FREELAND — Nichols Brothers Boat Builders launched a 230-foot floating art gallery last week from their Freeland boatyard.

The boat, which is destined for Florida, took the Nichols crew 18 months to complete.

The gleaming white yacht, the Grand Luxe, was launched Friday afternoon and evening into Holmes Harbor. A tug boat took it around to the Nichols dock in Langley for the weekend, then it was off to Canada.

“The boat traveled to British Columbia where it was put on a large barge this week and transported to its home base in Florida,” said Bryan Nichols, president of the boatyard.

The boat’s new owners were on hand to christen the vessel Friday. In rain and wind, David and Lee Ann Lester were lifted up to the boat’s bow in a Nichols cherry-picker where Lee Ann Lester cracked a bottle over the bow. Then the couple toasted the event with a glass of champagne.

On the ground a handful of people watched the big boat inch across Shore Avenue to the harbor.

Scott Mauk and his two sons, Sage, 10, and Sawyer, 5, watched the event for several hours.

“Sage, Sawyer and I think it is pretty cool. It is also wonderful to see such pride in everyone from the newest yard workers all the way up to Matt Nichols,” Scott Mauk said.

“They’re all very invested, and it makes me feel good about the community,” Mauk said.

The boys were intrigued, and Sawyer was making up theories about why they smash bottle of champagne on boats.

“His theory is that it is to test how hard the bow is,” Mauk said.

“The christening is a once-in-lifetime thing to see,” Sage Mauk added.

“I appreciated being able to get close and watch. We will make it one of our regular family outings,” Scott Mauk said.

SeaFair is a luxury exposition mega-yacht that will enable art dealers and jewelers to create a mobile gallery; it will travel between 34 ports on an annual route along America’s eastern seaboard. The inaugural tour will begin this spring.

SeaFair will be used for dockside shows; no passengers will stay onboard once the ship leaves the dock to transit to its next port. SeaFair’s three decks include a signature restaurant, open-air bistro, sky deck champagne/caviar bar and several cocktail facilities.