Boat Reviews

Huckins Launches First Sportsman 38 Diesel/Electric Hybrid

By Peter Janssen on March 29, 2020 Boat Reviews

Huckins just launched hull number one of its Sportsman 38 Hybrid, and the new cruiser topped out at 35 knots under diesel power and 7 knots under electric. The Sportsman 38 is modeled after the Sportsman 36 that Huckins first launched in 1936 (pictured above), and it still runs on Huckins’ iconic Quadraconic hull. Huckins also is offering the new 38 with outboard power from twin 350-hp Suzukis. The new 38 Hybrid is the first production boat at Huckins, which was founded in 1928 by Frank Pembroke Huckins; his granddaughter, Cindy Purcell, runs the company, in Jacksonville, Florida, today. The…

Grand Banks Building New Flagship 85, a Long-Range Cruiser

By Peter Janssen on March 25, 2020 Boat Reviews

Grand Banks is building its new 85-foot flagship at its factory in Malaysia. The new highly efficient, long-range cruiser is scheduled to be delivered to its new owner by Christmas, in time for him to watch the next America’s Cup in New Zealand next year. The new 85, with its low profile, long sheerline and gorgeous tumblehome, comes after the successful launch of the Grand Banks 60 and 60 Skylounge models. With its 22-foot beam, the 85 will have lots of wide-open space, inside and out, for comfortable living and on-board entertaining. Powered by a pair of 1,000-hp Volvo IPS1350…

Sunreef Building New Transatlantic 100-Foot Power Cat

By Peter Janssen on March 24, 2020 Boat Reviews

If you want to see what’s possible in the growing field of power catamarans, take a look at the new 100 Sunreef Power. It’s simply huge; the salon, making use of the boat’s 44’ 2” beam, reminds me of a New York City penthouse. We don’t have many details about this new 100-footer yet, although the Polish yard says it has already sold one and will start building it soon. All told, the 100 Sunreef will have more than 5,000 square feet of living space. (By comparison, the average New York City one-bedroom apartment has 700 square feet.) The luxurious…

New Monte Carlo 6: French Flair, Room for Relaxing

By Peter Janssen on March 24, 2020 Boat Reviews

The new high-end Monte Carlo 6 flybridge cruiser from Beneteau offers a combination of contemporary European styling, comfortable cruising and luxurious living. With twin 600-hp Cummins diesels and Zeus pod drives, the three-stateroom, three-head cruiser tops out at 28 knots and cruises at 20 knots. The Monte Carlo 6 is designed by the highly regarded firm of Nuvolari and Lenard, and it features large open spaces that you’d expect on a much larger yacht. The flybridge is particularly spacious, and it’s meant to be the major living and relaxing area on board. Most notable up there is a large U-shaped…

New Sirena 58 Coupe: Made for America

By Peter Janssen on March 18, 2020 Boat Reviews

The new, low-profile Sirena 58 Coupe just made its debut at the Miami yacht show, and the boat was made for the American market. It is the little sister to Sirena’s 58 flybridge, the most successful yacht in the Turkish builder’s fleet, and it was designed for buyers who said they wanted an “express” type boat with lower air draft for coastal cruising in the U.S. or even for cruising on the Great Loop. “This yacht is for anyone looking for a sleeker exterior profile or for couples who prefer not to have a flybridge but do admire the build…

New Aviara 40: More Space Than Ever Before

By Peter Janssen on March 16, 2020 Boat Reviews

Aviara, the new brand from MasterCraft, just introduced its flagship Aviara 40 at the Miami show recently. MasterCraft, based in Venore, Tennesee, started the Aviara line last year, and already has a 32 and a 36; the 40 builds on their lines, but with more. And “more” is what it’s all about, as in more space and more seating than is the norm, even on a 40-footer. We usually deal with cruising boats here, but even they are building new ways to find more social space on their boats, particularly in the aft cockpit area. The new Aviara 40 is…

New Antares 11 Flagship with Twin Suzukis and a Balcony

By Peter Janssen on March 15, 2020 Boat Reviews

Beneteau just introduced its new Antares 11, the 36-foot flagship of its outboard lineup and the first with a balcony – part of the bulwark in the cockpit that folds out to create a larger social space there. The new Antares, a family weekend cruiser, is powered by twin 300-hp Suzukis, and speeds are expected to be over 30 knots. The Antares 11 is unusually open and filled with light, from large windows all around the salon and from a super-sized sunroof (which could be replaced with optional solar panels). Glass doors slide open aft to merge the salon and…

New Cold-Molded Vicem 67: A Blue-Water Cruiser

By Peter Janssen on March 11, 2020 Boat Reviews

The latest Vicem, a 67, was scheduled to make its worldwide debut at the Palm Beach show, which has now been cancelled. The new boat now will be unveiled in the U.S. at a later time. The new 25-knot, blue-water cruiser has all the timeless lines and old-world craftsmanship that have marked Vicems for the past 29 years. It also has the Turkish builder’s cold-molded mahogany construction that makes the yachts easy to customize for individual buyers, while adding strength to the hull. The 67 is built for cruising anywhere in the world, and it has earned a CE Design…

Palm Beach Show Postponed: Grand Banks 54 To Debut Later

By Peter Janssen on March 9, 2020 Boat Reviews, On Watch with Peter Janssen

We just learned that the Palm Beach show, scheduled to start on March 26, has been postponed as a result of the coronavirus crisis. We will have details later, when we learn more. The new Grand Banks 54, with its classic lines and semi-displacement, warped-hull performance, was scheduled to make its worldwide debut there. Powered by twin 725-hp Volvos with straight shaft drives, this latest Grand Banks tops out at 31 knots, cruises at 26 knots, and has a range of about 1,000 nm at 10 knots. The new 54 has the same high-tech hull as the popular Grand Banks…

New True North 34OE: Outboard Performance, Down East Lines

By Peter Janssen on March 8, 2020 Boat Reviews

The first True North 34 Outboard Express under the ownership of Catalina Yachts just made its debut at the Miami boat show, and it had a new hydraulic Porta Bracket to lift its 300-hp outboards up vertically on the transom. The idea is to let captains adjust the outboards for running in shallow water, and to lift the lower units completely out of the water when they’re not running, to help eliminate growth and corrosion. Catalina bought True North from US Watercraft in Rhode Island more than a year ago and moved the molds for the 34 and a 38…

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