When you imagine an Ed Monk Senior design, what do you see? Many of us may envision a classic, stout-hearted Monk 36 trawler or an elegant 40-something-foot, bridge-deck cruiser. For those with a bigger yacht bent, the Monk McQueen 72 CPMY will probably be on the list.
While the Monk in the name is a reference to the designer, the McQueen part of the name cites the boatbuilder—McQueen Yachts. The regional, sea salty legacy of McQueen Yachts is on a similar level with Monk, having started in Vancouver, British Columbia, in 1952. Founder and company namesake George McQueen already had decades of experience in the marine industry beforehand, going back to the 1930s with wooden commercial shipbuilding, and applied his knowledge to the recreational sphere. McQueen Yachts joined forces with Ed Monk Senior right away, and the dynamic duo were making timeless wooden yachts together from the ‘50s through the ‘80s when many of Monk’s designs were built in fiberglass.
The wooden hull Monk McQueen 72 CPMY collaboration represents a pinnacle of the legendary team. Right away, the 72 has that Monk bridge-deck cruiser look with a long, flat, open foredeck and enclosed aft sundeck. For whatever reason, these beautiful and practical design choices are largely passed over by the Euro-engineering centric crowd hell-bent on maximizing interior space for more minibars. The 72 is a yacht, not a
wannabe spaceship.
There is a 1977 vintage Monk McQueen, Snow Queen, currently available from Anacortes, Washington-based West Yacht Sales. In addition to the unparalleled mahogany woodwork, a modernized interior with improvements like a new watermaker and battery bank put in 2013-2014, and a life protected in a boathouse (also for sale), Snow Queen has a staggering collection of indigenous artwork aboard. For the romantic yachtsman, Snow Queen may just be the perfect fit. Listed for $525,000.
