The “Z” in the elegant, low-profile MJM 50Z stands for Zurn, as in Doug Zurn, the creative Marblehead, Mass., yacht designer, who teamed up with Bob Johnstone, who started MJM Yachts in 2002. This flagship MJM is fast (I drove it at 38.7 knots in Long Island Sound), safe (with an ISO Category A offshore rating) and comfortable (with a standard Seakeeper gyrostabilizer). With a 15-foot beam, it’s also slender, meaning it moves through the water easily and efficiently.
Inside, the master stateroom forward has a large berth but also a desk and lounge chair; it’s a social area as well as a sleeping quarters. The en suite head and shower are generous; there’s another day head to starboard. The main salon has an extra-large galley on the port side, with enough storage for long-term cruising, while on the starboard side the traditional settee can be converted to a bed and the entire area can be partitioned off with three interlocking panels to provide another private stateroom.
The bridge deck has another seating area, as does the cockpit. The MJM 50Z comes with either two or three Volvo IPS drives; I tested one with three, and the performance was outstanding.
Specs.: LOA: 55’3”; Beam: 15’0”; Draft: 3’10”; Disp.: 35,850 lbs.; Fuel: 520 gals.; Water: 170 gals. Power: 2 or 3×435-hp Volvo diesels with IPS 600 pod drives. Price: Twins – $1,750,000; triples – $1,910,000. Mjmyachts.com
