Boat Reviews

New Riva 76 Bahamas: High-Tech, High-Style and a Very Cool Convertible Top

By Peter Janssen on November 9, 2017 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

If you want to go cruising in style, iconic Italian style, take a look at the new Riva 76 Bahamas, which just made its U.S. debut at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show. It’s a combination of high-tech, legendary Riva styling and massive power – plus what the company calls “shark grey” paint with “bright black” detailing – that will turn heads in harbors from the Med to Miami. The new Riva also has a very cool carbon-fiber convertible top that transforms the three-cabin (plus crew), four-head beauty from an open boat to a coupe, all in 90 seconds. “The…

Burger To Build New 48-foot Aluminum Cruiser

By Peter Janssen on November 6, 2017 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Here’s something new, from one of the oldest boat companies in the U.S. The Burger Boat Company just announced that they’re going to build a 48-foot aluminum cruiser, developed with Vripack Naval Architects in the Netherlands. Burger, started in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, during the Civil War, traditionally builds larger yachts, but Jim Ruffolo, the company president, says that the Burger 48 Cruiser “makes owning a Burger available to many who have always aspired to take the helm of their own custom yacht.” The new 48 is basically a sedan cruiser with a low profile, clean lines and large windows and glass…

New Austin Parker 44 Sedan: Hints of a Luxurious Lobster Boat in a Contemporary Continental Package

By Peter Janssen on October 31, 2017 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

The new Austin Parker 44, making its U.S. debut at the Lauderdale show, is an eye-catching combination of slightly retro design, with hints of a traditional Down East lobster boat, and an aggressive contemporary styling that says this boat can run with the best of them. The new 44 sedan is part of the revamped Austin Parker fleet that now runs from 37 to 72 feet. Designed by Fulvio De Simoni (who also drew Pershings), Austin Parkers are made in Italy and are meant to have a global appeal as luxurious, safe and comfortable blue-water cruising boats. They make extensive…

Hinckley’s New All-Electric Dasher Finds a Fan in Architectural Digest

By Peter Janssen on October 24, 2017 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Hinckley Yachts, with their classic lines and Down East heritage, have always appealed to the rich and famous. The Rockefellers have had Hinckley sail and power boats at their places in Blue Hill, Maine, for generations. Martha Stewart had an early Picnic Boat at her place in Maine. Bob Wright, the former president of NBC, has a Hinckley, appropriately named Peacock, at his place in Southport, Connecticut. So it’s probably no surprise that Architectural Digest, the magazine that appreciates iconic design and celebrates the homes and lifestyle of people who live well, just wrote a story about the newest Hinckley,…

New High-Tech Italian Evo 43: The Boat That Keeps on Giving

By Peter Janssen on October 24, 2017 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

If you can’t have fun with this boat, well, I don’t think there’s much to say. Yes, I know it’s not the traditional cruising boat we usually write about, but it seems just so outrageous, so out there, that I couldn’t resist. And this definitely is a case where a picture is worth anybody’s 1,000 words. For the record, this is the new Evo 43, with a full carbon T-top, that will be launched at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show starting Nov. 1. Totally aside from its uber-modern, plum bow, minimalist design, it’s the boat that just keeps giving.…

New Jeanneau NC 33 French-Styled, Twin Sterndrive Cruiser to Debut at Lauderdale Show

By Peter Janssen on October 24, 2017 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

The brand-new, French-styled Jeanneau NC 33 will make its North American debut at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, opening on Nov. 1. The two-cabin, one-head, light-filled cruiser is powered by twin 220-hp Volvo diesel sterndrives, which make it both nimble and quick. The NC 33 already has been nominated for the European Powerboat of the Year 2018 award. The boat is designed for easy and comfortable cruising. The interior is bright and open, with large side and front windows and a glass door that slides all the way open between the salon and cockpit. A large sunroof lets in…

New Prestige 520, the French Builder’s Latest Addition to Its Stylish Flybridge Fleet

By Peter Janssen on October 16, 2017 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

The brand-new, French-styled Prestige 520, designed for easy cruising or entertaining, is making its U.S. debut at the Lauderdale show. With three cabins (plus an optional captain’s quarters) and a top speed of 26 knots, the Prestige 520 has a new luxurious, light-filled interior, where large windows create a bright, soft atmosphere in the salon. Its aggressive raked windshield and sleek, low profile mark it as a full-fledged member of the Prestige lineup. In the salon, the galley is aft, per the current custom, then a super-sized U-shaped lounge and table are on the port side, with an L-shaped settee…

New Low-Profile, Beautiful Vicem 58 Classic To Debut at Lauderdale Show

By Peter Janssen on October 16, 2017 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Vicem, the Turkish builder that produces Downeast-style boats, is introducing a new 58 Classic at the Fort Lauderdale show. The new low-profile 58 is made with Vicem’s trademark cold-molded mahogany to provide a strong, smooth and quiet ride, and it has Vicem’s long, graceful sheerline and eye-catching tumblehome aft. The 58 is a larger and newer version of Vicem’s popular 52, but its 16’7” beam provides more elbow room and the 58 has enough room for what the company calls an Open Galley below, with a generous eight-feet of headroom and a large amount of entertaining space all around. The…

Hunt To Build New 54-mph, 40-Foot Center Console with Three Outboards and a Large Cabin

By Peter Janssen on October 15, 2017 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Hunt Yachts, the legendary builder of blue-water, go-anywhere boats for more than half a century, just introduced a new, elegant 40-foot center console with a queen berth tucked into its cabin that is powered by three 300-hp Mercury Verado outboards. The new Hunt, with a 23-degree deadrise at the transom, combines two major trends: The move to larger and larger center consoles, incorporating more amenities to make them family-friendly, and the move to larger and larger outboard engines for fuel-efficient, quiet and reliable power. Hunt says the new 40 with standard power will top out at 54 mph; with three…

New Adler Hybrid Has Carbon-Fiber Hull, 3,500 nm Range, and iPad Controls

By Peter Janssen on October 10, 2017 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

The all-new, carbon-fiber, aggressively-styled Adler Suprema Hybrid will make her U.S. debut at the Fort Lauderdale show, starting Nov. 1. The 76-foot yacht, designed by Nuvolari-Lenard, is powered by a diesel-electric propulsion system that includes carbon-fiber props, twin 100kW e-engines and twin Cat 1,150-hp diesels. It can run up to 8 knots under electric power, and it tops out at 28 knots under diesel. “It’s a unique yacht with a sophisticated design and a number of modern features usually found on much bigger boats, such as state-of-the-art hybrid propulsion, iPad controls, heated floors and a strong, lightweight and efficient hull…

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