Boat Reviews

Burger Launches New Aluminum 48 Cruiser with Vripack Hull and Volvo IPS Performance

By Peter Janssen on June 25, 2018 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

The Burger Boat Company, one of the most historic names in American boating, just launched hull number one of its new aluminum Burger 48 Cruiser line with a christening ceremony that included the Mayor of Manitowoc, Wisconsin, where Burgers are built. The Mayor gave a key to the city to Cyndy Stiehl, the boat’s owner, and said the project provided work for Burger’s 85 employees. For her part, Stiehl christened the boat Blue Boat Home (the hull is a custom blue color) and said she had wanted a Burger since she first saw one as a teenager. Founded in 1863,…

New Futuristic Foiler, with Top Speed of 40 Knots, Now on Display in French Riviera

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

In case you missed the very James-Bond-looking Foiler when it was launched in Dubai in March, you now can catch it this summer on the French Riviera, where it will be on display in Monaco and Saint Tropez until the fall boat shows. It’s hard to miss, since it rides 5 feet over the water on its carbon fiber hydrofoils, cruising at up to 40 knots. Made by Enata, based in the UAE, Foiler claims to be the first production boat hydrofoil. The boat starts to foil at 12 knots and is totally out of the water at 17 knots.…

Lexus Will Launch Entirely New 65-Foot Cruiser in U.S. Next Year

By Peter Janssen on June 17, 2018 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

We don’t have many details yet, but the new Lexus yacht – the luxury car maker’s first foray into boating – will be a 65-foot “sport flybridge cruiser,” not the 42-foot sport boat it had announced last year. The company decided that the market was limited for the smaller boat, while the 65 “will definitely sell,” Shigeki Tomoyama, the head of Toyota Marine, said at a boat show in Yokohama. The new luxurious 65 will be built by the Marquis-Larson Boat Group in Wisconsin. The rendering above is a possible prototype. The first boat will be launched in the second…

Aspen Tests New 32-foot Outboard Prototype: Top Speed of 27.5 mph, Burning 21.1 gph

By Peter Janssen on June 12, 2018 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Here’s a first look at Aspen Power Catamaran’s prototype of their first outboard-powered cruising boat, a 32-footer with a 200-hp Yamaha on the starboard side and a 25-hp Yamaha on the port side. The outboard boat is built with the same asymmetrical proa hull as all other Aspens, where the port hull is significantly thinner and lighter than the starboard hull. In all of Aspen’s diesel-powered boats to date, all the machinery – the engine, gears, shaft and prop – is on the starboard side. In its first test, in calm conditions with two people on board and 85 gallons…

Zodiac Launches New 17’7″ RIB, the “SUV of the Sea”

By Peter Janssen on June 12, 2018 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Zodiac just launched its new Open 5.5 RIB, which it calls the SUV of the sea, at a big open house in Crouesty, France. The new Open is 17’ 7” long and can hold 12 passengers; it replaces Zodiac’s popular Pro Open 550 with a more modern design, a new V-shaped hull for cruising, and a T-top to provide protection from the weather. The new Open 5.5 has a high tow bar for watersports, a Fusion stereo, a rear platform for diving, a 14-gallon cooler, a swim ladder, and stern seats with removable back rests for easy access to the…

Argos Nautic Launches New 10-foot, Semi-Custom RIB with Lots of Flair

By Peter Janssen on June 11, 2018 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Here’s a new 10-foot RIB from Argos Nautic that will make you think you’re behind the wheel of an Alfa or a Ferrari on the water. The new semi-custom Argos Nautic 305 Yachting is indeed a combination of luxury (see the Isottta steering wheel, above) and all-out-fun performance, all in a center console RIB that seats four. On the new Argos Nautic, the console is offset to starboard, with a full-beam plush seat aft and another on the bow. The RIB was drawn by Facheris Design in Bradenton, Florida, and comes with premium upholstery, a Fusion sound system, teak deck…

MJM Provides More Details, Renderings, Diagrams and Specs for New Flagship 53z with Four Outboards

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

MJM Yachts has just released more details, with renderings, interior diagrams, layouts and specs for its new flagship, the 53z, which it plans to launch in July, 2019, powered by four 350-hp Mercury Verado outboards. It will be the third outboard cruiser launched by MJM recently (after the MJM 35z, with twins, and the MJM 43z, with triples), and the company says it will be the largest outboard express cruiser ever. The new 53z (the “z” stands for Doug Zurn, the Marblehead, Massachusetts, designer who’s drawn all the MJMs) is an outgrowth of the MJM 50z, which is powered by…

Fountaine Pajot Building New 40 Power Cat, Based on Success and Awards of Its 44

By Peter Janssen on June 4, 2018 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Fountaine Pajot, the prestigious French builder, has just released details about its new MY 40 power catamaran, with three cabins, two heads, Volvo IPS performance and simply space and more space everywhere. The 40 is built on the success of the MY 44, which has won three awards, including “European Powerboat of the Year 2018,” at the Düsseldorf show in January. The hull is designed by naval architect Daniel Andreu, who specializes in motor yachts and who designed the 44, and it’s made for performance and seakeeping. Standard power is twin 260-hp Volvos, with IPS350 pod drives; optional power is…

Greenline Launches Eco-Friendly NEO Line with Twin Gas or Electric Outboards: 42 Knots or 16 Knots

By Peter Janssen on June 4, 2018 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Greenline Yachts is celebrating its tenth anniversary by creating a new NEO line, which consists of three deck plans for a 36’ 5” eco-friendly boat that can be powered either by twin 300-hp gas outboards or twin Torqueedo electric outboards and Lithium-ion batteries. With the big gas outboards, the NEO cruises at 36 knots and tops out at 42 knots. With twin 80-hp Torqueedo Deep Blue electric outboards, the NEO tops out at 16 knots with a range of 20 nm; at 6 knots, it has a range of 40 nm. Made in Slovenia, the NEO line comes in Open,…

New Customer Wants “Fastest Zeelander Ever.” Zeelander Builds New 42-Knot Z55

By Peter Janssen on June 2, 2018 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Zeelander, the upscale Dutch builder, just completed a Z55 for a new customer who said he wanted “the fastest Zeelander ever built.” With twin Volvo IPS1350s delivering 2,000 hp, the new Zeelander 55 tops out at 42 knots; the traditional Z55, with twin IPS950s and 1,450 hp, tops out at 33 knots. To fit the larger engines, Zeelander had to customize the hull, adding more strength to the engine room and more lamination from bow to midship. It also upgraded the engine room insulation and installed double-flex mounts on all pumps and motors. As a result, the boat is quiet,…

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