They really aren’t lobster boats anymore. It’s hard to imagine anyone pulling traps from the well-varnished cockpit of a new Downeast model. However, today’s boats have the lobster boat heritage—the low profile, the long shear, the tumblehome, and, above all, the sea-keeping ability. View our collection of Downeast boat reviews to find the right one for you.
The Padebco V32 Cruiser (32′ 1″ LOA, 11′ 6″ beam) combines the beauty of traditional Downeast lobster boat lines with a modern fiberglass underbody and an interior that leans toward luxury.
The V32 Cruiser features a long waterline with a moderate deadrise at the stern, a classic sheer, flared bow section, and elegant tumblehome at the stern that results in a comfortable dry ride and seaworthiness. The captain will feel as confident cruising on the bay or offshore, and her aft deck has plenty of room for entertaining and is well-appointed with a full bench seat and midship seat. The cruising season is extended with the protection of an enclosed and spacious hardtop pilothouse and salon, featuring 6′ 6″ headroom, an L-shaped settee, plenty of windows, and excellent visibility from the helm and mate seats.
Enter the varnished teak companionway door to the forward cabin offering 6′ 3″ of headroom, a full-size V-berth, enclosed head with shower and a galley equipped with a two-burner stove, refrigerator, microwave, and sink. Power options include jet drives, straight inboard propulsion with a keel and outboard engines. Powered by Yanmar 330-hp diesel engines mated to twin Hamilton Jet drives, the V32 Cruiser runs to a top speed of 33 knots.
The Huckins Atlantic 44 (44′ 10″ LOA, 13′ 9″ beam) offers a choice of interior profiles in one- or two-stateroom layouts. Interior styling features a combination of cherry woodwork and vinyl linen wallcoverings, with cherry varnished doors and cabinets.
The Huckins Atlantic 44 provides large-boat amenities in a smaller package without sacrificing space and comfort. The boat planes effortlessly at 13 knots with twin 380-hp diesel engines and conventional shaft drives and propellers, without a hint of bow rise—never more than three and a half degrees. The Atlantic 44 tops out at 30 knots and even in less-than-perfect conditions, the ride is smooth and dry and free of pounding.
Regarding fuel economy, she’ll burn less than a gallon per mile at cruising speed, and the Atlantic 44 is also available with Hamilton Jet drives or pod drives. With wide side decks and ingeniously hidden handrails, moving fore and aft is decidedly safe and easy. Epitomizing the enduring elegance of the Huckins legacy, every Atlantic is a unique creation and available in a variety of configurations and lengths from 44 to 53 feet.
The Hinckley Picnic Boat 40 brings a fresh perspective on the most successful Hinckley series ever built. Inside, the completely reimagined layout features seamless flow from transom to helm, plentiful lounging space, a wet bar, and full sun coverage by Sureshade.
Visibility is unsurpassed. Below deck, the interior converts from cruising to a day-boating layout. Jet propulsion via twin Cummins 480-hp engines provides a top speed of 34 knots. Her jets are safer for families and for sea life.
The new Hinckley Picnic Boat 40 sports all-new TriGuard Epoxy Construction which uses Aramid fiber/E-glass for a durable outer skin paired with lightweight carbon fiber for the inner skin.
When MJM Yachts was designing a replacement for their classic 29z, 34z, and 36z, the company stayed true to its DNA of cutting-edge design, and the result is the 35z (37′ 11.5″ LOA, 11′ beam). The 35z was designed from the keel up to take advantage of the latest technology in outboard engines and gyro stabilization.
Featuring MJM’s well-known modern take on the classic Downeast design, the MJM Yachts 35z offers a modified deep-V hull with a greater waterline length-to-beam ratio and flush-deck design from open transom to wheel with side boarding doors at floating dock level. She is powered by twin 300-hp Mercury Verado outboard engines and comes standard with the joystick piloting for outboards, Skyhook station keeping, engine auto trim, and autopilot. Top speed is 46 mph; back down to cruising speed and the range is 230 miles.
The optional Seakeeper 3 takes advantage of the latest in gyro stabilization for smaller boats and runs off D/C power, so there’s no need for a genset. The combination of design and epoxy composite construction makes an MJM stronger, more stable, lighter, and longer lasting.
Collaborating with New England Boatworks afforded designer Doug Zurn the ability to work with talented custom builders. In the NEB/Zurn 50 (LOA 55′ 3″, 14′ 5″ beam), every detail is considered, and construction time is placed at 10 months. The hull and deck are built using high-tech, epoxy resin-infused composite construction.
Even with the open pilothouse and engine boxes in the deck, the NEB/Zurn 50 offers a quiet ride. The NEB/Zurn 50 is powered by twin MAN 1,200-hp diesel engines and Rolls Royce jet drives. She cruises at 43 knots with a range of 240 nm reaching 52+ knots at the top end incorporating the latest integrated ride control technology to ensure ease of maneuvering. Below-decks is a rich interior that offers both simplicity and luxury, with ease of movement throughout. Joinery is meticulously crafted, with framed panel doors, teak sole and wood lining the hull.
The queen master cabin is located forward, with cedar-lined lockers and ample storage. Marine Air air conditioning and heating is offered throughout the interior and pilothouse, as well as a sound system that also serves the cockpit.
The timeless lines of the Eastport 32 (32′ LOA, 11′ 9″ beam) have this traditional Chesapeake Bay working boat turning heads wherever she goes. However, the very modern Eastport 32 is designed and engineered to accommodate owners and guests in the recreational market.
Fishing, family fun or creek cruising, the large open cockpit and the signature “tailgate” provide a platform for all the family members and friends. The boat can be tricked out as a serious fishing machine and still have the creature comforts for an evening cocktail cruise. The Eastport 32 has a remarkable draft of only 22 inches, and the transom deadrise of 12 degrees offers a stable platform. Twin 260-hp turbo diesel engines offer a top speed of 33 knots, while a cruising speed of 27 knots offers a range of 400 miles.
A well-designed head, berths for two below and an airy cockpit with large hardtop for shelter from the beating sun make the Eastport 32 the complete package for fun and enjoyment on the water.
The Palm Beach 45 (49′ LOA, 14’8″ beam) offers a contemporary design and high-tech construction to provide a versatile yachting experience suited for cruising and family-focused outings. Twin 435-hp Volvo Penta IPS 600s provide control and performance, whether running an inlet in a down-sea swell or slicing through a chop.
High-tech construction uses resin-infused carbon fiber in the deck and superstructure and vinylester resins and a cross-link, closed-cell foam core for durability in the hull. The result is a stronger, lighter yacht with a top speed of 32 knots and a cruising speed of 26 knots. Inside, the craftsmanship and attention to detail are shown in several interior layout options that allow the owners to create the ideal family cruising yacht.
Everything from A to Z: Appealing design, zippy outboard performance… the new MJM 35z is even more impressive than her award-winning predecessors.
Even before I stepped on board the new MJM 35z in Newport, Rhode Island, early this summer, I expected to be impressed. After all, I have tested other MJM models over the years and always wanted to stay for more. But now, heading down Narragansett Bay at 39 knots in a three-foot chop, I knew I was on something truly special.
Zinnia, hull No. 1 of the MJM 35z series, powered by twin 300-hp Mercury Verado outboards, is a combination of an unusually soft ride, snappy outboard performance, classic good looks, and a lot of user-friendly touches designed to make life easy and comfortable for everyone on board.
At the dock or underway, it’s hard not to notice this new, blue-hulled Downeast beauty with its low profile, long sheer and gentle tumblehome. Like all MJMs, the 35z was designed by Doug Zurn (the “Z” in the model number), the Marblehead, Massachusetts, a designer who specializes in narrow-beam, lightweight, high-performing boats that also happen to be head-turners.
True to form, the 35z has a low center of gravity, a slender 3.5:1 waterline length-to-beam ratio and a slippery hull with 19.5 degrees of deadrise at the transom. As I found out, all this adds up to a great ride. “Lots of outboard boats pound in these conditions,” said Bob Johnstone, the founder of MJM Yachts (and J/Boats before that), as we sped down the bay. “But this boat just slices through the water.”
A few minutes later when I was driving, I realized that steering the 35z, with its 24-inch Edson destroyer wheel with varnished teak trim, couldn’t be easier. I aimed at the wake thrown up by a big cruise liner, and Zinnia did, indeed, just slice through. I put her into sharp turns at 30 knots-plus, and the boat simply carved through them, not missing a beat.
Throughout the speed range, the Verados were almost instantly responsive to the throttles, and visibility from the helm was excellent all around. In short, the MJM 35z is a treat to drive. It’s also comfortable. Johnstone put the boat beam-to the waves to demonstrate the dampening effect of the Seakeeper 3 gyrostabilizer, mounted low in the hull under a midship hatch. The boat rocked gently, certainly not enough to bother even the most squeamish of passengers.
Johnstone said the decision to power the new 35z with outboards was easy. The trend to outboard power, even on larger boats, has been growing lately, with three or four outboards mounted on 40-foot-plus center consoles and cruising boats. Johnstone tested some center consoles last year and was greatly impressed by their performance, but he was not impressed by their ride. “What we needed was the performance of an outboard with the soft ride and luxury of an MJM,” he said.
Meanwhile, owners in the Carolinas and Florida told him they wanted outboard power, particularly in areas with thin water. Outboards also have the advantage of less damage from grounding or snagging pots or debris. They’re easier to work on and maintain, easier to replace and open up a lot of space inside the boat.
The surprisingly spacious interior of the MJM 35z.
You’ll be sure to find equal and stable footing from aft to stern.
Plenty of “head” room on the MJM 35z.
A running shot of the MJM 35z.
Hull #1.
The 35z is a joint effort of Johnstone, Zurn and Mark Lindsay of Boston BoatWorks in Charlestown, Massachusetts, which specializes in high-tech racing sailboats. The model is laid up with pre-preg epoxy, Kevlar/Eglass/Core-Cell composite construction. It has an ISO-certified B Offshore rating for stability and seaworthiness, and its air height of just nine feet makes it attractive for sliding under bridges.
The 35z is also a user-friendly craft. You don’t actually climb on the boat. Instead, you simply walk through a door on the side of the hull that’s the same level as the floating dock and enter the cockpit. The side doors, Johnstone explained, are part of his “honor-your-elders” philosophy, meaning he recognized that when boaters get older they really don’t enjoy climbing over a coaming or twisting an ankle jumping into the boat from a dock. That idea is carried out once you’re on board; the teak-and-holly sole is all on one level from the swim platform to the helm.
A bench aft in the cockpit seats three adults; it’s on a pod that lifts, revealing a large lazarette. A socket in the sole in front of the seat holds the stainless steel pedestal for a varnished teak, double-leaf table that opens to 24-by-36 inches. In the cockpit forward, a serving bar on the port side is big enough to accommodate an electric grill (the boat has a 3.5kW gas genset), baitwell, sink, icemaker, or fridge. To starboard is an aft-facing seat with a locker and portable cooler. An optional Bimini covers the cockpit.
Walking forward, the bridge deck is protected by a hardtop, roll-up Strataglass sides and aft door. Matching settees on each side convert to full-length berths at night that can be surrounded by a privacy curtain. There’s massive storage under the settees. For ventilation, two opening hatches overhead let in plenty of fresh air, the side windows forward slide apart, and the boat’s windshield fully opens at the touch of a button.
At the helm, the teak joystick is under your left hand. When we left the dock, Johnstone simply walked the boat sideways. In addition to the joystick, the 35z has Skyhook, autopilot and automatic trim for the 300-hp Verados. (Twin 350-hp Verados are optional, but Johnstone says they only add about 4 knots of speed.)
The Mercury throttles are under your right hand, while the Mercury engine display and a large Raymarine gS165 HybridTouch chartplotter are in front and easy to read. The VHF is mounted overhead. Driving is comfortable, sitting in (or standing in front of) an adjustable Stidd Admiral helm seat with a teak footrest; a matching Stidd is across to port.
Below-decks, the 35z has a V-berth forward (a filler is optional), a galley to port (with a Corian counter with a sink, Princess single ceramic cooktop, microwave, and fridge), and head to starboard. The cabin is designed in a salty, Herreshoff style with cherry-trimmed, off-white panels and a teak-and-holly sole. I was surprised by the amount of standing headroom here, considering Zurn’s low profile for the boat. I’m almost 6-foot-2, and I had room to spare.
This new MJM clearly was designed for the way most people use boats today: as a day boat or weekend cruiser, with the possibility for occasional longer stays on board. That seems to be a winning formula. Indeed, Johnstone said MJM already has 22 orders, and those came in well before any fall boat show.
MJM is tapping into the allure of the outboard market citing easier maintenance, advances in technology and controls, better performance, quiet running, and less risk of damage in a grounding. This has led to the 35z (37′ 11″ LOA, 11′ beam) and MJM 43z (46′ 3.5″ LOA, 12′ beam) powered by Mercury eradoV outboards. The new models combine 50 mph performance with all-weather family boating.
Joystick docking with GPS station-keeping eases maneuvering. Options include a full-length bimini and a Seakeeper gyrostabilizer. Both models feature hulls designed by Zurn Yacht Design with a modified deep-V and long waterline.
The newest model from the Rockland, Maine-based builder, the Back Cove 32 (37′ LOA, 11′ 10″ beam) certainly looks like part of the family with its traditional styling. The cockpit and pilothouse meet on a single level, transitioning seamlessly into the interior, where a galley-up arrangement allows the cook to be part of the action.
Below, the cabin features an island berth and split head and shower. The systems are as straightforward as the classic design. A single diesel engine ensures fuel efficiency, and standard power—a 370-hp Volvo engine—brings the 32 to a 22-knot cruise and 26-knot top speed.
Making its world debut in Fort Lauderdale, the Sabre 45 Salon Express (49′ LOA, 14′ 8″ beam) ups the convenience and comfort factors that Sabre owners are used to with a new utility space between the engine room and guest stateroom. Owners can choose to incorporate a washer and dryer, extra refrigerator or freezer, or a wine chiller, so storage spaces elsewhere won’t be compromised. Both staterooms have a private head with shower stall. A midlevel galley enjoys the light from the overhead windshield and is convenient to the main salon. At recent sea trials, the Sabre 45 Salon Express hit 32 knots and cruised at 27.6.
Forget the fact that the Palm Beach 65 was one of the most beautiful boats I’d ever seen—sleek, low, classic lines, and exquisite fit and finish. It was the ride that was really impressive.
On a late summer afternoon in Long Island Sound off Rowayton, Connecticut, I put the wheel all the way over at 25 knots. The boat simply turned and kept almost level, with absolutely no muss or fuss whatsoever. The motion was as solid as it could be; nothing even creaked as it completed one circle and prepared to do it again. That’s when I realized that this new Palm Beach flagship—the line now stretches from 42 to 65 feet—was a special boat, one with a rare combination of stunning looks and exceptional performance. It was obvious that others shared my opinion, since almost everyone we passed waved and smiled when they saw this big, three-stateroom, three-head, flybridge motoryacht go by. The Palm Beach 65 is definitely a boat that garners attention.
The 65’s performance at both low and high speeds is impressive as well. With three of us on board—me, Dave Northrop, Palm Beach’s VP of sales and marketing, and Carvey Iannuzzi, the Palm Beach broker in Fort Lauderdale—plus about 1,400 gallons of diesel fuel and a 10.5-foot tender in the garage, the boat came up on plane easily with almost no bow rise at all, and then, pushed by twin 900-hp Volvo diesels and straight shafts, it topped out at 30.2 knots. (Volvo IPS pod drives are an option.) Bow and stern thrusters made docking easy.
There’s more than six feet of standing headroom in the queen VIP. Photo credit: Andrea Francolini
Customizeable layouts offer galley up and down options. Photo credit: Andrea Francolini
Palm Beach 65 Ensuite heads come with enclosed showers and contemporary fixtures. Photo credit: Andrea Francolini
Palm Beach 65 Whether in the cockpit enjoying fresh air or cozy in the salon protected from the elements, warm woods blended with colorful accents give and air of casual elegance. Photo credit: Andrea Francolini
Palm Beach 65 Unique bow seating in the foredeck provides a great vantage point. Photo credit: Andrea Francolini
Palm Beach 65 Three matching Stidd chairs on the flybridge ensure comfort for the skipper and mates. Photo credit: Andrea Francolini
Palm Beach 65 Engine Room. Photo credit: Mike Calabro
The person most responsible for all this is Mark Richards, an Australian who signed up as an apprentice boatbuilder in Pittwater (about 20 miles north of Sydney) when he was 17, then became a champion sailboat racer. Richards has won the treacherous Sydney-Hobart race an unparalleled eight times. He launched Palm Beach Yachts in 1995—the town of Palm Beach, Australia, is just up the coast from Pittwater—drawing on his sailing experience to use high-tech materials for lightweight yet rigid hulls with almost avant-garde interpretations of classic design. In August 2014, Palm Beach was acquired by Grand Banks, and Richards was named CEO of both companies.
The Palm Beach 65 debuted at this fall’s Newport show and welcomed the many lookers boarding via the large teak swim platform. A sliding door on each side opens to the cockpit; they recess into pockets in the wide transom. As for attention to detail, the bottom of the port-side door has a cutout for the shore cord. Aft, a bench settee across the transom offers alfresco dining on a highly varnished teak table supported by two stainless pedestals. An L-shaped settee is forward on the starboard side, with another teak table on one stainless pedestal. There’s also a cockpit wet bar with a Silestone countertop, fridge, freezer, sink, storage, and glassware cabinet.
In the cockpit, you can push one button to raise or lower the swim platform; push another, and the entire cockpit sole and transom lift up to reveal the garage with a 10.5-foot AE RIB powered by a 20-hp Yamaha. A trolley system launches it over the swim platform; use the power winch to retrieve it.
The flybridge is up eight teak steps from the port side of the cockpit. Three Stidd helm chairs face the centered helm, with a teak wheel and one Garmin screen. An L-shaped settee and polished teak table are on the starboard side.
Access to the gel-coated engine room is from a hatch at the forward end of the cockpit and down three teak steps. A big Grocco strainer is at the foot of the steps. The Cummins Onan 21kW genset is centered and flanked by two 900-hp Volvo diesels. Though it’s laid out well, headroom is not abundant (a tradeoff for the boat’s low profile), but there’s plenty of room to walk around the front of the Volvos to reach the outboard sides. Each engine has two Racors.
The salon is one teak step up from the cockpit through a bi-fold teak and glass door. Two large rear windows are on either side of the door, and they can be lowered at the press of a button. Palm Beach builds semi-custom yachts, so no two are the same. On this one, an L-shaped settee and folding teak table that seats six is to port; two sofas face each other on the starboard side forming an inviting social area. The entire salon is filled with beautiful Burmese teak and light from the large windows all around.
Forward up one teak step, the helm seat to starboard can hold two or three adults and faces a teak wheel and the easy-to-read, gently curved instrument panel with two Garmin screens. The side window next to the helm and the one next to the galley go all the way down with a push button. The helm window opening is large enough that you can step out to the side deck to help with docking if needed. The L-shaped galley is large and bright, with lots of countertop, storage space and Miele appliances: four-burner cooktop, oven, microwave, and dishwasher. Signature Palm Beach bone china is in a cabinet behind the helm; a drawer holds Palm Beach cutlery.
Two teak steps lead down to the accommodations deck. To starboard, the massive master stateroom is so big it even has room for a residential-sized Miele washer and dryer and large storage area aft. The headboard of the walkaround king-size bed is against the starboard side and flanked by oval porthole windows. A walk-in closet is of ample size, and the large ensuite head has a generous shower behind a glass door. An overhead hatch lets in lots of light.
The VIP stateroom is forward, with a walkaround queen bed, and six-foot-plus standing headroom at the foot of the bed. Its ensuite head with shower is just a bit smaller than the one in the master. The cozy third stateroom—suitable for children or crew—is tucked under the galley on the port side. A day head is just forward down the companionway.
Richards drew from his racing experience to reduce weight while adding rigidity to Palm Beach hulls, which are built with composites of stitched E-glass, vinylester resin, a layer of Core-Cell foam, and a vacuum-infusion process. All panels and tanks are bonded into the hull; bulkheads and fixed furniture also are bonded to the hull and deck for extra strength.
The 65’s semi-displacement hull has a warped bottom, starting with a 37-degree deadrise at the bow and ending with 6 degrees at the stern. It’s an efficient hull design, but it’s also smooth, strong and, as evidenced by the appreciative looks from those on land and on other boats, it’s eye-catching as well. On our way back to the dock we passed a picnic boat with two men on board who did a double-take, smiled and waved.
— By Peter A. Janssen, Southern Boating Magazine December 2016
The Zurn/NEB 38 was designed for fishing and diving, and with jet drives powered by twin Volvo Penta D-6 diesel engines you’ll get to your favorite spot quickly. The open cockpit offers an impressive amount of space for a 38-foot boat and includes removable bait wells and fish lockers as well as storage space for rods and diving gear.
The transom seat folds up out of the way for additional room. Below deck the Zurn/NEB 38 (44’2″ LOA, 12′ beam) has an elegant open interior with room for two people. Ceiling accents frame the queen-sized berth with ample drawer storage beneath. Aft of the berth is a head to port, and to starboard a galley with a sink, microwave, small DC fridge, Corian countertop and cabinet storage. zurnyachts.com
Classic boats don’t just endure; they evolve over time. The Hunt Surfhunter 29 is one such classic. Her enduring hull form has now become the Hunt Surfhunter 32 with outboards (32’1″ LOA, 10’6″ beam). Hunt added an Armstrong bracket to the 29 hull which makes the boat a true 32, and the deck layout is changed to be much more accommodating.
Also debuting at FLIBS is the Hunt Ocean Series 72, the newest yacht in Hunt’s Ocean Series. Sporting lines that are classic, purposeful and clearly eager to run, Hunt calls this boat not a motoryacht, not a downeast, but a true Sports Motoryacht.
Hunt kept the deckhouse inboard from the hull sheer creating plentiful open deck space and trimmed the roof overhang to create clean lines. The 72 (71’3″ LOA, 19’6″ beam) delivers a more athletic look that’s tuned in to the way owners want to use their yachts today.
At the 2015 Fort Lauderdale Boat Show, Hinckley promised to introduce a yacht that would herald a new golden age of Hinckley runabouts. The sculpted lines of the Hinckley Talaria 34 Runabout made their debut in the spring in a stunning metallic color set off by signature teak and stainless accents, and nary a boater would accuse the company of overpromising. Inside the Talaria 34R’s sleek lines there’s a racy helm and co-pilot seating, a conversational U-shaped settee and all the amenities for entertaining.
On the dash and at the helm there is room for an oversized display, classic gauges, tilt steering, and side vents for when things really heat up. Don’t miss the beautiful Hinckley Talaria 34 Runabout.
