NAUTICALweb - Conam Chorum 54

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Text and photographs by Riccardo Valente

CONAM - CHORUM 54

The Conam yard is probably one of the most vital "sources" of novelties in the Italian production and design in fact each Conam boat is innovative. Chorus 54 includes, thanks to her size and spaces, real innovations and "inventions" intended to become milestones for the future of yachting design. The concept of eliminating the side decks and of connecting the cockpit to the forward area by means of the flying bridge, thus extending the size of the salon is dear to Giuseppe Cimino.

In addition, the beam if compared to boats of equal length is considerably smaller, thus improving the boat's balance and smooth performance at sea. Her outside line is extremely low and swift and the line of the hull combine in a logical and sophisticated order with the windows and the air vents, highlighting the revolutionary aesthetics of the boat. New solutions are especially applied to the arrangement belowdecks: the ample salon includes spaces and fittings that are, with no doubt, unthinkable on a 56 footer. Forward, there are three cabins with three private bathrooms and two of them (the master stateroom's and the VIP double staterooms's ones) include the shower fitted with nice wooden doors without any waste of free space. The galley is very ample, with ceramic hobs, a granite worktop and a 74-gallon fridge/freezer. The crew cabin has a very good access and is very well arranged: there is one berth, a locker, a sink and the toilet is separated from the cabin.

The Chorum 54 offers arrangements that are normally found on bigger boats: transom garage for the tender, gangway and two swimming ladders, aft mooring winches, ample forward sunning areas, dinette with double opposite settees on flying bridge, modern-design roll bar that covers part of the cockpit, double ladder to aft platform, bow thruster, etc. In addition, considering her excellent performing capabilities with a relatively small engine and low consumption (1200 hp), the wide variety of standard fittings and the alluring overall quality/price ratio suggest that the boat is innovative as well as the first boat of a successful series.

TECHNICAL DATA

Designer: Giuseppe Cimino, engineer
Yard: Conam, Via Provinciale Pianura (loc. S. Martino), 80078 Pozzuoli (Naples, Italy); tel. +39-81-5266192 or +39-81-5269681
Gross tonnage: 23/24 tons

Italian VAT: 20%
L.O.A.: 56'5"
Beam: 14'5"
Depth: 13'1"
Draft from lower tip of propellers: 4'
Empty boat displacement: 15.74 tons
Full boat displacement: 19.68 tons
Maximum passengers capacity: 12
Berths: 6+1 in 4 separated cabins

Power: 2x600hp Volvo Penta TAMD 122P EB TD
Total installed power: 1,200 hp
Total engines and reduction gears weight: 2.95 t
Light boat displacement/installed power ratio: 13,33
Type of transmission: V-drive
Maximum declared speed: 35 knots
Cruising speed: 30 knots
Declared fuel consumption at cruising speed: approx. 47.5 gallons/hr
Range at cruising speed: approx. 385 miles
Fuel capacity: 607.6 gallons
Freshwater capacity: 238 gallons
Price with standard equipment and test boat power: Lit. 1,250,000,000 ex VAT.

CONSTRUCTION CHARACTERISTICS

Hull: V-hull
Hull construction material: GRP
Deck materials and characteristics: GRP with corefoam sandwich
Bow area: pulpit, mooring bitts and fairleads, 1500-Watt anchor windlass with three remote controls, forward locker, hatch, sunning area
Cockpit arrangement and fittings: teak deck, mooring bitts, fairleads and mooring winches, 3-seat aft settee with locker, two lockers under access ladders to flying bridge
Characteristics of aft platform: teak deck, multi-functional hydroelectric gangway, two recessed swimming ladders, - transom garage with cradle for a 10'2"-tender, with 50-60% of tender inside the garage; freshwater shower, 2 side ladders with relative access to the cockpit; 220-V dockside electric connection.

Superstructures and windows materials: stainless steel and tempered glass windows with aluminum frames
Description and characteristics of the flying bridge: self-supporting roll bar with radar and various antennae, 4 cockpit lights, 8'2"x6'3" sunning area, 2 5'11"-long opposite settees and table, pilot's and co-pilot's seat for three persons, dashboard with steering wheel and all controls of the lower helm station except for the radar, mini-bar with refrigerator.

INTERIORS

Layout and characteristics: salon with raised area, with U-shaped settee and extending table, forward dinette with table, helm station, cabinets and lockers, galley to port with access ladder to the salon and to the crew cabin. The crew cabin has one berth, locker, sink and separated toilet. Access to the forward double stateroom with private bathroom including recessed shower is from the forward part of the salon. The twin bed stateroom with bathroom is to starboard and the VIP double stateroom with private bathroom including recessed shower is to port. Paneling is in cherry or English oak wood, upholstery and linings are in suede cloth or textiles upon request
Main helm station: steering wheel, all instruments and engine indicators, compass, VHF, 24-mile radar, plotter with electronic maps, auto-pilot, flaps control with graphic indicator, bow thruster control
Chart table: aft of helm station with large table and chart storing area
Galley: granite worktop, two sinks, four ceramic hobs, 60.8-gallon refrigerator, 13.2-gallon freezer, microwave oven, shelving, washer/drier on request.

FITTINGS

Standard fittings: bow-thruster, air conditioning plant, 7.5 kW generator, 24V and 12V battery charger, hi-fi stereo in the salon and in the master stateroom, 13.2-gallon water heater, 10'2" tender and 10hp outboard engine.

IMPRESSIONS

SEA AND WEATHER CONDITIONS DURING BOAT TESTING
Wind: light south-southwesterly wind
Sea: slight to moderate

PERFORMANCE
Time needed to reach planing speed: 5 seconds
Minimum planing speed at 1,200 rpm's: 11.5 knots
Maximum speed at 2,250 rpm's: 34 knots

EVALUATION OF PERFORMANCE

Seakeeping ability, turning and behavior on waves: the Chorum 54 is stable, fast, with an excellent trim mostly due to her beam and to her perfect hull design and contact surface. The boat has excellent seakeeping abilities and she returns to the original trim after turning and after impact with the waves
Wheel and flap response: very good and efficient
Visibility in different weather conditions: excellent, both from the flying bridge as well as from the lower helm station
Docking maneuverability: very good. The boat's side decks and main deck area allow easy movement onboard during docking.

EVALUATION OF COMFORT AND FUNCTIONALITY

Deck: the new design of the deck does not penalize onboard operation and safety
Flying bridge: very ample and with high-quality fittings
Interiors: with workmanlike finishing and very well arranged. Cabin layout and privacy are excellent
Passengers' comfort: excellent
Helm stations: very well located, very well equipped and very comfortable
Chart table: large table aft of the lower helm station
Galley: roomy and with easy access. The galley has high quality fittings (ceramic hobs, roomy refrigerator, etc.)
Bathrooms: very nice and with interesting solutions (the recessed shower is pretty)
Engine room: easy access and very safe arrangement
Electrical panel and plants: very well fitted and of adequate size with excellent components.

WHAT WE LIKED MOST
the Chorum 54 design and solutions include very aesthetic and practical innovations. What we liked most is the visual impact of the boat at sea, with her beautiful aerodynamic and futuristic lines. WHAT WE LIKED LESS
it is difficult to get accustomed to a motor yacht that is so different and new, yet so elegant and practical. The limitation of the Chorum 54 lies in her "fullness" and a detailed visit and test are needed in order to appreciate her different arrangement.

Copyright (C) 1995-2008 Nautica Editrice S.r.l.. Via Tevere, 44 - 00198 Roma (Italy) - Phone +39 06 8413060 - Fax +39 06 8543653
PI 00904971009 - Registration no. 620 19/12/1995 and no. 302 7/07/2003 in the Court of Rome's Press Register.
All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited without publisher's written permission.
Design: Paolo Ciraci. Other sites: nautica | scubaweb | pescaweb | pagine azzurre | euroweather | eurometeo mobile | meteomed | olympic
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Copyright (C) 1995-2008 Nautica Editrice S.r.l.. Via Tevere, 44 - 00198 Roma (Italy) - Phone +39 06 8413060 - Fax +39 06 8543653 PI 00904971009 - Registration no. 620 19/12/1995 and no. 302 7/07/2003 in the Court of Rome's Press Register. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited without publisher's written permission. Design: Paolo Ciraci. Other sites: nautica \| scubaweb \| pescaweb \| pagine azzurre \| euroweather \| eurometeo mobile \| meteomed \| olympic		Homepage Site search Our advertisers Contacts