As Hinckley Yachts celebrates the 30th anniversary of its iconic Picnic Boat — which has become emblematic of American yachting — the brand has solidified its reputation as an industry pioneer. Regardless of your preference in boat style or size, Hinckley is famous for beautiful boats handcrafted by generational craftsman using only the finest materials and technological innovation. Whether you prefer to tackle open seas in a Talaria 48 MKII or cruise remote coastal coves while running a Picnic Boat 37 S, form meets function on every Hinckley adventure. An afternoon aboard any Hinckley yacht? Poised for barefoot happy hours and cruising playlists. Ultimately, a Hinckley represents freedom. Freedom to transcend daily pressures. Freedom to explore and celebrate nature. Freedom to connect with cherished family and friends. And the liberty to live life to the fullest. Afterall, the life aquatic is, by nature, an expression of a maverick spirit. Explore what’s possible below—only on a Hinckley.
ZERO DRAFT, MAXIMUM PLAY
“Hinckley’s shallow draft innovation defines how we use our boat. Given only a few feet of water surrounds our dock at low tide, our Talaria 43 was the only boat we could store and utilize right from our house — and home is where life aboard our Hinckley begins. We can quickly skim across shallow areas, anxiety-free, and sneak ashore at a forgotten beach. Our kids can step right off the swim platform and easily explore remote areas where most captains wouldn’t dare venture. To this day, I often can’t believe we’re the only ones exploring such beauty. Only on a Hinckley.”
“There’s nothing like connecting with loved ones aboard a Hinckley. As experienced boat operators, we’ve owned several boats, and I quickly discovered not all technology is created equal. Before owning a Hinckley, joystick “control” often meant lack of control and unwanted distraction. Yet today, Hinckley’s JetStick 4 has become an extension of my boating intuition. I no longer consider every move. With just the right amount of assistance and automation, JetStick 4 allows me to be in the moment and create indelible memories. Spending time on the water is what I live for. Now I’m truly free to celebrate my love for the life aquatic. Only on a Hinckley.”
“Disrupting the mood with the sound and smell of diesel engines? Not aboard our Hinckley Picnic Boat 40. Once everyone is onboard and settled into the settees, conversation settles into normal volumes. With the waterjets engaged, I can depart the marina with only the sound of water passing by and fun family chatter. When cruising to our favorite shallow cove — just 10 miles from the harbor and where prop and pod boats don’t dare navigate — I maneuver the boat in silence until reaching open water. As I push the throttles forward, the light vibration of diesels come to life as the sound of waves and water take over. Only half an hour of runtime can charge the batteries back to 100 percent, allowing for a peaceful, generator-free visit to the shallow-entry cove. No buttons or modes to select. No technology for the sake of it. Seamless, minimal impact. Only the water. My family. And a Hinckley poised to create the finest memories life has to offer. Only on a Hinckley.”
The iconic European builder debuts Rivamare (39′ LOA, 11’6″ beam) with a distinctive, double-curved, laminated, crystal window at the cabin level and an eye-catching windscreen consisting of five double-curved, laminated, crystal glass sections set in a stainless-steel frame. An innovative stern beach area incorporates a hatch with built-in mahogany steps that swings open to a large surface; two specially designed ergonomic sunpads can be positioned over the hatch. The cockpit is furnished with a large C-shaped sofa set around a folding table in mahogany and stainless steel, and can be protected by a retractable Bimini. Engineers and designers created a luxurious open interior space consisting of a galley, head with separate shower, and bow living area that converts into a double bed. riva-yacht.com
The new Hatteras 70 MY boasts the same tough lineage of its bigger sisters and calls for leisure and pleasure at every corner.
An Italian-designed, contemporary motoryacht filled with natural light and lots of social areas and open spaces, the new Hatteras 70 MY is made for entertaining. With its iconic Hatteras construction and battleship-strong hull, it’s also made to take you, and a good number of your friends, just about anywhere you want to go in safety and comfort.
The combination of modern-but-classic good looks, panoramic windows, creative use of space, and ocean-straddling performance could set this Hatteras apart in the world of luxury motoryachts. But actually, the 70 is the trimmed-down little sister of the 100 Raised Pilothouse that Hatteras introduced in 2014, with the same lines and features on a slightly reduced scale. All this is not by accident. “Our motoryachts aren’t like anybody else’s motoryachts,” says John W. S. Ward, Hatteras president and CEO. “Our goal is to create a definitive family of motoryachts to differentiate ourselves from all the other players in this category.”
Serve lunch alfresco on the aft deck’s high-gloss teak table.
Relax on the inviting lounges on the aft deck of the flybridge deck.
The intimate U-shaped dinette on the flybridge is ideal for happy hour.
Mix a cocktail at the wet bar just aft of the helm and keep the captain company.
Some serious suntanning awaits on the large sunpads at the bow.
The casual dinette calls for breakfas
The full-beam king master is spacious, simple and elegant.
Freshen up in the contemporary head before stepping out again.
Five-star-worthy cabins offer privacy with a view.
Food prep in the country kitchen will delight the chef.
Much of the sense of being on a much larger yacht comes from the 70’s 21-foot beam, which opens up the interior while making the boat more stable both underway and at the dock. And its low draft of just 4′ 6″ opens up cruising to The Bahamas, the Keys or other choice spots where the water is thin.
Living aboard is easy. The yacht has four staterooms, including a full-beam midships master worthy of a five-star hotel, two staterooms forward and a private VIP in the bow. Then there’s the crew’s cabin below, with its own head and work area. (The 70 is designed to be run by the owner or by crew.) A dayhead is on the main deck opposite the galley.
Step aboard the 70 from a wide and deep swim platform and go up five molded fiberglass steps to the aft deck protected by the extended boat deck above. (Or board the yacht from gates on each side if the 70 is tied up at a high dock.) The aft deck can be enclosed, but the evening I was there it was open with a warm breeze simply begging guests to sit down at the high-gloss teak table and enjoy a glass of wine or appetizer. The table is mounted on two stainless steel pedestals, while a molded bench seat along the transom and three chairs forward can sit six or more guests comfortably. A bar with sink and fridge completes the entertaining motif here.
Two sliding doors open wide to the salon and the main deck, all on the same level as the aft deck. The open, fresh look extends all the way through the salon and country kitchen to a casual dining area forward with a large window overlooking the bow and whatever’s ahead. Simply put, the main deck of the Hatteras 70 is elegant, sophisticated and filled with light coming from frameless windows lining both sides and from a creative one-piece wraparound windshield.
Entering the salon, a low, light-colored, L-shaped lounge with throw pillows is on the starboard side, with a cocktail table and club chair completing one of the many social areas on the yacht. Across on the port side, a 40″ dropdown TV dominates a first-class entertainment center with a home theater surround sound system and DVD player.
Moving forward, the L-shaped country kitchen is on the starboard side, with an island countertop bar large enough for six or eight people. All the open space allows the chef to stay in touch with everyone on this deck, and guests also enjoy uninterrupted views in every direction. All the way forward, a U-shaped dinette surrounded by windows on three sides offers a casual dining area—a perfect spot for lingering over coffee in the morning or something stronger at night. There are two small tables here, with two extra chairs.
A pantograph door on the starboard side by the galley opens to the wide, protected side decks and to the bow, where another social area with three large sunpads is nestled up in front of the window above the dinette. Additional bench seating, port and starboard, can hold even more guests.
Reach the accommodation deck below from curved stairs on the port side opposite the galley, where there’s enough extra space for half a dozen of your best friends to sleep over—if you so desired—then enter the luxurious master stateroom turning aft. Cedar-lined storage is under the king-sized bed as well as in the walk-in closet. With an all-white countertop and two sinks, the master head is light, contemporary and upscale. An all-glass door opens to the shower, which features a marble bench seat.
Two guest cabins are forward across the hall from each other. The one to port features two single berths, while the one to starboard offers a full-sized berth. Both cabins share a head with shower on the starboard side. All the way forward, a large VIP stateroom takes advantage of the wide beam in the bow for walkways around the queen-sized berth. The vanity in the ensuite head has a stone countertop; the shower has a frameless glass door and includes a seat.
While the accommodations deck lives up to the legendary Hatteras standards of first-class fit and finish, I think my favorite spot on the new 70 is all the way up top on the flybridge, which is protected by a standard fiberglass hardtop. The helm is offset to starboard a bit, with two 15″ Garmin touchscreen displays, a systems monitor and other electronics. Two matching, adjustable helm chairs promise comfort and great views. Just aft of the helm is a wet bar with three stools, a fridge and icemaker. On the port side, a U-shaped lounge with a high-gloss teak table awaits guests for cocktails or casual dining. There’s a large cabinet with a single electric grill behind it. All the way aft two lounges beckon guests for sunning or relaxing. If this area is used as a boat deck, you can mount an optional 1,500-pound davit here.
Ever since Willis Slane, a dedicated marlin fisherman, built the first Hatteras in 1959 to tackle the turbulent waters off Cape Hatteras, the company has earned a worldwide reputation for producing tough sea boats. The 70 is laid up with a solid fiberglass hull, resin-infused hull bottom, and synthetic foam core in the stringers, bulkheads, hull sides, and decks. The hull itself is convex to reduce pounding.
Hatteras president Ward intends to take advantage of that seagoing heritage by getting people on board the 70 and other new boats in rough conditions, so he has opened a new sales center with slips at Pier Sixty-Six in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. “If they go out on a rough day,” he says, “we think they’ll buy the boat.”
Next up for Hatteras: A new 90 motoryacht, with the same lines as the 70 and the 100. No doubt she’ll be just as tough and chic, but decide for yourself—she’ll be ready for the 2017 Miami International Boat Show.
— By Peter A. Janssen, Southern Boating Magazine April 2016
