With his new Zurn 60 Powercat, Doug Zurn has definitely stepped out of the box – again. There’s a lot going on in this boat, originally designed for an experienced ocean-cruising owner, from its innovative layout to its 23-knot top speed, but the main themes are privacy, space and light.
Ever since he drew the first Shelter Island Runabout two decades ago, Zurn has designed low-profile, long-sheerline, Downeast-style boats with generous tumblehome, head-turning looks and head-snapping performance. Bob Johnstone saw that boat and had Zurn design the first MJM, a 34z (the “z,” of course, is for Zurn), in 2003. Zurn has been designing MJMs ever since; the latest, a 53z with four outboards, will be launched later this spring.
Over the years, Zurn also has designed boats for Marlow, Duffield, Bruckmann, Chris Hood, Vanquish, Lyman-Morse, Derecktor, Hylas, Samoset and others from his offices in Marblehead, Mass.
The new 60 Powercat is definitely a departure from the Downeast genre. Built at New England Boatworks in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, it will have three staterooms and five heads in a creative layout, making the most of the cat’s 25-foot-plus beam. “Everyone gets a private, quiet corner of the boat,” Zurn says.
A major innovation is that the three staterooms are all on the main deck, while the helm, galley, dining and major entertaining areas on up on the flying bridge “skylounge.” You enter the master stateroom through a door on the starboard side deck. It has 270-degree views through large picture windows on the sides and four forward-facing windows overlooking the foredeck. A king-size bed is on the centerline; a settee and large desk are along the aft bulkhead. Stairs on both sides lead down to his-and-hers heads on the lower deck, port and starboard.
You access the two guest staterooms from a sliding glass door leading in from the cockpit. They are set at angles to port and starboard on each side of the centerline stairs that reach up to the skylounge. (You also can reach the skylounge via stairs from the master stateroom’s entrance on the side deck.) They have large picture windows, insulated bulkheads for privacy, and twin berths. Their heads are also on the lower deck; each one has a separate shower.
The skylounge also has large side and rear windows, and the large reverse windshield reduces glare. The helm station, with two chairs, is to starboard with a chart table. A large, L-shaped settee and table are to port. A day head is to starboard, as is the U-shaped galley, large enough for a long cruise. It has an aft window that opens wide to serve the skylounge’s aft deck, which can be used for outdoor dining or lounging. The overhang from that deck serves to protect the cockpit below.
The cockpit has a large al fresco dining table seating eight. The swim platform aft can be raised hydraulically to be on the same level, expanding the aft deck. As another social area, the foredeck has a U-shaped settee with an optional sun shade.
Power comes from twin Volvo 435-hp IPS600 pod drives. The boat has a range of 500 nm at its cruising speed of 18 knots, while the joystick-controlled IPS drives provide easy maneuvering at low speeds. “The wide placement of the pods in a catamaran really capitalizes on the maneuverability,” Zurn says.
Specs.: LOA: 66’10”; Beam: 25’1”; Draft: 3’11”; Disp.: 66,096 lbs.; Fuel: 800 gals.; Water: 200 gals.; Power: 2×435-hp Volvo IPS600 pod drives.
