The Absolute 50 Fly is designed for functionality and flexibility, and that’s especially true with the indoor living spaces. Rounded furniture edges and the linearity of the beds reflects the Italian design. Three cabins accommodate six guests overnight in the Absolute 50 Fly. Separate areas can be created for cooking, for lunch and sunbathing courtesy of the numerous sliding doors. Three additional sunbathing areas and an electrical sunshade for sun protection draw guests outdoors. On the flybridge, a sofa with a dining room table, a side sofa and more sunbathing offers three individual reclining backrests. The Absolute 50 Fly (49’10” LOA, 14’6″ beam) also includes a sink, barbecue grill, icemaker, and refrigerator. absoluteyachts.com
Tag: motor yacht
Cruisers 60 Fly
The Cruisers 60 Fly (59’10” LOA, 16′ beam) boasts exceptional space and comfort combined with easy handling thanks to joystick docking. The open cockpit with U-shaped dinette opens to the salon courtesy of full-length sliding glass doors. The formal dining area can be paired with a plush, U-shaped settee where guests can relax with a cocktail. The aft galley on the Cruisers 60 Fly is well equipped for easily serving both the cockpit and salon. A full-beam king master stateroom offers owners their own private oasis, café table and seats, large closet, and private ensuite; the forward VIP queen stateroom has a walk-in closet. The flybridge offers great views and exceptional piloting plus a spacious helm and lounge seating complete with a wet bar. cruisersyachts.com
The Carver C52 Coupe
The latest entry into the mid-size luxury yacht market is the Carver C52 Coupe with its full-beam ensuite master stateroom, spacious forward guest stateroom and head plus a large third stateroom. Step on board and you’ll notice wide walkaround side decks that are easily accessible from the cockpit, an extra large swim platform and abundant foredeck seating.
Open the glass cockpit doors to transform the salon and cockpit into a flowing entertainment space. The Carver C52 Coupe (51’10” LOA, 15’8″ beam) features one of the largest glass ceiling panels in its class and can be dimmed with the flip of a switch. Accommodations include a master suite and two spacious guest quarters, each with a private head and shower.
One Tough, Chic Chick – Hatteras 70 MY
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.”
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
SPECIFICATIONS
LOA: 74′ 6″
Beam: 21′
Draft: 4′ 6″
Weight: 155,000 lbs.
Fuel/Water: 2,000/300 U.S. gals.
Power: 2x 1,600-hp Caterpillar C32A diesels
Optional Power:
2x 1,800-hp Cat C-32A diesels
2x 1,900-hp Cat C-32A diesels
2x 1,800-hp MTU 12V-2000 diesels
Cruise/Top speed: 22/26 knots
Range: 293 nm @ 24 knots
MSRP: $5,140,000
CONTACT
Hatteras Yachts
110 N. Glenburnie Rd.
New Bern, NC 28560
(252) 633-3101
hatterasyachts.com
Full Nest, Empty Nest
The Bavaria Virtess 420 Coupe appeals to families—no matter what stage of life they’re in.
It has been said that there’s a boat for everyone and a person for every boat. For anyone who has attended boat shows and seen the varieties of boat designs, sizes and layouts, it’s not exactly a stretch of the imagination to realize that there are in fact, many boats that meet a buyer’s needs. Infrequently if ever, though, have I felt a boat could easily transition to the changing needs of families: couples become parents, babies become teens, and parents become couples again. As it turns out, the Bavaria 420 Virtess is an exception to that line of thinking.
As the company’s moniker suggests, Bavaria Yachts is based in Germany, and the factory-direct company has been building boats for nearly 40 years. Its product lines include both mono- and multi-hull sailboats, and two motoryacht lines. The Sport line offers sizes 29 to 45 feet, and the Virtess line—first launched in 2012—comes as both a 42′ Flybridge and 42′ Coupe. Bavaria has earned a reputation in Europe as one of the top-producing builders, but it wasn’t until the 2014 Fort Lauderdale Boat Show that they entered the U.S. market and introduced the Virtess 420—even without the U.S. introduction they’ve already built some 40 hulls. It was there that the Bavaria Virtess 420 Coupe—or more specifically, its swim platform, transitional cockpit furniture and rooftop sunpad—turned my head.
Dirk Boehmer, Bavaria Motor Yachts USA national sales director, welcomed me to its U.S. Sales and Service headquarters at Harbor Town Marina in Dania, Florida, just south of Fort Lauderdale. Additional factory direct sales offices are in Annapolis, Maryland; Mystic, Connecticut; Atlanta, Georgia; and San Diego, California.
“Before you board, take a look at this,” Boehmer said while he lowered the swim platform into the water. I wasn’t sure why he was so enthralled with the hydraulically lowered swim platform since they’re not a new concept, but then I noticed the telescoping stairway extending automatically as the swim platform lowered. Now that is new, I thought, and at the same time I realized it makes every other builders’ standard swim ladder look so last decade, maybe even pre-millennium. Then Boehmer raised the platform back up, and the stairway neatly tucked into the platform deck. So clever, and so cool.
Another sensible option that goes hand-in-hand with that coolness is the movable cockpit furniture. Two loveseat-sized sofas and a table slide via channels in the deck for multiple arrangements and open up the cockpit area. When you’re at anchor and enjoying the water, slide the sofas around to face each other so that the entire back area is open to the water—and those playing in it.
Teenagers seeking personal space on board the 420 Coupe will undoubtedly climb the cockpit ladder and claim the rooftop sunpad, which you don’t see from the dock. Be careful of the ladder handhold—it’s a necessary safety feature but the sturdy rail protrudes a bit, and I bumped into it twice while moving around the cockpit. There’s another sunpad on the bow equally spacious for sunning or stargazing.
Inside the salon, a comfy settee and table for six is to starboard and directly across from the standard pop-up TV. There’s room for two at the helm, and headroom throughout is ample—even for Boehmer’s 6’4″ height there’s room to spare. Directly across from the helm, the galley to port offers built-in garbage containers, a double sink, microwave, cooktop, fridge, and a dedicated space for a serving tray with storage underneath. Teak is standard for the sole, although this particular model has DuraDeck synthetic teak inside and out, a robust, durable option for families.
German engineering is as evident below deck as it is above with efficiency of design and space utilization. A few steps forward and down from the salon, three cabins accommodate six comfortably—ideal for a family or three couples on a long cruising weekend. (Don’t forget that this is only a 42-foot boat.) The ensuite forward master with an island queen bed offers more than adequate storage, while the two guest cabins each have two twin berths—they can be combined for a full-size berth—and share the other head, which also serves as a dayhead and is accessed from the hallway.
One of the benefits of buying a boat from a factory-direct builder like Bavaria is that there are no dealer mark-ups added to the price. According to Boehmer, all of their models sized 36 feet and larger are extremely price competitive compared with other boats in the same class and size. It’s important to keep in mind, though, that while production efficiency has been scrutinized and maximized, any customization changes will reduce the cost savings and add to the price. Boehmer says that depending on requested changes, they may be accommodated at the factory but implemented after delivery in the U.S. All Bavaria Motor Yachts come with a full two-year warranty, whether sold in Europe—a compulsory requirement there—or in the U.S.
My sea trial out of the Dania Cut-Off Canal and past container ships being loaded at Port Everglades gave me time to explore the Virtess 420 Coupe’s conversation areas and imagine that if I was lucky, my sea trial might last a little longer than expected. The only thing that would make the day even better would be to have my whole family with me, and on this boat there would even be room for the cousins, too.
SPECIFICATIONS
LOA: 44′ 7″
Beam: 13′ 10″
Draft: 3′ 8″
Weight: 24,250 lbs.
Fuel/Water: 317/108 U.S. gals.
Power: 2x Volvo Penta IPS 600 diesels @ 435-hp each
Cruise/Top speed: 25/34 knots
Range: 250 nm @ cruise
MSRP: $763,291 as equipped; $630,563 base price (delivered to Fort Lauderdale and prepped)
CONTACT
Bavaria Yachts USA
825 NE Third Street
Dania Beach, FL 33004
(954) 639-7976
motoryachts@bavariayachts.com
bavariayachts.com
Southern Boating, By Liz Pasch, June 2015
Hargrave 94 Sky Lounge
The story behind the creation of Adventure Us II is a great illustration of Hargrave’s custom prowess and their dedication to clients. Perhaps most notable in the exterior is the yacht’s extended enclosed area on the upper deck—a variation from typical Hargrave Sky Lounge models—which was a request from the owners who wished for a large entertaining area to accommodate all family members, including children and grandchildren. The interior design received thorough input from the owners who had a true vision for their yacht. Throughout the years, Adventure Us II owners had compiled a binder with details of décor, furnishings, wall treatments, tiles and more, influenced by Art Deco, they envisioned for their vessel. The dining salon for example was designed around a glass etching from the 1920s of an elegant Parisian woman, which bright springtime tones of melon, lime and coral became the inspiration for the color pallet carried throughout the yacht. Hargrave craftsmen chose rich black walnut with gold leaf embellishments for the main salon to starboard and its walk-up bar. Forward of the main salon is the galley. With its sweetgum burl cabinetry the galley exudes glamour. Its starboard side also doubles as a side entrance to the staircase to the flybridge and guest area. The on-deck master suite allows for lots of natural light and has three large closets, including a walk-in closet, a hat, purse and accessories closet. The master bath boasts grey emperador marble and warm deep brown wood paneling, continuing with the Art Deco theme. The lower deck three guest staterooms were designed with certain family members in mind. The port stateroom has youthful colors of coral rose, peach and hot pink with three twin beds. The starboard stateroom has a full walk-around queen size bed with a more masculine tone of plaid rusts and honey. The captain and crew quarters are spacious and boast the same delicate finishes as the rest of the boat.
Specifications
LOA: 94′
Beam: 21′
Draft: 6″
Displacement: 235,600 lbs. (full)
Fuel/Water: 3,200/ 600 U.S. gals.
Engines: 1600 hp, twin inboard diesel C-32ACERT Caterpillar
Top Speed: 23 kts
Cruising range: 450 nm
MSRP: contact seller
Contact:
Hargrave Yacht Brokerage & Charter
Herman I. Pundt
1887 West State Road 84
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33315
(954) 463-0555
hargraveyacht.com
By Nathalie Gouillou, Southern Exposure, December 2015