As that door closed, I made another phone call this time to Steve Seaton. Steve worked with Heritage as a consultant. That phone call led to a ten-year partnership as Seaton Neville. Over that period we worked with great companies including Cheoy Lee developing a line of Motorsailers. We also worked with Bruce Kessler. Bruce is renowned for his exploits aboard Zopilote, a boat which Steve and I designed in partnership with Delta Marine. During the Seaton Neville years we also worked with dozens of other great owners and their projects. The Seaton Neville years came to an end with Steve’s move to the West Coast in a period before cross-country communication was as robust as it is today. I still miss the camaraderie of those years.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------The last eighteen years have been extremely busy ones. With the formation of Charles Neville associates I have developed new projects for some old clients and many, many  new ones. The performers below are generally listed in order of their appearance.

• Cheoy Lee Shipyards, Hong Kong - the development of a 77-foot motorsailer based upon the successful 63-foot motorsailer

• Nordhavn and PAE - the design of a 78-foot metal trawler yacht for a Baltimore client.

• South Coast Marine, Taiwan (a Nordhavn yard) - development a series three 63-foot motor catamarans for commercial service.

• Black Douglas - Designed for a Stuart Florida client, this boat was built in steel by the Treworgy Yachts.

• Cape Horn 75 & Cape Horn 81 - Three boats were built (Lord's Warrior,  Wright of Passage, and High Note). All were built by fine Canadian yards.

• Corinthian Catamarans - Actually out of place in this listing as we continue our twenty three year relationship. Corinthian is the largest builder of commercial excursion catamarans in the US.  They are also among my oldest friends in the business. 

• Custom Steel Boats - is the yard that has produced two of my favorite smaller trawlers.  Beverlee Jane, the first Neville-39, was originally shown in the Robert Beebe book Voyaging Under Power. She was executed elegantly in steel by this fine builder

• Custom Steel Boats - also built the first Neville-47, Carol Marie, for an Alabama client. She was built in steel with an aluminum deck house. The second N-47 was also produced at this fine yard with plans in place to build many more.

• Neville Trawlers - Along with a larger 56 foot design, the two boats above have become the cornerstones of the Neville Trawler line of fine motor yachts.

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• Seahorse Marine - located in Zhuhai, China they are builders of Mi Sueno, a beautifully executed 44-foot steel Trawler of our design.

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• Our commercial work continues to flourish. Included are propulsion systems developed with our friends at Cummins for the US Coast Guard's fleet of 49-foot BUSL (Buoy Utility Stern Loader) vessels.  With them we also are actively involved in the repowering of 27-foot utility boats for the US Army and Marines. Did you know they have more vessels than the US Navy?

What’s our next project?