Boats with Long-Term Value
We were the first to test the new Cruisers Yachts 338 OB, South Beach Edition. With twin Mercury supercharged 350 Verado engines turning 16 x 18 wheels, we recorded a top speed of 53.8 mph – not bad for a 13,502 lb. (6,124 kg.) boat with a radar arch with Bimini up. Like all Cruisers Yachts, she has American ergonomics inside and the same top-grade materials used in the most expensive yachts the company builds. But what catches our eye are the gel coat colors that seem to go so well with this boat – black, gray, and black cherry.
The new Riviera 39 Sports Motor Yacht is a flybridge cruiser designed to go coastal cruising with family and friends. She sleeps five people in two cabins, has a large flying bridge, and comes standard with twin IPS drives with joysticks at both the upper and lower helms. Her large swim platform also comes standard, it can hold a tender, and launch swimmers and scuba divers.
This Greenline 39 Solar is designed for a young couple who want an easy boat to handle for coastal cruising, but that is also environmentally responsible. The 39 is powered by a single 370-hp Yanmar engine that can top out at over 25 mph, but at a displacement speed of 7.4 mph gets 6.7 miles to the gallon. Solar panels on the cabin top can generate enough power to keep the batteries charged and the refrigerator humming when the boat is left alone during the week on a mooring.
Powered with twin Volvo Penta IPS1200 900-hp IPS pod drives, the Ocean Alexander 70E is designed for the experienced owner/operator. The combination of joystick control and pod drives allows easy short-handed docking, and our test captain reports she remains relatively flat in turns at speed, giving a comfortable ride for all aboard. The standard Vector Fin Stabilization System eases the ride offshore.
Hargrave Custom Yachts builds custom and semi-custom world-class motoryachts as well as brokering the boats they have built for their owners. It also has a full-service chartering service. To see the 12 motoryachts that Hargrave will have on display at the Ft. Lauderdale Boat Show – all with prices posted –
The Intrepid Boats 410 Evolution is designed for a couple that likes to take extended weekends a long way from home. Her 53.6-mph top speed with triple 350-hp Yamahas, and deep-V hull can zip this boat across the Gulf Stream, conditions permitting, in little more than an hour. And then on to Nassau for lunch. And then maybe anchor in a cove with gin-clear water and spend the night in a luxurious interior, as seen in the image above.
The master suite of the Regency Yachts P65 takes full advantage of the 18'3" (5.56 m) beam, with opening portlights to port and starboard and an ensuite head, with entrance seen here to the right of the frame. In the background is the door to the walk-in closet. The overhead in the master is 6’6” (1.98 m) and the framed TV screen is 40” (1.02 m).
The second most important reason people own a boat is for entertainment. And the wonderful thing about a party aboard is it makes little difference how big and lavish, or small and humble, the boat is. There is just something magical about an evening cruise with cocktails, or lunch anchored off a lonely beach, or a dinner party on the aft deck. But there are three basic rules you need to know.
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