When tradition blends with technological development the result can be magnificent, as some reinterpretations of Maine lobster show. This time the “model” is one of the most typical boats of our seas: the Sorrentine gozzo.
An “Aprea” for short, a name now almost synonymous with gozzo, indeed of goiters: sailing, rowing, motor, planing or muttering with a lampara at the bow. As many as there are strains into which the family has been divided over the more than two centuries of its history. Everyone has chosen his own way, his own reference material and, consequently, his own gozzo. Mastro Cataldo Aprea (born 1932) for example, continues to build wooden gozzo boats in the Marina Grande shipyard in Sorrento the way luthiers make violins. His son Nino also chose this tradition and, in order to accommodate larger boats, opened a second location in Torre Annunziata, dedicated to storage, restoration and new construction of wooden boats. This is where Antico Cantiere del Legno Aprea’s G-10 Hybrid was born.
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Sorrentine goiter becomes hybrid
The lines are the timeless ones, drawn by the waves of the Gulf and millions of miles sailed for fishing and transportation, revisited by Studio Faggioni:
“The challenge was to make current, not modern,” explains Stefano Faggioni of the eponymous firm, “ a traditional hull. This takes the utmost respect for the features that make a simple hull like a goiter eternal. Where shipboard life is essential and very few things are needed. This is first and foremost a Gozzo, which does not want to go beyond its usual characteristics: moderate speed, great seaworthiness, comfort while sailing and at anchor. Comfortable, welcoming in its simplicity and ready for any use“.
A real, wooden goiter. Which, thanks to new construction techniques and materials, has reduced processing time and costs, while maintaining a highly crafted and tailored finish-in fact, it can be customized throughout.
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“The ambition is to give a soul to mass production and offer a wooden boat to those who have so far renounced it due to high maintenance costs,” continues Stefano Faggioni, on every element is CNC-cut, with a 5-axis milling machine that ensures accuracy to the tenth of a millimeter. The planking, which of course does not include caulking, is made of a longitudinal double layer of mahogany: an extremely strong and leak-proof shell“.
Deck and interior
In a gozzo, the absolute star of life aboard is the aft cockpit, but the G-10 also has a second “lounge” forward of the deckhouse, at deck level, where a pleasant solárium is created while keeping the walkways clear.
The aft cockpit is huge and includes a large table that arms in seconds, on the engine box. Inside we find a kitchen and a bathroom, with headroom, two seats and a large double bed.
Let’s give the word back to the architect: “Inthe interiors, the design imprint is more evident, because references to tradition are totally lacking since the traditional goiter did not include interior habitability . Here we appreciate more than elsewhere the guiding philosophy of the project, which is the quotation, the idea, indeed, the feeling of the classic without ever reproducing it. For example, the outer paneling, thanks to a play of shadows given by the construction of the panel itself, gives the idea of paneling without completing the construction by a quarter. And the pattern is repeated in the bathroom bulkheads, furniture and deckhouse soffit, creating its own very personal style“.
Two motors: thermal and electric
Marine parks, protected areas are growing, and the G-10-built with wood, an ecological material par excellence-was born with the realization that the sea must be experienced in a different way. Then it can turn off the diesel(115 to 150 HP for 8 to 10 knots of speed) and glide silently, propelled by an electric motor(at 4 knots), with the batteries recharging when using conventional propulsion. Or when sailing: the latin bow is a fascinating optional extra, as useful as the autopilot for longer sailings.
But how long does it take to build it. What about the price?
Nino Aprea reassures us: “In 2023 we delivered two, one hybrid, which also arms a sail, the other for a Tuscan shipowner who wanted the best of everything on board, even a hydraulic stern deck that goes down to sea level! I was a bit puzzled at first, but the end result convinced me. However, the construction time is about 10 months with a warranty and maintenance contract at predetermined rates for 5 years. The cost starts at about 220,000 euros for the basic version and of course goes up depending on the options and finishes“.
Less than a dinghy of the same size, but this is not a boat for speed lovers; to love it you have to want to experience the sea in a different way. Try it for yourself: the G-10 can also be rented, for a wonderful day out between Sorrento, Capri and Positano (apreacoast.co.uk) and the difference can be felt immediately.
After all, as the wise man says: wood sails, fiberglass floats.
For contacts and information visit the site of the shipyard:
www.anticocantieredellegnoaprea.it
