Aviara AV32 Outboard (2022-)

Brief Summary

The AV32 OB is Aviara’s best-selling model. She resides right in the sweet spot of easy to handle, easy to maintain and easy to entertain on. Thanks to her 4x4 grid stringer system and deep hull, the deck is single-level from bow to stern.

Test Results

Specifications

Length Overall	34'4" 10.46 m
Beam	10'4" 3.15 m
Dry Weight	12,000 lbs. 5,443.11 kg
Tested Weight	13,355 lbs. 6,057.73 kg
Draft	3'1" 0.93 m
Fuel Capacity	179 gallons 677.59 L
Water Capacity	21 gallons 79.49 L
Total Weight	13,355 lbs. 6,057.73 kg

Acceleration Times & Conditions

Time to Plane	5.6 seconds
0 to 30	11.6 seconds
Props	14.6x20x4
Load	3 persons; 125 gal. fuel; 50 lbs. gear
Climate	84 deg.; 78 humid.; winds: 5-10; seas <1

Engine Options

Tested Engine	2 x 300-hp Mercury Verado JPO
Std. Power	2 x 300-hp Mercury Verado JPO
Opt. Power	2 x 350-hp Mercury Verado JPO 2 x 400-hp Mercury Verado JPO

Captain's Report

Aviara AV32 OB: Day Boating Goes Upscale

Captain's Report by Capt. Steve

Mission

Aviara created the AV32 OB to be an upscale dayboat that entertains friends and family while projecting a unique appearance. 

Major Features

• 12” (30.48 cm) Garmin MFD (Multi-function Display)
• 10.1” (25.65 cm) Digital switching screen
• Ilmor digital dashboard
• Italian crafted steering wheel
• Klipsch premium audio system
• Porcelain electric toilet
• Wetbar with three bottle wine chiller, sink, carry-on cooler
• Standard fiberglass hardtop
• Three reclining transom loungers

Performance

The Aviara AV32 OB has a length overall of 34’4” (10.46 m), a beam of 10’4” (3.15 m) and a draft of 3’1” (.94 m) when fully loaded.  With an empty weight of 12,200 lbs. (5,534 kg), 70% fuel and three people on board, we had an estimated test weight of 13,555 lbs. (6,148 kg).  With the twin 300-hp Mercury Verados turning 14.6 by 20 4-bladed props and run up to 5940 RPM, our test boat topped out at 50.4 MPH.  Best cruise came in at 4000 RPM and 32.8 MPH.  At that speed, the 21.1 GPH fuel burn translated into 1.6 MPG and a range of 250 statute miles — all while still holding back at 10% reserve of the boat's 179-gallon (678 L) total fuel capacity. 

In acceleration tests, we reached planing speed in an average of 5.6 seconds and she'll hold plane on down to 13.4 MPH.  With the throttles pinned we continued to 20 MPH in 7.3 seconds, past 30 in 11.6 and 40 came and went in 17.9 seconds. 

Top Speed

The AV32 OB reached a top speed of 50.4 MPH with the base horsepower engines. 

Handling

The AV32 OB is an extremely comfortable boat to drive. She's heavy so she's got a solid feel to her handling characteristics.  We had no real seas to contend with but cutting through wakes showed no pounding and no hull slap. 

If you put her into turns, she does grip onto the turn with very little slide.  So if you put it into a power turn, it’s probably going to be uncomfortable but nobody really does that unless you're a test captain.  She’ll also bleed off a lot of speed because she's grabbing onto the turn and she tends to dip her shoulder into the turn a little bit, so that causes a bit of drag.  Feel free to add power into the turn as you're coming around and then once you come out of the turn you can bring that power back as she gets back up on plane.   

Engines/Engine Room

Engine choices are exclusively from Mercury with 300, 350 or 400 horsepower.  Aviara believes that the base engine should not equate to substandard performance, meaning no one would choose that power package and instead opt for an upsell to the higher horsepower.  So, our test boat was powered with the base 300-hp engines which, as stated earlier, brought us to a top speed of 50.4 MPH.   

Helm

For the helm console, Aviara has embraced the concept of the glass dash.  It starts with a 10.5” (26.67 cm) screen for the vessel’s digital switching.  A 12” (30.48 cm) Simrad multi-function display is in the center of the panel and a 7” (17.78 cm) Simrad display is to the right side for engine readouts.  Even with the digital switches, there are still physical switches for the more important features such as pumps, nav lights and horn.  The wheel is Italian crafted from billet aluminum. 

To the right subpanel, there’s the DTS (Digital Throttle and Shift), trim tabs, an inductive phone holder and the JPO (Joystick Piloting for Outboards) giving us joystick functionality for dockside maneuvering.  Beverage holders beneath the throttles are offered as chilled as an option.  The helm seat is 44” (111.76 cm) with dual flip bolsters.  Just outside the side windshield is a midship cleat to ease single-handed tie-ups. 

Boat Inspection

Bow

While the bow may be an afterthought on some boats, it's more of a focal point on the Aviara AV32 OB that is top-heavy with features. Let's count them off...

• Wraparound seating with a removable cushion to starboard that can accommodate sitting with feet on the deck or lounging with the legs up.
• Wraparound bolsters that make each seat extra comfortable.
• Cockpit depth of 39” (99.06 cm) for added safety. 
• Accommodations for a Mediterranean sunshade.
• Recessed areas housing beverage holders, speakers, charge ports and solid surface counters that can be replaced with teak.
• Powder-coated grab handles are color-matched to the 8.5” (21.59 cm) cleats.
• Bow table option with a filler cushion for conversion to a sunpad.
• Under-seat and in-deck storage. Portside seat storage is also a self-draining built-in cooler.
• Courtesy lights in every compartment.

The anchor locker is accessed via a hatch finished on both sides and held open with a gas support strut.  There’s a remote control for the optional windlass and a washdown is also provided.  Windlass is provided by Lewmar.  There’s easy access to the rode locker and the rode leads to a thru-the-stem anchor roller. 

Cockpit

Moving aft the walkthrough measures 22” (55.88 cm).  A bi-fold air dam and walk-through windshield keep things comfortable on chilly mornings.  We measured 31” (78.74 cm) between the double-wide helm seat and the portside lounger seatback.  The front of the portside seatback makes an excellent leaning post and there’s a trash receptacle underneath.  Let’s go over the cockpit features. 

• Seating is L-shaped to the port and stern. 
• All seating uses cool-touch upholstery.
• Seat bases are angled to the back, making them more comfortable. 
• All seats include lumbar supports and padded bolsters. 
• Beverage holders, rails, charge ports and inductive cellphone holders are provided. 
• Under-seat storage is all around. 
• Two removable cockpit coolers.
• Cockpit pedestal table with hardwood construction and tongue and groove joinery.
• Wetbar to starboard with sink, wine bottle chillers, removable cooler, solid surface counters, stainless-steel refrigerator/freezer and pull-out trash receptacle. 
• Huge storage under the aft seating where the sterndrive engines would be is accessible from an electric lift.

The fiberglass hardtop is 7’4” (2.23 m) off the deck.  It’s made with an aluminum frame inside, so we don’t need the forward supports that block visibility.  It includes aft-facing speakers and courtesy lights.  At the trailing edge is a Makefast extendable awning. 

Head

The head is adjacent to the helm and the door is held open with a magnetic catch.  Inside, overhead clearance is 5’9” (1.75 m) — giving us 4’3” (1.29 m) of sitting headroom.  Aside from there being an electric flush porcelain toilet leading to a 19-gallon (71.92 L) holding tank with a dockside pump-out, sink and faucet, the compartment is roomy enough to serve as a functional changing room.  There are also pair of large storage compartments to the starboard bulkhead. 

Stern

The swim platform is accessed via a walkthrough that maintains a 20” (50.8 cm) width thanks to the gate lying flush to the starboard bulwarks.  A hatch in the deck opens to reveal fender storage with holders for four fenders as well as fender clips.  To the starboard bulwarks, there’s a courtesy light switch so we can illuminate the whole boat before we come aboard. 

As for the aft social zone, there are three-across aft-facing lounge seats.  The seat bases each have dual cushions with the forward one lifting on a ratcheting hinge to create aft-facing seats.  When these cushions are lifted there’s standing room behind the seat.  That’s convenient because an added option is for a triple set of stools that raise on telescopic gas-supported pedestals.  That means we can have six people comfortably seated across the stern while the kids are swimming. 

Underneath the seat is storage and the main battery switches, an accessory plug and a plug for the battery charger are housed on the port side.  The starboard one keeps the freshwater shower and the city water inlet.  All hatches are RTM so they’re finished on both sides.  They're held open with support struts and, as with the rest of the storage on the boat, there are courtesy lights in the compartments. 

Further aft, there are 30” (76.2 cm) wide platforms to both sides of the engines with a 12” (30.48 cm) walkway ahead of the tilted engines.  The starboard platform conceals a four-step reboarding ladder.  The entirety of the aft deck is treated with SeaDek as standard. 

Options to Consider

• Docking lights
• Windshield wiper with sprayer
• Teak cockpit table
• Chilled cup holders at the helm
• Cooler under the cockpit seating
• Stainless steel refrigerator
• Three transom gas-assist barstools
• Battery charger
• Fender clips
• Anchor windlass

Price Range

The Aviara AV32 OB has an MSRP of $466,492 and $506,168 as tested. 

Observations

When Aviara was first introduced, the brand hit the ground running and has shown no signs of slowing down.  There are currently three models in the lineup — the 32, 36 and 40.

The dayboat market is flooded with players, but not so much for the luxury end of the spectrum.  Not everyone wants a yacht and getting a dayboat shouldn’t mean compromising on upscale treatments and build quality.  Aviara is one brand that answers that demand from discriminating buyers.