Boat Reviews

Alva Building New Electric Eco Cruiser 50 Monohull

By Peter Janssen on November 11, 2020 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Alva Yachts just announced that they are building an Eco Cruiser 50, the first monohull electric-powered yacht. The new Eco Cruiser will be powered by two electric motors producing a total of 272 hp with solar panels and the option of hydrogen fuel cells for totally self-sufficient, green, emissions-free cruising. Designed by Henndesign, the new 50, the smallest yacht in the Alva fleet, was designed specifically for electric propulsion. The two electric motors deliver 100 kW each. Power comes from a 50 kVA generator and from solar glass tiles on the rooftop, producing 4.9 kWp and stored in a 140…

New 43-Knot Back Cove 39O Down-East Cruiser

By Peter Janssen on November 10, 2020 Boat Reviews, On Watch with Peter Janssen

Back Cove just launched its new 39O, and it’s the fastest and quietest Back Cove yet. Indeed, powered by three 400-hp Mercury Verado outboards, the new Maine-built cruiser tops out at 43 knots, and it’s so efficient it has a range of 300 nm at 30 knots, a remarkable performance. It also registers a sound level of just 73 dB(a) at the helm, which means you can talk and listen to your playlist and generally enjoy yourself on a long day’s cruise. (See the boat’s performance numbers at the end of this story.) The 39O is Back Cove’s second outboard…

New Sessa Key Largo 40: Versatile and Fast

By Peter Janssen on November 3, 2020 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Lots of boats have terraces or doors that open from the side bulwarks to increase the amount of space in the cockpit and to provide access to water sports. But the new Sessa Key Largo 40 takes that concept to an entirely new level. Take a look: Both sides of the cockpit drop down, creating an exceptionally large open space for a 40-foot boat. The seating is modular and can be reconfigured to fit your mood on the water: Running, sunning, or just enjoying an al fresco lunch or cocktails. Below, the Key Largo 40 sleeps four in a super-modern…

Riviera Launches New Belize 54 Daybridge with IPS

By Peter Janssen on November 1, 2020 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Riviera, the legendary Australian builder, just introduced its new Belize 54 Daybridge to the United States at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show. Riviera says the new Belize, with its distinctive flowing lines and relatively low profile, is a “striking keen-eyed balance between European panache and Australian practicality.” The new Belize has three cabins and two heads below, and a lot going on in the main deck, which is filled with light from sweeping tinted glass windows all around. A curved bulkhead aft includes a glass door and large awning window that open up to unite the salon and cockpit…

Jeanneau Launches New Leader 10.5 Series 2

By Peter Janssen on October 28, 2020 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Jeanneau is now displaying its all-new Leader 10.5 Series 2 family-friendly, very versatile cruiser at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show. The 36-foot boat is a new version of the Leader 10.5 that Jeanneau introduced five years ago. But the Series 2 has a hull designed by Michael Peters, the Sarasota designer who specializes in drawing slippery and efficient craft, and the entire hull is now vacuum-bagged and resin-infused to give it more strength and rigidity. Jeanneau launched its Leader series in North America in 2016, and the French boats became popular for their looks, their simplicity and their efficiency.…

Vicem Ready for Sea Trials on New 50 Classic

By Peter Janssen on October 27, 2020 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Vicem is getting ready for sea trials on its new 50 Classic, and it will launch two more by the end of the year and a fourth early next year. The 50 Classic, a larger version of the Turkish builder’s 46, has a fiberglass hull and superstructure and a high-quality wood interior. Over the years, Vicem has earned a reputation for building high-quality, Downeast-style, cold-molded wooden cruising yachts. But it turned to fiberglass for the 50 because of its faster construction time and easier maintenance. With its low profile, long sheer and hint of tumblehome aft, the 50 fits in…

Aquila Launches Redesigned 32 Sports Cat

By Peter Janssen on October 26, 2020 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Aquila just launched a redesign of its popular, outboard-powered 32 catamaran, with a new hardtop, upgraded seating and more space for living and cruising on board. The 32 has a cabin below in the port hull where two people can sleep comfortably; two more could sleep in the salon; a head is in the starboard hull. With a 12’ 8” beam, the Aquila 32 has room for a family or group of friends to enjoy a day on the water; indeed, it can hold 14 people. The foredeck is particularly inviting, with two comfortable lounges, with arm rests, affording privacy…

New 82-Foot “Trimonoran” Promises Best of All Hulls

By Peter Janssen on October 24, 2020 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Here’s something new: A “trimonoran.” Yes, trimonoran, a new hull shape that’s supposed to combine the best features of a trimaran with those of a monohull. So far, the trimonoran exists as an 82-foot foot concept yacht with a 32-foot beam designed by Baran Akalin, in Istanbul, working with the Dutch engineer G. Jelle Bilkert and the Dutch builder AnwigemA BV. They have tank tested the first foiling trimonoran, named Escalade, and say it offers 30 percent more space, and 30 percent more efficiency, than a monohull. The main hull is flanked by two thinner hulls beneath the waterline. They…

New Award-Winning CLB88 To Debut at Lauderdale

By Peter Janssen on October 21, 2020 Boat Reviews

The new CLB88, a family-friendly motor yacht with classic lines and a thoroughly modern interior, will make its debut at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, starting Wednesday, October 28. The CLB88 is made by CL Yachts, a new brand under the Cheoy Lee Shipyards umbrella in Hong Kong, with a rich history dating back to producing teak yachts in the 1950s. The new CLB88 is a contemporary luxury yacht with an open layout that makes cruising easy and comfortable for a large family or a group of friends. “CLB88 marks a new chapter for us,” says Hans Lo, deputy…

New J Craft Torpedo RS: Retro Style, IPS Speed

By Peter Janssen on October 21, 2020 Boat Reviews

J Craft Boats, the small Swedish builder, just delivered its first 42-foot retro Torpedo RS boat to its owner in St. Tropez. Powered by twin 480-hp Volvo IPS650 pod drives, the mahogany beauty tops out at 47 knots, and has a range of 270 nm at its cruising speed of 30 knots. But J Craft Boats are not about statistics. They’re about style, elegance and craftsmanship. Consider that it takes J Craft a year to build each boat by hand on the island of Gotland. And that the cockpit is fitted with diamond-stitched white upholstery with midnight-blue piping. The helm has…

Browsing: Boat Reviews