The British boat builder Rustler Yachts has been creating finely finished and classic-looking sailing boats for five decades and is one of the U.K.’s most respected yacht companies. So, it is with some anticipation that we waited for their first-ever motorboat to hit the water and show us what it can do. The wait was worth it.
The new Rustler 41, like its sailing sisters, has a subdued and elegant look deeply rooted in the finest yachting traditions. Nothing trendy here. The stepped hull, designed by Tony Castro, has very full sections forward for buoyancy and interior volume. The sheer has a slight spring to it and an attractive curve where flows into the aft swim platform.
The cabin fits on the hull discretely and has a traditional swept back look. The salon windows are huge and the aft window can slide down sop the galley can be joined to the cockpit.
The cockpit is a free-form space with two curved lounges with a door to the aft platform between them. On the starboard side behind the lounge there is a door that will be great for coming and going to a floating marina dock.
The salon has the U-shaped dinette to starboard where you will have great 360-degree visibility. This converts to a double berth when need be. The galley is compact but certainly sufficient for a couple living aboard or when entertaining friends. Above the salon, there is a huge retracting sun roof that will fill the cabin area with sunlight and fresh air.
The helm has a double seat that is raised enough to give the pilot and co-pilot good views over the bow, a plus when maneuvering in tight spaces. Next to the helm is a sliding glass door that provides quick access to the side deck when docking or rafting with cruising friends. Forward you’ll find twin sun beds on the coach roof.
The 41’s accommodations are simply a master cabin in the beamy fore peak and a guest cabin tucked under the port side deck and salon. These share the single head and shower. Again, the 41 is a couple’s cruiser.
Rustler’s long experience of building fine sailing craft shows when you start looking at how the engineering spaces are laid out. The twin Yanmar 370s have been mounted quite far forward under the salon and these drive long straight shafts.
Moving the weight amid ships helps the hull remain balanced and eases the lift onto a plane. This arrangement also makes room aft for two 150-gallon fuel tanks, a generator and an HVAC system.
Rustler has used plenty of teak trim on the exterior and this comes with a deep varnish coating. On the inside they used a blonde oak veneer and trim that gives the living spaces a warm, homey and traditional feel.
At just over $1 million the new 41 comes in at the high end for a cruising boat of this size, but like all of the builder’s yachts, the new boat is heirloom quality.
