Boat Reviews

Zeelander Building New Z72, a 40-knot Dutch Cruiser with a Down-East Touch

By Peter Janssen on November 6, 2018 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Zeelander, the Dutch company that builds boats reminiscent of the classic 1930’s commuter yachts on Long Island Sound, is working on a new 72 flagship that will be launched early next year. Leonardo van den Berg, Zeelander’s commercial director, says the new 72 carries “a sportier look” than the company’s existing 55- and 44-foot models. The bow is a bit more prominent than in previous boats, but the new 72 carries the company’s signature low profile, long sheerline, reverse transom and suggestive tumblehome that have marked the earlier models. Zeelanders have always looked a bit more Down East than Dutch.…

New Grand Banks 52: A Long-Range, Smooth-Running, High-Tech Cruiser

By Peter Janssen on November 5, 2018 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Grand Banks just announced that they are building a new 52, a long-range cruiser with a high-tech, slippery, 30-knot hull that will be launched at the Newport, Rhode Island, boat show next September. The GB 52 will be the latest in the newly reinvigorated Grand Banks lineup, coming after the Grand Banks 60 and Grand Banks 60 Skylounge. Mark Richards, the company’s president and CEO, made the announcement at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show. “The 52 will combine weight reduction, strength and a low vertical center of gravity,” he said. “Of course, efficiency doesn’t matter without comfort, so we…

Huckins Starts New 38 Sportsman with Either Outboard or Hybrid Diesel-Electric Power

By Peter Janssen on October 27, 2018 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Huckins is starting work on its 38 Sportsman, and the 90-year-old company is offering its retro-styled cruiser with either outboard power or hybrid diesel-electric power, showing that it can still blend traditional styling with the most modern engines and technology. Whatever the power, the new 38 will have Huckins’ iconic Quadraconic hull that founder Frank Pembroke Huckins introduced generations ago. Huckins Yacht in Jacksonville, Florida, is now run by Huckins’ granddaughter, Cindy Purcell, and she is staying true to the company’s heritage. The 38 has Huckins’ traditional art deco styling, but the company wants to offer buyers either the increasingly…

Stephens Waring Designs New Custom Composite 57-Foot Cruiser for C.W. Hood

By Peter Janssen on October 27, 2018 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Here’s a first look at a new custom composite 57-foot Down East cruiser that Stephens Waring Yacht Design of Belfast, Maine, worked on for C. W. Hood Yachts of Marblehead, Massachusetts. Construction of major components is starting at Lyman-Morse Boatbuilding in Thomaston, Maine, and will be finished at the Hood yard. “The client originally came to us with a 26-foot repower and refit project,” says Chris Hood, the founder of C.W. Hood Yachts. “Inspired by the style and performance of our earlier designs, the conversation turned to a larger custom yacht. With a few guidelines and a fair amount of…

Outer Reef Starts New 550 Atlas Series Motoryacht, a Strong and Comfortable Long-Range Cruiser

By Peter Janssen on October 27, 2018 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Outer Reef has just announced a new line, the 550 Atlas Series Motoryacht, designed for long-range or coastal cruising with a pilothouse, Portuguese bridge and everything you’d need for a safe and comfortable long weekend or month or so on board. The company says it named the series after the Greek god who personified strength and endurance. Powered by twin 500-hp John Deere diesels, the new 550 Atlas is expected to cruise economically in the 10-knot range, and top out in the 17-knot range. The hull is made of hand-laid fiberglass with PVC core sandwich construction above the waterline and…

New 65-foot Elling E6: A Super-Safe, Long-Range Cruiser from the Netherlands

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

Elling Yachts in the Netherlands is introducing its 65-foot Elling E6, a solid, safe, long-range cruiser to North America at the Fort Lauderdale show, and comes with some fairly unique features, including its ability to right itself in a capsize and its second get-home engine in the event of a catastrophic failure to the main. Ellings are built by Neptune Marine, which has 40 years of experience, and are designed and engineered to be the safest cruisers in the world. With a range of 3,500 nm, the new E6 could cross the Atlantic, explore the fjords of Norway, or complete…

Fleming Introduces New F78 Classic, a Blue-Water Cruiser, at Lauderdale Show

By Peter Janssen on October 19, 2018 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Fleming is introducing its new F78 Classic at the Fort Lauderdale show, an upgrade of its flagship 78 but with a redesigned flybridge and boat deck. With good reason, considering its success in cruising around the world, the company calls the F78 “the ultimate cruising yacht.” The Fleming 78 is built to European CE Category “A” standards, meaning it is a strong, well-engineered, go-anywhere, blue-water cruiser. Flemings are known for the exceptional engineering and attention to detail, inside and out. The redesigned 78 is an outgrowth of the Fleming 75 that was launched in 2000. Ten years later Fleming redesigned that…

New Privilege Euphorie 5 Power Cat: A Long-Range Cruiser with Lots of Luxury

By Peter Janssen on October 15, 2018 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

The new Privilege Euphorie 5 power cat is a combination of luxurious space and long-range performance. The new 50-foot multihull “is dedicated to long-distance cruises where comfort and range are a priority,” says Marc Lombard, who designed it. Standard power comes from twin 220-hp Yanmar diesels, with a cruising speed in the 12-knot area and a maximum range of 1,000 nm. With an upgrade to 320-hp Yanmars, the Euphorie 5 tops out at 20 knots, and has a range of about 345 nm at 10 knots. The new cat, built at the Privilege yard in Les Sables d’Olonne, just…

The Ten Top New Cruising Boats at Cannes, from Motorboat & Yachting

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

Here’s a look at the ten top cruising boats at the recent Cannes Yachting Festival, as chosen by Motorboat & Yachting, the British magazine. The top ten are the Beneteau Swift Trawler 47, Princess R35, Sunseeker 74, Jeanneau NC37, Absolute Navetta 48, Privilège Euphorie 5, Pearl 95, Ferretti 670, Azimut S6, and Prestige 590. Some highlights: The Beneteau Swift Trawler 47 (pictured at top) is the latest iteration of the French builder’s Swift Trawler line that it introduced 14 years ago. Swift Trawlers changed the face of trawlers forever; they no longer had to be Down East single-diesel displacement boats,…

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Marlow To Launch Luxurious New 70E Mk 2 at Lauderdale Show, a High-Tech, Long-Range Cruiser

By Peter Janssen on October 8, 2018 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

The new Marlow 70E Mk 2 is the latest high-tech iteration of the 70E that Marlow started building almost 20 years ago, a fast and luxurious long-range cruiser with an Enclosed Command Bridge built for its new owner, a leader in the boating industry. Powered by twin 1,150 Cats, the 70E Mk 2 topped out at 27.55 knots in its very first sea trials in China, before it was put on a ship to be delivered to the U.S. in time for the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, starting Oct. 31. After sea trials in the U.S. and possible adjustments…

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