearly, designer Overing wanted to use that space inside and not waste it on sun pads and dining tables on the bow. By the way, the footage he picked up on the bow is not entirely used in the master and has also been distributed back to the galley and the main salon, which is another reason they are so large. We might see more of this in the future.

INSPECTION

Aft Deck

The integrated teak aft swim platform on the Global 104 features hatch access to storage space along the transom as well as the crew quarters, with twin stairways port and starboard up to the aft deck, each with stainless steel safety gates.

The upholstery on the aft deck settee is weather-resistant and lifts up to provide storage spaces underneath. The table is a high-gloss wood surface, and Cheoy Lee offers the option of folding chairs to expand seating when guests are aboard.

The cockpit sits underneath an overhang that has recessed LED lighting and stereo speakers installed.

To port and starboard, side decks extend forward to the galley on the main deck and shift to stairway access up to the pilothouse deck from there. Access doors to the side decks lead in to the dining space on the main deck.

To starboard is an outdoor access stairway to the pilothouse deck, with a small refreshment station to port. Access to the main deck salon and interior space is through tinted sliding glass and stainless steel doors.

Main Deck Salon

The salon features two main seating sections, with an L-shaped sofa to port being the main focus of the space. The short-arm of the L-shape is aft-facing, wrapped around a handsome dark-wood coffee table, with high-quality upholstery.

All interior fabrics, carpet, wood paneling, and furniture are at the total discretion of the owner.

Galley/Country Kitchen

The galley on the Global 104 is “full-beam” in as much as it goes all the way on the port side to the hull side and just forward the dining space, separated by the dramatic staging countertop and bulkhead. To port of this is the crew access between dining and galley, while to port is a much wider hallway with marble floors that lead to the galley and then further forward to the master cabin.

The galley has a stainless steel double sink with faucet installed along plentiful granite countertop space. The appliances are all GE and have stainless steel components, including an oven, four-burner cooktop, and microwave with ventilation hood. The stand-up refrigerator/freezer, side-by-side with an ice dispenser, dishwasher, and garbage disposal, complete the picture.

Opposite the working end of the galley to port is a large breakfast nook, with a dinette that can seat eight informally in an L-shaped vinyl-upholstered settee with two extra bar seats to fill the outside edge of the table. The table is high-quality wood finish in a blonde wood that, coupled with the color and style of the dinette, gives the space a diner-like feel.

We like the country kitchen aspect of this galley, and it is one of the things that sets this yacht apart from many more traditional claustrophobic galleys on motoryachts this size which are designed exclusively for the hired help.

Master Stateroom

The end of the starboard hallway moving forward on the main deck brings us to the master stateroom, a full-beam accommodation with dual ensuite heads conjoined by a shower stall.

Having the master stateroom on the main deck is a definite plus, as the owner is just a few paces from the action. Stairs are also eliminated. The twin master heads are on the same level, and not down a flight of stairs as we see on several other boats in class, so count this as another plus.

The master has a queen-size berth with nightstands on each side and a plush headboard design that extends up to the overhead and is mirrored on the opposite, forward-facing bulkhead. Installed in this upholstered bulkhead is a large HDTV, facing the berth.

To starboard of the berth is a small walk-in closet behind a floor-length mirror door, with a lounging space further to starboard along the bulkhead just below the hull side windows, which themselves are mirrored along the port side. Just below the window to port is a vanity/desk/work station in high-gloss wood, with storage cabinets to either side.

Deck -- Sky Lounge

The top deck salon is similar in size and design to the salon on the main deck, without the expansive extension the dining space provides. This makes the upper salon a bit more intimate and relaxed, with large windows and a sliding door as well as a massive HDTV. This is an ideal venue for a cocktail party or late-night media gatherings.

The skylounge has huge picture windows open to port and starboard, with custom blinds available for each, carpeted decks, and recessed LED lighting complimenting the bulkhead light fixtures. Large lounging seating spaces sit to port and starboard, with the starboard side space L-shaped with the short-arm of the “L” directly facing the TV. The coffee table on this boat is larger than its main deck counterpart, but owners can have anything their hearts desire.

The size of this space is almost identical to the salon below, something we rarely see in class. We like the idea that kids can use one salon while adults are in another. With this yacht’s five entertaining venues, we imagine that it can easily handle 50 guests for a cocktail party and finger food.

Top Deck -- Bar & BBQ/Boat Deck

Access up to the top deck comes via three stairways: the starboard side of the cockpit, amidships just aft of the galley, and to port outdoors off the main deck side deck.

The social space is lined with stainless steel safety rails. To starboard is a stainless steel grill with rollback lid, alongside salmon-colored marble countertop with storage below.

To port is an L-shaped bar station with five barstools upholstered atop stainless steel pedestals. The sink and faucet are recessed below the serving countertop, which is the same salmon marble seen next to the grill to starboard. Refrigerator/freezer drawers are below in drawers at the barkeeper’s knees.

We’d have a rectangular white awning that stretched from the roof to two poles aft so that everyone could have shade. It is also a classic solution in a location like this.

The Boat Deck. A 1,700-pound (771 kg) hydraulic davit with power rotation can easily manage a large tender. This space runs seamlessly into the bar area, and when a cocktail party is under way, the tender is launched, freeing up the boat deck for guests.

Pilothouse -- Helm

The helm on the Global 104 has its own head aft and on the starboard side. There are access doors to port and starboard leading from the pilothouse from foredeck, which makes it quick and easy for a crewman to move down to the anchor windlass when necessary.

The Global 104 has three STIDD helmsmen’s seats, with adjustable arm rests, luxurious upholstery, and high-low stainless steel pedestals. All the needed controls are situated on a flat surface in front of the helm, just as we often see on commercial vessels. Lighting in the helm space comes via overhead LED recessed fixtures.

Equipment on the Global 104’s helm includes NAIAD 46-hp, 16” (40.6 cm) hydraulic bow thruster with control at the helm, NAIAD stabilizer system with 9’ (2.74 m) fins and controls at the helm, LCD PLC touchscreen control with security alarms throughout the boat, and Mathers MC2000-2 electronic engine controls.

Accommodations Deck

Stairs Below. The Global 104’s lower deck is accessed via the stairway on the starboard side of the main deck, just off the passageway connecting the salon to the galley. The foyer at the foot of these stairs features access to the four lower deck guest cabins in addition to a 27” (68.6 cm) washer/dryer system and storage cabinets. The decks on the lower level of the Global 104 are carpeted.

Each of the four guest cabins on the lower level has its own shower-equipped ensuite, climate control, and HDTV with entertainment hook-ups.

• • Forward Guest Stateroom -- This cabin has a traditional V-Berth arrangement and we like it because of its versatility. The cabin has storage cabinets, overhead LED lighting, and lighting along the underside of each elevated berth. This cabin is the smallest of the four below, but it is cozy and traditional.








• • Starboard Guest Stateroom -- The berths share a nightstand between them with reading lights installed, storage drawers below, and a mirror extending up to the overhead from the table.





• • Port Guest Staterooms -- There are two guest cabins along the Global 104’s lower level port side, both of which feature queen berths and have nearly identical designs -- high-gloss wood with ample storage and plush headboard concept extending to the overhead (mirroring the design from the master cabin) with similar bulkhead upholstery on the wall facing the berth surrounding the pre-installed HDTV.

Night-stands with reading lights flank the berth, which has further storage drawers in its base below. The aft-most of the two cabins has the berth head along the bulkhead just under the opening port lights; the forward of the two cabins is simply rotated 90 degrees, with its berth facing aft. This is the only substantive difference in design of the two cabins.

Crew Quarters

The crew quarters can be accessed from the aft swim platform hatch, via the engine room, and from a side deck access door on the port-side of the main level.

There are three cabins in the crew quarters. One features a single berth with shower-equipped ensuite; the other, two single berths; the third, a double berth, offering accommodations for as many as five crew members. Each cabin has a TV installed.

There is a comfortable common area with dinette seating around a table, microwave, faucet and countertop, and full-size stainless steel refrigerator/freezer.

Foredeck

The pilothouse side decks extend forward to the Global 104’s dramatic foredeck space, which has a lounge area with large sun pad elevated with unobstructed views forward. The Maxwell 4000 hydraulic windlass and anchor access comes via two access stairways, to port and starboard, and is just forward a hatch that opens to reveal storage space.

Anchors Aweigh. Cheoy Lee supplies as standard two 176-pound (80 kg) Bruce-type anchors that fit in the stem when at rest. Each comes with 200’ (61 m) of high-test 0.5” (1.3 cm) chain.

Engine Room

One of Cheoy Lee’s strong suits is its engine rooms because they do so much commercial work. The knowledge gained by years of building ocean-going vessels of all types, many of which are in constant use, pays off for owners of Cheoy Lee motoryachts. That is the builder’s forte.

The engine room is well-lit, with a wide center passageway and plenty of overhead space. The twin Caterpillar C32 ACERT 1900-hp engines are to each side, with the Global 104’s twin Kohler 53kW, 60Hz generators installed here standard as well.

Roomy Engine Room. When building yachts of this type, it is tempting for builders to make the engine rooms as small as physically possible so as to provide more room for living accommodations. As boat buyers have increasingly become less interested in the mechanics of a boat, and in this size range where a captain is required, many owners just figure that keeping things running is the captain’s problem. But savvy owners know if the captain has a problem, they have a problem, too.

We are happy to say that there is room to get around the engines easily and to reach the important thru-hull shut offs and other items such as sea strainers, fuel shut offs, and the like.

CONSTRUCTION

Lightweight. The Global 104 has a published displacement of 211,500 lbs. (95,935 kg), which sounds like a lot, but it is actually among the lightest in class. That is because the hull is resin-infused, foam core is sandwiched in hull sides and in the superstructure, and multi-axial E-glass (which is light and strong) is used throughout. Bulkheads are cored for light weight, as is the deck. Honeycomb is used in the cabinets and partitions. Aluminum honey comb is used under marble and granite countertops.

The Resin. Vinylester resin is used throughout the boat in all structures. This is water impermeable, and if that weren’t enough, it also puts a skin coat of epoxy over the hull below the waterline. Cheoy Lee warranties the hull against water osmosis for five years.

Fiberglass Tanks/Double Bottom. By fabricating fiberglass tanks which rest in the bottom of the boat, Cheoy Lee is able to keep the fuel, freshwater, gray water and blackwater low for added stability and to create a double bottom where the tanks reside. The tanks have baffles to mitigate the free surface effect of fluids in a boat which can add to rolling an instability. There are also manhole plates in the tanks so they can be cleaned -- something we see in only the better-built boats.

PERFORMANCE

We have not tested this boat, so we can give no performance data. But all boats in this class, because they are so heavy, have a limited top-end speed. By burning a prodigious amount of fuel, they can usually get into the low 20-knot range. At 80% load, they often can steam along at 16 to 18 knots, but they still burn a lot of fuel. While they may be considered “semi-displacement,” they are, in fact, just bulldozing a big trench in the water, and it takes a lot of energy to do that.

Perhaps a more important question is how much fuel the engines burn at from 8 to 13 knots. The Global 104 waterline length is 90.25’ (27.9 m). The square root of that times 1.1 is 10.4 knots. At a factor of 1.34, it is 12.7 knots. It is between these two points where its classical theoretical hull speed should reside.

At 8 knots, this boat should burn a reasonable amount of fuel, and its 5,200-gallon (19,684 kg) fuel capacity should be able to give this vessel significant cruising range, certainly greater than most motoryachts in its class which carry less fuel.

Major Equipment

• • Maxwell VWC 4000 hydraulic anchor windlass. An hydraulic is preferable to an electric windlass because it won’t overheat and trip the breaker switches. It is also far less vulnerable to corrosion from salt air. Hydraulics are generally slower than electric versions, a trade-off most owners prefer. Of course, they are also more expensive than an electric windlass.




• • Naiad stabilizers. The fins are 9 sq. ft. and more effective than the 6 sq. size, but also present more drag that slows the boat down somewhat.




• • Naiad bow thruster. This is a 46-hp hydraulic unit that has the same advantages as the hydraulic windlass. They are powerful enough for most circumstances.




• • Delta-T Demisters. Intake fans draw air in from the outside and a set of plastic vanes separate out the spray in the air and drain it off to keep it out of the engine room.




• • Headhunter electric toilet system. BoatTEST considers this the best toilet system for this class of yacht.




• • 2 x Kohler 53 kW Generators. Both generators start at the same time and read the load; one shuts down if not needed. Each time the generators start, they automatically pass the work on to whichever generator has the fewest running hours.

OBSERVATIONS

Where the Global 104 has made its greatest impression with us is how the designer packed so much space into her size. We’ve explained in some ways what was done, but there are other important details as well. For example, eliminating a helm from the main deck freed up room. Not having a raised pilothouse was another. Eliminating things that look good in pictures but are rarely used, such as a hot tub on the boat deck, is yet another. In general, outside deck spaces were minimized -- except for the aft deck -- and each inside space was judiciously apportioned.

But the most important thing about this boat is her dual mission of long-range cruising and big-time entertaining. This is a combination that we are happy to see, as too many large motoryachts are used primarily as gin palaces for short cruises to nowhere. The Cheoy Lee Global 104 is destined to live up to her name.