Compact Mega Yachts, a start-up from Finland, is building two new cruisers powered by three 300-hp OXE diesel outboards. The company says the boats will have a top speed of 27 knots, and when they’re driven by just one outboard in an “adaptable powering” mode they will have a range of about 3,000 nm.
The two boats are the CMY161 at 53 feet LOA, and the CMY173 at 57 feet LOA (pictured above). The two are essentially the same, except the CMY173 has a third cabin in the accommodation deck below because of its extra length.
The three outboards, developed with BMW (they’re marinized versions of BMW’s 3.0 six-cylinder car engine) have low emissions, exceptional fuel economy and high torque. The company says they’re more efficient than gas outboards in powering the high loads needed with larger yachts.
The outboards are in a locker in the transom, and they are easy to maintain. The front of the engines are accessible when they are lowered. And you just need to raise them to service the gearbox and props from the swim platform.
The use of outboards on a 57-foot boat opens up more room inside the boat, where the engine room used to be with inboard power. It also makes the boats easier and faster to build.
With their “adaptable power” scenario, the boats use just the power they need for the job at hand, whether it’s one, two or all three engines. A computerized control system determines how many engines to use, depending on speed and conditions (although there is a manual override), and it chooses which engines to run for balance. When an engine is not being used, it automatically lifts out of the water to reduce drag.
The CMY173 has a full-beam (15’ 9”) salon, because the usual side decks have been moved up to the flybridge, providing 30 percent more interior volume. The galley is up in the salon, and three staterooms and two heads are below.
The boats are made by Ocean Quality Systems in the town of Jakobstad in northwest Finland, the home of Nautor Swan and Baltic. The first CMY is due to be launched next summer. Read more:
