Space Machine

Two saloons double the fun

in this sporty family cruiser.

By Terry Tomalin

Step aboard Cruisers Yachts’ new 48 Cantius Sport Coupe and you can’t help but wonder how they fit so much into such a small space.
“It seems bigger,” said Kerry Alexander of Galati Yacht Sales Tampa Bay in St. Petersburg, Florida, as he hauled in the lines to prep the boat for a run offshore. “They put a lot of thought into this design. Sitting in the saloon, you would think you were aboard a 52 or maybe even a 56.”

The Cantius, which was introduced to Florida’s Gulf Coast cruising market at this year’s St. Petersburg Boat Show, took the city by storm. On the show’s opening day, folks lined up along the floating dock to get a peek inside the new $1,195,000 family cruising boat. With two staterooms, two heads, and both upper and lower saloons, the Cantius is ideal for overnight excursions, long weekends, and weeklong cruises in this scenic cruising area.
Tampa Bay, with sleepy St. Pete on one side and bustling downtown Tampa on the other, attracts its share of cruisers, especially during the winter months. When you have a million-plus-dollar yacht, a full tank of fuel, calm seas, and a bluebird sky, the opportunities for an afternoon on the water are endless. Take the Cantius across the bay to Tampa for lunch at Harbor Island? Head west, out the mouth of the bay and cruise north along Pinellas County’s world-class beaches? In truth, we were tempted to call Cruisers and tell them we were taking their boat all the way to the Florida Keys.
The Cantius also makes a great platform for entertaining. The cockpit and bridge-deck saloon areas blend together in one large, open space. Sliding aft doors assure a free-flow of air and traffic. Stylish and spacious, the double-saloon design gives this yacht a roomier feel than other vessels its size. The upper saloon, equipped with all the amenities you need for entertaining, can easily host six people. The lower saloon, with its large, L-shaped sofa (which doubles as a sleeper), could hold another half-dozen guests.
The lower-deck accommodations also include a galley-down with a standard, 8.1 cubic foot refrigerator/freezer that looks like it could serve a family of four for a week. The cabinets, available in cherry wood or Wengé, look like something you’d see on a yacht three times the price. The two ensuite staterooms—a full-beam master amidships, and a VIP in the bow—are also larger than you’d expect on a 48-footer. Cruisers maximized space in the master stateroom by placing the sink outside the head compartment, making room within the head for a separate shower stall.
Tampa Bay, with its center consoles, performance boats, and sportfishers all using the same crowded channels, can be a challenge when you are looking to make a little time. It posed no problems for the Cantius. The boat hopped on plane quickly, ran as quiet as a mouse, and could do a 180-degree turn in the channel without missing a beat. The helm has near-360-degree visibility, giving the operator an excellent view in all directions. A bonus while docking is the walk-through windshield.
Powered by twin 435-hp Volvo Penta diesels and equipped with the user-friendly IPS system, the Cantius will be appreciated both by veteran operators and those with slightly less experience who are looking for a craft that delivers 36-mile an hour performance, yet is still easy to drive.
After much discussion, Kerry and I decided to head toward downtown St. Petersburg’s Vinoy Yacht Basin at the Vinoy Renaissance Resort & Golf Club, a classic, 1930s-style hotel. The only luxury hotel on Florida’s Gulf Coast with an 18-hole golf course and a private marina, the Vinoy caters to the cruising community. Its 74 fixed concrete boat slips can accommodate vessels up to 130 feet in length with both long- and short-term slip leases, but the marina also welcomes transient mariners who want to stop and sample any of the resort’s three first-class restaurants.
After lunch, I was tempted to disappear below for a nap in the forward stateroom with its queen-size bed and full-length cedar-lined closets, but I know I would never want to leave. So I climbed back up to the helm, bid the city goodbye and headed home, thankful for a few hours of escapism in this dream of a boat.