There’s a lot of talk these days about adventure boats but what, exactly, are they?
Ben Knowles, president of East Coast Yacht Sales in Yarmouth, Maine, says these craft—pilothouse designs with upright styling and seaworthy hulls—are for those who want to play hard on the water after keeping a shoulder to the wheel in the office all week. They are the kind of people who want to cast off whenever their tight schedule permits, regardless of the weather.
“They’re a lot of fun to work with,” says Knowles. “These boaters have limited time, so they make the most of every minute aboard and try to get a taste of adventure in the process.”
Boat dealers like Knowles say the growing demand for adventure boats is driven by a few things. For starters, more people want to extend their cruising season, and because conditions are typically rougher in the off-peak weeks, a pilothouse makes sense. And then there’s the contribution that social media has made to the trend. “YouTube and Instagram make us more aware of the really cool places that aren’t too far from our backyard,” says Knowles. “People are more excited than ever to see places like Cuttyhunk by boat.”
Knowles is no stranger to adventure boating. Last March, he cast off from an icy dock in Harpswell, Maine, and ran 100 nautical miles to Northeast Harbor to ski the carriage trails at Acadia National Park. “March is a magical time in Maine, and we wanted to experience it by boat,” he says. “We” included Knowles, his wife and colleague, Caroline, and their two girls—ages 2 years and 4 months. Their vessel was a 37-foot Axopar, a brand sold by ECYS that boasts a proven hull and a pilothouse warmed by a diesel heater. A YouTube video of their journey highlights the incredible views they had on the run up. They passed quiet coastal villages still deep in a winter’s sleep and saw the snow-capped mountains of Acadia as they approached their destination, where they spent the night.
The next morning, the family donned ski attire and traversed freshly groomed trails. Hours later, they were back aboard the boat, cozied up inside and speeding home, all smiles and contentment. Many of us know that cruising anywhere with young children can feel like scaling Everest, but Ben and Caroline made the ambitious cruise aboard the adventure boat look laid-back. “The trip was epic,” says Knowles. “Highly recommended.”
Because adventure boats are becoming big business, ECYS— which has eight offices in the Northeast—just took on another new line: the Targa brand. It’s based in Finland and almost 40 years old, yet Targa’s pilothouse boats are relatively new to the U.S. The line ranges from 23 to 46 feet, and Knowles thinks the Targa 37 will draw a lot of interest. “In terms of size, it’s in the sweet spot,” he says.
Targa boats, says Knowles, have more volume than many other pilothouse designs in the adventure category. In addition, some of the models, including the 37, are offered with diesel sterndrives and IPS, which could appeal to people who’d prefer to run with that type of propulsion over gas engines. Range is a big deal for these active boaters. They can go fast and farther on a tank of diesel, and that impacts how far off the grid they can travel.
It’s a new boat for the Northeastern U.S., but the 37 has been in Europe for a long time. It debuted in 1997 and since then about 250 have been built. Over the years, the 37 has been updated and modified, but it rides on the same proven hull design. “It’s kind of like what Hunt has done,” says Knowles. “Molds for some of the Hunt designs have been around since the 1980s, because they still work.”
The Targa 37 has key characteristics of an adventure boat, including full walkaround side decks. “It’s a safety feature that’s important to these owners because they don’t typically run with many people on board,” says Knowles. “They need to be able to get out on deck to handle lines or pick up a mooring ball, and they’re willing to sacrifice volume inside the cabin for that safety and convenience.” The 37 also comes with pilothouse doors and a reverse windshield to reduce glare.
Performance is another important feature of an adventure boat, mostly because the typical owner is a full-time professional who wants to go balls to the wall all weekend. Speed and the ability to run in rough weather are prized, because owners have a tight window for go time. When powered by twin diesel 440-hp Volvo Penta D6 DPI sterndrives, the 37 will cruise near 31 knots and top out at 43 knots. The most efficient cruising speed is 23.5 knots, where range is 406 nautical miles.
The semi-custom boat can be set up with a second helm station on the flybridge. And in the cabin, the boat can be ordered with two staterooms and two heads to accommodate up to five passengers. That makes this a serious cruising platform, and that’s reflected in the price—about $900,000 for a boat that’s nicely done up with options like teak interiors. “It’s a striking thing,” says Knowles. “I think it says the company is building an interior for the person who is into boating for the long term.” —Jeanne Craig
This article was originally published in the July 2023 issue.
