Boat Reviews

A New 475 Blue-Water Pilothouse Cruiser Coming from Nordhavn

By Peter Janssen on October 5, 2017 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Nordhavn is designing a new 475 trawler to replace the popular 43 in the company’s lineup. And the new two-stateroom, two-head pilothouse cruiser, powered by a single 180-hp John Deere diesel, will be true to Nordhavn’s blue-water, world-circling roots, says Jim Leishman, the vice president of PAE, Nordhavn’s parent company. “Nordhavns have crossed more oceans than all our competitors combined,” he told me at the Newport show recently. The 475 will be built to increase that number. On the 475, the keel will be extended aft from the keel on the 43, the salon will be larger and the boat…

We Test the New Grand Banks 60: Fast and Smooth with Some Very Long Legs

By Peter Janssen on September 28, 2017 Boat Reviews

This is all you need to know about the gorgeous, all-new Grand Banks 60, the flagship of the legendary builder’s fleet: As we were cruising down Long Island Sound at 24 knots a few days ago, the ride was so smooth, so quiet and so comfortable, that Sue Weisman, the owner’s wife who had just spent a busy day provisioning her new boat, went below to take a shower. She emerged 15 minutes later, smiling and happy. No fuss, no muss, no problems. A hot refreshing shower, just like home, at 24 knots. Don’t try this on many boats. “This…

Hinckley Planning New 40-foot Picnic Boat, Largest Yet

By Peter Janssen on September 28, 2017 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

When he announced plans for the new 40-foot Hinckley Picnic Boat at the Newport boat show recently, Mike Arieta, Hinckley’s CEO, said that “it’s been 23 years since we launched the first Picnic Boat. It’s rooted in what we do.” That is certainly the case. Indeed, the first Picnic Boat, a drop-dead gorgeous 36-foot, single-diesel, teak-laden dayboat, has become an icon of yacht design, copied around the world. I fell in love with the boat when I first tested it outside the Hinckley factory in Southwest Harbor, Maine, and so did thousands of other people. Hinckley’s Picnic Boat lineup now…

New Sabre 45 Salon Express Is Voted the People’s Choice in Newport. Here’s Why

By Peter Janssen on September 19, 2017 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

The all-new Sabre 45 Salon Express just won The People’s Choice Award at the Newport International Boat Show, meaning that more people who paid to go to the show liked this classic Down East two-stateroom, two-head, user-friendly cruiser than any other boat there. And it’s easy to see why. From start to finish, this new built-in-Maine beauty is made for the way people cruise today. At 45 feet, with IPS joystick controls, it’s easy for a relatively new cruising couple, or a pair of old salts, to handle. They can live on it for a long time, cruising by themselves,…

New Hinckley Picnic Boat 37 MK111: Bigger, Better, Faster. See It at the Newport Show

By Peter Janssen on September 4, 2017 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

The newest iteration of the iconic Picnic Boat, the new Hinckley 37 MK111 is larger, faster and more comfortable than ever before. The new 37 has all the gorgeous lines of the original, but it now offers a cruise speed of 32 knots and, powered by twin 370-hp Yanmar diesels and Hamilton jet drives, it tops out at 35 knots. Hinckley launched its first Picnic Boat, Dasher, in its yard in Southwest Harbor, Maine, in 1994. It was 36 feet long, driven by a single diesel and it had water jet drives, so that you wouldn’t snag a prop 0n…

Hampton Endurance 658: A Serious, Spacious, Long-Range Couple’s Cruiser

By Peter Janssen on August 30, 2017 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

A high-quality, unusually spacious, long-range cruising boat, the Hampton Endurance 658 is designed to be run by a couple, and it’s designed with redundant systems throughout to keep them safe at sea. And if they want to cruise with a large family, or entertain a crowd back in port, there’s plenty of room for that too. Walking through the Hampton Endurance 658, as my colleague George Day and I did in Newport, RI, this summer, is a treat, because the boat offers a lot of surprises. It is essentially a three-stateroom, two-head cruiser, but it also has a crew cabin,…

New Zeelander 55: A Dutch Beauty with Curves Everywhere

By Peter Janssen on August 28, 2017 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

The Dutch-made Zeelander 55, an upgrade from the company’s popular 44, is a head-turning, luxurious express-type cruiser with hints of both a Down East lobster boat and a Gold Coast commuter boat while announcing a style all its own. From its fine bow to its torpedo stern, the Zeelander 55 is as contemporary as it can be. It’s all curves; there doesn’t seem to be a straight line anywhere. One of the most striking aspects of the Zeelander 55 is the 360-degree view from the helm; actually, from anywhere in the salon. The wraparound windows have narrow frames and double-curved…

New Outer Reef 610 Motoryacht: Built for Couples, Comfort and Cruising

By Peter Janssen on August 22, 2017 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Designed to be run by a cruising couple, the new Outer Reef 610 Motoryacht is spacious, fuel-efficient and easy to maneuver. Indeed, in early July hull number one carried its new owners, a couple from Newport, Rhode Island, on a shakedown cruise from Fort Lauderdale up to their home in five days with just two pit stops, although they had a captain from Outer Reef to help them get acquainted with the boat. Then they cruised New England waters for the rest of the summer themselves. That boat will be displayed at the Newport International Boat Show, starting Sept. 14.…

Greenline 39 Hybrid: A Light-Filled Cruising Boat Under Diesel or Electric Power

By Peter Janssen on August 21, 2017 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Operating in two cruising modes, the Greenline 39 Hybrid can run under its 220-hp Volvo diesel at an 11-knot cruising speed, topping out at 18 knots, or under its electric power at 4 knots, topping out at 6.5 knots. Under diesel power, range is 1,000 nm at 7 knots; under electric power, however, range is only 20 knots. What this means is that under its green, electric, low-carbon footprint, the Greenline 39 Harbor can cruise around a harbor or two, or enter a quiet anchorage at night, silently and efficiently. Either way, the Greenline 39 is a low-profile, light-filled, two-stateroom,…

Ellis 40 Bowrider Express: A New Approach for a Traditional Down East Boat

By Peter Janssen on August 17, 2017 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

You usually don’t think of “lobster boat” and “bowrider” in the same sentence. But now Ellis Boat, which has been building lobster boats (and “lobster yachts”) in Southwest Harbor, Maine, since 1947, has put the two together in its new 40-foot Ellis Bowrider Express. And despite the new seating in the bow, the boat remains true to its heritage. “It’s a fantastic vessel,” says Shane Ellis, the grandson of the company’s founder. “It has a traditional bottom, but with a custom seat on top. We’re a custom builder. We built this for a client who wanted a seat for the…

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