Boat Reviews

Zodiac Launches New 17’7″ RIB, the “SUV of the Sea”

By Peter Janssen on June 12, 2018 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Zodiac just launched its new Open 5.5 RIB, which it calls the SUV of the sea, at a big open house in Crouesty, France. The new Open is 17’ 7” long and can hold 12 passengers; it replaces Zodiac’s popular Pro Open 550 with a more modern design, a new V-shaped hull for cruising, and a T-top to provide protection from the weather. The new Open 5.5 has a high tow bar for watersports, a Fusion stereo, a rear platform for diving, a 14-gallon cooler, a swim ladder, and stern seats with removable back rests for easy access to the…

Argos Nautic Launches New 10-foot, Semi-Custom RIB with Lots of Flair

By Peter Janssen on June 11, 2018 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Here’s a new 10-foot RIB from Argos Nautic that will make you think you’re behind the wheel of an Alfa or a Ferrari on the water. The new semi-custom Argos Nautic 305 Yachting is indeed a combination of luxury (see the Isottta steering wheel, above) and all-out-fun performance, all in a center console RIB that seats four. On the new Argos Nautic, the console is offset to starboard, with a full-beam plush seat aft and another on the bow. The RIB was drawn by Facheris Design in Bradenton, Florida, and comes with premium upholstery, a Fusion sound system, teak deck…

MJM Provides More Details, Renderings, Diagrams and Specs for New Flagship 53z with Four Outboards

By Peter Janssen on June 9, 2018 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

MJM Yachts has just released more details, with renderings, interior diagrams, layouts and specs for its new flagship, the 53z, which it plans to launch in July, 2019, powered by four 350-hp Mercury Verado outboards. It will be the third outboard cruiser launched by MJM recently (after the MJM 35z, with twins, and the MJM 43z, with triples), and the company says it will be the largest outboard express cruiser ever. The new 53z (the “z” stands for Doug Zurn, the Marblehead, Massachusetts, designer who’s drawn all the MJMs) is an outgrowth of the MJM 50z, which is powered by…

Fountaine Pajot Building New 40 Power Cat, Based on Success and Awards of Its 44

By Peter Janssen on June 4, 2018 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Fountaine Pajot, the prestigious French builder, has just released details about its new MY 40 power catamaran, with three cabins, two heads, Volvo IPS performance and simply space and more space everywhere. The 40 is built on the success of the MY 44, which has won three awards, including “European Powerboat of the Year 2018,” at the Düsseldorf show in January. The hull is designed by naval architect Daniel Andreu, who specializes in motor yachts and who designed the 44, and it’s made for performance and seakeeping. Standard power is twin 260-hp Volvos, with IPS350 pod drives; optional power is…

Greenline Launches Eco-Friendly NEO Line with Twin Gas or Electric Outboards: 42 Knots or 16 Knots

By Peter Janssen on June 4, 2018 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Greenline Yachts is celebrating its tenth anniversary by creating a new NEO line, which consists of three deck plans for a 36’ 5” eco-friendly boat that can be powered either by twin 300-hp gas outboards or twin Torqueedo electric outboards and Lithium-ion batteries. With the big gas outboards, the NEO cruises at 36 knots and tops out at 42 knots. With twin 80-hp Torqueedo Deep Blue electric outboards, the NEO tops out at 16 knots with a range of 20 nm; at 6 knots, it has a range of 40 nm. Made in Slovenia, the NEO line comes in Open,…

New Customer Wants “Fastest Zeelander Ever.” Zeelander Builds New 42-Knot Z55

By Peter Janssen on June 2, 2018 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Zeelander, the upscale Dutch builder, just completed a Z55 for a new customer who said he wanted “the fastest Zeelander ever built.” With twin Volvo IPS1350s delivering 2,000 hp, the new Zeelander 55 tops out at 42 knots; the traditional Z55, with twin IPS950s and 1,450 hp, tops out at 33 knots. To fit the larger engines, Zeelander had to customize the hull, adding more strength to the engine room and more lamination from bow to midship. It also upgraded the engine room insulation and installed double-flex mounts on all pumps and motors. As a result, the boat is quiet,…

Walker Bay Launches New 10′ 8″ RIB that Seats Five and Costs Just $14,500 with 20-hp Outboard

By Peter Janssen on May 30, 2018 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Walker Bay has just launched a new 10’ 8” RIB with a console that holds five passengers and costs just $14,500 with a 20-hp outboard. And the new Walker Bay Supertender 325 Deluxe Console RIB is a lightweight, coming in at just 259 pounds. “We feel this is the best lightweight console tender in its class,” says Michael Carroll, Walker Bay’s director of sales and marketing, “in that it offers superior comfort, unmatched luxurious features and exceptional performance for a boat this size.” The 325 hull has a sharp entry that flattens out aft and a hard chine that grips…

Maritimo Launches New 60 with Creative Space Aft. Your Choice: An Extra Cabin or a Beach Club

By Peter Janssen on May 29, 2018 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Maritimo just launched a new 60-foot, three-cabin, two-head motoryacht at the Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show in Australia that has a unique space aft that can be arranged in many ways: As a traditional aft cabin, with an en suite head and shower and access from the salon or swim platform; as a “beach club,” essentially an upscale extension of the large swim platform for access to the water and water sports; as a garage for a pretty good-sized tender; or basically anything else a potential owner can think of. In other words, you decide. Tom Barry-Cotter, the lead designer…

Doug Zurn Designs New 35-Knot Hylas M58, Another Classic Powerboat

By Peter Janssen on May 21, 2018 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Doug Zurn, one of the most prolific designers in the United States, has teamed up with Hylas Yachts to create a new Hylas M58 powerboat that seems to carry all of his signature lines for the traditional sailboat builder. The M58 actually is Hylas’ second venture into the powerboat market; it introduced a Hylas M44 at the Palm Beach show in March. The company says it wanted to incorporate many traditional elements from classic powerboats in the past into the new 58, to help more sailboat owners move into the amenities of power. And the M58 has the long sheer…

New, Prize-Winning, Dutch-Built Linssen 40 Sedan: All Ready for the ICW or the Great Loop

By Peter Janssen on May 13, 2018 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

The new prize-winning Linssen 40 Sedan, named the European Power Boat of the Year in the Displacement category at the Düsseldorf boat show in January, is a Dutch-built, salty-looking, steel-hull cruiser. It was designed for cruising Europe’s coast and vast inland waterway system, but it would be equally at home in the U.S., cruising on the Intracoastal Waterway or along the Great Loop. It will be introduced to the U.S. at the Annapolis Powerboat Show in October. The Linssen 40 comes in an aft cabin and a flybridge version, but the basic sedan version has a large forward stateroom, with…

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