Boat Reviews

Endeavour TrawlerCat 42: Tons of Space and Outboard Power

By Peter Janssen on October 18, 2016 Boat Reviews

Many smaller cruising boats, monohulls and cats, are moving to outboard power, and the Endeavour TrawlerCat 42 is a larger example of that trend. Using the same hull and layout as the Endeavour 40, the new 42 is powered by twin 300-hp Suzuki outboards that produce a top speed of 21.3 mph, while making the boat even more user-friendly in skinny water spots of the Chesapeake and the Bahamas with its 3-foot draft. You could even trim the outboards up if you need to. The appeal of the new Endeavour, in addition to its outboard power, is the tremendous amount…

Cutwater 28: A Proven Pocket Cruiser

By Peter Janssen on October 18, 2016 Boat Reviews

Cutwaters are made in Washington State by Fluid Motion, LLC, the same company that makes Ranger Tugs, and that was founded by the father-son team of David and John Livingston. They know how to build boats; David was president of Bayliner when the company was making 56,000 boats a year. And they know how to create value for their owners. Indeed, the new Cutwater 28, fully equipped with a 260-hp Volvo diesel, Garmin electronics, bow and stern thrusters and ready to cruise, carries a base price of $194,937. With an 8’6” beam, the 28 is trailerable, user-friendly and packed with…

Coastal Craft 45: Built for Serious Cruising

By Peter Janssen on October 18, 2016 Boat Reviews

Coastal Craft, founded in 1996 by Jeff Rhodes in Gibsons, B.C., about 25 miles north of Vancouver, is something else in the recreational boating market. Originally catering to the fishing and work boat industry, Coastal Craft are all built with commercial-quality welded aluminum hulls, with an emphasis on reliability, safety and seaworthiness. Gibsons is about 25 miles north of Vancouver on Georgia Strait, where the waters can be unpredictable at best. The new Coastal Craft 45, the company’s flagship, is built with a planing hull (topping out at 32 knots), an upscale interior, two staterooms and two heads, and a…

American Tugs 435: A Sturdy, No-Frills Cruiser

By Peter Janssen on October 18, 2016 Boat Reviews

A sturdy cruiser, well-equipped to handle the coast of Maine, the Great Loop, or the Waterway down to the Keys or the Bahamas, the new American Tugs 435 has two staterooms, two heads, a raised pilothouse, a comfortable salon with forward galley and enough storage and living areas to keep a couple or family comfortable for a long time onboard. American Tugs are made in LaConner, Washington, but about half are now sold on the East Coast as more and more owners appreciate all the boats have to offer. The no-frills approach to cruising, with a single 500-hp Cummins diesel,…

Hunt 72: Best of Show in Newport

By Peter Janssen on September 18, 2016 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life, Newport Boat Show

The beautiful new Hunt 72 was just named Best Powerboat at the Newport International Boat Show, a particularly significant honor this year given competition from several other important and eye-catching new boats. But once you climb on board the Hunt, it’s easy to see why it was chosen. The classic lines are gorgeous; the proportions are just right, the sheer is long and graceful; standing on the aft deck and looking forward the teak side deck and railing seem to stretch on forever. Then there’s the 72’s exquisite fit and finish and virtually entire forests worth of varnished teak inside…

Back Cove 32: Best Under 35 Feet at Newport

By Peter Janssen on September 18, 2016 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life, Newport Boat Show

The Back Cove 32 was just named Best Powerboat Under 35 Feet at the Newport International Boat Show, a major honor for the Maine-built classic couple’s cruiser. I’ve been a fan of Back Coves since I tested the very first one they made, a 26, ten years ago, and I’ve tested every model since then. The single-diesel, fuel-efficient, user-friendly themes of the brand, combined with their iconic Downeast lines, make them very appealing, and the new 32 lives up to the company’s reputation. You walk on the boat through a centerline door in the transom, and then the deck is…

Leader 46: An Innovative Flagship with French Flair

By Peter Janssen on September 11, 2016 Boat Reviews

The flagship of the Leader fleet, the new 46 has lots of innovative touches, French lines, and Volvo performance (either with sterndrives or IPS), which all combine to make it an appealing contemporary cruiser. No wonder the Leader 46 by Jeanneau has been nominated for the European Boat of the Year award. When I was on the boat, I particularly liked the cockpit galley with the grill opening aft; you stand on the wide teak swim platform, facing your guests, and fire up the barbeque. (There’s also a traditional galley below.) Another appealing touch: The forward-facing mate’s bench seat to…

Aquila 44: All the Makings of a Great Vacation

By Peter Janssen on September 11, 2016 Boat Reviews, Charter

With its 21’6” beam carried all the way forward, the Aquila 44 catamaran has space – and more space – just about everywhere. The three-stateroom, three-head boat also has a lot of privacy. The master stateroom is forward with a king-sized bed, a small settee in a separate seating area and a large head and shower. The two separate hulls, meanwhile, mean the two more staterooms, one on the port side and one to starboard, are totally private, a major advantage during cruise with family or friends. In the salon, the galley is aft, with a dining/sitting area forward; it’s…

Coming Soon: MJM 35Z

By Peter Janssen on September 11, 2016 Boat Reviews

Watch for this – the new MJM 35Z, the latest collaboration of Doug Zurn, the famed designer, and Bob Johnstone, the famed builder. The 35Z will be an outboard version of an MJM, with either twin 300-hp Yamahas or twin 300-hp Mercury Verados; either brand should power the boat into the 44-knot range. Outboards themselves are becoming more popular, as they become ever more powerful, fuel-efficient and quiet. The new 35Z will have the low profile, gentle tumblehome and long sheer line of other MJMs, plus a large cockpit and a protected helm deck. Designed as a couple’s cruising boat,…

Bruckmann Abaco 40: A Salty Weekender

By Peter Janssen on September 6, 2016 Boat Reviews

With its proud bow, classic Downeast lines and elegant fit and finish, the Mark Ellis-designed Bruckmann Abaco 40 offers a combination of traditional appeal with modern performance. Designed as a single-diesel weekender, the Bruckmann 40 is a master of salty understatement, although it tops out at about 30 knots and only sips about a gallon a mile at cruising speed of 24 knots. Based in Toronto, Canada, Bruckmann Yachts is a high-end sailboat builder, and that heritage shows in the Abaco 40; there’s nothing fancy here, just everything you need in just the right place. From the cockpit, you enter…

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