Category: Motoryachts

Maritimo’s Genesis

The new M60 takes the original flybridge motoryacht to a higher level.

To say this yacht has wings isn’t far from the truth. The Maritimo M60 can fly along the water with ease at speeds over ground up to 30 knots. But unless you want to use up your fuel just to go fast, come down to cruise at around 20 knots and not only go the distance, but enjoy the ride on a well-thought-out, newly designed yacht that is built upon the tradition of Maritimo’s very first 60-foot yacht back in 2004, the Maritimo 60. 

“Maritimo has stayed focused on shaft-drive propulsion, which provides a combination of improved efficiency, economy, and long-range performance,” says Tom Barry-Cotter, managing director of Maritimo, who spearheaded the design efforts. “The new M60 continues that tradition and has its roots in the very first motoryacht Maritimo produced almost twenty years ago. The M60 epitomizes our commitment to producing long-range cruising motoryachts with superior seakeeping capabilities. The engine position and low shaft angles in our design provide balance and a low center of gravity that help the boat perform in virtually any sea condition.”

Built for the Sea 

Barry-Cotter has told us before about Australia’s waters, where Maritimo calls home. “There’s no Intracoastal Waterway. Any sort of boating you do is out in the open ocean. You have to go quite a long way to get to the next port.” 

That’s why Maritimo designs its hulls to keep the center of gravity as low as possible. Barry-Cotter pointed out that the variable deadrise hull form has a fine entry that progresses to a flatter dead rise aft, which provides a soft entry and a soft ride, perfect for those the Maritimo was designed for—owners who love to spend a lot of time on the boat. It’s comfortable at all speeds and conditions.

“Maritimo Yachts are built for the way cruisers use them in Australia, which is long-range cruising under the most challenging sea conditions in the world,” says Dave Northrop, president of the Americas for Maritimo. “The Maritimo pedigree translates very well to anywhere boaters want to take them in North American waters. The M60 has our proprietary Monocoque hull that withstands any conditions and is fitted out with the kind of interior and exterior gathering areas that welcome family and friends for extended time aboard.”

Relax and Enjoy

Knowing that the yacht is safe and secure at sea allows the owner and guests to really enjoy the amenities on board, and the design team has gone above and beyond to reimagine the deck spaces, the spacious skylounge, and the interior comfort of the salon and accommodations. 

Let’s start with the interior. The ability to move around the yacht freely without having to duck because of low headroom or to navigate too many steps is designed into the M60’s layout. An open, atrium-style companionway allows for natural light to lead you down to a full-beam king ensuite master stateroom midship, a spacious, offset, walkaround queen ensuite stateroom forward, and a twin single guestroom starboard with an option for the inner berth to slide out to create a double berth. There’s even room in the companionway for the optional washer and dryer. Panoramic hull windows also add to the natural lighting.

Speaking of which, the salon and galley are fully surrounded by windows that connect you to the panoramic view, yet there’s the security of being indoors during inclement weather. 

The M60’s wide beam makes you feel like you’re in a much bigger vessel. It’s open and comfortable. The forward lounging area has large L-shaped settees on each side, and the galley centers between the salon and the aft cockpit deck, so when the panoramic sliding doors are open, the entire main deck quickly becomes one enormous entertainment suite. 

Entertainment is a key element to the M60, and one of the favorite spots is up on the flybridge deck. Here, a perched, 360-degree view takes you to a higher level, especially the captain, as this is home to the helm where captain comforts include two plush, leather seats and a hydraulic helm and joystick system along with the full complement of electronics. The elevated view is advantageous when navigating reefs or coming into dock. 

A big couch sits to port for company and a cozy salon area is aft—all enclosed. Open the accordion-style doors to expand the area even more by connecting with the protected outdoor deck space covered by the flybridge hardtop and awning. The enclosed, climate-controlled flybridge is accessible by the internal staircase, another protection from the elements. 

Let the Adventure Begin

You’d think all that was enough, but when families or adventurous spirits are involved, there’s nothing like the immense aft deck. At the global launch, Barry-Cotter pointed out that it was owner feedback that prompted Maritimo to create such an area. Owners really enjoy the protection from and the connection to the environment, and when at anchor, the huge cockpit and aft adventure deck have the capability to host a range of entertaining or relaxing activities as well as a platform for snorkeling, diving, paddling, you name it. 

Forward-facing seating is molded with an entertainment center that is the focal point between the cockpit and the adventure deck and houses a centerline barbecue, sink, and a refrigeration unit accessible when standing on the aft deck. The walkaround centerpiece has another surprise. It’s the cover for Maritimo’s fully lined garage that can store a 10-foot tender or some personal watercraft models as well as toys, boards, and diving gear. You can have all the toys necessary to explore and play, and if you need more room, there are options to store the tender elsewhere on board, including up on the forward deck with an optional davit or mounted on the adventure deck with the optional hydraulic platform. 

Remember the reference to wings? The Maritimo M60 has wings. The signature design was there at the beginning, disappeared in various design phases over the years, and is back. The signature molded “wings” off the superstructure complete a sense of balance and style for the exterior design as well as provide cover when walking the side decks. Incidentally, the wing design allows the superstructure to keep the same beam as that of the main deck, which makes for more room than a conventional, tapered flybridge design. That equates to larger social areas and a more relaxed atmosphere. The use of advanced material technology keeps it lightweight, yet strong, and helps keep the center of gravity down low where it belongs. 

Power to Cruise

The hull and engineering are designed to use straight-shaft drive technology with twin Volvo Penta D13 800-mhp engines. Owners can choose the 1,000-mhp option or Scanis Di16 1,150-mhp engines as an upgrade. The shaft angle is a low eight degrees to give more anchorage options, and the 1,200-gallon fuel capacity gives additional destination options. The fuel tanks are set as low as possible in the hull for maximum stability. Hull No. 1 was designed for shoal water, so molded tunnels were incorporated to reduce draft by nearly a foot and give more protection to the six-bladed Nibral propellers and rudders.

On the M60 sea trial, it was noted how there was a light touch to the hydraulic helm and that the hull came to plane easily without using any trim tabs. Although the yacht can reach 30 knots, which will usually get you away from a storm, the hull’s characteristics keep the boat stable and can handle waves without a shudder. But at 30 knots, your range will only be around 371 nautical miles. At cruise (approx. 17 knots), you’ll gain an extra 47 nautical miles. 

Barry-Cotter wanted the M60 to be just as special as the Maritimo 60. Pictures speak a thousand words, but nothing quite gives you the full magnitude of M60’s enchanting power as when you step aboard. 

-by Steve Davis

Grand Banks 85

INTRODUCING THE GB85. GRAND BANKS ON A GRAND SCALE!

The GB85 is not simply a bigger Grand Banks. True, this exquisite, long-distance cruiser is the largest yacht they’ve ever built. But her most impressive statistics are not to be found in her dimensions but in the best-in-class figures we’re recording for her fuel efficiency and range. That’s where you will indeed find a big difference!

Thanks to the hydrodynamics of their proprietary V-Warp technology, the Grand Banks 85 uses half the fuel of other 85 footers as she requires half the horsepower to achieve the same speeds and performance.

Owners and their guests will travel further, faster and spend more time exploring their destination and less time at the fuel dock.

Needless to say, her interiors and amenities are everything you’d expect from a name that is synonymous with luxury and elegance. Her extended length and 22ft beam allow Grand Banks to offer a wide range of configurations. Hull number 1 has three massive staterooms and separate crew quarters that can be used for children or additional guests.

Modern Class

The latest version of the Palm Beach 52 is born from the love of a stylish profile. 

I remember back in my sail racing days on San Francisco Bay how cool it was to see the classic, sleek, powered-up profiles of some sailboats as they headed upwind under full sail and tightly trimmed. The Etchells and Star keelboats come to mind, but so do the J-Class America’s Cup boats I’ve seen in many an epic photograph and painting. There’s just something about that powered-up look. 

A similar feeling is true with the traditional Maine lobster boat design, although not looking all that sleek, the vessel has a strong, yet graceful appearance to it. That was the profile that caught the eyes of Australian Mark Richards while he was sail racing off the U.S. Northeast coast.

Richards is a professional yachtsman who has competed around the world. He also has a knack for yacht design; he learned the trade as a young shipwright apprentice and was instrumental in many sailboat designs through collaborations with John McConachy on America’s Cup boats, Bob Oatley and the maxi sailboat designs, and naval architect Andy Dovell.

It was with Dovell that Richards captured that lobster boat style in a design intended to be a “sailor’s powerboat,” the PB38. It was lighter, had a softer ride, and used half the fuel than its lobster boat inspiration. From that first mold, Richards, now CEO of GB Marine Group, parent company of Palm Beach Motor Yachts, improved each Palm Beach model to give owners superior quality, efficiency, maneuverability, and comfort—all encompassed in the latest version of the Palm Beach 52.

The Soft Ride

It begins in the hull design, where a boat really makes its mark. In their desire to build that sailor’s powerboat, Richards and Dovell created an entirely new hull design.

Starting with the PB38 and refined with each build, the evolution of the V-warp hull developed into a sharpened V-bow entry to slice through the water ahead of a semi-displacement form that flares amidships to roll away the water and then continue to a low deadrise aft. The result is buoyancy, stability, additional lift, reduced drag, and that soft Palm Beach ride.

“One of the things about planing boats…is that you have to get over the ‘hump,’ that transition speed between displacement and planing,” says Hank Compton, managing director for GB Marine Group in Stuart, Florida. “You can’t see anything over the bow as the boat reaches speed, and it’s terrible on fuel economy. We don’t have that. You can physically run this boat from forward detent all the way to wide open throttle and there’s no uncomfortable place. 

“We’ve got a very shallow dead rise aft, say about eight degrees, which gives you a lot of lift because you have a big, flat section aft,” he adds. “In addition to that, you get a lot more stability because the design utilizes the entire bottom. …The V-warp hull is like a planing hull, but not. It’s more of a displacement hull, but because we have such a fine entry, all that lift aft, and because we’re light, the boat moves smoothly from hull speed to plane speed. …It’s one reason why our ride is so comfortable.”

Another reason the ride is so comfortable is the boat is built with all the bulkheads and fixed furniture fused to the hull. That makes for a solid, level platform. “Like all of our boats, it’s infused with e-glass,” says Compton. “And the deck up through the hardtop is infused carbon fiber, which really keeps the weight down and the center of gravity low.”

Power Center

In addition to the hull and upper structure designed to keep the center of gravity low, the Palm Beach 52’s standard twin 600-hp Volvo Penta IPS 800s are installed in the center of the boat, which, by design, helps balance the boat.

“The other thing we did that a lot of people do not do, especially with pods, is we keep the engine locations in the same spot whether you get pods or shafts, and we offer both,” says Compton. “But we don’t move the engines. We feel like the engine location in the center of the boat as low as you can get is by far the best location. And then we have a carbon fiber jackshaft on the back of the engine that runs back to the input of the pod. …I think people really like the performance of the pods, and I can confirm that we’re getting roughly twenty-five to thirty percent better fuel efficiency with the pods versus the shafts.”

The 800s will take her up to 32 knots, but as Compton mentioned, there’s the option for shaft drives with twin Volvo D11 engines. Owners also have the choice of twin Volvo Penta IPS 950s that will reach speeds up to 34 knots. 

Traditional Layout

The aft deck has a traditional Palm Beach layout with an aft-facing L-shaped settee against the cabin sole to starboard and a countertop with sink atop a fridge to port. A forward-facing transom settee with room for three at a teak table makes for a nice entertainment area. Owners have the option to configure the aft deck, including the awning, which can setup as fixed or removable.

“The upside to the fixed one is you get the downlights,” says Compton. “You can run thirty to forty knots, and it’ll stay secure.”

The fixed swim platform is accessible from both sides of the aft deck and the transom has a wide counter-like top that can serve as a counter, but it flips up to reveal a barbecue and storage area. “A lot of people put fenders and lines in this storage box because it drains into the main deck drain,” says Compton. “Some people insulate this and make it a cooler box.” 

The height of the transom from the ample swim platform is another key element: It serves as a riser for the outboard engine on the tender. That’s right, there’s a tender garage behind that transom and under the aft deck that fits an 11-foot tender with a 20-hp tiller outboard.

Looking forward from the aft deck is a walkway on each side of the cabin to provide easy access to the anchor and the large sunpad on the bow. 

Inside the cabin, the layout is nothing short of stylish. Classic teak woodwork surrounds cushioned seats that have living room coziness, especially with the starboard twin facing settee option. To port, a long L-shape settee with a teak table seats four.

The elevated helm is forward to starboard with a matching forward-facing helm seat to port. Between the two, steps lead down to the accommodations, and in this model, the galley, which has a cathedral-type feeling because it’s open to the top of the cabin headliner. There is an option for a galley up, but you’d lose the port helm seat, and with the ceiling-less galley down, it’s easy to still be part of the conversation, yet allow for some out-of-the-way space. 

“We’re probably fifty/fifty up galley versus down galley, but my personal opinion is that the down galley works quite well with this boat because it’s still open,” says Compton. “It’s not like you’re stuck in the hole.”

Personal Preferences

On this boat, the cabinets, the trim, the panels, the doors, the flooring (even in the heads), and the helm all have that rich, golden, soft, warm teak that is strong and durable. Matched with white headliners, counters, and seat cushions, the look embodies sophistication. Owners can customize colors, fabrics, fixtures, fittings, and upholstery when building their boat. 

The ensuite master cabin forward features a raised centerline queen berth, while the beds in the ensuite twin cabin midship to starboard can slide together to make another queen. There’s plenty of storage everywhere, including under the companionway floorboards.

The Palm Beach 52 has two models, sedan and flybridge. “These owners have done one thing a little bit differently with the flybridge on this boat,” says Compton. “They have gone for a double Stidd seat (standard is two separate seats) and got the joystick control in the armrest. They also made this hardtop about three feet longer than standard.” What that did was extend the deck living area all the way aft. Normally, the aft section is open and has a small entertainment center/wet bar. Now with the enclosure, the entire flybridge is a sitting area, and the owners added air conditioning for more comfort. 

“I think this model is a good combination of modern design, modern building, and the classic look,” says Compton. “It’s the most fun boat you can drive, I guarantee it. It really is like driving a sports car that looks like a Rolls (Royce), and that’s the beauty of it—you can have the best of both worlds.”

-by Steve Davis

The Dream That Became a Reality

A boating couple upgrades to Marlow Yachts’ 70E MKII.

Dreams! We all have them at times. They can help us deal with reality by taking us away for a few moments and putting us somewhere more desirable. For boaters, dreams can place us on a superyacht in a faraway exotic destination or put us at anchor in a tropical paradise watching a blazing sunset, cocktail within reach.

Dream Weaver 

Real dreams don’t just go “poof” and turn into a reality on their own. They take planning, foresight, determination, and more. Did I say planning? That’s exactly what the owners of the newest Marlow Yachts 70E MKII did (MKII is second generation). They did their homework and are now living their dream. 

Unbeknownst to them, this dream started many years ago. As a boating couple, they had seven boats over the 20 years of cruising through life together. Each one taught them the likes/dislikes, dos/don’ts, and finer features they would someday desire. They scoured boat shows to learn as they went, compiled spreadsheets with the data they found, and kept asking questions. For five of those years, they owned a Marlow 62 that “we absolutely loved.” So, when shopping for a larger yacht, they kept comparing other brands to their Marlow, eventually deciding to build the Marlow 70E.

Which begged the question: Why a fiberglass hull versus a steel hull? “The Kevlar construction and the strut keels were big selling points, very safe,” he says. Of note, Marlow uses its own patented Velocijet strut keels that not only protect the propellers but encases the twin shafts and reduces drag. The owner also explains that they will be doing warm water cruising, so building to an ice class was not necessary. 

Part of their dreamscape is to explore the world. “We plan to cruise a great deal, to the Bahamas and Caribbean, through the Panama Canal, along the West Coast, and eventually, summer in Alaska,” says the owner, who is originally from Alaska. Adding onto their list is heading across the Pacific to Hawaii, the islands of Fiji, Christmas Island, and farther.

The owners were also impressed with the fine craftsmanship within the structure, from the joinery, wood finish, and overall layout. Key to the Marlow is that they could customize the yacht to their needs and not be shoehorned into a preset layout. 

Built for Purpose

When you build a long-range cruiser to cross large expanses of open ocean, you have to step up the capabilities, redundancies, and backups. Marlow obliged the requests.

Fuel capacity was increased to 3,700 gallons, thanks to custom fiberglass tanks. The twin 1,200-hp MAN V8 diesel engines were chosen for their fuel efficiency over top end speed. Setting an 8-knot speed, the 70E delivers a range of approximately 3,000 nautical miles, sufficient to get to Hawaii from California. 

If speed is the need, then this yacht delivers. Riding on board to get a feel for the velvety smooth ride and grab some running numbers, the 70E topped out at 25.6 knots wide open. I’m sure the minds at Marlow will squeeze a little more top end out of her when they perform their final tuning. Nonetheless, that is an impressive speed for a 125,000-pound yacht.

Another custom feature (and great idea) are the engine oil containers. Making for easy oil changes, Marlow built two 55-gallon containers in the swim platform for fresh oil and used oil. No more lugging jugs through the crew quarters to the engine room. Oil changes can be performed cleanly, as needed, anywhere. Discard the used oil when back in port.

Even with the twin upgraded 24kW Kohler generators, upgraded Fireboy fire and safety control system (strobe/sirens are mounted throughout), and Yacht Controller remote engine controls, there’s plenty of room to get around the engines for fuel filters and ancillary system access.

A mechanical room below the stateroom flooring houses hot water heaters (close proximity to the showers for fast hot water), and pumps as well as additional dry storage space.

Stability and control is from the custom hydraulic ABT TRAC system with oversized stabilizer fins, 50-hp bow and stern thrusters, and windlass. Three hydraulic crash pumps are at the ready, able to ship 240 GPM overboard in an emergency.

From the Top Down

You might think that all of this makes the home comforts play second fiddle, but you could not be more wrong.  

Operational control is from the fully enclosed command bridge, customized with a separate office and day head. As an owner/operator yacht, the husband and wife team will share wheel time but also need to be on top of the navigation and other duties, so why not have an office or nav room right by the helm? This also offers the best seat in the house without being confined to the typical desk setup in the lower master stateroom. 

The corner table with L-shaped settee lowers to become a berth, keeping this cruising couple close by during extended night transits.

Garmin electronics is the preferred package, with three multifunction displays at the centerpoint of the helm. A custom interior lighting package with red, white, and blue lights helps to maintain night vision.

Even with full walkaround side decks, the main deck salon is spacious with port and starboard full-length sofas covered in white Ultraleather. A custom teak coffee table has twin ottomans that store beneath and have removable cushioned tops that flip to trays and offer storage in the bases. A hide-away 65-inch LED TV is forward in the bulkhead.

The owners’ big request was a large, workable galley. Planning to be on the hook often or just desiring a home-cooked meal, proper meal prep is mandatory.

Running along the starboard side, there’s counter space around the modular sink station, located next to the stove top (with pot holder clamps). Six undercounter fridge/freezer drawers are well suited for provisioning.

The oversized yet walkaround island with customer-chosen granite countertop is centrally located. Appliances are upgraded, including the overhead microwave, lower oven, and two dishwashers. Pantry space is deep and most have pull-out shelves.

Under the forward windshield is a cozy L-shaped settee with teak table. A convenient port-side deck door offers access for provisioning or grabbing forward dock lines. 

As for dock lines, “he” handles those when docking as “she” is commanding the 70E when pulling into slips. A lot of experience is wrapped around this dream, as he has his captain’s license and she is getting hers. This couple knows what they are getting into.

The aft deck provides twin staircases to the swim platform, side boarding gates, a large teak dining table, and a transom bench. The foredeck sports a Portuguese-style bridge with access doors from the side decks. Doubling as a fender/line storage box, the center seat is a great spot for catching the sunset and cold cocktail.

Although planned for cruising by the owners, the yacht will have family and friends on board for various legs of their transits and they wanted comfortable accommodations for all.

Designed with three staterooms with ensuite heads, ample head and elbow room was key to maintaining the open feel the rest of the yacht represents. Midship is the full-beam master with a king berth, his-and-hers private heads with a large center shower stall, and tons of walkaround space. Full-size port and starboard drawers, closets, and lockers provide maximum clothing storage.

Adding to the accommodations is a forward VIP and starboard twin-bunk guest stateroom, both with heads and shower stalls, storage, and TVs.  

More Niceties

To support their extended cruising plans and range, other customized components were included, such as a storage room on the aft deck for fenders, lines, and cleaning gear, nicely sized aft crew quarters that can double as storage, custom drawer latches and hardware, and diesel heaters for cabin heat. With an oyster-white hull, this 70E stands out from all angles.

Marlow has built other 70E models, with an open flybridge (enclosed on three sides), lower helm station, resized galleys, 220v service for European owners, larger engines (1,800-hp) for speeds of 30-plus knots, and more. 

“It was such a positive experience through the build process,” say these owners regarding Marlow’s desire to deliver their dream yacht. “They are above a ten, two thumbs up. The Marlow is an exceptional value for the buck. We would buy another!”

And that may be where your dream begins. 

-by Tom Serio

Out for the Day

MJM hits the mark with its new day yacht that can cruise the ICW and tackle the ocean. 

Boats are described with catchphrases all the time, but when MJM tagged its new 3z day yacht “all-weather,” it meant it. A cloudy afternoon turned to rain on the Pamlico River along the shores of Washington, North Carolina, but the pilothouse on this luxury dual console kept the rain and wind at bay, even at 45 mph. The “Carolina Downeast-style” yacht is strong, stable, powerful, balanced, and best of all, fun to ride.

The 3z has that classic look, but the simple layout and clean design is a high-tech masterpiece. “Everything is well laid out,” says McKenzie Hutaff, MJM’s sales coordinator. “You have everything you need. It’s not too much. It’s nice and elegant, yet not over the top.” In other words, the boat checks all the boxes…rain or shine.

From the Bottom Up

The MJM 3z is built upon the popular 35z hull, one of Doug Zurn’s most advanced and efficient designs. It begins with the hull’s infusion process. “The infusion process is pretty special. We build the whole boat dry, so you have your outer skin of glass, foam core, your inner skin of glass, and it’s put under a vacuum bag. The vacuum bag is pressing down at one ton per square foot of pressure,” explains Peter Johnstone, MJM’s chairman. “So it really compacts the laminate, pulls out all the moisture, pulls out all the air, and when you know you have a good vacuum, then you do your infusion process. You open up the valves and let the resin get vacuumed in through the entire laminate. It gives the least amount of resin for a given laminate or process.” 

In addition to the adhesive bond, this process provides a bond that results in a 25 percent
gain in mechanical properties when compared to a hand-laid, vacuum-bagged, infusion process. MJM’s resin use averages in the mid to high 30 percent range, where typical processes for production boats (without vacuum bags) can range up to 70 percent. The result is a 30 percent weight savings in the deck and a 15 percent weight savings in the hull. 

The reason so much weight is reduced in the deck is that all the molded components are also infused using the same process. “All the parts are infused, not just the hull,” says Johnstone. “We do our decks, which is probably the trickiest part, we do our grids, lids, everything.” 

The Benefits of High-Tech Design

There are many advantages to decreasing the weight of a boat. For one, it uses a lot less fuel. Also, the 3z has twin 300-hp engines where most boats in the 38-foot size range use triples, thus 50 percent more fuel. Then there’s the speed efficiency. “The boat gets up on a plane around twelve to fourteen knots,” Johnstone says, which really helps when facing a steep chop. “If the Gulf Stream is, say, six- to eight-foot waves, and you need to drop down into the teens, MJM can ride level at twelve to fourteen just going through it. The full range of speed is available to you to pick what’s comfortable for the conditions.”

Speaking personally about riding level, I’ve never seen a boat “lift” its way onto plane like the 3z. There’s no bow rise. From a dead stop to full throttle or a slow acceleration, the stern never dug a hole and the bow never stood up. The lighter hull and deck weights allow the boat to have a much narrower water plane, akin to a high performance, go-fast design and “not the typical heavy Downeast, sort of lobster boat,” adds Johnstone. “We start with a twenty-one-degree deadrise V and then up forward, it gets as sharp as fifty-five-degree deadrise, so you’ve got a really fine waterline forward that really goes through the waves. When you go to accelerate, the whole boat lifts rather than just the bow plowing water.” The narrower waterline and lighter displacement keep the boat up on the water and when accelerating, the whole platform goes up at the same time. 

The Beauty of a Simple Layout

The technology behind boatbuilding is rarely seen when stepping aboard. The mechanical and electrical systems are installed on each section of the boat before the components are melded together. “The more boatbuilding you can do in sub assembly, the better off you are,” says Johnstone. “If you have to build the boat once it goes together, it takes four times as long.” It makes for a clean layout, and everything is accessible.

The same holds true on the deck. The one-level layout is simple with plenty of room to move from bow to stern. Three distinct social areas, the bow, the pilothouse, and the aft deck with swim platform, have their own personality, but when the three electric-powered windshield windows, the tinted, sliding glass windows on the side, and the aft roll-up StrataGlass panels are open, the entire boat becomes an entertainment center. 

“The bow is really a sweet spot for me,” says Hutaff. She also loves the roominess of the pilothouse. “On the 35z, there’s a walkaround outside of the cabin to get to the bow, and you don’t need to do that on this boat, so the pilothouse becomes wider. The whole reason I fell in love with (this) MJM is because it’s one level, you’ve got your pilothouse that is climate-controlled, and you can go sit in the sun on the bow and have conversations with those at the helm, but what I love the most is that I can single-hand it.”

Lots of Amenities

The MJM 3z is a day yacht, but can easily sustain an overnight. There’s plenty of storage space and comfortable seating from stem to stern. Wraparound bow seating easily fits two people reclined on each side. A center table provides room for alfresco dining or snacks. Port and starboard settees inside the pilothouse seat six (or sleep two) with a folding table that opens to reach both sides. Helm and companion seats are fully adjustable and rotate 360 degrees, and the aft deck L-shaped seating configures into a daybed for napping or sunning.

On the aft deck, the starboard service station accommodates a sink with an icemaker or fridge below, while an electric grill is an option for the port-side station. Forward in the pilothouse, a full head and shower is hidden in the port console, yet easily accessible. 

The helm is clean and efficient with all controls and Garmin displays mounted within arm’s length. Mercury’s digital fly-by-wire technology makes piloting easy and fun with joystick control, Skyhook digital anchor, auto trim with electric Zipwake trim tabs, Vessel View, and digital throttle. Switches, engine gauges, and bow thruster control are also conveniently within reach. A nicely designed inset in the dash is meant for an iPad, for one reason because MJM appreciates the Aqua Map app that’s only available on a smart device. The app connects with the Army Corps of Engineers’ soundings data in real time, so when navigation the inlets and ICW, you have the most up-to-date information…color coded. There are also 14 USB ports on board, and don’t worry about where to put your drink. There are 14 cupholders as well.   

Numerous options add to your MJM 3z experience, including a Seakeeper, genset, bow thruster, air-conditioning, and more. As for that “all-weather” designation, the MJM 3z pilothouse provided an unobstructed 360-degree view and allowed us to enjoy a day on the water, even in the rain. 

— by Steve Davis