The Norwegian boat builder Marex, which launched its new partnership MarexUSA at the Palm Beach show last month, announced last week that they are adding a new 39-footer to their line. The new design will be known as the Marex 390 and will complement the 330 and 430.
While this two-cabin express cruiser bears the family resemblance of her sister ships, her lines are more futuristic and the salon windows and the hull glazing have been endowed with curves and angles in the modern European style.
Founded in 1973 and still family owned, Marex has long been a respected player in the 30 to 45-foot family cruiser market in Scandinavia, Northern Europe and the Mediterranean. Their boats emphasize indoor-outdoor living and close proximity with the sea.
On deck, Marex has included a number of new details of interest. The swim platform now has a fold-down bench that doubles as a storage area for lines and fenders. The cockpit door is transparent to allow light in even when the enclosure is in place.
In the salon, a new pilot door has been added for easy access to the side deck from the helm that will be a real boon when docking shorthanded.
Up forward, there is a huge sun bed that doubles as a floating water toy. The anchor locker compartment has a new bow sprit that easily folds out to allows easy access to a dock or the shoreline over the bow. This is a very Scandinavian feature since cruisers often moor on rocky shores with a stern anchor and the bow made fast to rocks, trees or fixed mooring ashore.
The cockpit and the salon both have retractable sunroofs so you can enjoy open air living. In addition, the salon has large opening windows while the cockpit has Marex’s Smart Canopy System. This ingenious cockpit enclosure operates on slides and is neatly stowed when put away in vertical cabinets built into the salon structure.
The enclosure can be deployed in seconds and then made fast to the cockpit coaming and zipped shut above the aft door to the swim platform. This is a snug arrangement that makes the full salon and cockpit one social area rain or shine.
The 390’s galley is compact but certainly large enough for preparing meals. It comes with either an electric induction stove on boats with a generator or a propane stove. It has twin sinks with a cutting board cover, both a fridge and freezer and an optional oven.
The two sleeping cabins both have large double berths. The master cabin has a centerline walk-around double berth in the fore peak while the guest or kid’s cabin has an extra built-in sofa that can also be a berth. The separate shower stall is a useful touch that will keep the actual head area dry.
The initial hulls will be powered by either single to twin stern-drives that will give the 390 a good turn of speed and with ample tanks enough range for long-distance adventuring. Shaft drives will be available in the future.
Marex builds their boats in a large facility in Lithuania and they have a crew of 400 craftsmen and women. But it is hands-on business for the owners and every hull they deliver is given a thorough inspection and sea trial by the owners and top management.
With MarexUSA now building a North American dealer network, these elegant and beautifully built family cruisers are sure to find a wide and avid following on this side of the Atlantic.
