Aviara, the new brand from MasterCraft, just introduced its flagship Aviara 40 at the Miami show recently. MasterCraft, based in Venore, Tennesee, started the Aviara line last year, and already has a 32 and a 36; the 40 builds on their lines, but with more.
And “more” is what it’s all about, as in more space and more seating than is the norm, even on a 40-footer. We usually deal with cruising boats here, but even they are building new ways to find more social space on their boats, particularly in the aft cockpit area. The new Aviara 40 is the latest iteration of that trend, showing what is possible.
If you push a button on the Aviara, the aft bulwarks fold out on each side, for example, adding about five more feet of space across the back of the boat. But then there are some very creative seating arrangements, including pop-up bar stools, seats than can be flipped to face fore or aft, a sun lounge, and a super-sized swim platform. There’s even an underwater swim platform beyond the regular swim platform in the sterndrive version of the 40. (It is offered with twin 430-hp Ilmore Marine sterndrives or three 350-hp Mercury outboards.) Another social area is on the foredeck, with lots of built-in seating.
As in many cruising boats, the galley is up, protected by the hardtop, with dual electric grills and dual refrigerators. It’s next to an entertainment center with a lift-up TV and wet bar on the starboard side. An L-shaped settee is opposite, to port. Forward, to starboard, the helm seat is built for three people, with flip-up bolsters and a built-in cooler underneath.
Below, there’s a V-berth area with a TV on the wall, a fridge and a microwave. A mid-cabin, tucked a bit aft under the bridge deck, can sleep two; it too has a TV. The 40 has one head.
The lines of the Aviara 40 are similar to those of contemporary upscale European boats. “Aviara has successfully positioned itself as the premium day boat brand in the industry,” says Fred Brightbill, the CEO and Chairman of MasterCraft.
Specs.: LOA: 40’7”; Beam: 12’3”; Draft: 3’8”; Disp.: NA; Fuel: 357 gals.; Water: 53 gals.; Power: 2×350-hp Mercury outboards, or 2×430-hp Ilmore Marine sterndrives.
