A huge watersports platform, shallow draft and easy

maneuverability makes this a great boat for The Bahamas.

By Louisa Beckett

The Bahamas’ Sea of Abaco is like a second home to Duane Kuck, President and CEO of Orlando, Florida-based Regal Boats. His wife, Cindy, hails from there, and they bring their children back to the island chain by boat each summer to enjoy the spectacularly clear waters, abundant marine life, charming towns and unspoiled natural setting. So it’s no wonder that Regal Boats builds a line of cruisers that are ideally suited to cruising to and through the Abacos—particularly the 2011 Regal 35 Sport Coupe (SC).

Last summer, Duane invited me to join him and his family on a 35 SC for an annual ritual—one they share with hundreds of other families from Florida and The Bahamas—the start of lobster season. Each year, beginning on August 1^st, when The Bahamas opens season on the spiny critters, the Abacos become a hotspot for cruisers hunting the tasty “bugs,” which hide amid the rocks and coral reefs.

Specifications:
LOA: 36′ 10″
Beam: 11’4″
Draft: 2′ 11″
Weight (dry): 12,900 lbs.
Fuel: 168 gals.
Water: 50 gals.
Power: 2x 5.7Gi Volvo Penta
sterndrives/joystick
Cruise/top speed: 36/46 mph

Contact:
Regal Boats
Regal Marine Industries, Inc.
2300 Jetport Drive
Orlando, FL 32809
regalboats.com

My Abaco experience began with a relaxing stay at the Abaco Beach Resort in Marsh Harbour—which overlooks the Sea of Abaco, one of the best-known resorts in the region—and helped me decompress and reset my inner clock to “Bahamas time.” I whiled away some pleasant hours on the wide beach, at the pool with swim-up bar, and in the lovely waterfront Anglers Restaurant.

The next morning, the Kucks met me at the dock in Boat Harbour, the resort’s 190-slip, full-service marina, which offers convenient customs check-in and fuel. As we got under way, we deployed one of the boat’s most innovative features—the convertible hardtop—since there were rain showers in the area. Introduced by Regal on its 46 SC model, the top incorporates a unique electric sunroof that slides back to expose the helm and part of the cockpit seating to sun and wind, or forward to shelter the driver and passengers from the same.

“We are really the only U.S. builder that’s doing it. Most of them are staying with a traditional sunroof,” Duane said.

The height of the hardtop gave the bridge an airy feeling and our boat also featured Regal’s optional Cool Cockpit ventilation system, which kept things comfortable in the hot and humid summer weather.

The 35 SC’s helm area is ergonomically designed and exceptionally well-equipped. Regal sources most of its marine electronics from Garmin and our boat featured a Garmin GPSMAP 5208 chart plotter, VHF 100 radio and GMR 24HD radome. Tunes were provided by the Fusion stereo system with iPod dock and waterproof cockpit speakers. “They are designed specifically for the marine industry,” Duane said. “They are still going to be working 10 years from now.”

Our boat also had an upgraded propulsion package consisting of Volvo Penta 5.7Gi sterndrives with a Volvo joystick control mounted on the driver’s armrest. A joystick option is available on the 35 SC with a compatible EVC engine package from either Volvo or MerCruiser. Most owners seem to feel that the added maneuverability it provides is well worth the upgrade. “All the ones we’ve built so far have had the joystick control,” Duane confirmed.

I used the stick to steer us through the small and crowded harbor of Man O’ War Cay where we called in for lunch, and I was grateful for the handling dexterity it provided, as well as its quick reaction time.

As always, our interlude on Man O’ War was like stepping back in time. We walked along its narrow streets—where no cars are allowed—admiring the flowers blooming in profusion by the porches of small, colorfully hued cottages on either side. The island has been a Bahamas boatbuilding hub for decades, and you can still watch through the open door as the Albury Brothers build runabouts by hand in their small shop on the harbor.

Back at the marina, we enjoyed conch burgers at the aptly named Dock & Dine Restaurant.

After lunch, we re-boarded the Regal to set off for some likely lobster-hunting grounds off Man O’ War. As we ran through the clear green water, I took time to explore the boat. The 35 SC’s bridge and cockpit are on the same level, which is a boon for conversation and a convenience for those less sure of their footing at sea. The seating arrangement is flexible, thanks to settee backrests that flip forward and aft to create different areas for lounging and dining. We had six people on board, but nobody got in each other’s way.

There’s a convenient on-deck refreshment center with Corian counter, sink, Vitrifrigo refrigerator, optional grill and dedicated trash bin—something many boatbuilders overlook. Handrails are placed throughout the cockpit to give you purchase in a seaway. Another functional feature is the dedicated storage for the teak cockpit table. “We do a good job with staying after those details because we’ve been building these boats a long time,” Duane said. He added that since Regal exports boats to 40 countries, the company gets ideas from owners all over the world. “We try to take the best ones,” he said.

Some of these clever concepts can be found in the 35 SC’s interior, which has great headroom for a boat of this size. Push a button and the saloon settee back rises to convert the forward berth into a queen-size bed. “One of the things we try to do is give the boat owners a good bed,” Duane said.

In this boat, there isn’t just one good bed, but two. The mid-cabin is convertible; just slide two filler cushions between the settees and it creates another large berth. Add the optional door and flat-screen TV, and the mid-cabin becomes a private retreat. A fifth person can be accommodated overnight on the saloon settee.

The décor has a yacht-like feel; elegant bamboo flooring is standard. In fact, it’s clear that the 35 SC has benefited from a “trickle-down” effect from Regal’s larger models. For example, when shore-side water is hooked up to the boat, it immediately begins filling the freshwater tank so you don’t have to manually fill the tank with a hose on the foredeck. And the head has a separate shower so you don’t need to use the sink faucet to rinse off. There’s also an optional central vacuum system.

The 35 SC may be a comfortable cruiser, but as we proved while lobstering that afternoon, it also excels as a water-sports platform. The boat has an enormous swim platform and an easy-to-use hot and cold transom shower. You can flip the rear cockpit seat backrest over to create an aft-facing seat that’s ideal for donning masks and fins.

Then, one by one, the Kuck kids picked-up their Hawaiian slings and jumped in. Look out, lobsters!

A French-made cruiser that

rides on a pocket of air

By Doug Thompson

When a boatbuilder uses new technology to make a proven hull better, it’s exciting stuff, and that’s exactly what Beneteau has done with its Air Step hull. The Air Step is incorporated into the hull of the new Flyer Gran Turismo (GT) 34, a sport cruiser with a V-berth, head and enclosed cabin that I had a chance to sea-trial out of Port Everglades in South Florida.

Stepped-hulls have been around for more than 130 years, as boat manufacturers have created boat bottoms with less wetted surface, resulting in less drag and increased efficiency. There have been single steps, double steps and boats with so many steps they are known as “shingles.”

The Air Step concept is a bit different: it involves channeling air from a step amidships and funneling it back to the transom, creating a pocket of air that results in a—you guessed it—less wetted surface.

Specifications
LOA: 32’10″
Beam: 11′
Draft: 3′ 3″
Displ: 11,858 lbs.
Fuel/Water: 129/42 U.S. gals.
Power: 2x Volvo Penta 5.7 300-hp
gasoline engines, as tested /
Optional 2x Volvo Penta D3
200-hp diesel engines
Cruising/top speed: 25/38 knots
MSRP: $260,000 with gas engines /
$315,000 with diesel engines

INFORMATION
Beneteau Group/Denison
Yacht Sales Florida
401 SW 1st Avenue, #102
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301
888-339-2248

“During tests, we found the Air Step hull comes on plane almost twice as fast as the Beneteau hull without the step,” said Alex Wilkes, a Broker for Denison Yacht Sales, the South Florida dealer for Beneteau, who accompanied me on the sea trial. “Once on plane, the Air Step reduces friction so much you can use the smaller motors to achieve the same speed.”

I was eager to find out and quizzed Wilkes about the model for our sea trial, a GT 34 powered by twin Volvo Penta 5.7-liter 300-horsepower gasoline engines. Docked outside of the Denison offices in Fort Lauderdale on the New River, the stylish cruiser looked great but all you could see of the Air Step was a small notch on each side.

During our venture out of Port Everglades into wind-whipped five-foot waves, we ran a few miles in the sloppy troughs and found the GT 34 could easily handle running on plane at 18-20 knots and popped on plane quickly due to the Air Step. However, top speed was out of the question. With the windshield wipers running full blast over the large one-piece windshield to clear sea spray, we made a big turn through the rough stuff and decided to take to the protected Intracoastal waters. Inside we reached a top speed of 35 knots (a reported top speed of 38 knots is achieved when the propellers are fully dialed in for performance).

“This boat has a 128-gallon fuel tank and can easily run to Bimini (about 50 miles offshore of South Florida),” Wilkes said. “With the gas engines this is more of a coastal boat or freshwater lake boat. We also offer it with diesel engines, and with diesels you’re going to run at a lower rpm and get even better fuel economy.”

Our test boat also included a bow thruster, which made maneuvering in the tight spaces a breeze. When equipped with Volvo Penta 200-horsepower stern-drive diesel engines and joystick control, there’s no need for a bow thruster.

Beneteau builds and sells more than 10,000 boats annually, making it one of the world’s largest recreational boat companies, if not the largest. With four French production facilities and a fifth in South Carolina, the builder efficiently shares engineering costs. Beneteau builds all its powerboats in France, and some of Beneteau’s sailboats are built in South Carolina.

French design is evident throughout the boat, starting with a unique overhanging roof covering that offers both sun and shade. The cockpit is not enclosed—meaning no cockpit air conditioning—but the air flow is superb and I never felt overheated when moving.

Cockpit seating includes a two-person driving helm to starboard, and the steering position is comfortable. Fully rigged with Simrad electronics, the GT 34 offers a multitude of gadgets to keep you fully informed—and entertained. Simrad’s SonicHub technology allows you to plug in iPhones, iPods and iPads, so that you can play music and videos via the boats multimedia network. For safety, the boat is equipped with Simrad 3G radar and also receives the Automatic Information System (AIS) vessel detail feed which reports the name, course and speed of all the vessels around you, a cool feature that was fun to play with on our sea trial. The driver also has the fuel-cutoff switch and fire-safety equipment within easy reach in case of a problem.

Passengers enjoy a U-shaped lounge to port in the cockpit, along with another bench behind the driver to starboard that converts into a lounge. All the outdoor fabric is made of propriety PVC upholstery, which, according to Beneteau, is resistant to fading from the sun and very easy to clean. The cockpit also features a small galley with a sink and refrigerator, and you can add an electric grill as an option for searing up a hot meal. Aft is a starboard-side transom boarding door that leads you out to a teak swim deck with a boarding handle, perfect for when you go to and from the water.

Belowdeck is a lounge area in the bow with a center table and seating for six. There is also a galley with a refrigerator, gas stove and stainless-steel sink, and it can be additionally outfitted with a microwave. The lounge converts into a double bed by lowering the table and shifting the lounge pads to make up the berth. There’s also a private head and shower with a port hole that really brightens things up. Aft is a cabin with a comfortable queen berth and storage lockers, and the cabin closes off with a door for privacy.

Beneteau began its first serious foray into the American powerboat market in 2011, offering high-quality construction that’s been refined over the years in the European market. American boat buyers will definitely want to experience the Air Step during a test ride, because better fuel economy and a quicker time to plane will never go out of style.

If the Swiss Army Ever Needed A Boat, This Would Be It.

By L.J. Wallace, Jr.

As a kid, my Swiss Army knife was ever present in my pocket. It was a compact tool but opened up to do so many things. As an adult now, for the same reasons, I’m equally fond of the Leatherman multi-tool I almost always have on my belt. So it’s no wonder that it took only a few minutes aboard this particular “pocket yacht” for me to develop an immediate fondness for it. It’s not every day that you come across an inboard powered 31-footer that not only comfortably sleeps six, but also has three control stations, one of which is on a flybridge with retractable top, a cockpit area that can be transformed into an expanded entertaining area, every amenity and creature comfort you’d find aboard a much larger vessel, AND is trailerable! Allow me to introduce you to the new Ranger Tugs R-31. To say this boat packs a LOT into a relatively small package would be a gross understatement.

Ranger Tugs was founded in 1958 so they’ve had several decades to finely hone their boats, taking customer feedback into account. Their current product line ranges from 21 to 31 feet. The designer, Dave Livingston—the father of company President, John Livingston—is arguably one of the most accomplished boat designers in the business. He has created countless models for a host of manufacturers and can boast that more people have owned a boat he designed than anyone else in the world. The result is an incredibly versatile vessel that is as suitable for an afternoon cruise as it is for an extended voyage.

Specifications
LOA: 31′ 2″
Length w/swim step: 35′ 2″
Beam 10′ 0″
Draft: 28″
Dry Weight: 10,500 lbs.
Fuel/Water: 180/80 U.S. gals.
Holding Tank Capacity 40 gals.
Power: 300 hp Volvo Penta D4 Diesel
Cruising/Top Speed: 20/25 knots
Height on Trailer: 13′ 2″
Rangertugs.com

The semi-displacement hull is pushed along by a 300-hp Volvo Penta D4 diesel. You can set the throttle at 7 knots and be burning a scant 1.5 gallons per hour, which translates into just shy of 5 nautical miles per gallon. With the standard 180-gallon main fuel tank, that means you can cover close to 900 nm. Kick it up to about 15 knots and you’ll get around 2 nmpg and still transit around 350 miles between fuel stops. But don’t think this is some slow, lumbering cruiser. When I pulled her back to a dead stop and then fire-walled it, it was apparent that this boat could pull up a water skier. In fact, the R-31 will top out at just around 25 knots.

With regard to all that versatility, it starts out in the cockpit. It’s comfortable as is but when dockside or at anchor, the entirety of the gunwales fold outward a la gull wings, which in essence doubles the seating and legroom. The cockpit also sports a transom door and hot and cold shower wand, as well as the optional third helm station forward to starboard. It has a cockpit fridge with optional icemaker and oodles of storage with enough room beneath the aft bench seat to house a generator. The engine compartment hatch is just abaft the door leading inside and lifts hydraulically, revealing a commodious space with all-around access and ample wrench-pulling room. In this location, it’s totally removed from the cabin so both the main and generator cause as little noise as possible.

Before heading inside, I went up to the flybridge that was compact and ergonomic via portside recessed steps, a nice change from the standard ladder for this size boat. The R-31 is the first Ranger Tug equipped with electronic controls (at both the upper and lower helms). When underway at cruising speed, I stood just behind the helm bench seat and had a bit of a hard time hearing what John Livingston was saying to me. He told me to take the seat next to him and when I did, all wind noise miraculously disappeared thanks to a very simple thing: a small, forward-angled lip of a windshield brow on the forward edge of the console. Yes, someone with decades of practical experience must have designed it. Visibility in all directions was excellent and looking forward and down to the bow, you take note of the stowable bench seat and table, which makes for a great lounging and observation area.

Upon entering the cabin, there’s a mid-ship berth tucked down to the port side, complete with a covered day head. Above that compartment is the dinette area with facing bench seats and the high/low table which starts doing that Swiss Army Knife thing by folding completely out as a table, folding up as a cocktail table, or lowering to create either a lounge or another berth.

To starboard is the L-shaped galley area, which takes up the entire space from the rear bulkhead to the back of the lower helm chair, and has a two burner stove, oven, double sinks and Corian counter tops. A microwave is tucked under the rear dinette bench, and similarly a wine cooler is under the forward bench. The fridge is located beneath the helm seat, which is also pretty Swiss. It rotates for additional saloon seating, slides back and forth, or folds up forward entirely revealing a few more square feet of galley counter space.

The helm console is straight forward and there’s a sliding door to starboard so you can go from the helm to the bow in an instant if need be. Back over to the port side, the forward dinette bench seat does a backflip and becomes forward facing and in the process reveals a flip up table so PRESTO… an instant nav station! Overhead on the centerline is a flip-down rotatable flat screen which can interface with and then display the navigation electronics. Stepping down into the forward cabin is an island berth with memory foam mattress. The head is to port with shower, electric flush toilet and vanity.

Ranger prefers to deliver their boats as turnkey as possible so there’s plenty of other equipment and features including the entertainment center, bow AND stern thrusters, windlass, trim tabs and a 2,500 watt inverter. And before you think “trailerable” requires a stretched out four-door dually with a fifth wheel, think again. John told me his regular pick-up (3⁄4 ton) handles the job quite nicely.

So load up this Ranger Tug with some fine chocolates, check your precision timepiece and maybe hang a cuckoo clock somewhere down below, then take to the open water in comfort and style.

Chi é Quella Donna?

(“Who is that Woman?”)

Her name is  pronounced “Krahn-Kee”

By Doug Thompson / Billy Black Photos

In golf, you drive for show and putt for dough. In boating, you drive for show and DOCK for dough. While piloting a boat isn’t always easy, it’s around the dock where reputations are won or lost, where knees turn to jelly and cuss words fly. Every available hand is used as a human bumper, fending off of pilings and other boats’ bows, as those on the dock watch and judge every decision. It can take months or even years to attain docking confidence, depending on your skill and the boat’s equipment.

In the case of the Cranchi Fifty 8 Fly that I sea-trialed, it can take just a couple of hours to feel like a seasoned old salt ready to take on the high seas and the most difficult docking situation. The key to my confidence on the Fifty 8 Fly is the splendid pairing with Volvo Penta’s 900 IPS engines and Joystick low-speed control. Cranchi introduced the brand-new fiberglass-hull Fifty 8 Fly last year and builds her for exclusive IPS use. The boat I ran out of the Harbour Towne Marina in Dania Beach had twin IPS/2 900 engines (700 horsepower each), the maximum horsepower. You can also order IPS/2 800, 600-hp engines.

However, I believe in adhering to the old maxim of “Never under-power your boat.” With the IPS 900 engines, the Fifty 8 Fly cruises beautifully at 21 knots at 1800 rpm, burning 40 gallons per hour. With a 528-gallon fuel tank, you can run more than 280 nautical miles with a 10 percent reserve. A similar boat with straight-shaft power would be burning 65 gallons per hour instead of 40, so that’s a significant difference.

But the benefit of pairing the Cranchi and the IPS goes beyond the excellent fuel economy. First, there’s the Humphree Interceptor Trim System that Volvo Penta uses to help the Fifty 8 Fly maintain trim in confused seas. When employed in automatic ride-control mode, a gyro activates the transom-mounted Humphree Interceptor blades and causes them to drop, digging into the water and causing the transom to lift. The constant raising and lowering of the interceptor blades keeps the boat level, even in lock-to-lock turns. Initially it feels strange to go hard over to port and not have the boat lean and dig into the turn, but you get used to it fast.

“The pitch and roll from the gyro and the inputs from the steering wheel are tied together by fly-by-wire technology,” explained Russell Forkert, President of Yacht Works, the U.S. dealer for Cranchi, who accompanied me on the sea trial. “The boat gets on plane incredibly quickly because as soon as the boat starts to rise, the blades come down. The blades don’t go down more than three inches but they create a tremendous amount of lift, which is what IPS boats need.”

IPS also makes low-speed maneuvering around the docks simple so you can dock like a pro, and the Joystick control is easy to learn. Cranchi was involved with the IPS development from the start more than eight years ago on its Cranchi 43.

“The 43 was a very successful boat for Cranchi and had a lot to do with the success of IPS,” Forkert explained. “I had a customer whose first boat was a 50-footer without IPS and it was a nightmare. He couldn’t dock or drive it. Then I sold him a Cranchi 43 with IPS and he loved it, and traded that in for a soft-top Cranchi 56 with IPS.”

Specifications
Length: 60′ 8″
Beam: 15′ 10″
Draft: 4′ 4″
Weight: 59,300 lbs.
Fuel capacity: 528 gallons
Freshwater capacity: 142 gallons
Standard power: 2x Volvo Penta
IPS/2-800 EVC/EC diesel
engines, 600-hp each
Maximum power (as sea-trialed):
2x Volvo Penta IPS/2-900 EVC/EC
diesel engines, 700-hp each
Top speed with maximum power:
34 knots
Cruising / Top speed: 24 knots
@1900 rpm / 24 knots
Range @ cruise: 280nm
Price: $1.7 million

Contact
Cranchi/Yacht Works
850 NE 3rd Street
Dania Beach, FL 33004
877-391-2941
yachtworks.com

The Cranchi Fifty 8 Fly also delivers the contemporary Italian styling and amenities one would expect from a $1.7 million boat built in Italy. The main saloon features a galley unit to starboard, which also houses a flat-screen TV that rises upward for optimal viewing, a port couch, and huge windows that allow in lots of natural light.

Below deck, in addition to the full-beam aft master stateroom with queen bed and ensuite bathroom and walk-in closet, there’s a VIP stateroom with a queen bed and ensuite access to a dayhead with a shower. Additionally, there’s a guest stateroom amidships with two twin beds, as well as a refrigerator and freezer and washer/dryer combo unit in the hallway. The boat sleeps six, plus a crew cabin with a twin bunk and head.

The aft deck is wide, featuring a large table and couch along the transom. Aft of the transom is a huge swim platform that can be lowered below the waterline to make re-boarding easy. But there are other equally ideal places to relax. On the bow is a three-person sunpad that can be shaded by a retractable awning. The flybridge offers both sun and shade: A fixed hardtop covers the center of the flybridge while another retractable awning system provides more shade if needed. On the flybridge deck there’s a huge U-shaped couch aft accommodating seating for 10, and the tables can be fully deployed or folded back for more space. There’s also a large sunpad forward on the flybridge.

The port-side helm station on the flybridge is nearly identical to the starboard side one on the main deckthe difference is where the throttle and Joystick controls are located. Up top, throttles are located all the way to port on the steering station so you have good visibility when docking. Identical Raymarine 120E Multi-Function Displays above and below provide operating information.

In good weather like I had, running the Fifty 8 Fly up top is the way to go. However, the expansive front windshield on the main deck and giant side windows provide an incredible amount of visibility for the pilot at the main-deck helm station. With the automatic trim employed and uncrowded waters, the Fifty 8 Fly is about the easiest 58-footer I have ever had the pleasure to run, thanks to Cranchi’s design and the incredible performance of the Volvo Penta IPS drives. And in close quarters around the docks, well… you’ll easily earn your dough.

Designed and Built to Uncompromising
Standards, This Cruiser Also Belies Her Size.

By L.J. Wallace, Jr.  / Outer Reef Photos

Jeff Druek builds things. BIG things. Big FANCY things. Big, fancy, QUALITY things.

His penchant for building reached a plateau when he was fashioning ultra-custom homes for well-heeled clients in the Hamptons, Long Island, New York. But for the past decade and a half now, he’s focused his considerable perfectionist drive and skills on building Outer Reef Yachts. The lessons he learned while building homes have served him well in building yachts, as he came to realize that catering to a customer’s needs and offering more flexibility in terms of quality and amenities was the key to one-upping his competition.

As a youngster growing up on the Eastern shores of Long Island, New York, Jeff built his first boat when he was in his early teens and then utilized it as a commercial fishing vessel, becoming a ‘Bayman’, and establishing his first business. After buying and selling a series of boats he signed up for the Merchant Marine Service, after which he returned home and began a construction company, eventually employing over 130 workers.

As a result of his success, in 1994 he was able to build a 60-foot trawler in Taiwan, eventually building a 75-footer, at which time he realized that by employing the lessons learned in home construction, he could structure a yacht-building company in a similar manner. His land-based business model has worked out equally well on the water.

Specifications:
LOA: 71′ 6″
Beam: 18′ 6″
Draft: 5′ 3″
Displacement: 115,000 lbs. (half-load)
Fuel: 2,350 gallons on test vessel/
STD 2,000 gallons
Water: 400 gallons
Standard Power: 2 x CAT
503-hp C-9 ACERT
Cruise/Top Speed: 11-15 knots
Range @ Cruise: 2,600 nm
Outerreefyachts.com

But Jeff doesn’t oversee just the construction of his yachts—he also designs them with clients… sometimes on the fly.

“I made over 170 changes to that first design, moving all sorts of things, right down to the [electrical] outlets,” he tattles on himself. Then, in 2002, he became a full-time boat builder when he established Outer Reef Yachts.

Jeff gives special credit to the yard in which Outer Reefs are built, the fourth generation-owned Tania Yacht Company located in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. There, General Manager Karl Lin, along with Lead Engineer Chaucer Chen, share Jeff’s passion for quality construction, as well as a commitment and willingness to make changes according to the desires of each individual owner.

“No two boats we build are the same. Given the monolithic manner in which the boats are constructed (see sidebar), there are very few—even major—alterations that can’t be made,” Jeff explains.

Stepping aboard onto the swim platform of the newest Outer Reef, a 70-footer (actually, it’s 71 feet, 6 inches), you immediately get a feeling and sense that this is a serious passage maker. A pair of curved stairways sweep up to the aft deck, which is enclosed in EZ2CY when buttoned downand air-conditionedmaking it an informal extension of the saloon. Entering the cabin, that passage-making feeling starts reverberating, and not just underfoot. Above, a curvaceous but entirely functional teak grab rail running down the centerline of the entire saloon adds a serene feeling of comfort and security, even when the boat sits rock-solid at the dock. Hardly earthshaking, but it’s the little touches like that that speak volumes about a boat.

The saloon, finished in pleasing satin-finished teak, sports a large L-shaped couch to port opposite a pair of bucket chairs to starboard. Looking forward, the view sweeps all the way to the windshield, through the galley area, right up to the pilothouse, which you’d normally just consider to be the helm area. Instead, flick a switch and a bulkhead, just aft of the settee and table located behind the helm, raises up cordoning-off the pilothouse from the rest of the living quarters, a nice convenience when a little privacy is required or when running at night.

Moving through the galley towards the helm you notice that the instrumentation is uncomplicated and straightforward, unlike many consoles that have enough screens, switches and knobs to resemble the control panels in a nuclear power plant. There are port and starboard watertight doors leading out to the side decks. The one to starboard sits in between stairways with one leading topside (aft of the door), and the other curving downward to the cabin deck.

Below deck, an ensuite guest cabin with queen berth and pullman above for that occassional extra guest is located across from the bottom of the stairway with the VIP cabin forward, also with an ensuite head with a large shower. You’ll find a washer/dryer behind one of the corridor’s closet doors. The full-width master cabin has a king-size berth, ensuite head to port, dedicated computer desk and walk-in closets both fore and aft. Open the aft closet and at the back of it you’ll find a watertight emergency door that leads to an extremely well laid-out and uncluttered engine compartment. Continue moving aft to another bulkhead watertight door and you enter the crew quarters, voluminous by any standard, with a starboard side over/under bunk or can be an optional workshop. The captain’s cabin to port sports a queen-size berth and direct access to the larger than average head and shower with additional access from the hallway. There’s also a mini-galley so this would equally be a great place for the kids to call home. Move aft further still, through another watertight door, and you’re back at the swim platform.

Lest you think the only access to the crew compartment and engine room is through the owner’s closet or transom door, think again. Another stairway is situated to starboard just in front of the compartment which winds its way back up to the aft portion of the saloon with a second washer/dryer near the foot of the stairs. Honestly, as you make the full tour circuit you can’t help but think this boat HAS to be bigger than 71 feet.

Up on the flybridge, this boat again starts deceiving you about her size. There’s room for up to a 20-foot tender on the boat deck without encroaching on the entertainment area, which includes all the amenities you’d expect to find topside on a cruising yacht like this: dual settees with tables, grill, sink, fridge and LOTS of storage. The helm remains on the centerline and the whole entertaining area is covered with a hardtop, atop which sits the electronics mast. Open the barely visible panel in the back of the hardtop and there you’ll find the block-and-tackle mechanism that lowers the mast, reducing the overall height of the vessel to 20 feet, 6 inches.

With such sound construction and nearly infinite customization options available, all things considered, Jeff Druek is undeniably one heck of a boat designer and builder.

Outer Reefs are hand-laminated with bi-directional laminates and vinylester resins with solid construction below the waterline and cored above with closed cell Divinicell® PVC coring materials. All coring is vacuum-bagged. The hull is finished with five coats of epoxy osmosis barriers for resistance to water infiltration into the laminate.

The longitudinal and traverse stringer grid systems are constructed of closed cell PVC foam, fully encapsulated with multiple alternating layers of mat fiberglass and Roven Woven. All stringers are constructed with limber-hole passages to ensure that any nuisance water drains to the centerline of the hull, where it can be evacuated via the bilge pump system and that no water is trapped standing anywhere on the hull. 

Outer Reefs are fabricated from only three major molds ensuring watertight integrity and maximum rigidity. With the utilization of fewer pieces, tabbing and caulking-in parts is non-existent. With its unitized construction and many opposing angles and surfaces, in one piece of fiberglass, a truss-like structure is created that is self supporting, spanning the entire hull. This allows for flexibility of interior layout that does not dictate placement of interior bearing walls. In fact, Outer Reefs “live in the mold” for an extended period of time until all interior components are installed and properly fiberglassed into place. This ensures that once the boat is released from the mold, there is no chance of deflection, movement or warping.

And talk about customer service: Upon delivery every owner is supplied with the cell phone numbers for the commissioning manager, selling broker, service manager and even Jeff Druek himself.

Horizon Daringly Makes It’s Entry Into The Luxury Trawler Market With The EP69.

By Roger McAfee  / Horizon Photos

CEO John Lu, a naval architect and marine engineering graduate from the National Taiwan Ocean University, founded the Horizon Yacht Company in Taiwan in 1987, and has become one of the 10 largest yacht builders in the world. Since 2006, Horizon has won 11 national and international awards for its various vessels. The EP69 is a big, husky, broad-shouldered boat that towers more than two stories above the dock and marks this builder’s entry into the luxury trawler field. It’s aimed at owners of larger, faster vessels who want to proceed at a more leisurely and economical pace but still demand the finest in appointments. They may also want a separate crew quarters and Horizon fitted one—no mean feat—in a vessel with only a 59-foot waterline.

The hull of our test vessel, the only EP69 in North America at the time, was painted a daring red. It takes a confident builder to produce a dark-colored hull because even the slightest imperfection will be embarrassingly obvious on the finished product. The glasswork on the EP69 is excellent, but that’s to be expected from a builder with Horizon’s experience. The yacht’s hull is laminated as a single piece with solid glass below the waterline, while the deck and superstructure are foam-cored and the entire hull, deck and superstructure are built using the patented SCRIMP resin infusion method. Interior structural bulkheads are reinforced.

Specifications:
LOA: 69′ 4″
LWL: 59′
Beam: 20′
Draft: 6′ 1/2″
Freeboard: 5′ 11″
Height to arch top: 21′ 3″
Fuel/Water: 2360/400 gals
Holding: 190 gals
Displacement: 158,732 lbs
Power: 2x MAN diesel @ 560-hp
Cruising/Top: 9/12.1 knots
Price: $3,800,000
horizonyacht.comm

We boarded the vessel via the swim platform and made our way up one of the two elegantly-curved stairs to the aft deck. The swim platform, stair treads, aft deck and both side decks are teak-covered and provide excellent non-skid footing, even when wet. The aft deck was covered by the extended deckhouse roof—providing protection from either drenching rain or the blazing tropical sun—and adds substantially to the useable outdoor space on the vessel.

The interior fittings are top quality throughout. The hi-low table mechanisms are truly heavy duty, countertops are granite and all heads are Tecma electric and stateroom ensuite. The gourmet galley is complete with a stainless steel sink, GE fridge, cooktop, oven, dishwasher and trash compactor with a GE combination microwave/exhaust fan fitted above the cooktop. Granite floors combined with the granite countertops make for quick, easy cleanup. There is plenty of storage and the fit and finish throughout is flawless.

Interior access to the pilothouse is to starboard up a couple of steps situated forward of the saloon. The stairway down to the accommodation area forward is located just to port of the pilothouse steps. Accommodations include a full beam master stateroom, a VIP stateroom in the forepeak and a third cabin with over and under bunks. A separate crew quarters is completely aft and just as well-finished as the rest of the vessel. It contains a twin over and under bunk cabin, full-height hanging lockers, ensuite head with shower, a crew mess with L-shaped dining settee and table. Crew quarters access is off the swim step or down a ladder through an aft deck hatch. Engine room access is through the crew quarters.

The pilothouse, up a couple of steps from the deckhouse, is large and bright. Visibility is excellent and pilothouse doors, port and starboard, allow quick access to ample side decks and the Portuguese bridge. The pilothouse has a comfortable L-shaped dinette and twin helm seats, accommodating up to six people to keep the skipper company.

The command bridge is an easy few more steps up from the pilothouse and, while one can easily perform “command bridge” functions, this one is more like a rooftop gathering place. It’s covered with a good hardtop like the lower deckhouse, providing protection from rain and shade from the sun. The instrument console retracts electrically to protect it from mishaps during “anchor parties.” The U-shaped dinette, complete with table, can easily seat six. The L-shaped bar on the port side features Corian countertops and a raised serving platform, stainless BBQ, molded sink with pull-out faucet, refrigerator, three wall-mounted swing-away bar stools and plenty of storage. Just aft of the bar, out from under the overhead, is a large, well-cushioned sunpad with plenty of storage beneath. This all adds up to making the command bridge a first class entertainment area. And not to be overlooked, a four-function remotely-controlled hydraulic davit is positioned just aft of this area.

At idle, the twin MAN 560-hp diesels had us ghosting along at 5.6 knots as we made our way out to open water. The noise level in the wheelhouse was 64 dB and for reference, a normal conversation is about 70 dB. The maximum noise level reached during our test, at WOT, was only 72 dB, and this was with the stairway to the command bridge wide open! In fact, everywhere I tested it was very quiet.

At 900 rpm we made 6.5 knots burning a total of 6 gallons per hour; at 1,000 rpm we made 7.5 knots with a fuel burn of 7 gph; and at 1,500 rpm we made 10.5 knots burning 18 gph. When we spooled up to 2,000 revs, we made 11.7 knots burning 40 gph, and at WOT, 2,200 rpm, burning 54 gph while our speed was 12.1 knots. Clearly, the vessel operates most efficiently at a speed/length ratio of one and gets a shade more than one nautical mile per gallon. Remember, this boat weighs almost 168,000 pounds! And while on the subject of propulsion, the engine room layout is neat and tidy, and all equipment and machinery can be easily inspected and serviced.

There are a number of attentions to detail on this vessel that indicate the designers either had a lot of boating experience or listened to those that did. Deck storage lockers always get water inside them and any remaining water soaks items on the floor, even after draining. The EP69 not only has extra large drains, but the floor of each locker or storage space has a raised, removable wooden grate. Nothing stored sits in water.

Another unusual feature is the positioning of an electric capstan, complete with foot switch, into the aft deck fairleads, port and starboard. It is often difficult, if not impossible, to warp a heavy vessel into the dock, particularly with a tide or current running. The built-in capstan makes it easy.

A third notable feature is the existence of small, grated deck drains. The minimal amount of water that always lies between the edge of teak decking and the bulwarks has to be mopped up by hand or it will, over time, insinuate itself under the planking and cause leaks. Even worse, it will get into the deck coring and destroy the decks. The EP69 deck drains allow that water to drain away.

The final feature on this vessel relates to the design of the numerous cup and bottle holders that appear to be on every flat surface. Such holders are very convenient, but also very difficult to keep clean internally since cleaning must be done through the cup or bottle holes in the top of the unit. The holders on the EP69 look normal with the traditional three holes in the top plate. However, the entire top plate is removable so that the rest of the watertight holder can be easily cleaned. While this feature is not structurally, operationally or even cosmetically significant, it makes a major difference to those on board responsible for keeping things tidy.

The Horizon EP69 is the first of what will likely become a new segment in the boat market—the luxury trawler. It has the countenance of a commercial vessel, but with all the luxuries of its slimmer, elegantly finished yacht cousins. This trawler is designed for comfortable, long-range cruising at 8-9 knots, but can pick it up to 12 knots if necessary. And the well laid-out crew quarters may appeal to many owners who like to keep all hands onboard content. Any mariner looking for a tough, rugged but poshly appointed trawler should examine this one very carefully.

Grand Banks delivers a new flagship, the 76 Aleutian RP

By L.J. Wallace, Jr.

Make no mistake; despite its sensuous luxury and international reputation as the best of what a trawler yacht can be, the new flagship of the Grand Banks fleet is NOT a vessel for globe-girdling wannabes. It offers everything anyone needs to traverse oceans comfortably and safelybut the owners and crew can do it with panache. Again, make no mistake; it takes a lot for any boat builder to remain atop the desirability ladder for more than 50 years, but Grand Banks has done that and more. It has kept up with design and construction technology and consistently offered its customers exactly what they wanted in flair, styling, comfort, amenities, speed, reputation and status.

Not that many years ago, Grand Banks built trawler yachts that operated at displacement speeds only. Society has moved on, moves faster and our need for instant gratification has altered the paradigm for speed afloat. This 76-footer, with the maximum optional 1,724-hp CAT C32 ACERT power package, can hit more than 31 knots. However, the standard power of C18 ACERTs rated at 1,015-hp still tops out at 23.8 knots and cruises at 18.5 while burning a modest 35.8 gallons per hour. These figures were developed based on a half-load of fuel and 16 passengers. Imagine what it’s capable of with a light load and skeleton crew!

While speed is certainly important, I expect that those attracted to such vessels consider range as equally crucial. At that cruise, the Grand Banks 76 Aleutian RP offers a range of 652 nautical miles (based on 90 percent of usable fuel capacity.) Drop your speed down to true displacement speed—say, 10.5 knots—and your range jumps to more than 1,200 nm. And at just over 7 knots, you can boost that to almost 2,000 nm. That can get you to a whole host of remote anchorages.

Specifications:

LOA: 77′ 6″
BEAM: 19′ 19″
DRAFT: 5′ 4″
DISPLACEMENT: 104,000 lb. (dry)
FUEL CAPACITY: 2,845 gal.
STANDARD POWER: Twin 1,105-hp CAT
C18 ACERT diesels
OPTIONAL MAX POWER: Twin 1,724-hp
CAT C32 ACERT diesels
SLEEPS: 6 to 8 guests plus 2 crew
MAX RANGE: 1,973 n.m.
@ 7.5 Kt. (w/ std. CATs)
TOP SPEED: 23.8 Kt.
@ 2,346 rpm (w/ std. CATs)
30 Kt. @ 2,485 rpm (w/ opt. CAT’s)
CRUISE SPEED: 18.5 Kt
@2,000 rpm (w/ std. CATs)
22.9 Kt. @ 2,000 rpm (w/ opt. CAT’s)

As for the interior, there are numerous choices. The standard layout consists of four staterooms: a master with an athwartship king bed; a VIP cabin in the forepeak; and two side-by-side single berth cabins. Optionally, you can request a three-cabin layout. Both configurations include crew quarters for two, hidden beneath the cockpit with a separate entrance to the quarters and the engine compartment. Those who have succeeded, but not yet retired, might opt for the office cabin in lieu of one of the guest doubles. Having worked as crew in Europe, rest assured that by European standards, these crew quarters are opulent for a 76-footer. The space includes over/under single berths, head with shower and a washer and dryer.

Moving to the main deck, the extended pilothouse provides a larger-than-average saloon area able to accommodate a formal dining room consisting of six occasional chairs surrounding a teak-inlaid table. Or, you can choose a banquette-style dining table that seats four in the forward port corner of the saloon and four on occasional chairs on the facing side. An optional wine cooler can be placed mere steps away in the wet bar unit. One layout also provides a day head amidships to starboard in the saloon.

The galley comes in two configurations depending on whether you choose the three- or four-cabin layout. The difference is truly minimal, with the galley island curving in on the forward end in the three-stateroom layout, and being straight with the fourth. Additionally, the three-stateroom layout boasts a C-shaped dinette table and seating that is missing from the other layout. Aft of the dining room, the saloon sports a pair of facing straight settees that remind me of a stretch limo with a teak-inlaid coffee table between. The aft deck will be where most people will want to dine with its larger table and seating for more guests. Of course, that doesn’t even take into account the better vistas being alfresco provides. The substantial overhang will protect you in all but the most inclement conditions.

Moving all the way aft, twin stairwells descend down to the swim platform, affording you secure passage to the boat’s stern as well as a comfortable place to land your tender when coming and going. The aft deck offers hatch access to the crew quarters beneath, which in turn also has direct access into the engine compartment. The engine room is just shy of full-standing headroom as a concession to the overall sleek profile of the 76. However, all routine maintenance points can be found on centerline within easy reach. Such maintenance items include quick disconnects for the oil-change system, fresh water outlet and easy access to the sea strainers and batteries. Side decks afford passage to the Portuguese bridge around the pilothouse and ultimately, the foredeck. Mirror-image settees on either side of the centerline gangway to the foredeck hide copious storage and are topped with comfortable sunpads for your lounging pleasure. And everywhere you might stroll on any deck, there’s handsome but aggressive non-skid.

Next, climb the starboard-side stairs from the galley to access the flybridge where you’ll discover Stidd helm and companion seats and a pair of L-shaped settees. A break between the settees leads to the boat deck where you can carry your tender that readily launches with a sturdy electro-hydraulic 1,300-pound davit.

As you would expect from a company with Grand Banks’ longevity and reputation, the construction, materials and finish in this 76 Aleutian RP (and all GBs for that matter) rank second to none. From the outside in, Grand Banks prevents osmotic blistering in layers. From an epoxy resin barrier coat to a Hydrex-resin skin coat beneath the gelcoat, you’ll never need to worry about water intruding into the laminate, while the hull consists of solid, hand-laid fiberglass below the waterline and cross-linked PVC coring above. And very important for those who venture into uncharted waters, the full-length keel extends below the running gear for added protection.

Grand Banks doesn’t offer stabilizers as standard equipment. However, the company offers at least five different stabilizer systems as options, along with a stern thruster to augment the bow thruster if you feel the need. In fact, the standard equipment list runs to two-and-a-half pages while the options occupy barely a half page. That speaks well for any builder!

So if you dream of exploring remote spots but have reached a point in your life where you are no longer willing to sacrifice your comfort or style, the Grand Banks 76 Aleutian RP represents the near ultimate solution to your dilemma.

By L.J. Wallace, Jr.

It’s often been said that the eyes are the windows to the soul. When you first meet Larry Bonadeo, you can’t help but be struck by the intensity of his eyes—bright aquamarine, providing a portal to the inner being of a man with an uncompromising passion about building the finest boats possible, anywhere and everywhere… a pretty ambitious goal when you set up shop in Stuart, Florida, one of the world’s premiere custom boat-building towns. The Bonadeo company motto is pretty straight-forward: “Built by owners for owners, when only quality counts.”

Originally from Michigan, Larry sold his successful construction business in 1998 to pursue his love for boats and fishing, which he did from both U.S. coasts and the Bahamas. He owned a series of custom sportfishing boats and when he commissioned the construction of his 63-footer, he also signed on as a worker in the plant to start fine-tuning his boat-building skills. During this same time period, he acquired his 100-ton U.S. Coast Guard license. It’s that combination of complementary talentsunderstanding the design, construction and use of a sportfishing boatthat allows Bonadeo to produce such exemplary vessels.

When Larry later decided that he wanted a smaller boat built to yacht-quality standards, he couldn’t find one, so he did what any successful businessman does when he can’t find what he wants “off the shelf”: he decided to build one himself. The boat, a 31-footer, proved so successful and generated so much admiration and interest that in short order it established the family-owned and operated Bonadeo Boatworks. After a double-handful of launches in the lower-to-mid 30-foot range, late last year the Bonadeo 368 Walk Around was splashed. Or, given this boat’s pedigree, should I say it was introduced to the liquid elements the way a princess is properly christened. And like a true princess, from any angle on her trailer or in the water, this boat is gorgeous and turns heads.

The day of our sea trial around the St. Lucie River, aircraft from the Stuart Air Show were rampaging all around the skies, streaming smoke as they barrel-rolled and it seemed almost as if it was a celebration and tribute to this newest mini-yacht. With Larry’s son and V.P. of Operations, Tony, at the helm, we idled up the waterway as Larry took me below to show off his latest creation. More on that later. Back topside, Tony offered the obligatory “Ready?”, goosed the throttles and a tutorial in uncompromising boat design and

Specifications:

Length: 36’8″
Beam: 10′
Draft: 23″ (est.)
Fuel: 324 Gallons
Water: 50 Gallons
Holding Tank: 6 Gallons (est.)
Power: Max 900-hp
Cruise: 47 MPH
Top End: 56/60 MPH
Displacement: 12,900 lbs. (est.) full
load wet, triple Verado 300

performance commenced. The triple 300-horsepower Mercury Verados (color-coordinated with the hull, of course) growled and with hardly a bit of bow rise, the 368 leapt up on plane in scant seconds. Easing back on the sticks a bit, Tony started cranking the wheel over, harder and harder, as our circular path became increasingly tighter until we were whirlpooling around in less than three boat lengths. But even more fascinating, you couldn’t feel a bit of slip. It felt as though the hull was glued to the water and with just the right center of gravity and the boat’s degree of heel into the turn, there was none of that feeling of being thrown sideways.

The Saturday we were out there was a stiff and steady 15+ knot wind out of the northeast. As we approached the inlet, I could see four- to six-foot rollers barreling in between the stone jetties. I said, “Oh, we don’t have to run outside and get her all dirtied-up,” and Tony replied, “No, but I want to show you something.”

At the very mouth of the jetties he turned the boat beam-to into the incoming seas and there we waited for the next big set to roll by. As the waves approached, I grabbed a firm hold on the T-top upright, expecting that lunge/snap effect as the boat rose over the first crest and started sliding down into the trough. But no such thing happened. We just sort of… rocked a little. It reminded me of the way world-class hurdlers adeptly clear each barricade—they don’t really jump over it; instead they just spread their legs wide enough to stride over the barricade as their shoulders stay at almost the same height between or when jumping the hurdles. I looked over at Larry who hadn’t bothered grabbing a handhold and, like the Cheshire Cat, grinned in my direction.

“What the heck do you call that hull design,” I demanded, to which Larry replied, “Oh, we haven’t named it yet, but it would have to be pretty long.” The hull has no lifting strakes. The bottom begins with the keel, moves into a convex shape and then transitions to concave toward the chines. “It works like the wing of an airplane, creating lifting pressure from the center,” Tony explained. “You end up with a sound, deep-V feeling boat when it’s running, but at low speeds and when stationary, it’s stable like a flat-bottom boat.”

Bonadeo boats are constructed with a cold-molded vacuum bagged process, utilizing Vinyl Ester and Epoxy Resins, Kevlar, Carbon Fiber, Biaxial Fiberglass and Composite Cores. Each boat is built by hand one at a time starting with conceptual ideas from the prospective owner, through finalization with the naval engineer/designer. From that point the construction process begins.

After having me peek up under the gunwales where the workmanship and finish was seamlessly flawless, Tony explained, “When it’s all put together, it’s a totally monolithic boat with everything fiberglassed in place for a solid, but very light, one-piece structure.”

The topside overall layout is fairly standard and this boat sports a complete arsenal of angling systems and equipment, while extra touches and absolute attention to detail abound, too numerous to detail here. Everything seems to flow—nowhere do you encounter a feeling of being cramped or, “I wouldn’t have put that there,” as you move around. One standout in that respect is the expansive sun pad located directly in front of the helm. Yes, these boats are built with the serious fisherman in mind first, but even without outriggers—or as a tender to a larger yacht—it would hardly be a misemployment to choose this Bonadeo.

A contoured door on the starboard side of the helm pod swings forward, providing access down below. There you find the head, sink (with Corian countertop), Vitrifrigo stainless refrigerator/freezer, an exotic hard wood interior of book-matched open grain lacewood trimmed in Sapele hardwood, and durable and low maintenance Amtico flooring… not to mention a separate mechanical/pump room (with ABYC – American Boat and Yacht Council – Certified Electrical Panels with spark suppression) that’s pre-wired and exhaust plumbed for a future generator and fuel tank, should the owner desire. Oh yeah, and there’s the queen berth complete with an LCD/LED TV, and 6 inches and 5 feet of headroom. Did I mention this is all down below… on a 37-foot center console?!

One of the great pleasures of my job is getting to meet the people who build—and to learn about—the incredible boats I’d otherwise hardly have the chance to climb aboard, much less be offered the opportunity to run. The Bonadeo 368 is most certainly in that category.

Fearless, Bold and Adventurous

Joe Brenna must have an alter ego: Ricky Bobby. You know, the Will Ferrell character in the NASCAR comedy movie Talladega Nights who, as a young boy, commandeered his mother’s station wagon while repeating to himself, “I wanna go fast, I wanna go fast!” Well, that’s Joe Brenna for you… he likes to go fast and as the V.P. of Customer Service for Intrepid Power Boats, he couldn’t be in a better position to slake his need for speed.

I first met Joe at Harbour Towne Marina in Dania, Florida, on a gorgeous Saturday afternoon to check out their all-new 327 Cuddy. Standing on the high bulkhead looking down at the boat, I couldn’t help but notice it looked, well, fast. Not calm water fast, but rock-solid “Look out rough ocean, here I come!” sort of fast. By the end of the afternoon it was apparent that I continue to have pretty good instincts about a boat’s appearance.

After the initial pleasantries, Joe started the walk-through. Intrepid is not a custom boat per se, but it is a customizable higher-end production boat and this new model had a host of customized touches. Take, for example, the inward-swinging diving door, complete with a hydraulically-operated boarding ladder, which retracts and recesses into the hull when not deployed. This boat was set up more for family cruising than fi shing, so a lot of thought went into her below-deck areas. Forward of the console, Joe sat down on the port-side L-shaped bench seat, reached down to fl ick a switch and in so doing, the seat built into the front of the console slid to the starboard side, revealing a generously large head compartment.

“We figured that maybe the kids might be sleeping or playing fort in the Cuddy, and when kids are occupying themselves you don’t want to interrupt, so we thought it was a good idea to have a completely separate head compartment,” Joe related. When I commented that it was nice, but what happened if there was a mechanical failure and someone got trapped in the head, he showed me the latch release inside the compartment, similar to the interior trunk release handles found in automobiles now. In addition, if a young child or someone incapacitated was stuck in there and couldn’t get themselves out, you simply peel back the exterior cushion backrest and there is yet another door release from the outside. Of course, the compartment was also furnished with a sink and shower and plenty of turn-around and head room.

Specifications:

Length: 32′ 7″
Beam: 9′ 6″
Draft: 28”
Weight: 10,000 lbs.
Standard Fuel: 250 Gallons
Water: 20 Gallons
Power: 2x 300-hp Mercury
Verado (as tested)
Optional: 2x 350-hp Mercury….
Max HP Twin 350’s
Max HP Triple 300’s

The Cuddy cabin itself was fairly standard with a large convertible V-berth, but a nice touch was the optional drawerstyle refrigerator and all the small overhead storage spaces that would normally be dead space. Joe told me, “We figured, why waste usable space?”

We finally closed and locked down all the hatches, put a match to the pair of color-coordinated 300-hp Mercury Verados and let go the dock lines. With but a few squirts from the bow thruster, we cleared the dock and headed for the ICW.

Have you ever been with a good hunting dog, the sort that loves retrieving so much that they actually start to quiver with anticipation before you give the command to fetch? Well, I’m not saying Joe was exactly twitching, but his anticipation to show off how special his boats are would be apparent to anyone paying attention. About halfway out the inlet, he didn’t exactly say, “Grab a hold, we’re going,” but it was definitely shy of “Are you ready to go?” My kind of man at the helm! Seconds later we were blasting eastward on no particular set course.

For the next half hour or so, we tacked back and forth across a fairly placid sea in front of Fort Lauderdale Beach with Joe constantly on the lookout for any larger wakes. Good thing there were a few megayachts out there churning up some threefooters, otherwise Joe might have headed for the surf line. Even at top speeds (this boat had no electronics installed yet so we had to guesstimate, but we were well into the 50’s, I’m sure) the ride was rock solid and gentle. Even when we caught a little air, the landing was Charmin soft. When Joe turned her over to me, I turned her around and found the handling to be crisp and extremely responsive, much in part to the Mercury hydraulic steering system pulling the reigns on the Verado ponies. In fact, Intrepid considers the Mercury system unsurpassed and prefers to install it regardless of the brand of engines selected.

The extremely soft and stable ride is the result of a highly engineered dual-vented aft keel, wider chines, increased running surface and elevated freeboard, all of which also facilitates the ability to install a larger engine package, but not at the cost of sacrificing fuel efficiency. Beneath that sea-kindly hull shape is a fused hull and deck with a core composite system molded by the industry’s first vacuum bag infusion molding process. There is little reason not to understand why Intrepid boats have been and continue to be the choice of so many local, State and Federal law enforcement agencies. When you have to spend all day on a boat, especially one that needs to run hard and long, you don’t want to feel like you’ve just gone 15 rounds with the ocean. In addition, the flexibility of customizable options means that each boat is specifically configured for its particular job.

On the way back through the inlet, I held onto one of the legs for the hardtop (given its size which shades a good half of the boat’s deck, Intrepid doesn’t call it a T-top) and wondered why there were two different gauges of pipe used to construct it. One was made for a nice handhold, but the other was a bit too big around to grasp securely, and I don’t have particularly small hands. But then it dawned on me. I poked Joe and asked, “So, just how much thought and engineering went into the size, shape, angle and thickness of the hard top,” and Joe cracked a wide smile, knowing he’d found a disciple.

“We experimented with eight of them. The boat is actually slower without the top.”

Indeed, the hardtop acts as an integral wing or a spoiler, depending on how you view it, but either way it not only provides lift to make the boat lighter and therefore faster, but that lift is also a big part of why the boat comes down off a jump so gently. To say this boat “flies” is an entirely factual and accurate statement.

And before you think an Intrepid is pricey, consider that they are sold factory-direct. That means you not only get a whole lot more bang for your buck, but you become part of the Intrepid family where customer input remains a major factor in the company’s continuing success.

Fast and fuel-efficient, the new MJM 40z is perfectly easy for a couple to short-hand.

“Nice lines” I said to no one in particular as I stepped on board ZING, Bob Johnstone’s boat. He was already in the saloon and must have heard, because he came up smiling and welcomed me onto his newest model for a ride up to Palm Beach at the close of the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show.

Stepping onto the boat is easy. Easy, as in step right from the dock to the boat through a swinging gate and straight across without having to jump across a divide, as is usually the case with my shorter legs. I found myself making mental “checks” on a personal “Favorites List.” This boat is great for less mobile mariners! (Check.) Johnstone, MJM Yacht’s owner, together with builder Mark Lindsay of Boston BoatWorks who also joined us for the trip up the ICW, were happy to show me all the great details that they’ve built into this new yacht.

The basics

The 40z is the latest model from MJM Yachts. Designed by Doug Zurn, it’s both lean and fast. Combined with a shallow draft and an efficient diesel stern-drive or a Volvo-Penta IPS, it easily covers miles at a pretty good clip, up to the low 30-knot realm. The result is an energetic feel at the wheel and a very easy-to-control boat. With a high-tech design and construction keeping the center of gravity low, the boat carves turns with buoyant precision. The joystick system enables stabilization that borders on amazing.

This “virtual anchoring”—aka station-keeping—allowed us to “park” the boat while waiting for the two or three bridges that we needed to have open. It would make a terrific race committee boat! (Check.)

And speaking of bridges… we were able to get under all but the lowest spans between Fort Lauderdale and Palm Beach. The wheel house low clearance allows for getting under bridges as squat as 12 feet, but due to the FLIR installation on top of this particular 40z, we were only able to sneak under bridges no lower than 13.8 foot… with Doug on the foredeck, making sure that we had enough clearance. He had to duck since he was clearly the tallest item on board. Look, no waiting! (Check.)

Specifications:

LOA: 43′ 2″
Beam: 12′ 0″
Draft: 3′ 3″
Disp: 18,900 lbs (1/2 load)
Fuel/Water: 350/100 gals.
Waste Capacity: 30 gals.
Power: 2x 435-hp Volvo Penta IPS600 or 2x Cummins QSD4
Max/Cruise Speed: 39 kt/25+ mph
Bridge Clearance: 10′
Max. Cabin Headroom: 6′ 4″
Price: $879,000

Contact:

MJM Yachts
Boston, MA
617-723-3629
mjmyachts.com

Those details

Socializing is at least half the fun of boating and the 40z is designed with just that in mind. For example, the helm and companion seats swivel around and drop to the level of the port and starboard lounges in the pilot house. Our trip up the ICW was under partly cloudy skies and occasional sprinkles, but with the aft curtains down we stayed dry. With the curtains drawn back, the pilot house and cockpit—all on the same level—become one continuous spacious entertaining area. Port and starboard cockpit side-opening doors facilitate line handling, grocery wielding and of course, boarding from the dinghy.

As a sailor, I appreciate the detail down below in the galley and the forward cabin. You can clearly see Bob’s love of fine sailing yachts in his boats. As the founder of J Boats, Inc.—the company he started back in 1977 with his brother—Bob has continued to design and build beautiful yet functional yachts for racing, day-sailing and now, for just plain power boating fun. The wood-battened walls and ceiling in the stateroom with teak planking lining the wall in the saloon/galley give the boat a wider, more sailorly look, while the convertible saloon table lowers electronically to form a double berth. A third cabin is created by enclosing the bridgedeck with privacy curtains and converting the settees into additional berths that fit even the tallest crewmember. Sailors will love this boat! (Check.)

The head is located to port and conveniently accessible without disturbing those sleeping in any one of the three “cabins” and has adequate room, sink and separate shower compartment, as well as a VacuFlush head. Opposite the galley you have the option of either a lounge with a table that converts to bunk berths, or a dinette with a table that converts to a double. Both layouts offer a privacy curtain.

One zippy Zurn

Conceived as the biggest yacht a couple could easily handle at sea, around the marina, and at the anchorage, Johnstone made the 40z easy to use. It’s a breeze to dock using the Volvo-Penta IPS joystick-computerized control. The standard 400 IPS works well with the twin pod drives or with the optional twin Cummins sterndrives. Bob’s 40z is powered by twin Volvo Penta IPS 600s that he added for testing purposes.

Though it can achieve very fast speeds, it’s really overkill for this size yacht. The standard 400 is sufficient to achieve 30+ knots, while burning just half the fuel of other boats of its size while cruising at 25+ knots. On average, the MJM 40z gets 1.2 nmpg at 30 knots (according to tests conducted by Johnstone and Volvo). MJM credits this as setting their boat apart from all the other “green” boats currently on the market.

Doug Zurn designed the modified deep-V planing hull— which curves upward into a lovely Carolina bow flare—for the occasional steep following or head sea without yawling or burying the bow, making the ride way more comfortable and less jolting. The 40z’s lower center of gravity keeps her stable and able to carve into turns more gracefully. The 40z has an ISO (CE) Certified for Ocean Category-A rating and meets ISO structural standards for vessels capable of withstanding 45 knots and 21-foot seas.

On the other hand, for our little run up the ICW, I was impressed with how fast she was. Her narrow beam is just 12 feet—narrower than others in its class, another purposeful design aiding in the overall performance and allowing the added ability to cost-effectively transport the boat over the road. Great for Snowbirds! (Check.)

Though it took us a few hours to get away from the crowded post-show exodus from Fort Lauderdale, we were soon ahead of the pack, zipping along past all of the departing yachts until we reached the head of the line, up the choppy ICW. Being able to get under all but three of the bridges on up to Palm Beach combined with good speed when we could legally high-tail it, meant we got there in record time. A most enjoyable trip on a lovely boat. Who could ask for more?

The 2012 models will carry an MSRP of $879,000, and the plan is to build just eight. Best to order yours now!