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Horizon PC60

Home Away From Home

The Horizon PC60 is built with comfortable cruising in mind.

“We have owned and operated six boats in the last eleven years, all power, mostly monohulls,” recalls one owner aboard his new PC60. “Like Goldilocks searching for the perfect mattress, we have gone through five different brands, sizes, and styles. But one day, we struck up a conversation with a Horizon Power Catamaran owner, saw his beautiful vessel, and signed to build our own a month later. Love at first sight!

“A year of intense planning, measuring, technical drawings, photos, floor and wall samples, fabrics, tiles, batteries, generators, pumps, systems, floor plans, and more completely consumed our life while we went through the ‘Christmas List’ of choices and options for our newly planned vessel,” he says. Christened in a private ceremony held in Florida, this latest PC60 was commissioned by experienced owners who knew exactly what they wanted on their sixth boat.

All Hands on Deck

The semi-custom Horizon Power Catamarans are designed by both the builder and the owner to make their boat a dream come true. 

When I became a charter captain in the BVIs awhile back, it was on a sailing monohull. I was then transferred to a sailing catamaran and entertaining six passengers became a lot easier, not because of personalities, but because of the room—everyone could have their own space if desired. When a beam goes from 16 feet to 24 feet, the boat becomes a really comfortable platform from which to explore the islands or the coast in any location. 

Boating around the Virgin Islands is pretty benign, but what about sailing farther afield? When I spoke to Richard Ford, CEO and founder of The Powercat Company, the exclusive distributor for Horizon Power Catamarans, he mentioned that one purpose in the design is to withstand tough, irregular sea states. 

“What is different about the Horizon is the highly refined and efficient semi-displacement symmetric hull designs that are developed from extensive tank testing and offer an unmatched stable, soft, and smooth ride on a level platform, particularly in rough conditions,” he says.

The PC60 has symmetrical semi-displacement hulls with “planing wedges” aft that produce lift. The keel begins in the middle of the hull to enhance tracking and protects the prop and rudder. The result is performance and seakeeping so that it can outrun a storm that moves at 15 to 18 knots average.

Different Designs

The PC60 is not new, but with each build, The Powercat Company and the new owners continue to improve the design and create interior layouts that keep the yacht fresh and innovative. New materials, new techniques, and the latest technologies along with the engineering, craftsmanship, and quality of Horizon Yachts’ construction methods, make the powercats a solid investment and a boat that has the volume of much larger yachts.

Ask the owners of Mangata, who took delivery at the 2021 Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show. They transitioned from sportfishers to the powercat to cruise in the Bahamas and beyond. The design showcased an open salon and an expanded enclosed flybridge. The PC60 also has an open flybridge option as well as a main-deck master, but these owners chose two large staterooms in the portside hull and a master suite that utilizes the entire starboard hull. That leaves a huge main-deck entertainment area with a spacious raised “living room” under the big windows that look forward over the bow. 

In this open plan, the galley is to starboard while a long settee is to port along with a service bar aft and additional countertop space forward atop a refrigerator. Speaking of which, the galley’s Miele 30-inch refrigerator/freezer has a satin wood finish to match the interior design. 

On Mangata, accommodations are luxurious, and with the master occupying one hull, the king-size walkaround berth, dressing area, head with double sinks, and separate shower offer plenty of space to call it a night. To port, an ensuite VIP cabin with a king berth is forward and a queen cabin is aft. A large head with shower serves the aft cabin as well as a day head. 

The open aft deck is protected by the flybridge above and large curved steps access the swim platform on each hull with enough room for divers, snorkelers, swimmers, and the toys as well as hot and cold freshwater showers recessed into the aft coaming. The aft deck includes a high-glass, fixed-height wood table that seats six, and a comfortable curved settee along the transom is a perfect spot to watch swimmers off the stern.  

On the Fly

Teak treads line the circular stairs to port that lead up to the flybridge. When Magnata took her test ride after the Fort Lauderdale show, it was understandable why everyone was on the flybridge—the perch with a 360-degree view. The enclosed portion of the bridge has large windows, and the aft section is fitted with vinyl windows that zipper closed or roll up depending on the weather. Then there’s the comfort—raised double bench seating on each side of the STIDD helm chair face forward with the starboard side able to configure into a large lounge/daybed to stretch out. An L-shaped sofa offers room for at least eight along the starboard side aft, and a wet bar is to port. 

The flybridge continues aft with a large deck that has an entertainment center with a barbecue and refrigeration and plenty of room for sun lounges or a 17-foot tender with a 100-hp outboard, of which a davit is positioned to starboard. 

The PC60 is comfortable for an owner-operator, and there are multiple layout options to personalize the boat for comfort and lifestyle, in which case the PC60 easily becomes a home away from home, or in the case of one owner, just home. 

Dive into the Bahamas

Dive into the Bahamas

Explore a stunning world beneath the turquoise waters.

There are so many diving opportunities around the 700 islands that make up the Bahamas, it would take weeks for the most experienced divers to explore. Fortunately, you don’t have to cram it all in one trip.

Divers of all skill levels, even snorkelers, will enjoy the warm, turquoise waters that surround reefs, caves, and shipwrecks. From shallow dives for spearfishing to freediving that challenges divers to see how deep they can go holding one breath, water temperatures are very comfortable year-round; in the winter, temps rarely dip below 70 degrees Fahrenheit. The temperature will drop the deeper you go, so some divers prefer a 5mm exposure suit during the winter while wearing a 1mm suit in the summer.

Whether you’re new to diving or want to advance your skills, diving professionals and companies are located throughout the islands to help you make the most out of your diving experience.

Stuart Cove’s Dive Bahamas

Stuart Cove’s Dive Bahamas is a well-known dive center on the southwest side of New Providence Island. As a PADI five-star facility, it offers a full range of education programs, equipment selection, and diving excursions. 

“We have reefs and walls that start at 40 feet and drop to 1,000 feet,” says Stuart Cove, whose background includes being a stunt/safety diver on the James Bond film For Your Eyes Only and as underwater coordinator on another Bond film, Never Say Never Again. Stuart Cove’s Aqua Adventures in Nassau consists of Dive Bahamas, Snorkel Bahamas, and SUB Bahamas.

“There is an abundance of life including reef sharks, groupers, jacks, eagle rays, and stingrays, and multiple wrecks are also accessible,” he adds. “The Bahamian government has done an excellent job with conservation on the island as there are several marine parks established to help preserve the reef and the underwater life.”

The joys of diving in New Providence are obvious to any diver due to the water temperature and spectacular visibility. The dive sites are easily accessible and only several minutes from the dock. stuartcove.com

Neal Watson’s Bimini Scuba Center 

Neil Watson Jr., a certified SCUBA diving instructor, runs the Bimini Scuba Center located at the Bimini Big Game Club Resort & Marina. The facility offers different packages, including a dive with several shark species.

The winter months are the best time to interact with these ocean predators, such as great hammerheads, nurse sharks, and bull sharks. Watson and his crew bait the water to draw them in, using special measures to ensure a safe interaction for the divers. When diving with sharks, it is very important to wear neutral colors. Sharks can see contrast well, so a bright color in murky water will be visible to them.

“Bimini is located on the edge of the Gulf Stream and currents can be strong,” says Watson. “Currents are good as they regulate nutrients and water temperature which keep the ecosystem healthy.” 

Bimini also offers wrecks, walls, bright corals, and dolphin swims. SCUBA diving trips to Tiger Beach on West End, Grand Bahama, are available in season as well. Two-night to weeklong dive and hotel packages are available. biminiscubacenter.com

Bahamas Underground 

Bahamas Underground specializes in cave and technical diving and offers training and guided tours. Based in Marsh Harbor, Abaco, co-owner and operator Brian Kakuk, who has more than 30 years of diving experience and is a former U.S. Navy Diver with more than 4,000 exploration dives, focuses on exploring the Crystal Caves off Abaco. 

His preferred method for cave exploration is to use a standard side-mounted open circuit configuration, a growing setup for cave divers. Accident analysis is a priority during training sessions with a focus on gas supply and a reliable guideline to the surface. All divers visiting the caves are required to have their own specialized equipment, a nitrox certification, and a minimum of 100 dives. 

“Cave diving is hazardous but very rewarding,” says Kakuk. “I have dived all over the world, and these are the most decorative caves on the planet.”

He is so passionate about what these caves have to offer that he founded the Bahamas Caves Research Foundation, where he works with the Bahamian government to do further cave research.

Cristina Zenato 

Learning how to dive in the Bahamas more than 25 years ago, Cristina Zenato is a professional worldwide SCUBA diver and shark behaviorist as well as an instructor for handling sharks, technical and cave diving, and instructor ratings. She is based in Freeport and takes divers on excursions to interact with reef sharks. 

“The trips involve a full understanding of diving with the animals to include safety of the guests, safety of the staff, and safety of the sharks,” she says.

Zenato works with the Bahamian government and has helped create a full shark sanctuary for the animals in the area. “My guided dives involve one-on-one interactions with the animal, so it becomes a very personal experience for the diver, who may then decide to become a shark ambassador,” she says.

Zenato is able to identify individual sharks from specific features on their bodies (such as marks or a bent dorsal fin). Because she has spent so much time in the water with these sharks, this type of guided interaction will make this experience memorable. cristinazenato.com

Ocean Fox Dive Center 

Some of the best SCUBA diving in the Bahamas is off the island of Eleuthera, and Chad Sinden, a PADI award-winning instructor with more than 7,000 dives and owner of Ocean Fox Dive Center at Cape Eleuthera Resort & Marina can guide you to the perfect spot. The dive sites are all as close as 5-10 minutes from the dock and range from shallow reefs to a wall drop that begins at 60 feet and descends to 2,000 feet.

Local experienced diver Forrest Simon describes the coral as pristine because of the nutrient-rich water being brought in by the currents. The shark population is healthy for this reason and why guided shark diving is popular. 

“The wind direction is generally from the east, and the dive sites are located on the leeward side of the island, which makes conditions mostly calm and ideal for diving,” say Simon. “The current can be an issue sometimes, so it is important to be aware of conditions before beginning a dive.” oceanfoxdive.com

Freediving – Vertical Blue 

Anyone interested in freediving might know acclaimed free diver William Trubridge, the world’s deepest-diving man, having dived unaided on a single breath to a depth of 334 feet. He is also the founder of Vertical Blue, the most prestigious freediving event in the world held annually at Dean’s Blue Hole on Long Island in the Bahamas.

“Sixty world records have been achieved at this event,” says Trubridge. “It is the only place in the world where you can dive in such bright blue and clear water. For freediving, it is ideal due to the conditions—no currents, no swell, and shelter from the wind. The experience can be described as diving in a two hundred-meter-deep swimming pool, allowing the free diver to completely focus on performance.” 

Trubridge offers freediving courses for those wanting to see how deep they can go on one breath. williamtrubridge.com

Spearfishing

When spearfishing in the Bahamas, one of the main concerns is sharks. The scent of blood and the thrashing vibration from a speared fish attracts them. When you shoot a fish, it is crucial to get it back to the boat as quickly as possible and hold the speared fish clear from the water until you have reached the boat.

Always dive with a buddy when spearfishing. All trained freedivers know the importance of diving with a partner to avoid hypoxia complications that can be fatal if diving alone. Freediving is strenuous and when spearing, the diver can focus more on the catch than their own safety.

The waters in the Bahamas offer a rich variety of harvests that include lobster, grouper, snapper, and hogfish. Avoid eating large fish like barracuda which can result in ciguatera poisoning from contaminated fish.

Be aware of the laws when capturing fish, such as seasons permitted, size of catch, and numbers allowed. Go to bahamas.gov.bs for information about permits and regulations. Only a Hawaiian sling or pole spear is allowed when spearing in the Bahamas, and all dives to harvest must be breath hold only.

Have Fun!

There are a number of dive shops throughout the Bahamas, so when you’re ready to explore a new area below the surface, consult a local dive professional to help you enjoy the wealth of underwater life safely. 

-by Elisa Buller

Anchoring in the Bahamas

Anchoring in the Bahamas

Tips to safely anchor without disrupting your surroundings

Ahhh…anchored in the Bahamas. Your cruising dream for as long as you can remember. At last, you have crossed the Gulf Stream and arrived aboard your own boat. If this is a dream, don’t wake me up! 

After clearing Customs and Immigration, pick up the latest rules and regulations for visiting this island paradise. Take down your yellow quarantine flag, hoist the Bahamian courtesy flag, and start your adventure of a lifetime. Now, let’s find a good anchorage.

Before Leaving the States

Trip planning begins long before you leave the dock and should include a few anchoring options that are weather-dependent. Bring a cruising guide along to show you the better anchoring locations, dinghy docks, and beaches. Many national parks have moorings or specific boundaries to help protect the coral and sea grass. So, find a sheltered cove, but do not anchor outside the sandy areas when selecting your perfect location.

Preparations to cruise also include reviewing the equipment you have aboard. What kind of anchor and rode do you have? Anchors are designed for a specific sea floor bottoms. What works for you in the muddy Gulf of Mexico or rocky sea floor of Maine may not hold well in the sandy hard pan of the Bahamas. A second anchor for backup with sufficient rode is a consideration most cruisers will heed as well before leaving their home port.

Anchor Designs for Good Holding

We recommend either a concave or convex plow anchor for the hard pan, sandy bottoms found throughout the Bahamas. The convex or concave plow design allows the heavier pointed end of the solid shank anchor to dig down into the sand and set. A hinged shank may interfere with the point digging in. 

Consider how much rode you have and how deep the waters of the Bahamas are where you plan to anchor. Most anchor locations are about 10 feet, but in strong wind, we let out a lot more rode to keep the anchor from dragging. Many boats have 250-plus feet of rode attached to the primary anchor which will serve you well. 

All Sand is Not the Same

If you see a sandy sea bottom, it is likely that limestone hard pan or marl is just a few inches under the loose sand. This hard underlayer may cause your anchor to slide along and not dig into the sea floor. The solid shank plow-style anchor with a weighted point will help dig down beneath the hard layers.

So, select an anchorage, figure your scope, and deploy your anchor while easing in reverse. When the desired rode is deployed, secure it to your boat with the rope rode on a cleat or by using a chain snubber rope to a cleat. Then pull the anchor rode backward to see if the anchor bites into the sea floor. The rode will stretch and the bow will dip a bit. 

A bonus of anchoring in the crystal-clear waters of the Bahamas is that you get to dive on your anchor to confirm it is set deep into the sea floor. Grab your mask and fins, hop overboard in the clear waters, and ensure the anchor is set.

Bahamian Mooring or Traditional

Some cruisers may talk about a Bahamian mooring, when two anchors are set off the bow at 180 degrees from each other. This still requires proper scope on both anchors but will limit your swing. As many years as we’ve been cruising, the Bahamian mooring method is rarely used unless in a very tight anchorage with many boats.

We prefer the traditional anchor style where the boat will swing freely with the wind and tide. When approaching an anchorage, ask the boaters already at anchor what works for them. The more crowded the anchorage, the tighter your swing must be to fit everyone in. Try to go where it is less crowded for more swing room with a traditional anchoring set up. If you deploy a lot of rode, consider attaching a trip line and buoy with your boat’s name on it so others can see where your anchor is located.

Dreams Do Come True

Safely at anchor, you can bask in the beauty of the Bahamas. Count the fish swimming by and the conchs slowly traversing the sandy bottom. A real treat is to watch the sea floor at night with a full moon or a flashlight to attract sea life.

Enjoy the Bahamas and respect their natural surroundings. Do not allow your anchor to destroy their coral reefs or sea grasses. Share your photos with others still dreaming back home…ahhh. 

-by Capt. Chris Caldwell

Palm Beach 52

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

Marlow 70E MKII

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

Harbour Island, Bahamas

A World of its Own

The colors of Harbour Island

As the crow flies, 222 miles east of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, lies one of the most enchanting communities found in the Bahamas: Harbour Island. Just one-and-a-half miles north of Eleuthera, the island is barely a speck on the chart. Three-and-a-half miles long and only one-and-a-half miles wide, Harbour Island is home to the most spectacular three-mile-long, pink sand beach found anywhere on the planet. 

Featured in all the renown travel magazines and television shows, and referred to often as “the Nantucket of the Caribbean,” the island dates back to the 1700s. The old wooden, pristine houses emulate the architecture of the Carolinas, from where the early Loyalist settlers originated, their dates proudly displayed on doors and gates.

A must for any cruiser landing in Harbour Island is to walk the town’s old streets. People here are really friendly and willing to offer information or to help find your way. Unassuming shops are worth investigating for local produce—those bananas may not look as pretty, but I bet you’ve never had one taste so sweet. Narrow streets adorned with cascading colors of bougainvillea are traversed by golf cart as the major form of transport.

The Island’s Approach

Harbour Island (spelled the British way) was one of the original settlements of the archipelago. Its waters became too shallow on the sheltered western shore and eventually lost its “natural harbour” title to deeper New Providence years later.

Cruisers have several choices of approach to the island. Departing the Florida coast, boaters head eastward to clear Bahamas Customs at the closest Port of Entry, namely Bimini, Cat Cay, and Great Harbour Cay in the Berry Islands, or Freeport, Grand Bahama, for the more northerly approaching boaters.

The Bahamas, believed to have originated from the Spanish bajamar, meaning “shallow water,” require careful navigation. The deep indigo waters to the north of Eleuthera indicate depths between 3,000 and 10,000 feet and offer safe passage for deep-draft yachts, which is limited quickly when heading inside to Harbour Island, primarily to yachts 180 feet in length with a 10-foot draft.

The passage begins in neighboring Spanish Wells, where captains unfamiliar with the approach can hire a knowledgeable pilot to guide them through The Devil’s Backbone, a shallow, very intimidating reef that demands sailors to hug the shoreline, past Preachers Cave, turning along Tay Bay Beach, and into the bay protected by barrier islands, including Harbour Island, and that’s on a calm day. 

The harbor at Dunmore Town becomes visible as one rounds the eastern point of Eleuthera where three marinas offer great dockage and all the necessary facilities, such as water, electric, and pump-outs: the Romora Bay Resort and Marina, Valentines Resort and Marina, and the soon-to-be-completed Briland Club Marina. The new Briland Club boasts massive generators that supply enough voltage to their docks so running generators while docked isn’t necessary. Romora Bay Marina, as with Valentines, can host as many as 50 yachts up to 200 feet long. At both ends of Harbour Island there are anchorages to throw the hook; however, the seabed only allows about a 10-foot draft.

Another World

Along the downtown waterfront, aptly named Bay Street, a row of colorful cottages beg to be photographed. They’re always immaculately painted, stand among impressive coconut palms, and are complete with picture-perfect picket fences. Exploring on foot is really rewarding. Pique your curiosity walking down side streets to find hidden treasures, see a golf cart brimming with local dogs being delivered home after a communal walk, or observe grandma with her grandkids on Sunday superbly dressed walking the narrow streets on the way to church. 

Bahamian birding here is a wonderful occupation for those patient enough to explore the coastline. A row of sleeping greater yellowlegs, elegant great egrets perching on the old boats in the harbor, and an occasional green heron skulking through a mass of old conch shells hunting his breakfast provide some really wonderful frames for the photographer. 

Walk slowly along the shallow waters and expose fairly small yellow stingrays gliding up pilings. Large southern stingrays grace the ocean floor, partially covered with powder sand to disguise their whereabouts, occasionally accompanied by the harmless nurse shark drifting effortlessly through the crystal-clear waters.

Early mornings we walk the docks, steaming fresh coffee in hand, and spot juvenile green turtles skimming the surface, taking an occasional breath to then dive to the grass beds below. A yellow-crowned night heron stands absolutely motionless on the rocks waiting for its prey to venture close enough. Laughing gulls provide the soundtrack of the island together with a competing crowing rooster while mockingbirds fill the streets with song. 

We never miss the spectacular sunsets for which Harbour Island is famous. A welcome tradition is for visitors and locals to meet on the western side of the island for an ice-cold local beer and marvel at the collection of creatures mixing together on the low tide shoreline. In one scene, puppies, cats, chickens, and water birds are all busy taking no notice of each other. A low ebb offers a fun walk at the far end of Bay Street and across the vast sand flats for a selfie by the old dead tree, used for many a magazine modeling shoot.

Walking through the enchanting town or even the mile across the island, you’ll find amazing restaurants serving local fare. Bring a good appetite to Runaway Hill or The Dunmore with impressive menus that feature a variety of meats and seafood to delight any palate. Don’t miss The Landing for a decadent breakfast, like Ricotta Hotcakes with honeycomb butter and banana. 

Next to Valentines is a wonderful coffee shop called Cocoa’s, a worthwhile stop for a more casual breakfast or an afternoon treat from hiking the island. Summer months are hot in Harbour Island and iced coffee is a welcome refreshment. We would be remiss not mentioning the fabulous fresh conch salad made to order right in front of you by Marty, better known as “King Conch,” located on the waterfront near the Government Dock.

Waters around Harbour Island are pristine, famous for deep sea fishing on the “outside” where all the big game fish run during their respective migrations through the archipelago. During their seasons, fresh catch of the day are plentiful in all the local restaurants. Grouper, hog snapper, and mahi-mahi are always popular. 

So Much to Do

Horseback ride on the beach or fly-fish for the elusive bonefish. Coral reefs set in a crystal-clear ocean are an amazing treat for the avid snorkeler or scuba diver with the best locations found on the ocean side of the island. Here, the Atlantic provides indescribably blue water to swim in and coral reefs are in excellent condition. The fish life is teeming. Valentines Marina and Resort offer Scuba instruction, a dive shop, and a daily diving trip for both the novice and expert. 

Those wanting nights ashore will find wonderful lodging at several island hotels, including the long-established classics like the Pink Sands Resort, the Coral Sands, The Dunmore, or Runaway Hill Inn. 

We pulled up to a real treat at the fabulous Romora Bay Resort. A full-service marina with 50 slips, it boasts luxury cottages, fine dining, and all the activities one could ask for, including live music three times a week. Graciously hosted by Partner/General Manager Joe Dargavage and his wonderful staff, the Harbour Island experience was one we’ll never forget and, without question, begs repetition. 

-by Capt. Paul Harding

2022 Readers Choice Awards

You cast your votes, and the results are in for Southern Boating’s 2022 Readers’ Choice Awards. Every vote was counted, including the write-in candidates, and tallied in a secure location without any bias…or stuffing of the ballot box. More than 75,000 readers voted for their preferences in 40 categories from favorite center console to long-range cruiser and must-have galley item to favorite fishing reel. Safety products, best boatyard, favorite marina (both domestic and international), navigation equipment, marine audio speakers, and sunglasses are a sampling of what’s included in this year’s choices. In some categories, first and second place were separated by only a few percentage points, but overall, there was a definite winner. Thank you to all of our readers who participated. Once again, your input made this event a huge success.

Boat of the Year

1st place: Boston Whaler 420
Outrage Anniversary Edition
2nd place: Tiara 48 LS
3rd place:  Formula 500 SSC

The Boston Whaler 420 Outrage Anniversary Edition sports the revolutionary Mercury 600-hp V12 Verado outboards with two-speed transmission and the first-ever independently steerable gearcase. Besides cruising at 38 knots, Joystick Piloting for Outboards, Skyhook/autopilot functionality, and Seakeeper’s gyrostabilization system are a few of the features and options, including a flybridge with full helm controls. bostonwhaler.com

Favorite Boating Resort

1st place: Hawks Cay Resort
2nd place: Abaco Beach Resort
3rd place: Marlin Bay

Seakeeper eliminates up to 95 percent of boat roll on vessels 23 feet and longer to ensure a smooth ride for all. seakeeper.com

Favorite Boating Insurance Company

1st place: GEICO
2nd place: Progressive
3rd place:  Chubb

GEICO lets you customize your boat insurance and offers a discount if you take a boating safety course. Customer service is available 24/7 for claims and boat towing assistance. geico.com

Favorite Fishing Reel

1st place: Penn
2nd place: Shimano
3rd place: Abu Garcia

High-tech style, durability, precision, reliability, and corrosion-resistance in saltwater make Penn reels the favorite among boaters. pennfishing.com

Favorite Boat Stabilizer

1st place: Seakeeper
2nd place: Naiad
3rd place: Smart

Seakeeper is designed to eliminate up to 95 percent of boat roll on vessels 23 feet and longer to ensure a smooth ride. seakeeper.com

Favorite Inboard Engine

1st place: Volvo Penta
2nd place: Caterpillar
3rd place: Cummins

Volvo Penta inboard engines deliver powerful acceleration, comfortable cruising speed, and an extended range. volvopenta.com

Favorite Express Cruiser

1st place: Tiara
2nd place: Sea Ray
3rd place: Cruisers Yachts

Tiara’s model lineup, including the 43 LE (below), combines sport styling, luxurious amenities, and thrilling performance in a yacht that is ready to meet the demands of a day cruise. tiarayachts.com

Favorite GPS Navigation Equipment

1st place: Garmin
2nd place: Raymarine
3rd place: Simrad

Garmin’s navigation equipment lets you pinpoint your location, mark points of interest, find fish, and pilot safely. garmin.com

Favorite Marine Audio Speakers

1st place: JL Audio
2nd place: Fusion
3rd place: Kicker

JL Audio marine speakers are optimized for all boating conditions. You will get perfect sound quality for enjoyable listening at any volume. jlaudio.com

Favorite Marina (U.S.)

1st place: Newport Yachting Center
2nd place: Palm Harbor Marina
3rd place:  Marina Jack

Well-known for the numerous events held there, such as the Newport International Boat Show, the Newport Yachting Center has dockage service and amenities, and is just steps away from many of Newport’s attractions. newportyachtingcenter.com

Best Power Catamaran

1st place: Aquila
2nd place: Leopard Catamarans
3rd place: World Cat

With models ranging from 28 to 70 feet, every Aquila Power Catamaran delivers exceptional performance and reliability and offers best-in-class features. The latest design is the 28 Molokai (below). aquilaboats.com

Favorite VHF Radio

1st place: ICOM
2nd place: Garmin
3rd place: Standard Horizon

Boating enthusiasts choose ICOM VHF marine radios for their durability and ease of use. icomamerica.com

Favorite Sunglasses

1st place: Maui Jim
2nd place: Ray-Ban
3rd place: Costa

Maui Jim offers hundreds of different styles of polarized sunglasses with 100 percent protection from UVA and UVB rays. mauijim.com

Favorite Cruising Itinerary

1st place: The Bahamas
2nd place:  Florida Keys
3rd place:  BVIs

From fishing to diving to ecotourism, The Bahamas is still a fan favorite. Comprising 700 islands and more than 2,000 rocks and cays, the archipelago is easy to reach from the East Coast. There are plenty of places to explore, so boaters can make a cruising itinerary for a few days or a few weeks. bahamas.com

Favorite Marine Watch

1st place: Rolex
2nd place: Garmin
3rd place: Tag Heuer

Rolex watches are crafted from the finest materials and assembled with precise attention to detail. The Sea-Dweller (right) is among the ultra-resistant divers’ watches for deepsea exploration. rolex.com

Favorite Cooler Brand

1st place: YETI
2nd place: Igloo
3rd place: RTIC

YETI’s hard- and softsided insulated coolers are extremely durable and ready for any outdoor adventure. Available in a variety of sizes and colors, they are built to be by a boater’s side for each catch or cruise. yeti.com

Favorite Lighting for Boat

1st place: LED

LED (light emitting diode) lighting produces light up to 90 percent more efficiently than incandescent bulbs. These stylish lights give your boat a radiant glow both inside and out.

Favorite Binoculars

1st place: Steiner
2nd place: Bushnell
3rd place: Fujinon

Waterproof, corrosion-proof, and crystalclear with special coatings and capabilities, Steiner binoculars are specifically created for a water-borne life. steiner-optics.com

Favorite Marine Generator

1st place: Northern Lights
2nd place: Cummins/Onan
3rd place: Westerbeke

Northern Lights generators are designed for easy installation and long life and durability in the harshest marine environments. northern-lights.com

Favorite Boatyard

1st place: Cable Marine
2nd place:  Lauderdale Marine Center
3rd place:  Safe Harbor

Cable Marine is a full-service boatyard with two locations in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, specializing in painting, refits, fire restoration, haul-outs, and all other services. cablemarine.com

Favorite Charter Company

1st place: The Moorings
2nd place: MarineMax Vacations
3rd place: Sunsail

With a fleet of more than 400 yachts in 20 destinations worldwide, The Moorings creates unforgettable charter vacations ideal for boaters of all skill levels. moorings.com

Favorite Long-Range Cruiser

1st place: Marlow
2nd place:  Grand Banks
3rd place:  Ocean Alexander

Marlow Yachts, such as the Explorer 58E (below), can cross the oceans in luxury, comfort, and reliability. These yachts shine in performance and appearance. marlowyachts.com

Must-Have Galley Item

1st place: Microwave
2nd place: Keurig Coffee Maker
3rd place: Icemaker

A microwave can be used to cook fish, chicken, and veggies in minutes, so it’s no surprise that it was voted the No. 1 must-have galley item.

Favorite Marina (non-U.S.)

1st place: Highbourne Cay Marina
2nd place: Resorts World Bimini
3rd place:  Abaco Beach Resort

Highbourne Cay Marina features 750 feet of face dock for yachts up to 180 feet and 16 back-in slips for boats up to 75 feet. Amenities include fuel, water, ice, Wi-Fi, and more. highbournecaybahamas.com

Favorite Life Raft

1st place: Viking
2nd place: Winslow Marine
3rd place: Revere Survival

Viking life rafts of the throw overboard type, like the 25DK+ (above), are essential when it comes to safety at sea. viking-life.com

Favorite Aluminum Fishing Boat

1st place: Tracker
2nd place: Ranger
3rd place: Triton

Tracker aluminum boats are designed to be dependable fishing machines that deliver unmatched performance and trouble-free maintenance. trackerboats.com

Favorite Center Console

1st place: Boston Whaler
2nd place:  Grady-White
3rd place: Intrepid

Boston Whaler center consoles, such as the 380 Outrage (below), feature a cutting-edge design and first-class amenities for offshore cruising, water sports, and fishing. bostonwhaler.com

Favorite Personal Locator

1st place: Garmin
2nd place: ACR
3RD PLACE: Spot

Garmin’s InReach Mini is a palm-sized satellite communicator for maintaining off-the-grid contact. It allows two-way messaging, interactive SOS alerts, and location sharing via a global Iridium satellite network. Weather forecasts are provided upon request. garmin.com

Favorite Boating Snack

1st place: Cheese and crackers
2nd place: Snacking nuts
3rd place: Beef jerky

Relaxing on your boat can give you the munchies. From salty to sweet, there are many types of snacks, but our readers chose cheese and crackers as their favorite treat.

Favorite Boating Apparel Item

1st place: Columbia PFG
2nd place: Sperry Topsider
3rd place: Helly Hansen jacket

Columbia PFG (performance fishing gear) is designed to keep anglers comfortable and protected from the sun while looking good all day long. columbia.com

Favorite Alcohol

1st place: Grey Goose Vodka
2nd place:  Tito’s Vodka
3rd place:  Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey

Grey Goose Vodka is made in France from two ingredients: Picardy winter wheat and natural spring water. It is 100 percent traceable from crop to cork. Enjoy this vodka shaken, stirred, or as a complement to a mixer. greygoose.com

Favorite Non-Alcoholic Beverage

1st place:  LaCroix
2nd place:  Diet Coke
3rd place:   Iced tea

LaCroix is a naturally essenced sparkling water free of sugars, calories, sodium, and artificial ingredients. Available in a variety of flavors. lacroixwater.com

Favorite Outboard Engine

1st place:  Yamaha
2nd place:  Mercury
3rd place:   Suzuki

Yamaha offers a full lineup of outboard engines that provide excellent fuel efficiency and cleaner emissions in a lightweight, compact design. yamahaoutboards.com

Favorite Boat Security System

1st place:  Garmin
2nd place:  Raymarine
3rd place:   Siren Marine

Garmin products, such as its OnDeck System (right), let boaters monitor and control their vessel from a distance. garmin.com

Favorite Safety Product

1st place:  EPIRB
2nd place:  GPS tracking device
3rd place:   Strobe lights

EPIRBs (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon) provide global coverage, accurate position location, a reliable transmitted signal, an encoded message to identify the distressed vessel, and a faster response time. An EPIRB like ACR’s Bivy Stick (right) is a two-way satellite communicator that allows you to text message, check-in, share tracking, and initiate an SOS rescue. acrartex.com

Favorite Marine Radar

1st place:  Garmin
2nd place:  Raymarine
3rd place:   Furuno

Garmin’s line of radome and open array radars include the GMR Fantom 18x/24x (left) used to detect targets on the move. garmin.com.

Favorite Sportfisherman

1st place: Viking
2nd place: Bertram
3rd place: Hatteras

Viking sportfishers, like the new 54 Convertible, (below), are designed for the ultimate luxury tournament fishing and yachting experience. vikingyachts.com

Favorite Vacation Destination

1st place: The Bahamas
2nd place: Florida Keys
3RD PLACE: British Virgin Islands

With crystal-clear blue waters, gorgeous white-sand beaches, and plenty of islands to explore, there’s no doubt The Bahamas is the No. 1 vacation destination! bahamas.com

Favorite Foul-Weather Gear

1st place:  Helly Hansen
2nd place: Grundens
3rd PLACE: Gill

Diesel is the boaters’ choice because the engine is more fuelefficient and tends to last longer.

SŌLACE 415CS Powered by Volvo Penta

Sōlace 415CS Boat Review

Sōlace Boats and Volvo Penta team up to create a new platform for fun.

When I saw the new SOLACE 415CS center console for the first time, I immediately noticed two things: no outboards and the massive size of the aft deck…and swim platform! It’s true. I’m so used to seeing center consoles with outboards and a transom that encloses the cockpit, but this was totally different—almost like the deck just extended out into the water, which it did.   

You might think that’s not very safe when underway, but SŌLACE boats are designed with a meticulous attention to detail. There’s a large centerline sunpad with an adjustable backrest and a swing-away door on each side that closes tightly against the sunpad’s frame to create a transom when running. When open, the doors fit neatly out of the way alongside the gunwale, and the aft deck becomes one huge entertainment area, and good for fishing, too. 

“There’s more usable transom area on the boat because of the way it’s designed,” says Todd Albrecht, president of SŌLACE Boats. “Most of it is the swim platform, and you’re not always using it when you’re running, but you might be diving, you might be snorkeling, you might be sitting at a sandbar; because all of that swim platform area is the same level as the boat, the same level as the deck, it’s now usable space.”

Where are the Engines? 

Besides offering a place to sit and catch a few rays on the Solace 415CS, that huge aft sunpad is also the cover for Volvo Penta’s innovative Aquamatic Sterndrive D6-DPI diesel engines. This model has twin 440-hp engines, one of the most powerful drives for the recreational market, but it’s not just the powerplant, it’s the entire package. 

The propulsion system, including the controls, is designed as a comprehensive solution from the props to the multifunction displays (MFD) to optimize speed, acceleration, torque, maneuverability, fuel efficiency, and comfort in use. The Aquamatic sterndrive went through extensive updates, including a smooth, silent hydraulic clutch that, when matched with Volvo Penta’s trademark counter-rotation DuoProp propellers, results in greater maneuverability at low speeds. The sterndrive has improved reliability for longer service intervals as well as additional sensors for monitoring and diagnostics.

On top of that, “Our fuel consumption is dramatically reduced,” says Jens Bering, vice president of marine sales for Volvo Penta of the Americas. “Compared to outboards in the same boat, we have a fifty percent increase in range, and that’s no small number.” Fuel consumption is reduced by up to 42 percent at cruising speeds over comparable outboard configurations. 

At the helm, the Electronic Vessel Control System connects and manages the internal communications between the propulsion system and the throttle, joystick, dynamic positioning, and glass cockpit controls for simpler operation, even informing operators with diagnostics through the On-Board Maintenance Assistant. It’s all part of Volvo Penta’s Easy Boating philosophy, which shows off cleverly in the placement of the joystick and the Garmin GRID 20 remote device. They’re both integrated into the helm chair armrests. Like having the television remote control within reach, you don’t have to get up out of the seat to control the boat’s direction or access the Garmin MFD menu to configure screen displays. 

The technology at the helm and in the engines is awesome, at least for those of us interested the “operation of things,” and so is the way the boat rides. “It didn’t matter how we had the boat loaded with all the gear and all the people and everything else, it just seemed to be a little bit more consistent in how it ran or how it was floating,” says Albrecht. “With that said, with the weight further forward and not hanging on the transom, the boat just feels a lot more solid as it comes back into the water after a wave. When it comes back down, the boat has a much better feel and in big water,
it feels like a bigger boat.” 

If the family and your fishing buddies appreciate the ride, they’ll certainly enjoy the reduced noise when underway. “What stood out most to me was how quiet these engines run,” says Albrecht. “I give a lot of credit to the in-house design team on how they made not only the engine box, but also how they routed the intake air so that we didn’t have a lot of sound escaping.” Volvo did its part on the engines, and Soundown added the right noise reduction solution. “Whether it’s cruising down the Intracoastal or cruising forty miles an hour, it is truly the quietest experience I’ve ever had, inboard or outboard.”

Where’s the Fun? 

As if talking about the technology isn’t fun, we all know a center console is a versatile platform for fun in the sun with its shallow draft and its ability to fish one day and take the family to the sandbar the next. The Solace 415CS is a day boat that is highly maneuverable with plenty of storage, and some have small cabins for a bathroom break or for the kids to nap. With the fuel efficiency of the Volvo Penta sterndrive inboards, a trip to the Bahamas and back from Florida isn’t a stretch. “It’s how we sized the fuel tanks on this project,” says Bering. “It was all about going to the Bahamas, have fun in the Bahamas, and come back again on one tank of fuel.”

The boat incorporates a wealth of family and fishing features, including a carbon-fiber superstructure, one-piece dive door with integrated stairs, fully opening electric windshield, and the versatile aft seating arrangements on deck. Built-in air conditioning and a cabin with enclosed shower and head are just part of what makes the 415CS an innovative family boat that has the flexibility for any waterborne activity.

There was concern that because of the large sunpad in the middle of the cockpit, fishing would be cumbersome. Well, it’s a center console, so you can walk completely around the boat from the stern to the bow and back, and with a fish on, that’s important. Yes, there is a hullside “tuna” door to port, but there’s also that huge swim platform. What a spot to bring on a catch! There are no engines to nab your line or obstruct landing the fish. Outriggers and rocket launchers are mounted on the hardtop, and rod holders line the gunwale from stern to bow. There’s mezzanine seating behind the helm that faces the action, and underneath is a huge tackle/storage cabinet. Fish boxes set within the deck, and recessed seating atop coolers in the bow are removable when tournament fishing to allow room to lean against the rail. 

Looking to buy a SŌLACE? Check out our brokerage section.

Family fun is accentuated by the seating as well. Besides the recessed forward seating in the bow, a centerline sun lounge ahead of the console seats three and is made with memory foam. Lift up the mezzanine seating overlooking the cockpit to find a food prep center with sink and faucet, and grill. The cockpit sunpad provides a huge area to hang out, and the incredibly large swim platform is a launch pad for everything water sports. Speaking of which, the swim platform keeps the sterndrives under wraps from swimmers, and the ability for the drives to tilt up allows the boat shallow access to the beach or sandbar.

“We wanted to solve some commonly seen missed opportunities within the center console market,” says Albrecht, stating the importance of “increased versatility with the transom, extended range, less fueling time at the dock, quieter cruise, improved maneuverability, and more.” This is a fun, comfortable boat with the technology and open space to get the most out of day on the water. solaceboats.com volvopenta.com

-by Steve Davis

A Tasty Trip Through the South

A Tasty Trip Through the South

The many cultural styles and flavors that define cuisine in the southern U.S.

Is fried chicken the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Southern food?

You wouldn’t be wrong, but there’s so much more.

The southern United States covers a massive swath of land, about one-quarter of the continental United States. Its northern borders begin in Maryland and Virginia, stretch across West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and down through Texas. It crawls along the Gulf of Mexico through Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, all the way down to the tip of Key West in Florida, and along the East Coast states of Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina. 

At almost one million square miles, the South encompasses different climates: arid deserts of Texas, swampy bayous of Louisiana, the cool Appalachian mountains, tropical southern Florida, the Lowcountry and out islands of the Atlantic coast, and the temperate zone of Virginia and Maryland. 

Additionally, there are myriad cultural influences upon the area: indigenous populations, immigrants from Mexico, Spain, France, England, and enslaved persons from West Africa, along with newer waves of immigration from India, Asia, the Middle East, and Western Europe. It’s no surprise that with so many climate and cultural impacts, Southern cuisine covers a vast array of styles, flavors, techniques, and ingredients. 

Barbecue 

Southern barbecue is many things, but burgers and hot dogs on a gas grill isn’t one of them. 

Also known as pit barbecue, it evolved from indigenous people’s method of cooking meat in an oven dug into the earth. Contemporary barbecue has three main ingredients: woodsmoke, meat, and a sauce or seasoning. Far from simple, the combination of cuts of meat, techniques, and styles creates a wide variety of barbecue. Pit masters tend to be a fiercely competitive bunch. This results in constant tweaking and improving of all three components—and tastier fare for your dining pleasure.

It isn’t the high heat from the fire that breaks the animal proteins down, but the long and low heat from smoke, which also imparts a distinctive flavor to the meat. This lengthy process can take up to 18 hours or more and requires skillful fire tending to keep the heat
and smoke consistent. 

The Carolinas, Kentucky, and Memphis barbecue pork, specifically the tough, sinewy cuts that benefit from long, slow cooking. Texas tends to prefer beef barbecue because of its cattle farming. 

The seasoning is pretty contentious. North Carolina is all about a vinegar and spice sauce, while South Carolina adds mustard. More landlocked places eschew a wet sauce entirely and use a dry rub of spices. Texas will incorporate a little bit of each. In Texas, you’re likely to have your barbecue in or on a tortilla, which brings us to Tex-Mex. 

Tex-Mex

Tex-Mex cuisine is a very distinctive spiced blend of cheese, beans, meat, and flatbread. Born in the region that was northern Mexico, which is now southern Texas, its components hail from all over the world.

Chili, or chili con carne, is the richly flavored beef stew born of the cattle drives. No self-respecting bowl of Texas chili (aka Texas red) contains beans, hominy, or macaroni. Like barbecue, you’ll find regional variations whose adherents will defend it with their lives. The Mexican diet, heavy in beans, is where legumes come into play in this dish and cuisine.

It is chili’s distinctive seasoning that grounds Tex-Mex food.

The spicy bold and piquant flavor of chili powder is a blend of spices. Dried chili peppers are ground and mixed with cumin (introduced by Spanish missionaries), oregano, and paprika. The technique and first commercially available blend is credited to a German cafe owner near San Antonio. 

Don’t forget the cheese, specifically soft, melty cheeses like jack and cheddar (everyone’s favorite English import). 

Then there are the tortillas—round, unleavened flat breads. Originally made of maize or hominy, they were the mainstay of the Aztec and Mesoamerican diet for thousands of years. The introduction of wheat from European settlers allowed a softer bread, and in the late 1800s, Tejanos in northern Mexico created flour tortillas. 

Add all these components together—richly spiced meat and beans, creamy cheese, and tortillas—and you have the deliciousness of Tex-Mex.

When you find yourself in Texas, also look for kolaches—sweet, soft pastries filled with cheese or fruit. These treats, a gift from Czech immigrants, is another true Texan food. 

Cajun and Creole 

Moving east along the Gulf coast to the swamps and bayous of Louisiana, we find a completely different style of food—or rather, two: Cajun and Creole cuisine. Don’t be fooled; they are not the same. The most noticeable difference is the presence of tomatoes. Creole dishes will have tomatoes while Cajun won’t. 

Let’s back up. Think of Cajun as the country cousin of Creole, the city. Cajuns are descendants of Acadians, the French who settled in the Canadian Maritimes. In the 1700s, ousted from their cold colony by the British crown, they migrated to the wilds of Louisiana. Their culinary traditions were strong, but the available food sources differed from anything they knew. 

The traditional French mirepoix of onion, celery, and carrot morphed to the Cajun holy trinity of onion, celery, and green pepper. Shrimp, oysters, crab, catfish, red fish, and even alligator replaced the salmon, haddock, and cod they loved. They swapped their beloved potatoes for rice, which grew plentiful in their new, wet, rural home. 

Creole cuisine, conversely, evolved in the cities and wealthy households of French and Spanish settlers along the coast. Most food was prepared by the help, many of whom were enslaved Africans, who brought their own culinary techniques and styles. These original chefs of Creole cuisine tried to make use of as many flavors and spices as came into the trading port (like luxurious canned tomatoes). Remoulade sauce, with almost a dozen different ingredients, is a condiment for someone with ample time, money, storage space, and refrigeration.

Floribbean 

South Florida, known for its tropical climate, abundant seafood, and proximity to the Caribbean, has its own unique culinary style. Unlike other Southern food cooked and fried in oil, Floribbean cuisine is light and fresh. Dishes are built around bountiful local fish, fruit, and vegetables and influenced by waves of immigrants from Asia, the Caribbean, and Latin America. 

These transplants brought with them important flavor components that flourish in Florida. Dishes are heavily spiced with ginger, tamarind, curry pastes, coconuts, peppers, and lemongrass. Any spiciness and heat are balanced out with sweetness and tang from mangoes, citrus, plantains, and other fruit.

Fish and seafood are plentiful, harvested from the Atlantic’s deep ocean waters, the shallow Caribbean waters of the Keys, and the protected waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Stone crab claws offer a single bite of sweet white meat. Grouper is a light, fleshy fish with tasty cheeks. Seriously, if you see grouper cheeks on a menu, get them in your cheeks.

Pompano, swordfish, flounder, and tuna are caught in the waters surrounding the state. Conch is a sea snail that lives in the Bahamas and the Florida Keys. Its meat can be tough and chewy. Prepared with expert precision, it’ll show off its succulent briny flavor. Look for conch chowder, fritters, ceviche, and salads.

Always follow up your meal with a slice of key lime pie—equal parts sweet, tart, creamy, and cooling.

You won’t find as many barbecue pits (who wants to tend a fire for 20 hours in stifling heat?); however, there are a vast array of smoked fishes. Almost every restaurant has its own version of a smoked fish dip or spread. Each one will be different, each one will claim to be the best. 

Traditional Foods

Much of what we think of as “Southern food” originated along the southern Atlantic coast, also known as the Lowcountry. The marshy coastal estuaries are teeming with oysters, crabs, turtles, and fish. This area is also good for growing rice. 

Barrier islands stretching from North Carolina down to Florida became the home to the Gullah people transplanted from West Africa. So many of their native foods grew easily there: okra, watermelon, sweet potatoes, hearty greens, peas, tomatoes, peanuts, and rice. The enslaved people working in the kitchens of the wealthy cooked these same familiar foods which eventually became staples.

She-crab soup is the southern cousin of clam chowder. Frogmore stew isn’t made with frogs—and it’s not even a stew! It’s a Lowcountry boil, a heaping pot of crabby water boiling with corn, sausage, potatoes, and shrimp. 

Pimento cheese is a spreadable blend of cheddar, mayo, and jarred peppers. It’s perfect on crackers or melted onto anything from sandwiches to potatoes. 

Fried chicken is its own food group in the South. An unseasoned version of the dish arrived with Scottish settlers. The enslaved West African cooks added spices and seasoning. Originally served only on a special occasion, today fried chicken makes every day special. In Maryland, the chicken is marinated in buttermilk. The Tennessee specialty of Nashville Hot Chicken features chicken coated in a thick pepper paste before breading and frying. 

Southern food can be anything from coconut grouper ceviche with plantain chips to chili con carne with cornbread. The best way to experience the cuisine is to taste as much as possible in as many restaurants, cafes, gas stations, and roadside stands as possible. 

-by Rubi McGrory

Repowering an Old Boat

Repowering an Old Boat

Many consumers are choosing not to wait six months to two years to take delivery of a new boat. 

As the time has increased from months to years for delivery of new boats, more consumers are keeping their rides and turning to repower centers to update their boats.

Replacing an outboard, electronics, and steering is significantly cheaper than buying a new boat, and the bonus is the wait is much shorter.

“The cost of a new boat is astronomical, and that same boat probably today is seventy percent more than it was twenty years ago,” says Steve Van Dyke, Tohatsu America Corp.’s sales manager for the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic region. “For a lot of customers, there’s nothing wrong with their current boat. They just want a fresh motor with the newest technology.”

Repower centers were busy replacing old two-stroke motors prior to the pandemic, and now, three years later, the demand has only accelerated for swapping all types of outboards.

As more marine shops focused on replacing engines, steering systems, and electronics, they branded themselves as “repower centers.” Mastry Suzuki Repower Center Network, which has 13 centers in Florida, has been leading the branding effort. 

David Taylor, sales and marketing spokesman for Suzuki Repower, says its goal is to simplify the repowering process by creating a one-stop shop. The company has performance bulletins on 600 boat models it has repowered, giving its customers real-world data on what to expect.

“When someone talks to us, we can tell them within about ten, fifteen minutes what exactly it’s going to cost to repower that boat,” Taylor says.

Mercury Marine started opening repowering centers about four years ago as it was rolling out its lineup of new outboards, appealing to consumers who still liked their boat but simply wanted new power. Most consumers are savvy about buying a new boat, but repowering can be a different experience, says Laura Fleischman, director of inside sales for Mercury Marine.

“The repower center is trained and staffed to not only help make the right choice for them, but also to install it with (the proper) riggings and controls and all the different upgrades we have,” Fleischman says.

A repower might require more than a new engine, depending on the boat’s age, and that’s where the repower center can guide the customer. Boats that are candidates to get repowered are typically between five and 20 years old.

“It could be as simple as unbolting their current engines and putting new engines on or it could be a complete tear up where they get new engines, new gauges, and new controls,” says Jeff Becker, senior category manager for 150-hp and above outboards at Mercury Marine. “It’s driven by the technology in the market and what that boater is looking for as the end output of the repower.”

New repowers come with a full factory-backed warranty, and Mercury, for example, offers up to eight years of total coverage. Suzuki Repower offers generous trade incentives, giving consumers the chance to upgrade their outboard every 12 months or 500 hours and still receive 85 percent of the original price.

Boaters who are looking to upgrade their power plants will need to plan ahead as some outboards have a year or longer backlog, says Van Dyke.

“The demand is so much greater than the supply right now, and we’re at max production,” he adds. “Because of the (lack of) availability of engines for all manufacturers, some consumers take what they can get. In normal times, it’s not like that.”

In the last 24 months, Taylor has seen consumers at boat shows giving up on the new-boat market and, instead, repowering an old hull.

“They’re out there shopping for a used boat with the mindset that they don’t care what engines currently are on it,” he says. “They’re going to take the engines off at the end of the day. They’ll have a boat with new engines and won’t have to wait to enjoy it.” mercurymarine.com; mastry.com; tohatsu.com 

-by Gregg Mansfield

Planning Your Next Vacation

Vacation Vibes

Follow these tips to plan a fun and hassle-free getaway.

Sweaters and scarves are packed away while pools are uncovered and boats are readied for warm days spent on the water. And, for many families, the ever-important summer vacation looms large.

Luckily, we have some great advice for how to plan the perfect summer trip for you and your family. So whether your choice of vacation is packed full of adventure and adrenaline or better spent lounging on the sand with a cold drink and good book in hand, these tips will help you make the most of your precious time away from those endless Zoom meetings.

Choose Your Vacation Mode

The first question to ask yourself and your family is, “What do we want to get out of this vacation?” Do you want the hustle and bustle of a big city or the quiet relaxation of the countryside? Are adventure sports on the agenda or is a leisurely afternoon spent floating in the pool more the order of the day? What you want to do is almost more important than where you go—Jefferson’s Monticello or the Smithsonian National Museum of American History might be very interesting, but if the kids just want to play in the sand all day, you can rest assured no one is going to be happy.

Planes, Trains, Automobiles, and Boats

Once you’ve decided generally what you hope to do on your trip, think about how you want to get there before you settle on a spot. If Mom doesn’t do well with flying, then perhaps a cross-country flight is off the table. Consider how much time you have as well—if you only have one week off, you probably don’t want to spend two of those days driving to and from your destination. If a road trip seems the best choice, think about how long you and your family realistically (and sanely) can be in the car and then create a big circle on a map encompassing everything within a two-, three-, or four-hour radius of home. If you do plan on flying, set an alert with Google Flights to track ticket prices and snag them when they seem to be at their lowest. Keep in mind that flights are often most expensive at the beginning and tail ends of the weeks when both leisure and business travelers take to the skies. Consider a Tuesday or Wednesday departure to shave some precious dollars off that fare. 

On the Water

Planning a boat trip is a whole other oyster to shuck. If you already own your own boat, then you’ve likely got the planning process down pat. But if you’re hoping to rent anything from a center console for days spent fishing or a bareboat charter for the whole family, you’ll need a slightly more detailed itinerary.

The first thing to do is determine your comfort level when it comes to boating (maybe don’t jump into chartering that 54-foot Beneteau if you’ve never sailed before), and then spend a fair amount of time researching rental and charter companies. Check the reviews online, and don’t be afraid to ask questions of the company. Research what sort of licenses you’ll need, and if you’ll be doing a liveaboard vacation, consult the myriad online resources for things like provisioning lists, suggested itineraries, marina recommendations, and more.

Suffice to say, such a vacation takes a bit more work, both beforehand and during, but with the right amount of careful planning, these trips can create memories that will last your family a lifetime.

Location, Location, Location

Now it’s finally time to settle on where you want to go. You can certainly start with the destination, especially if it’s a spot your family likes to return to again and again, and work backward from there, but whichever way you attack the plan, picking the location is often the best part. Involve the whole family in the decision, if possible. Make it even more fun by having everyone write down places on scraps of paper and pulling from a hat or teach the kids a lesson in democracy by holding a vote (obviously, parents get to be the tiebreaker). Consider some important details about the destination when choosing, like average weather during the time you want to travel, cost of activities once you arrive, and availability of nearby amenities. A remote mountain cabin might be just what the doctor ordered, but it may also mean stocking up ahead of time if the closest supermarket is an hour away. 

Another thing to keep in mind is the popularity of your destination. If you and your family are seeking a peaceful escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, then perhaps a packed beach or crowded theme park might not be the best bet. Consider lesser-known destinations that offer the same amenities as top-tier spots—Savannah, Georgia, might be a good option over Charleston, South Carolina, or Boone, North Carolina, instead of the more popular (and more visited) nearby mountain city of Asheville. What you do when you get there is almost as important, if not more so, than the destination itself, so make sure whatever location you settle on is able to provide the right vacation vibes you’re seeking.

Take Care of the Details 

The normal precautions and pre-planning you may have done for a getaway in the “before times” still apply with a few more things to note. Be sure to take care of everyday pre-trip details like notifying credit card companies that you’ll be traveling, making sure you’ve stocked up on prescription medication (and a roadside emergency/first aid kit if taking a road trip), and stopping your mail with the USPS’s easy online request tool.

However, given the uncertainty with the global pandemic, you’ll want to take some additional planning steps. As airlines struggle with staffing levels, flights are being rescheduled and canceled more than ever, especially during busy travel seasons, so anticipate any extra costs of having to rebook flights or possibly stay at your destination longer than planned.

If you purchase travel insurance (and you should), make sure that the policy covers COVID-related costs like having to cancel if you or a family member test positive, or if you need to isolate at a hotel while on vacation. Be sure to research your destination’s COVID policies, like mask mandates and vaccine requirements. Upload photos of your family’s vaccination cards to your mobile device, and if you need to test before arrival, during your trip, or before departure, make sure you have that all scheduled.

A few extra moments spent taking care of these details before you leave can save you a massive headache (and potentially hundreds if not thousands of dollars) later.

Ready, Set, Go!

By now you’ve done all the planning and the prep, and all that’s left is the anticipation. Make it fun for the whole family with a weekly reveal of tiny clues about the destination for the kids to guess where they’ll be going or a countdown calendar of the days left until vacation. If you’ve followed these tips for planning, then you’ve laid the groundwork for a relaxing, fun, and carefree holiday. We’re in the third year of a global pandemic, so don’t we all deserve a little stress-free time away? Pack those bags, hit the road (or water), and happy travels! 

-by Matt Lardie

Southern Boating TV: Azimut Yachts Series Part 1

In this episode of Southern Boating TV we sat down with Southern Boating’s editor-in-chief, Steve Davis, and Azimut Yachts President Federico Ferrante to discuss the history over the past 50 years of the Azimut brand! Stay tuned for more of our series with Azimut Yachts.

As always, thanks for watching! If you enjoyed the video, give it a like or a comment, and don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel!

The All-New Aquila 70 Power Catamaran

The Cat’s Meow

Aquila steps into the realm of the semi-custom with the debut of a luxurious 70-footer.

Catamarans are having a moment. The double-hulled approach has been steadily winning over cruisers weary of the roll for years now; meanwhile, the pandemic has inspired more people to take to the seas in a safe bubble of family and friends. There are arguably few better ways to do this than on the expansive platform a catamaran hull offers.

Enter the new Aquila 70, which makes the very best of first impressions. “When you step on board the boat, you feel like you could actually live on board the boat, or spend extended periods of time on board; it feels like home,” says Alain Raas, Aquila brand manager for MarineMax, the exclusive worldwide distributor of the yachts.

What greets those passing through the sliding glass cockpit doors is villa-like living with a sumptuous sectional sofa and armchair by Natuzzi Italia, a formal dining area, bamboo silk rugs underfoot, and a chic sit-down bar facing the open plan galley. In fact, the only nautical consolation is a sleek and discreet helm station tucked into the starboard corner that practically blends with the stylish galley just behind it.

The bi-level master stateroom forward brings an even bigger wow factor. Spanning the full 27-foot beam, the vast bedroom area with king berth stretches between the hulls while its ensuite and dressing area dip into them. 

This is the first hull of the new flagship model, which made its debut at the Palm Beach boat show last March and was recently sold. It has served as the showpiece for the brand and prompted orders for three more hulls, each customized for its owner. This marks a major shift for Aquila, which until now has only produced production boats from 28 to 54 feet. 

“We sell the 70 all over the world. It’s a different type of clientele,” Raas says. “They have different specifics that they’re looking for, whether it’s a family owner-operated boat or if they’ve got a captain and crew on board, or just a captain full time, or if they’re looking to put it into a charter fleet. There are a lot of different options that can be selected on the 70, whether you want galley up, galley down, three, four, five, or six staterooms.” 

The configuration of Hull No. 1 certainly appeals to the American market. It seems tailor-made for cruising the Bahamas with its flybridge open to the temperate elements and a congenial layout where owners and crew can co-exist. All guests are treated like VIPs, accommodated in two generous cabins—one in each hull—with queen berths that face the large windows. The starboard hull aft also houses something any experienced boater will appreciate: a utility room with pantry, laundry facilities, workspace, and dayhead. If an owner desired an extra guest cabin or galley below, this is where it would go. Aft in the port hull, the crew quarters with bunks, ensuite, and a petite navigation desk, are accessed via a separate entrance from the cockpit. The level of finish makes it also suitable for guests.

While these eminently livable accommodations hog the spotlight, interestingly, they are not the yacht’s best quality. “We wanted to focus on speed and efficiency, which is really one of the hallmarks of the Aquila 70,” says Raas. Thanks to a careful choice of interior materials that keep her weight down and a tank-tested catamaran design, she tops out at close to 29 knots. At a 24-knot cruise, the catamaran burns 77 gallons per hour, a stark savings over an equivalent length monohull, which can run twice that. Pare it down to 11-and-a-half knots and you’re looking at sipping about 30 gallons per hour—and that’s total, between both 1,000-horsepower Volvo Penta D13 engines. 

Aquila is relatively new on the boat scene. Formed in a partnership between MarineMax and Sino Eagle Group, an advanced composites specialist in Hangzhou, China, Aquila Power Catamarans only entered the market nine years ago, but has quickly developed a reputation for quality builds. “[The 70] has carbon fiber bulkheads so everything is carbon resin infused in terms of the bulkhead, and the hull of the boat is vinylester resin infused, a step above polyester resin infusion,” says Raas. “It’s a harder product to work with but for longevity and durability, the boat is going to perform and stand up much longer than some of our counterparts just because of the quality of the resins that are being done.” 

She’s also quiet. The engine rooms (one in each hull) are under the cockpit, accessed from a watertight door aft in each hull, so the machinery’s rumble doesn’t resonate to the salon. Guests inside won’t hear or feel close to anything underway. In fact, Charlie Helgeson, a broker with MarineMax, says that’s the selling point when he gets prospective clients off the dock and on the water. “It’s one thing to just hear a sales professional talk about how great the boat performs, but when you get this boat out there, what’s most impressive is how quiet it is,” he says.

The engine rooms can also be accessed via gas-hinged hatches in the deck, allowing for maintenance work without anyone tramping through the interior. It’s one of many examples of thoughtful design. Helgeson points out more: the easily accessible AC breaker panel in the utility room overhead and even the way the televisions in the guest cabin overheads don’t stop at 90 degrees when they swing down, instead reclining to 100 degrees for the best viewing angle from the berth.

The brains of the boat, as Raas describes it, is the C-Zone system. From a touchscreen on the interior or flybridge helm, the user can intuitively control everything from lighting, electronics, and cameras to pumps, generators, and black water valves. It can also be linked wirelessly with an iPad or iPhone for full control of the systems from anywhere on board.

The user-friendliness extends to the tender stowage aft. A remote-controlled platform fitted between the hulls lowers on an incline to deploy or recover a custom 14-foot catamaran dinghy. “It’s a one-person operation. You don’t have to mess with cranes,” Raas says.

It’s hard to believe, given the 70- by 27-foot dimensions, but parking the big boat is another easy operation, thanks to wing systems with Volvo joysticks that integrate the hydraulic bow thruster, props, and rudders.

As I spoke with Raas, Hull No. 3 was in build for a client and he anticipated the fourth sold hull to get underway shortly, as soon as the engineering work was done for its unique layout. It shows the lengths the team is willing to go to customize each 70, which is the first in Aquila’s “Luxury” division and a sign of the good things to come from the brand.

“Our production boats are great, but for me, it’s the 70. She’s definitely a step up for Aquila heading in the direction where we want to be headed,” says Raas. “Overall, she’s a great boat.” 

-by Kate Lardy

2022 Pursuit S 358 Review

FIT FOR COMFORT

Pursuit’s Sport Series center consoles have all the amenities for a day on the water. 

Center consoles are known for their maneuverability and fishing prowess, but they’ve become much more in recent years. The Pursuit Sport Series is a perfect example of how center consoles have evolved into comfortable, versatile platforms for any adventure.

Newest in Pursuit’s popular Sport Series is the S 358, its first 35-foot center console, that nicely balances the series with the S 428, Pursuit’s largest and flagship model on one end, and the modest, yet robust S 268 on the other. The range shares a lot of similarities, but each has its own personality.

Born to Fish

The S 358, like her bigger sisters, the S 428 and the S 378, boasts a wide-open cockpit with plenty of room to bait and catch and haul in some big fish. Anglers will find 12 rod holders standard around the gunwale fore and aft, and with the optional hardtop rocket launcher and Taco Grand Slam 390 extending outriggers, the fish will feel they’re at a smorgasbord. A 32-gallon recirculating lighted livewell with Oceana blue finish and a clear lid contains lots of bait, and the in-floor insulated fish boxes with diaphragm pump-outs port and starboard hold your catch. Tackle drawers are nearby in the portside helm seat base.

A big fishing advantage of a center console is that anglers can move around the entire boat to keep working the catch. Wide walkways on either side of the helm have coaming and rails along the gunwale for safety, and built-in coaming boxes forward keep fenders and dock lines secure while under the gunwales aft, holders keep rods and long gaffs safely stowed. 

The same features carry on in the S 378 and S 428, but with the additional length of the 42, there are three fish boxes, two in the floor and a 68-gallon insulated transom box with a 36-gallon recirculating livewell on each side. On all three models, the patented foldaway transom seat opens the cockpit for unobstructed fishing off the stern. Fresh and raw water washdowns are located hull side at the transom to starboard with a hot/cold shower to port next to the transom door. Speaking of which, the door opens to access the engines from a wraparound platform and includes a flush-mount pullout ladder for swimmers. 

Time to Entertain

With the catch boxed up and the washdown complete as well as one or two fillets ready to grill, the cockpit easily transforms into an entertainment area with a few simple moves. Chances are the mezzanine aft-facing seating and the transom seat were folded away to clear the cockpit for fishing, but when folded out, six can sit comfortably around a removable pedestal table. The entertainment center supports the mezzanine seating aft of the helm seats and includes a grill, insulated storage box, sink, and cutting board. Pursuit is all about function and versatility, and it shows in the S 358’s mezzanine seating. The starboard side folds up to keep working the grill while the portside seating can remain down for guests. The refrigerator is conveniently located underneath the grill with the door opening out in the starboard walkway. 

A really cool feature on the S 378 and S 428 is that the mezzanine seating is motorized and slides into the cockpit space with the push of a button. On the 378, the entertainment center moves with the seating and on the 428, the seating moves away from the entertainment center, both creating a separate, walk-through galley area behind the helm. Another special feature on the 428 that creates even more entertainment space is when the starboard cockpit hull side opens outward to form a beach deck. Yep, with the push of a button. 

Comfortable seating and hanging out with family and friends aren’t confined to the cockpit. There’s a huge bow on the other end with wraparound and lounge seating to stretch out and relax. Electrically activated backrests on the port and starboard sides of the wraparound seating create a forward-facing lounge while the centerline console seating reclines and has armrests. Dine alfresco or play games on the custom fiberglass table that electrically raises and lowers…yep, with the push of a button. A filler cushion atop the table makes for a large sunpad, and an optional Mediterranean-style sunshade helps keep the sun at bay if necessary. The bow has its own audio controls and plenty of drink holders as well as storage under the seats.

The Centerpiece

The fishing, the entertaining, and the adventures are all guided from the center console. Helm controls are ergonomically designed within reach for fluid operation. The dash accommodates dual 16-inch displays, but the optional, factory-installed Garmin electronics package interfaces with the twin Yamaha Digital 425 XTO engine package, including integrated digital electric steering, Helm Master EX, and joystick controls for seamless connection. Similarly, the packages are also available with the triple engines on the 378 and the quadruple setup on the 428 with room for 22-inch displays on its dash. The three models have some great options, too, including SiriusXM satellite and weather, Garmin radar, and FLIR night vision cameras. Compass, trim tab control, and bow thruster joystick controls are standard. 

The seating is just as comfortable at the helm as it is at the bow and in the cockpit due to the adjustable triple helm seats that each have individual armrests, bolsters, footrests, and air conditioning vents. The molded fiberglass, full-beam hardtop connects with a custom windshield system with tempered glass, an electrically actuated center vent, and windshield wiper with freshwater washer. It not only protects from weather but provides a solid base for electronics and outriggers on top. The sliding hatch supplies ventilation as well as access to the gear above. When the sun gets a little intense on the aft deck, an optional retractable sunshade mounted in the hardtop provides plenty of cover with, you guessed it, a push of a button. 

Adding to the comfort level, an optional Seakeeper 2 gyrostabilizer will keep the rock and roll steady. On the 378, a Seakeeper 3 is an option, and on the 428, a Seakeeper 6 stabilizer is standard. 

The Finishing Touch

One of the most beneficial features of the Pursuit S 358, and probably the most appreciated, is the well-appointed cabin with a private head. Not too many 35-foot center consoles can boast this feature with macerator head, opening portlight with screen, and Corian countertop with sink and pullout faucet/shower wand for hot or cold water use. There’s ample headroom, and the port and starboard hull windows provide plenty of light, including in the head. The forward seating area converts into a berth, and a 28-inch LED TV along with the optional microwave are quite convenient. This area is also where the main distribution panel is located, accessible yet out of the way.

Innovations abound in Pursuit’s Sport family, and the new S 358 is the balance point of the series. Intuition, imagination, flexibility, craftsmanship, and listening to ideas has made the Sport Series a favorite for all those looking for a boat that adapts to any adventure on the water. 

-by Steve Davis

TESTED: Boston Whaler 420 Outrage

Boat Test: Boston Whaler 420 Outrage

The 420 Outrage 50th Anniversary Edition is the flagship of the vaunted Whaler fleet and is a proven bluewater boat upgraded with 1,800 hp of Mercury V12 technology, upgraded upholstery and finishes and graphics that are sure to grab extra attention at the docks. The optional second station and tower are worth considering for serious anglers.

Looking for your next Boston Whaler? Check out our brokerage section.
Boston Whaler Models for Sale

For the entire test visit: BoatTest.com

Performance Test

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