Jack Hargrave’s hidden masterpiece: Inside 36m Escape of London with owner Jack Setton

Fresh from a 3,000-mile cruise and already turning heads ahead of the 2026 Palm Beach International Boat Show, the 36.5-metre Escape of London is widely considered one of Jack Hargrave’s finest designs. Now offered for sale under $3,000,000, her French owner Jack Setton explains why this quietly capable long-range cruiser may be the best yacht the public has never seen...

“Perhaps the best yacht the public has never seen, Escape (of London) was designed as the ultimate Pacific Northwest yacht for low-profile, repeat clients,” reads The Yachts and Ships of Jack Hargrave, written by Marilyn Mower. Escape was an evolution of a 29.3-metre yacht named Gryphon II, delivered in 1973. The two share a Portuguese bridge, deep bilges for stores, generous stowage and a similar profile.

Hargrave completed the design in 1994, but the complexity of the build, along with operational and financial difficulties at Tampa-based Trident Shipworks, resulted in a two-year delay. Such setbacks can embitter owners, but in this case they remained committed. Built to their exacting requirements, Escape clearly met the brief; they kept her from delivery in 1997 until last summer, when Setton – an immensely experienced yachtsman who received a Legacy Award at the 2025 World Superyacht Awards – purchased her in the Pacific Northwest.

“It looked like an amazing opportunity to get something which was owned by the same person for 25 years. And as the Hargrave book says, she probably is Jack Hargrave’s achievement of the best boat he ever made,” says Setton, who has owned more than 60 boats of different types over his lifetime and built and converted iconic explorer yachts.

Built in fibreglass, Escape is quiet and steady, according to her current captain, who recently brought her from the British Virgin Islands to Florida. She cruises comfortably at around 10 knots and boasts a range of 5,000 nautical miles – impressive for a sub-37-metre yacht.

“The best features are definitely the amazing inherent stability of the boat. The incredible lack of vibration and noise at every stage and every part of the boat, which I didn’t even have on my Feadship by far,” Setton says. “And at anchor, she really needs a bad weather condition to roll. Her roll is slow, steady, and not far.”

Another draw was the volume and deck space available on a yacht of her length. Setton appreciated “the size of the tenders I could carry on such a small boat, and the amazing volume and quality of the overall arrangement. To me, that makes her a unique yacht when compared with so-called explorers.”

The 36.5-meter yacht is now back on the market with Fraser and recently underwent a survey at Rybovich. Setton is keen to stress that his decision to part with Escape has nothing to do with her quality, and everything to do with a change of pace.

“I just realised, after doing 3,000 miles on board this boat, that I no longer have the curiosity to visit new places. I’ve done them all my life and the fact that I don’t think I want to be surrounded by crew anymore. I seem to be happier on my smaller boats — but I had to try, and that was the right boat to try,” Setton says. “She’s back on the market quickly because I realise that I don’t want to put my own taste into the refit. People probably have different ideas from mine. I prefer someone to steal it from me, and effectively. The enquiries we have so far came from people who are very knowledgeable and that makes me very, very happy.”

Unless she sells beforehand, Escape will be on display at the Palm Beach International Boat Show in March with Fraser.

At the invitation of broker Matt Martin, I stepped aboard. The layout is highly logical; from the moment you board, it’s easy to find your way and feel at ease. Reach for a switch and it’s exactly where you expect. Descend the crew stairs and a handrail falls naturally to hand.

What made Jack Hargrave such a reputable designer? “He was a captain,” Hargrave Custom Yachts Michael Joyce told me, and before there were formalised standards (for cabin size, floor space, etc), “there were Hargrave standards.” And they were good because he knew what it took for a crew to operate a yacht. 

Hargrave later graduated from Westlawn Institute of Marine Technology and worked for Rybovich & Sons, helping put Hatteras on the yachting map. Prolific by any measure, Escape – design number 1175 (not chronological) – was among the last of his 300-plus designs. In total, he was involved in the lines of more than 7,000 boats, from custom yachts to commercial vessels. Practicality and good looks were never mutually exclusive in his work.

The engine space on Escape is massive - full standing room and plenty of room to get around the two Caterpillar engines. It almost feels like the boat was built around it. While modest by today’s superyacht standards, her storage capacity is enormous. At the end of a cavernous space under the stairs is a large water heater, like the one you’d find at home. The crew quarters, very well-sized for this length of boat, have a water cooler. “They were environmentally conscious before that was a trend,” Martin quips. But honestly, why don’t all boats have a water cooler? 

K.I.S.S. comes to mind. Hatches, locks and doorstops are precisely where they should be and easy to manipulate. It’s nice to be dialling back to a time when not everything beeped, buzzed or glowed. On the top deck is a massive crane to lift just about any type of tenders. The wheelhouse, with a massive wooden wheel, has unobstructed views and a comfortable captain’s cabin (which could be used for a guest).

The décor and layout are charmingly classic: an enclosed aft deck suited to winter cruising, bookshelves in the main saloon and a formal dining room forward on the main deck. Bathrooms feature towel warmers, while the galley benefits from generous windows. Parquet flooring and finely crafted woodwork lend warmth to the interior, complemented by loose furniture and maritime paintings that reinforce the yacht’s nautical character.

She would benefit from some attention to interior finishes, but her underlying quality and careful maintenance are evident. It was such a treat to see this solid, classic yacht with such an American pedigree. Escape is listed for less than $3,000,000 (less than some centre consoles).