Boat Reviews

Stunning Sirena 68 Makes U.S. Debut

By Peter Janssen on March 28, 2022 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

The stunning new Sirena 68, a luxurious long-range cruiser with a hull from Germán Frers and an interior by Cor D. Rover, just made its U.S. debut at the Palm Beach show. With standard 900-hp Volvos, the latest Sirena has a range of 1,200 nm at 10 knots, and a top speed of 26 knots. With optional 1,000-hp Volvos, top speed goes up to 28 knots. Designed for long-range cruising, with input from previous Sirena owners, the Turkish-built boat is both comfortable and seaworthy. Frers, the legendary Argentine naval architect who has designed all the Sirena hulls, drew a semi-displacement hull…

New Seavy 11 Power Cat from France

By Peter Janssen on March 21, 2022 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Here’s an early look at a sporty new entry in the growing power catamaran field, the 38-foot Seavy 11 from a new French builder, Sea Venture Yachting. The Seavy 11 is an ultra-modern, ultra-modular cat. It already has more deck space, by a long shot, than a similar-sized monohull, but you can fold down the platforms on each side of the aft deck to add another three feet to the already large 14-foot beam. And it comes with three power options – sterndrives, outboard, or electric. The company says that with twin 370-hp sterndrives, the Seavy 11 tops out at…

New Daychaser 48 To Be Launched Soon

By Peter Janssen on March 20, 2022 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

The Doug Zurn-designed Daychaser 48 Down East day boat will be launched this spring by Boston BoatWorks. The Daychaser is being built exclusively for members of the Barton & Gray Mariners Club. The boat is made for a perfect day on the water. It was designed by Zurn Yacht Design in Marblehead, Massachusetts, and built by Boston BoatWorks, in Charlestown, Massachusetts. “We think the high level of detail and foresight that went into the design will satisfy Barton & Gray’s ever-expanding membership,” Zurn said. The new Daychaser is basically an entertainment platform, built for picnics, cocktail outings, and day cruises.…

A New Luxury Thoroughbred from Michigan

By Peter Janssen on March 20, 2022 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

If you’re thinking about a second boat or a runabout, take a look at the new U23i Thoroughbred from a small startup company in Manistee, Michigan, on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan. The new 23-footer is a product of the Thoroughbred Boat Company, and the brainchild of Mike Kamaloski, the company’s founder and president. “We decided we were going to take the excitement and style of boats of the past and bring it to today’s generation,” he told upnorthlive.com. “We built a modern-day classic.” The new 23, called “Maiden Manistee,” has inboard power from a single 365-hp Ilmor engine,…

Tiara Building New 60 Flagship Cruiser

By Peter Janssen on March 19, 2022 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Tiara is now making its new EX60 flagship, the largest vessel the Holland, Michigan, builder has ever produced. Offered with several versions of Volvo IPS pod drives, the new 60 will be ready by the end of the year. Tom Slikkers, the Tiara president and CEO, said, “For this particular design, we’ve blended elements we know are proven in our outboard line and have taken portions we’ve learned from the inboard models.” With three staterooms and two heads below, the new 60 comes with several creative and expandable living features, including side decks that fold out of the bulwarks aft…

New Protector 410 RIB with 600-hp Outboards

By Peter Janssen on March 12, 2022 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life, Engine Room

Rayglass Boats just announced they’ve built a Protector 410 Targa with twin 600-hp Mercury Verado outboards, the largest outboards ever mounted on a RIB (and Mercury’s most powerful production engine). Rayglass, a New Zealand builder, said they had to customize and strengthen the transom to handle the weight and torque of the massive V12, 7.6 liter displacement outboards. A new 600-hp Verado weighs 1,260 pounds. In an announcement, the company said, “The result is one of the world’s most capable all-water vessels, combining the unmatched power of the Verado V12 engines with the Protector’s world-leading capability for safety and handling.”…

Highfield Launches New 360 GT Console RIB

By Peter Janssen on March 9, 2022 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

The new sturdy and lightweight Highfield Classic 360 RIB with a GT Console would make a great companion on the Great Loop, your next cruising vacation, or just for running around your favorite harbor or anchorage. The new Highfield has an aluminum hull, with a 15-degree deadrise and a full-length keelguard for protection if you’re running up on a beach or sandbar. The boat itself is just 11’ 10” long, and weighs 285 pounds. Highfield recommends that you use a 25-hp outboard on the 360GT (although you can go up to a 30-hp model). A 25-hp Yamaha weighs 126 pounds,…

Helmsman 37 Sedan: An Affordable Cruiser

By Peter Janssen on March 7, 2022 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

The Helmsman 37 Sedan is an affordable single-diesel, comfortable trawler with everything you need for a liveaboard or coastal cruiser. It comes with one or two cabins, and you also can use the second cabin as an onboard office. The Helmsman fleet ranges from 31 to 54 feet. The 37 is a slightly simpler version of the popular 38 Pilothouse model. Standard power is one 250-hp Cummins diesel; the boat comes with both bow and stern thrusters to make maneuvering easy around a dock. Helmsmen are built in Fuzhou, China, and are designed for owners who want a quality cruising…

Grand Banks 85 To Debut at Palm Beach Show

By Peter Janssen on March 7, 2022 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Grand Banks will introduce its new 85 flagship at the Palm Beach show, starting March 24. The 85, with three times the volume of the popular Grand Banks 60, will be available for private viewing. Like the Grand Banks 60 and the 54, the new 85 has the company’s patented V-Warp, semi-displacement hull that results in a highly efficient performance that leaves only minimal wake behind. Powered by twin 1,000-hp Volvo IPS1350 pod drives and carrying 2,650 gallons of fuel, the 85 has a range of 1,000 nm at 21 knots. Hull number one of the 85 has three large…

Lyman-Morse Completing Hood 35 Hardtop Express

By Peter Janssen on March 2, 2022 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Hull number one of the instant-classic Hood 35 Lyman-Morse Hardtop Express is nearing completion in Thomaston, Maine, and will be launched this summer. And Lyman-Morse is already working on hull number two, a flybridge version, that will be ready next year. (The boat is also offered in a soft top version as a day boat.) In any configuration, the new 35 has the elegant, Down East lines that never go out of style. And it has superior performance from twin 440-hp Yanmar diesels with Hamilton water jets. The water jets, of course, offer a safety factor and low draft of…

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