Express Cruisers Guide – Part II - 12/29/20
BoatTEST Newsletter December 29, 2020
Buyer's Guide Video
All Express Cruisers are Not the Same
Buyer's Guide to Express Cruisers
On BoatTEST, Express Cruisers are the #1 researched type of boat. Little wonder, because they are so complex – and expensive. This is Part II of our report on the most researched express cruisers in 2020 from each brand that we have tested.
To view Part I, which appeared in yesterday’s newsletter, click here...
Be sure to watch our short Buyer’s Guide video to Express Cruiser, click here.
Test Video
Palm Beach 55:
Elegant Downeast Yacht from Down Under
One look at the Palm Beach Yachts 55 is all it should take to understand why this motoryacht is on our must-see list. She has advanced the level of styling for all Downeast motoryachts – and we think her nuanced grace and elegance is hard to beat. Her large cockpit has twin transom doors that merge the area with the large swim platform to create an open-air gathering area that is huge. Her garage houses a 10’8” (3.25 m) tender that expands her utility. Optional accommodation plans can adjust cabin capacity to suit an owner’s preferences.
She is called Palm Beach, not after Palm Beach in Florida, but another one in Australia, the country where this brand originated in 1995. She is built by one of the most exacting CEOs in the business, Mark Richards, who is also one the world’s most accomplished ocean racing sailors. Several years ago, Palm Beach and Grand Banks merged, with Richards becoming the CEO of both brands and their construction in the Grand Banks facility in Malaysia. Not surprisingly, the interior of this vessel is lavished in teak, but that’s just the beginning. In almost all ways, she is a jewel of fine yacht execution. More...
Test Video
Regal 26 XO:
Trailerable Family Cruiser
Regal’s 26 XO is one of the few pocket cruisers available on the market, and she has a lot to offer a young boating family that likes to explore more than one body of water. Her 8’6” (2.59 m) beam means she can be trailered without a permit in all 50 states. She’s offered with sterndrive or outboard power so a family that spends all its time in freshwater may want the sterndrive to take advantage of the wide-open swim platform. Those cruising mainly in saltwater may want the outboard model for its ease of maintenance and more interior storage room. Either way, she offers a lot of utility for a reasonable price.
We tested with a 300-hp Yamaha four-stroke outboard. Dry weight is estimated at 6,100 lbs. (2,767 kg), so she can be towed with a full-sized pickup or SUV and even some mid-sized models. In our tests, the 26 XO hit a top speed of 40 mph at 5700 rpm. We recorded best cruise at 4000 rpm where the boat ran 23.4 mph got 2.0 miles out of a gallon of gas, giving her a range of 127 statute miles. For those interested in watersports, she planed in 4.2 seconds.
For a weekend getaway, she has convertible seating in the cockpit and belowdecks, the dinette fills in with a cushion to form a V-berth and the aft cabin has a memory-foam mattress. The galley has a microwave oven, single-burner stove, sink and refrigerator. In the private head, there’s an actual overhead shower nozzle instead of the usual pull-up style. More...
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Features Video
Riviera 505 SUV:
Built for Sport in Wild Australia
Riviera Yachts wanted the acronym on its 505 SUV to be more than just a catchy name. The Australian manufacturer put a bluewater capable bottom under her and used an open concept to make the main deck feel more inviting. Massive side windows extend below deck level and up to the hardtop with minimal mullions. In short, she is designed to do most anything asked of her — a sport, utility vessel.
Together with the windshield, aft sliding glass door and motorized sunroof, all the glass lets in the sunshine to make the salon feel more spacious. With the mezzanine-style lounge in the salon, designers created a wining, dining and relaxing space that’s protected from the elements. Belowdecks, the full-beam master with private en suite and walk-in closet will remind the owners that they are on a luxury yacht, even though her deck is made for play to make it easy for an owner to forget he’s on an express yacht. More...
Test Video
Schaefer Yachts 400:
Now With Sterndrives or Outboards
We tested the Schaefer Yachts 400 with twin 300-hp Volvo Penta Duoprop sterndrives and there was a lot to like including her handling and versatility. For 2021, the Brazilian manufacturer has renamed the yacht as the 400 Sport, which means a buyer can opt for triple 300-hp Mercury Verado outboards. Schaefer is offering the outboard-powered 400 Sport at a price of $399,000 and BoatTEST.com is planning to test the new model in the future. Did we say that’s a lot of boat for the money?
For day boating, the boat’s main-deck seating area has a large, horseshoe-shaped lounge with an additional curved settee opposite. Under a protective cover on the stern, we found the grill with storage underneath. This is a good location for cooking because it keeps smoke and odors out of the forward gathering areas. The hardtop has a large sunroof that effectively turns the 400 from a couple-style yacht to an open express.
Belowdecks, the 400’s galley is at the base of the cabin stairs to port with an L-shaped settee to starboard. The master stateroom is forward. The guest cabin has twin berths situated athwartships. More...
Test Video
Sea Ray Sundancer 320:
Goldilocks of the Sea Ray Express Line
It could be argued that Sea Ray’s Sundancer series popularized the express cruiser boat type and launched a thousand models over the last 50 years. For decades, Sea Ray ‘Dancers filled marinas and kept getting larger and larger — and for good reason. They offered accommodations below and open cockpits for entertaining at a competitive price. They were particularly embraced by the first-time boater because their brand was so ubiquitous. Now, Sea Rays stop at 40’ (12.19 m) and this has allowed the designers and engineers to focus on providing more luxurious boats for the segment of the market where the larger unit numbers are. The Sundancer 320 is a member of the new breed of Sea Ray, perhaps a harbinger of things to come.
Sea Ray takes input from customers to learn how they boat and Sundancer 320 is designed for people who want to get on the water as often as possible, but don’t always have the time for a longer trip. The new Sundancer 320 is available in outboard or sterndrive power, with gas or diesel engines. She has an open layout and a standard hardtop or an enclosed coupe is available. Most important, she is not too big, or too small, she is just right for the sweet spot of the express cruiser market.
We tested the Sundancer 320 with twin 350-hp MerCruiser 6.2 L MPI Bravo Threes. Our test boat had the SeaCore anti-corrosion package (something that is well worth the up-charge), SmartCraft Digital Throttle & Shift and the Joystick Piloting System. In our test, we hit a top speed of 44.7 mph at 5400 rpm. We found her best range of 159 statute miles at 4000 rpm, where she ran 34.2 mph and burned 1 mpg. More...
Boating News of the Week: Episode #34
We wind up this year’s Weekly BoatTEST Reports videos with an interview with Brunswick’s CEO predicting the next couple of years of boating activity. Then, we'll take a look at the affordable Alumacraft Competitor FSX 185, see the first video of Cruisers Yachts’ 42 GLS Crossover, check out Chaparral’s 23 Surf in action, and get a look at Everglades’s only dual console – the 340DC – and Absolute’s new 50 Fly. As always, there is boating news and a quiz for serious captains. More...
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