On board the fifth Mulder ThirtySix Solemates

It could be perceived as a disadvantage, but Mulder made the best of it. Maybe it was even better that way. The company set up a car service run with Dutch efficiency to whisk potential clients in a Land Rover SUV from the trendy Ben hotel to the marina across the bridge. There they had the undivided attention of Nick Mulder, the yard’s managing director, and sales director Maarten Ten Holter. This experience landed Mulder an extra touch of exclusivity.

“We have a massive upper deck and that is also why we don't build a tri-deck – we call this a two-and-a-half deck or half-raised pilothouse because of all the exterior real estate here”

This set-up also worked for the owner of Solemates. “He does not seek publicity,” Rupert Connor, president of brokerage house Luxury Yacht Group, says as he breaks the news to me that, no, we probably won’t get to speak to him about his newest yacht. That’s a pity, because it’s an interesting story.

People who follow this industry, or charter clients, will recognise the yacht’s name – a pun that has graced a few boats before this one: a 52-metre Feadship, a 60-metre Lürssen and a customised 55-metre Heesen among others. “Today, this is the only boat that he has,” says Connor, who has worked closely with the client for several years. Previously, the owner had the Heesen, which he sold after receiving an offer too good to pass up. “It was a combination of life factors and the silliness of the offer,” Connor says of the decision to sell. “He regretted it.” Soon the owner was looking for an opportunity to go boating again. No matter the size of the boat, Connor says, “he always needs quality”.

They evaluated several brands that came up short against their exacting requirements, and so Connor looked at Mulder. “One of my team had been involved in hull No 1, Delta One, so I flew to the Netherlands, and as soon as I met Nick, I said, ‘This is someone I can build with’,” Connor says.

Up to the launch of Delta One in 2017, Mulder had been building a variety of boats, many inspired by traditional Dutch craft with lovely curves, and most of them – but not all – under 24 metres. The new Mulder Thirty-Six was its new flagship. And while Delta One was kept very private, she did not fail to attract attention and won the 2018 World Superyacht Award for Best Displacement Yacht below 500GT, 30m to 40m.

He and the owner handled the decor directly with the shipyard, which has an interior workshop. On Solemates, the oak- and teak-rich interior serves as a warm backdrop to the same colourful art – screen prints of Andy Warhol’s Marilyn Monroe – that the owner displayed on his Heesen. On the main deck, a bar on the port side divides the main saloon and the dining area, which gets natural ventilation from sliding doors opening onto a balcony, “so you can enjoy a nice coffee at anchor”, Ten Holter says.

As we move through, he points out things like the finish inside the AV closet (very neatly done), the air conditioning by top-of-the-range Heinen & Hopman, the solid joinery in vulnerable points (so it is long-lasting), and the oak floor. “It’s a great material because it’s very dense, very hard,” he says. Forward on the main deck is the full- beam owner’s suite, with a signature skylight above the bed. The storage is quite good for a yacht this size. “A lot of people come with hard suitcases, and (usually) the crew does not know where to put them,” he says.

Like the previous Solemates, the Mulder is available for select charters but, charter or not, the cabins’ set-up is a good one, with sliding beds that convert the bedrooms for two buddies or a couple. The shipyard has made sockets and connections available regardless of the bed configuration, while iPads control the television and electronics. Lights are easy to turn on and off with a few pre-programmed settings suitable to the time or the mood, and air vents are concealed for beauty’s sake but also to reduce air speed and noise.

On the crew side of things, the galley is well- appointed and, according to the chef, “more than enough” to dish out good meals, with help from a good crew pantry, and the crew cabins are of a good size, and all have a shower and toilet.

The wheelhouse offers excellent visibility, plenty of light, adjustable seats, and cup holders. The electronics are from Böning. From here, there is direct access to the sundeck, which is surprisingly large. “We have a massive upper deck and that is also why we don’t build a tri-deck. We call this a two-and-a-half deck or half-raised pilothouse, because of all this exterior real estate you have here,” Ten Holter says.

I note the solid and elegant Linley Summit furniture and the attractive teak finish on the ceiling, where a television screen recedes. Outside of the dining area, under the shade of the hardtop, in full sun, is a good-sized spa pool. A bar with four comfortable stools is next to it. The crew can set up a bimini on carbon poles, which are stored under the cushions when not in use. Stainless handrails capped with teak protect the whole. The yard has hidden the emergency rafts, which is not always the case, even on larger yachts from known builders. “We pay attention to that,” the sales director says.

There is big-boat thinking going into this 36-metre yacht, which also has a garage large enough for a Williams 625 (with a simple roller launch mechanism) and a beach club with a plug- in shower and good storage capacity, connected to the large swim platform. That probably explains the attraction from clients who have had larger yachts before.

Is it flattering to Mulder to see owners of larger superyachts knocking on their door?

“It is indeed flattering,” Ten Holter says. “The same goes for hull No 6 [delivered on schedule this June], which was sold to the owner of a 68-metre Feadship. It is flattering for us that these knowledgeable owners are recognising the brand as an equal. That is very good.”

Quality of execution is one solid argument, but so is the yacht’s performance on water. With Solemates’ size and weight, the owner could have decided to load her onto a transport ship to take her across for the Caribbean season. Instead, her experienced captain cruised from Rotterdam to Cape Verde and on to the Bahamas. The captain crossed the Atlantic at 10 knots, but with her two Caterpillar C18s Solemates cruises at 14 to 15 knots and can reach 17 knots at the top end of her engines’ rpms. Mulder built her to ABS regulations and MCA for unrestricted navigation. The fact that Solemates has completed this big trip is a bonus for the yard. “For us, it’s like a gift,” Mulder says.

A gift that will keep on giving. Hull No 7 is now under construction and Nick, who became the face of the shipyard after his father Dick Mulder’s untimely death, is ready to continue the upward trajectory of a yard his grandfather established in 1938 and which Nick’s father shaped into a superyacht builder of international renown. It could be that Mulder is ready to make a little more noise than it has in the past.

First published in the October 2023 issue of BOAT International. Get this magazine sent straight to your door, or subscribe and never miss an issue.