Boat Reviews

First Nordhavn 625 Reaches Dana Point

By Peter Janssen on March 7, 2023 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Hull number one of the new Nordhavn 625 series just arrived at the company’s world headquarters in Dana Point, California. It will be commissioned over the next few weeks before being delivered to its new owners, a couple from Nevada. The new 625 is based on a derivation of the hulls for some of Nordhavn’s most popular models, the 55, 60 and 63. All told, more 100 of these models have been sold. “It’s been a solid performer for us,” said Jeff Leishman, Nordhavn’s chief designer. “I believed doing an update would provide us with another outstanding derivative.” The new…

Carry Your Car To Shore on ROAM

By Peter Janssen on March 7, 2023 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

The new 28-foot ROAM won’t win any awards for beauty, but if the idea is that form follows function, it’s definitely a winner. An outboard-powered “rugged all-out-utility vessel,” according to its website, ROAM was designed by naval architects Argo Navis specifically to carry a car or SUV from yacht to shore, and vice versa. ROAM was developed by Superyacht Tenders and Toys, a British company. They say their clients have “an increasing appetite for adventure and the desire to access remote areas in safety, comfort, and in the company of their toys.” Actually, I wish I had carried such a…

Performance e801: “Fastest Electric Boat in the World”

By Peter Janssen on March 6, 2023 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Performance Marine, the German builders, just introduced their new 26-foot e801 all-electric boat that they say is “die schnellste e-powerboat der welt,” the fastest electric boat in the world. In fact, the new e801 tops out at more than 50 knots – at least for some brief bursts. The Performance e801 is driven by an Evoy Hurricane 300+kW liquid-cooled inboard electric motor (Evoy already makes the world’s most powerful outboard); Evoy says it’s the equivalent of 400-hp. The boat has a waterproof 63.1-kWh dual battery pack configuration, working with a Mercury Bravo One sterndrive. The boat has a range of…

New X-Treme 54: A Pocket Superyacht

By Peter Janssen on March 6, 2023 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

These are boom times for the Holterman Shipman in the Netherlands, builders of X-Treme Yachts. The yard’s flagship105-foot Lady Fleur won two superyacht awards earlier this year, it just launched a new 78, and it’s finishing the second hull of its 54, this one with more power than the original. The 54 (pictured) is the smallest of the builder’s six models, and it’s designed, by Bernd Weel, to function as a pocket-sized superyacht. The first 54, named Ferox, was powered by two 175-hp Volvos, and cruised at 7.5 knots. The new version will have twin 300-hp Volvos, for 10-knot cruising…

Ocean Alexander Launches 28E Luxury Cruiser

By Peter Janssen on March 6, 2023 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Ocean Alexander has launched its new 28E, the latest model in its Explorer line. The new 94-foot cruiser has some creative features, including a master stateroom on the main deck and an elegant teak-covered aft deck that seems to just keep on going. The 28E should live up to its Explorer designation. Standard power comes from two 1,650-hp MAN diesels, and the yacht carries 2,980 gallons of fuel. That combination gives it a top speed of 19.8 knots and a range of 844 nm at 11 knots, or almost 2,100 nm at 7 knots. The interior was designed by Evan…

Galeon Launches New 440 Fly Cruiser

By Peter Janssen on February 28, 2023 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

The new Galeon 440 Fly just made its world debut at the Düsseldorf show in January, and it’s already getting a lot of notice for its styling and for the company’s ability to pack a lot of user-friendly features into a 44-foot boat. Tony Castro, the well-regarded British designer, worked with Galeon on the new 440 Fly. The most apparent design elements are aft, where a wet bar/grill is built into the transom, running almost across the full width of the boat. It’s just above a super-sized hydraulic swim platform, so you can easily enjoy a grilled sandwich or a…

New WiLder 60: “A Walk on the Wild Side”

By Peter Janssen on February 27, 2023 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

If you want your yacht to make a statement, take a look at the new WiLder 60 from Italy. It’s not for shrinking violets. Indeed, the company owner says it’s designed ”for a walk on the wild side.” WiLder is a new brand from Wider Yachts, and the new 61’ 6” WiLder 60 is the brainchild of the in-house design firm Centro Stile Wider. The all-aluminum yacht, which the company says is a cross between a chase boat and a performance cruiser, is scheduled to launch this summer. The WiLder 60 can be heavily customized to fit each owner’s preferences;…

Techohull Building 48-Foot, 86-Knot RIB

By Peter Janssen on February 26, 2023 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Technohull, the Greek builder of high-performance RIBs, is building a new 48-foot luxury craft with a top speed of 86 knots. Technohull’s new Omega 48 will be powered by five 450-hp outboards. If you want a tamer version, you also can get it with twin 600-hp outboards. Either way, you’ll be comfortable, at least judging by Technohull’s claims for the new Omega. It says the Omega 48 has more luxury touches than previous versions, and it even has a large cabin below with an oversized double bed and separate head and shower. You reach those accommodations via a pantograph door…

Vicem Unveils 65 Classic Flybridge

By Peter Janssen on February 22, 2023 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Vicem Yachts, the highly acclaimed Turkish builder, just unveiled its new Vicem 65 Classic Flybridge, a yacht that’s notable not only for its Downeast looks but also because Vicem is offering it in both fiberglass and cold-molded mahogany with West System epoxy construction. Either way, the 65 Classic Flybridge carries Vicem’s timeless design, with clean lines, a long sheer, and even a hint of tumblehome. Here’s a look that will never go out of style, and would be equally at home in Maine or Nantucket as it would be in the Med. The new Vicem also has the builder’s trademark…

Chris-Craft Unveils New Electric Boat

By Peter Janssen on February 20, 2023 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

The cause of electric power for recreational boats got a big boost from one of America’s most famous boat companies at the Miami Show. Chris-Craft, which calls itself “America’s boatbuilder” and which has been in business since 1874, announced that it’s making an electric-powered 25-foot prototype as a test platform for a fleet of electric boats in the future. The new boat, called the Launch 25 GTe, will be powered by a 420-hp EVOA electric motor, paired to a sterndrive. The boat is projected to have a 43-knot top speed and a two-hour running time. It works with a 133-kWh…

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