MJM has launched its first MJM 4 open-bow performance yacht with twin Volvo diesel engines. In tests off its factory in Washington, North Carolina, the 46’ 8” boat topped out at just over 45 mph. And it was quiet. At an easy cruising speed of 29 knots, it registered just 71.3 dB(A) at the helm.
I drove the original MJM 4 off Newport, Rhode Island, with Peter Johnstone, the president of the company, when it was launched in September, 2022. Then it was powered by two 600-hp Mercury V12 outboards. It was fun and fast, with a top speed of just over 51 knots, and the acceleration was head turning. It also was a winner, having been named Best New Powerboat at the Newport show earlier in the month.
MJM still offers the 4 with the twin 600-hp outboards, but now the twin diesels are an option for people who prefer diesel over gas, or the classic lines of the boat without outboards on the transom. The diesel option consists of twin 440-hp Volvo D6, 5.5-liter inline six-cylinder engines matched to Volvo’s DPI advanced drives. Volvo says the DPI drives provide the same boat-handling experience as its iconic IPS pod drives, but with a shallower draft (just 3 feet).
Last week, in a year-end video message, Johnstone said that MJMs appeal to experienced and knowledgeable owners because of their high-tech build and legendary performance. The MJM 4 has a fine entry that slices waves and provides a solid, safe ride. It comes on plane easily and quickly. The hull has an 18.5 degree deadrise at the transom, and a slender 3.5 to 1 length to beam ratio.
The hull is laid up with vacuum-infused proprietary epoxy composites and e-glass, with post curing. It’s lightweight, strong and sure-footed, like all the other MJM’s I’ve driven since Peter’s father, Bob Johnstone, founded the company in 2002, naming it after his wife. (MJM stands for Mary Johnstone’s Motorboat.)
In his message, Peter Johnstone hailed MJM’s “classical design” with its “quiet luxury.” He also said that owners appreciate the easy maintenance involved, even on such a high-end yacht. “You can spend a week or a month on a cruise,” he said, “or just a day out with friends, and when you’re done you just hose off the entire living area.”
The MJM 4 has four social areas, including the open bow, and an indoor/outdoor pilothouse with opening front and side windows; the 4 is a go-anywhere in any-weather vessel. Below, a V berth is forward with a large head and a separate glass-enclosed shower. Another berth is amidships.
Peter Johnstone bought the company from his father in 2019 and moved it from Rhode Island to North Carolina, creating what he called a “Carolina Downeast style” that would “bring the brand to a much larger audience.” Last August, the company was sold to Saothair Capital Partners, a private-equity firm in Radnor, Pennsylvania. They formed Seolta Holdings with Peter Johnstone as president to run MJM. The company now makes a 38’ 2”-long 3 model as well as the 4; both come in open-bow and cruising versions.
Specs.: LOA: 46’8”; Beam: 12’; Draft: 3’; Disp: 17,730 lbs.; Fuel: 350 gals.; Water: 90 gals.; Power: 2×440-hp Volvo D6 diesels with DPI advanced drives.
Read more: http://mjmyachts.com
