Hunt just launched its first 63 Express, built for an owner who wants to take it around the Great Loop, and beyond. With its Awlgrip Vivid Red hull, it certainly won’t be lost in the crowd.
The Ocean Series 63 Flybridge is one of Hunt’s most popular models, large enough for comfortable cruising and entertaining, but small enough to be handled easily by an owner-operator. But Hunt is known for working with its owners, and this one wanted an express version that would be able to slide under a lot of bridges along the Great Loop. The new express has an air draft of just 16’1” with the hinged mast down.
The owner plans to drive the new express home to Lake Erie after it finishes commissioning at the Hinckley service yard in Stuart, Florida.
The express has the same legendary Hunt deep-V hull (20.2 degrees at the transom) as all Hunts. C. Raymond Hunt developed that hull more than 60 years ago, and Ray Hunt Design, in New Bedford, Massachusetts, uses updated iterations of it on all Hunts today. It has been tested in real time in real-world conditions over the years on recreational, military, and commercial vessels, and it provides a safe, stable and swift ride offshore.
The new express is powered by twin 1,000-hp Volvo IPS1350 pod drives, making handling a little bit sportier and faster than the flybridge version. Top speed is 33 knots, and the range at a fast cruising speed of 28 knots is 354 nm (with a ten percent fuel reserve). Dial back and the maximum range is 1,540 nm.
Like all other Hunts, the new express is marked by Hunt’s classic Down East profile. Inside, the new express has the galley down, but owners can choose to have it up in the salon, forward or aft. The lower deck has two en suite cabins separated by a guest head and a lower lounge space that converts from a morning coffee area to an overnight accommodation for two.
In the salon, the captain has a single Stidd Admiral seat at the helm, and a door that opens to the starboard side deck, a definite advantage when handling lines along the Loop, or anywhere else. There’s also a settee with a high-low dining table, a barrel chair, and a 50-inch TV on a lift. A sliding glass door opens aft. As on other Hunts, the fit and finish on the express is exquisite; the teak (lots of teak) is gleaming.
Hunt yachts are supported by service from The Hinckley Company, which bought Hunt, based in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, in 2013.
Base price: $5.2 million.
Specs.: LOA: 70’6”; Beam: 18’; Draft: 4’10”; Disp.: 84,000 lbs.; Fuel:1,070 gals.; Water: 255 gals; Power: 2×1,000-hp Volvo IPS1350 pod drives.
Read more at http://huntyachts.com and see a video of the 63 Flybridge below:
