At the Newport International Boat Show, Hinckley Yachts of Portsmouth, Rhode Island introduced their new 39 Picnic Boat with a large forward lounge. It’s a first for the company that is nearing 100 years in the boat building business.
The addition of forward seating in the 39 creates three distinct social areas on the boat. Aft you have the spacious cockpit with wrap-around sofa seating for six or more people. The stern door opens to the full-beam swim platform that will be easily accessed when boarding the boat from a dinghy.
The salon has an L-shaped settee along the port side with the small galley across from it. There are two extra large hatches in the overhead that can be opened to let in the breeze and will also fill the salon with natural light. As always, the 39 has Hickley’s handsomely curved side windows and an unobstructed from wind screen.
The helm seat is high enough for good visibility in all directions and has the twin throttles and the JetStick 4 controller ergonomically placed for a right handed skipper. The system has a Docking and maneuvering function and makes getting the 39 in and out tight space and marina lips a snap.
A new feature of the JetStick technology is the Dock Hold capability. Press a button on the control screen and the boat will hold its position indefinitely. This is useful when docking so the helmsman can leave the controls and manage dock lines.
Down two steps from the salon is the small cabin with a V-berth tucked under the forward lounge and a roomy head. Couples will be comfortable on weekend cruises here and could easily set sail for a week or two of simmer vacation.
Going forward, through an ingenious folding door and sliding window passageway, you climb two steps to the spacious front lounge. While forward seating has been a feature in new boats for a few years, the Hinckley version in the 39 is especially spacious and comfortable.
The lounge sofa wraps almost all the way around the nearly rectangular space. With nicely curved corners, you can really sink into the luxurious cushions. Plus, you can sit in the corners with your feet up for an afternoon with a book or iPad.
The 39 is driven by twiin Volvo D6 380-horsepower engines with common rail technology. These power the twin Hamilton Jet propulsion units that deliver 36 knots of top end speed yet have only 36 inches of draft an of course, no propeller to snag on lines of crunch on a rock.
With its famous Downeast lines, signature Picnic Boat salon windows and the new forward lounge, the 39 is certainly going to be an instant classic. This was not unnoticed by the boat show judges who tipped the boat the with the Best New Boat Overall and Best New Powerboat Under 45 Feet Awards.
