Maximizing Maritime Living: The Prestige M8 Power Catamaran Experience

Posh nautical real estate aboard Prestige Yachts’ M8 power catamaran

The Prestige M8 power catamaran is a lot to take in, especially standing next to her on the dock. This swanky platform is nearly the size of a tennis court and until you look at the specs, you’d swear the “8” stands for 80 feet, although that’s not the case. The M8 is actually 65 feet LOA, but according to the French builder, she offers the space of an 80-foot monohull and that’s how she came by the name. She has no trouble competing with the slew of recently launched 80-foot cats. As the flagship of Prestige’s M-line, she’s a compelling villa on the sea that lacks for nothing.

On deck and inside, the M8 is a luxurious apartment offering almost 3,000 square feet of living space. Nearly 20 percent or 540 square feet of that are up on the flybridge and more than 15 percent or 500 square feet in the salon. Add about 10 percent in the cockpit, another 10 percent on the foredeck, and yet another 10 percent in the 270-square-foot master stateroom, and this boat is definitely larger than most single-family homes. Of course, the numbers are one way to gauge her size, but the actual feel of spacious luxury is the best way to assess this grande dame of the sea.

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Main deck

I boarded the M8 on the phenomenal swim platform which breaks to form easy steps when lowered to and below the waterline. This hydraulic platform is more than 14 feet wide, nearly five feet deep, and can carry a tender over 1,000 pounds. It’s also versatile because it can submerse to make a teak beach, held at its standard level for garage access, or raised to form an extension of the cockpit above where the added deck space accommodates extra party guests.

The aft cockpit was purposely left a blank canvas so owners can create any kind of space they need with loose furniture. It’s an open expanse with only two fixed features—the steps to the flybridge to port and a wet bar to starboard. The boundary or rail of the cockpit is formed via a mostly glass half-partition. This transparent wall was added to provide uninterrupted views of the water which gives it a more open feel.

Walking forward up the port-side deck, I noticed a day head with an exterior door which is a perfect way to keep wet bathing suits and sandy feet out of the interior. The head is tucked into the salon space where it’s invisible due to ample use of glass and mirrors.

Once on the bow, I came to an enormous sunbed. If you’re not lounging here, you could almost carry a small helicopter or submersible. Ahead of this pad is a sunken lounge with facing bench seating and low modular tables. When swinging to anchor in the trades at cocktail hour with the stern to the west, the sun often beats down on the aft cockpit. This lounge will be a shady and breezy haven to retreat to when it’s baking in the aft part of the vessel.

Flybridge

The third outdoor social space after the foredeck and the cockpit is the flybridge, which again is robed in loose furniture so owners can change the configuration depending on their needs. You can create conversation nooks, sunny spaces with deck chairs, or dining for 10 in this exclusive restaurant on the water. Access the flybridge via the aft staircase from the cockpit or from the salon inside.

The upper helm is on the centerline with two bucket seats. Twin 22-inch Garmin MFDs form a glass helm and the Volvo Penta throttles and joystick can be reached easily even when seated.

Directly behind the seats is the outdoor galley with a huge stainless steel grill and a full bar. Aft and to port is open space to place furniture of choice including lounges or a dining table with loose chairs. About two-thirds of the flybridge is covered by the hardtop which has an integrated electric sunroof. The aft section is open to the stars.

Inviting Interior

From the cockpit, I stepped through one of the two glass sliding doors into the salon. There are two doors divided by a central serving island where cocktails and snacks can be prepared for both the cockpit and the salon. This is an interesting feature made possible by the cat’s 29-foot beam.

Inside, there was almost a trompe l’oeil effect thanks to the heavy use of glass and chrome partitions and mirrored surfaces. I didn’t even notice the exterior access head mentioned above tucked into the space until it was pointed out to me.

Furniture is once again loose and is available from one of four specified Italian brands. Our boat had seats facing the aft doors, a dining table and chairs in the port corner, and a compact galley to starboard. If the boat is crewed and owners don’t want the galley on the main deck, it can be moved down to the accommodations level in place of one guest cabin.

Front and center is a compact control station with an MFD, throttles, and joystick. If you add a chair, it’s basically an interior helm to use in inclement weather. For docking, an optional third station can be added on the port side of the cockpit.

The layout includes four or five staterooms, plus crew cabins in the bows. The sumptuous owner’s suite is forward and a couple of steps down. It takes full advantage of the beam with the head hidden on port. To starboard is a desk, but you can put anything there whether a lounge or gym equipment. To port, our model had a king-size athwartships berth which was out of view of the salon even with the cabin doors open to maximize privacy.

The details, finishes, and treatments on the M8 are unmatched in this class. I found myself stopping frequently to touch unique surfaces or to get a closer look at inlaid wood bulkheads and glass finishes which make the interior feel light and seamless.

Propulsion

The M8 is powered by twin 600-hp Volvo Penta D8 diesels with V-drives. The top speed is around 20 knots at 2,900 rpm. At this speed, expect to burn approximately 60 gallons per hour, but if you slow down to a cruising speed around eight knots, you’ll burn closer to five gallons per hour and enjoy a range that makes the M8 a distance voyager.

For quiet nights at anchor with no genset running, you can add a lithium battery bank and solar panels on the hardtop and still run air conditioning. A fully equipped M8 comes in around $6.2 million.

The M-line

In 2022, Prestige introduced the M48 and now it has launched the second model and 65-foot flagship. It’s likely there may be a model that bridges the gap between the two soon. Although not an 80-footer, the M8 does a fine job of creating highly customized spaces with luxury details that make her feel exclusive. She most definitely doesn’t need another 15 feet of length to feel like a superyacht, and that’s her biggest appeal.

-by Zuzana Prochazka