Winter doesn’t skip Florida entirely—it just shows up with less conviction. On a January day in St. Petersburg, Florida, the temperature was just climbing into the mid-50s as we prepared to leave the dock. The crew was bundled in thick sweatshirts and caps, going through the quiet rituals of departure. For a boat designed to extend the cruising season into cooler, less predictable weather, it was a good day for an audition.
This 39 is the smallest model in Tiara’s LE series, a line of outboard-powered family cruisers that balances the protection of an enclosed helm deck with a social, sun-soaked cockpit. The inspiration for the boat came from the company’s own history book—specifically its Open series of inboard-powered express models that was phased out as consumer demand shifted toward outboard power. Still, that series had a loyal following.
“People were really fond of it, and some were sad when we stopped production. But the market was going somewhere else,” said Gabe Rose, design manager for Tiara, who was at the helm of the 39 LE as we made our way into Tampa Bay. “This boat is Tiara offering something familiar, only with the new technology, layouts and power we’ve been working with over the last decade. It’s a nice blend of heritage and where we’re going next.”
A key feature of the 39 LE is its enclosed upper cockpit—a protected space that can keep everyone comfortable when the weather doesn’t cooperate. A soft enclosure aft lets you button things up if conditions really turn for the worse. But, if the sun climbs and the temperature softens, that enclosure can be stowed and the Webasto sunroof and side windows thrown open.
The upper cockpit doubles as a salon, with an L-shaped lounge to port and Stidd captain’s chair that swings to face it; a well-crafted teak table between the two is great for cocktails or a game of cards. A nice touch here: A section of the lounge converts to a forward-facing seat for the co-pilot, and it’s elevated so they have the same excellent sightlines as the skipper.
“This comes down from the larger boats in the line,” said Alex Slikkers, product manager and sales specialist for Tiara, who was aboard for our sea trial. He’s also the son of CEO Tom Slikkers and grandson of company founder Leon Slikkers. “It’s designed to address the fact that many people don’t want to sit sideways when the boat is underway. This is a proper seat with a good view of the horizon. With it, the crew has four eyes forward.”
The helm to starboard is clean, deliberate and capable. The engine control and the joystick flank a varnished teak wheel with spoke positions for grip; twin 17-inch Garmin screens are integrated with a custom EmpirBus digital-switching system, and the VHF mic is within reach of the helmsman but tucked out of the way. This helm means business, and that’s important because the 39 is seriously fun to drive.
Twin 600-hp Mercury V-12 outboards offer a cruising speed near 34 knots at 5000 rpm, and a range of about 271 nautical miles burning 51 gph, according to the builder’s performance report. Top-end speed is 46.7 knots. During our sea trial, Rose ran the boat at full throttle on the bay. The 39 was on plane before the water even knew what hit it, exhibiting little bow rise. The standard Zipwake Dynamic Trim Control system kept the running attitude level, although conditions made for easy work, as seas were less than a foot with a slight wind chop.
The 39 LE was built for this power. And that’s a good thing because when a boat is designed around a specific engine package, naval architects can optimize the hull form, weight distribution, center of gravity and running angles for that propulsion. The result is a vessel that behaves predictably across a range of speeds and conditions, rather than one that’s engineered as a compromise to accommodate multiple engine options.
co-pilot seat.
When you step away from the driving station on the 39 LE and aft to the cockpit proper, the mood shifts. Where the helm means business, the cockpit is decidedly off the clock — it’s open, social and built for crew to enjoy the hours after the anchor goes down. The area is dominated by the Tiara’s signature rotating buffet lounge that features a bench seat on one side and on the other, an electric grill, cooler and storage. You can rotate the lounge to create different configurations in the cockpit. Spin it 45 degrees and drop the portside terrace for a great water view. Turn it 180 degrees, and the person manning the grill can keep an eye on the burgers and the kids swimming off the transom.
The cockpit also has a fridge to starboard and a mezzanine-style lounge to port with lots of drawer storage behind its back cushion. Like all the seating on this boat, it’s made with multiple densities of foam, or a foam stack, as Rose calls it, with the softest layer on top and the densest at bottom. “That’s something we’re always perfecting,” said Rose. “It’s one thing to have a comfortable seat while you’re sitting at the dock, but it’s another thing entirely when you’re underway for an extended run. When you sink into this seat, it feels good, for long periods of time.”
Another thoughtful feature is the relatively roomy swim platform. “Here, you really enjoy the fact that we have one engine package,” said Slikkers. “We were able to snug up the Mercury outboards.There’s a lot of real estate here.” Tiara also places the swim ladder off to the side of the platform, so swimmers don’t have to navigate around the outboards when reboarding.
In the cockpit sole, a hatch opens to a mechanical space with access to the generator, filters, seacocks, Seakeeper and more. The gelcoated area is ultra tidy, with everything labeled for efficiency. It’s the kind of space not every guest will ever see. which is precisely why it says so much about how this boat is built.
For all its cockpit versatility, the 39 LE saves one of its best moves for below. In the cabin is a fully equipped galley, a feature that’s become something of a rarity on boats this size, as demand in recent years has tilted heavily toward galley-up configurations. Tiara swam against that current, and deliberately so.
“It’s nostalgic to a degree, but at the same time it’s new for us when it comes to outboard boats. We haven’t done a galley down in forever,” said Rose. “But many people like this arrangement. And on a boat this size, when you’re trying to maximize entertainment space outside, you run out of room for a full galley near the cockpit.”
If anything, the galley down defines the 39 LE as a true cruiser, something that a family of four can spend a long weekend aboard. Other features support that mission, including the dry head with separate shower stall, the master stateroom forward with privacy door, and the aft cabin that is a legitimate sleeping space with full berth, recessed lighting, window, great stowage compartments and a nifty privacy curtain that gets tucked away in its own hanging locker so you’ll never misplace it.
By the time we returned to the dock in St. Petersburg, the temperature had climbed into the 60s, the sweatshirts were off, the windows were open and the cockpit was bright in the afternoon light. The audition, it’s fair to say, went well. The 39 may be the smallest member of the LE series, but in the way it balances performance, protection and livability, it’s quite complete.
LOA: 39’6”
Beam: 12’6”
Draft (down): 3’8”
Weight: 22,850 lbs.
Fuel: 500 gals.
Water: 50 gals.
Power: (2) 600-hp Mercury V12s
