A Baltic Overture: Amazon Queen, Toucan, and the New Artistry of the Torpedo

She is more than a yacht; she is a statement of what we believe Swedish boatbuilding can and should be in the modern era.

As Chief Masterbuilder at J Craft, I often reflect on what it means to send a new Torpedo on her maiden voyage. I think of Gotland, our rugged island home in the middle of the Baltic Sea, and the centuries of craftsmen who shaped hulls to weather these unpredictable waters. Ours is a tradition measured not just in years, but in the care of 12 craftsmen and women, who together dedicate between 8,000 – 10,000 hours to bring a single Torpedo to life. Every plank, every lacquered finish, every precisely weighted hinge is a nod to the lineage that begins with Viking longboats and continues through the naval masterpieces of Chapman - echoes of a thousand years of Swedish innovation and pride.

With Amazon Queen and her sister Torpedo, Toucan, we are charting a new chapter - one that quietly, confidently raises the bar for what a hand-built yacht can offer. The exteriors speak for themselves. Amazon Queen, only the second Torpedo in our history to wear a metallic livery, gleams in deep, Hohenzollern - inspired blue, its surface alive in the shifting Baltic sunlight. Each coat of paint is hand-applied and polished until it reflects not just the sea, but the singular vision of its owner. Step aboard, and the craftsmanship becomes almost tactile: the eco-cultivated mahogany beneath your feet has been sanded and lacquered twenty times, each pass of the hand adding depth, resilience, and a warmth you can feel even on the coolest Scandinavian morning.

Inside, Amazon Queen stands alone in her bespoke approach. For the first time, we have collaborated with Fortuny of Venice - masters of handwoven fabric since 1921 - to dress her cabin in textiles that recall the salons of the Serenissima. The touch of a Fortuny velvet, the glow of their patterned fabrics in evening light, gives the interior a jewel-like quality. No two panels are identical; every detail, from the stitching to the placement of a button, is the result of conversation between owner, artisan, and designer. It is this dialogue - the blending of Swedish tradition and Venetian elegance - that sets this Torpedo apart.

Of course, there is innovation beneath the classic lines. That has always been the J Craft way: conceal the extraordinary in plain sight. Beneath her 1950s tumblehome curves lies a suite of technology that, by design, never distracts from the purity of the experience. The hull-integrated Dynamic Positioning System - our “Skyhook” - lets Amazon Queen hold station in a narrow Swedish channel or beside a bustling Riviera dock, at the touch of a button. Starlink connectivity is seamlessly embedded, ensuring owners are never truly out of reach, whether in the Åland archipelago, the wilds of Bornholm, or while underway crossing the Med from Monaco to Ibiza.

We have introduced a modular radar facility and the latest generation Volvo–Garmin glass cockpit that reimagines the interface between yacht and helmsman. The multi-function display, crisp and intuitive, mirrors perfectly to your phone, tablet, or the latest Garmin wearables including the Quatix 8 watch, technology that feels as natural as the tiller in your hand. With wearable integration, owners can now steer the Torpedo from their wrist, or receive anchor drift alerts even when ashore. Our partnership with Active Captain delivers pre-programmed course routing and trip planning that can be tailored from anywhere. What remains invisible is the effort: thousands of hours spent refining, testing, and perfecting these features so that, when you need them, they simply work.

Comfort, too, takes a leap forward. For the first time, we have integrated advanced heating and cooling not just for the cabin, but for the open cockpit, a true necessity for Scandinavian summers and Mediterranean heat alike. We have introduced a port-side stair with removable lollipop, extended the passerelle for easier boarding, and re-engineered the swim ladder for walk-up ease, deployable both from the deck and the water. Safety and accessibility are priorities; enjoyment is the outcome. And for those drawn to longer passages, the built-in water desalination plant offers independence and peace of mind.

Sustainability remains at our core. Our mahogany is not just beautiful, it is cultivated and traceable. Over 90% of the value in each Torpedo is created right here in Sweden, and our Visby shipyard runs on renewable energy. As we look to the future, work is already underway on our diesel-electric hybrid propulsion—quiet, powerful, and engineered to minimize environmental impact. For us, responsible luxury is not a slogan; it is a responsibility that informs every choice we make.

This summer, Amazon Queen embarks on her own rite of passage: a three-week Baltic voyage through the mosaic of Sweden’s island coast, the quiet inlets of Åland, and the storied shores of Finland, closing with Denmark’s sunlit Bornholm. Each mile is a celebration of heritage, innovation, and the understated luxury that defines J Craft. Yet her journey is only beginning. Mid-July, she will be joined by her sister, Toucan, in the Western Mediterranean - a meeting of two sisters under the Côte d’Azur stars, where new stories will unfold.

As we send Amazon Queen and Toucan out into the world, I invite you - whether owner, admirer, or fellow craftsman - to follow their journey. Join us on the sun-warmed mahogany, feel the salt on your skin and the hum of ingenuity beneath your feet, and discover what it means to be part of the J Craft family. For here, on the water, is where tradition and tomorrow set out together.

Fair winds,
Johan Hallén
Chief Master Builder, J Craft Boats