Boat Reviews

New Legacy 42 IPS: A Classic Mark Ellis Design with State-of-the-Art Performance

By Peter Janssen on December 5, 2017 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

The Legacy 42 IPS is a classic Down East cruiser with two cabins and one head and a traditional look that will never go out of style. Legacy originally introduced the 42, designed by Mark Ellis, about ten years ago; now, under new ownership by Tartan Yachts in Ohio, Legacy is reintroducing it with Volvo’s pod drives, a proven hull shape, advanced composites and a luxurious interior. The modified-V hull carries an 18-degree deadrise at the transom and has wide chines for stability. Driven by twin Volvo 400 IPS engines (310-hp), the 42 cruises at 28 knots, burning about 19…

Doug Zurn’s Fast, Very Fast, NEB 50, a Marriage of Good Looks and High Performance

By Peter Janssen on November 28, 2017 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

With Doug Zurn’s iconic low profile, long sheerline and slender, water-shedding hull, the NEB/Zurn 50 is a standout because of its looks and its performance. The looks speak for themselves, while the performance – a top speed of 56 knots – is due to the boat’s light weight, composite construction and two 1,200-hp MAN diesel power plants and Rolls Royce jet drives. A high-end, custom commuter boat or fast coastal cruiser built at New England Boatworks in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, the NEB/Zurn 50 combines the best of modern Down East design and cutting-edge engineering and construction. The hull and deck…

New San Juan 40: Down East Looks and a High-End Northwest Pedigree

By Peter Janssen on November 20, 2017 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

With its clean, sleek, Down East lines, the elegant San Juan 40 is the new iteration of the original San Juan 38, produced by new ownership of the Anacortes, Washington, high-end builder. Last May, San Juan Yachts was bought by Concorde Marine, also in Anacortes; Concorde also makes larger expedition yachts under the Northern Marine brand. The new San Juan 40, to be followed by a 50, keeps all the head-turning looks and solid performance of the popular 38. Powered by two 370-hp Volvo diesels with IPS 500 pod drives (and joystick control), the new 40 cruises in the 30-knot…

New Azimut 55 Fly, with Italian Style, Soft Curves and Sophisticated Design, To Debut in Dusseldorf

By Peter Janssen on November 15, 2017 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

The all-new Azimut 55 Fly, with nary a sharp edge or straight line anywhere, will debut at the Boot Düsseldorf show in Germany from Jan. 20-28. The contemporary Italian-designed yacht, filled with light and luxury home-style interiors, has three cabins and two heads (plus a crew cabin and head), and will top out at about 31 knots. The Azimut’s sophisticated lines, inside and out, are soft and smooth; there are no sharp edges on this cruiser. The exterior is designed by Stefano Righini, for Azimut, and the interior by Achille Salvagni, an architect who’s on the A list from Elle…

New Riva 76 Bahamas: High-Tech, High-Style and a Very Cool Convertible Top

By Peter Janssen on November 9, 2017 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

If you want to go cruising in style, iconic Italian style, take a look at the new Riva 76 Bahamas, which just made its U.S. debut at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show. It’s a combination of high-tech, legendary Riva styling and massive power – plus what the company calls “shark grey” paint with “bright black” detailing – that will turn heads in harbors from the Med to Miami. The new Riva also has a very cool carbon-fiber convertible top that transforms the three-cabin (plus crew), four-head beauty from an open boat to a coupe, all in 90 seconds. “The…

Burger To Build New 48-foot Aluminum Cruiser

By Peter Janssen on November 6, 2017 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Here’s something new, from one of the oldest boat companies in the U.S. The Burger Boat Company just announced that they’re going to build a 48-foot aluminum cruiser, developed with Vripack Naval Architects in the Netherlands. Burger, started in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, during the Civil War, traditionally builds larger yachts, but Jim Ruffolo, the company president, says that the Burger 48 Cruiser “makes owning a Burger available to many who have always aspired to take the helm of their own custom yacht.” The new 48 is basically a sedan cruiser with a low profile, clean lines and large windows and glass…

New Austin Parker 44 Sedan: Hints of a Luxurious Lobster Boat in a Contemporary Continental Package

By Peter Janssen on October 31, 2017 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

The new Austin Parker 44, making its U.S. debut at the Lauderdale show, is an eye-catching combination of slightly retro design, with hints of a traditional Down East lobster boat, and an aggressive contemporary styling that says this boat can run with the best of them. The new 44 sedan is part of the revamped Austin Parker fleet that now runs from 37 to 72 feet. Designed by Fulvio De Simoni (who also drew Pershings), Austin Parkers are made in Italy and are meant to have a global appeal as luxurious, safe and comfortable blue-water cruising boats. They make extensive…

Hinckley’s New All-Electric Dasher Finds a Fan in Architectural Digest

By Peter Janssen on October 24, 2017 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Hinckley Yachts, with their classic lines and Down East heritage, have always appealed to the rich and famous. The Rockefellers have had Hinckley sail and power boats at their places in Blue Hill, Maine, for generations. Martha Stewart had an early Picnic Boat at her place in Maine. Bob Wright, the former president of NBC, has a Hinckley, appropriately named Peacock, at his place in Southport, Connecticut. So it’s probably no surprise that Architectural Digest, the magazine that appreciates iconic design and celebrates the homes and lifestyle of people who live well, just wrote a story about the newest Hinckley,…

New High-Tech Italian Evo 43: The Boat That Keeps on Giving

By Peter Janssen on October 24, 2017 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

If you can’t have fun with this boat, well, I don’t think there’s much to say. Yes, I know it’s not the traditional cruising boat we usually write about, but it seems just so outrageous, so out there, that I couldn’t resist. And this definitely is a case where a picture is worth anybody’s 1,000 words. For the record, this is the new Evo 43, with a full carbon T-top, that will be launched at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show starting Nov. 1. Totally aside from its uber-modern, plum bow, minimalist design, it’s the boat that just keeps giving.…

New Jeanneau NC 33 French-Styled, Twin Sterndrive Cruiser to Debut at Lauderdale Show

By Peter Janssen on October 24, 2017 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

The brand-new, French-styled Jeanneau NC 33 will make its North American debut at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, opening on Nov. 1. The two-cabin, one-head, light-filled cruiser is powered by twin 220-hp Volvo diesel sterndrives, which make it both nimble and quick. The NC 33 already has been nominated for the European Powerboat of the Year 2018 award. The boat is designed for easy and comfortable cruising. The interior is bright and open, with large side and front windows and a glass door that slides all the way open between the salon and cockpit. A large sunroof lets in…

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