With Lake Macatawa in our wake, we clear the channel and enter Lake Michigan, where a light breeze and easy seas make for a nice start to a summer day. The sand beaches and rolling dunes along the shore light up when the sun cleaves the low cloud cover, and the morning rays turn the landmark Holland Harbor Lighthouse into an even bolder shade of red. Because it’s one of the most photographed lighthouses in Michigan, most of our crew have pictures of “Big Red” in their camera rolls already, but that doesn’t stop anyone from pulling out their cell phone to capture a few more shots. It’s one of those days when we just can’t get enough of a good thing.
The same can be said of the boat. Our ride is the 48 LE from Tiara Yachts, a family-owned builder based here in Holland, Michigan. The LE stands for Luxury Express cruiser. On this boat, luxury seems to mean multiple social zones with sleek aesthetics, high-tech systems that make vessel operation easy and time aboard comfortable, plus rousing performance, courtesy of the 1,800 horses on the transom.
Our plan is to spend an hour or so aboard to explore the lake and get the feel for this new model, which makes its public debut this fall at the major boat shows. Personally, I wish we had more time on board to enjoy the 48 LE, which to my eye looks more like a yacht than a cruiser, but the boat and its crew are on a tight schedule today, so we’ll make do with a short run.
The concept of a packed schedule is what inspired Tiara two years ago to launch the sistership to this boat, the 48 LS (or Luxury Sport). That boat was designed as a dayboat for people with limited leisure time who’d prefer to go flat-out when the sun is shining. Since its debut, the 48 LS has found many fans. It’s now one of the most popular models in the builder’s lineup. Tiara staffers say its size is a big part of its appeal—48 feet, it seems, is a sweet spot in the company’s LOA range. The success of the 48 LS is one reason the builder developed this 48 LE, but they’re very different boats. The LE—with its roomy salon, galley, two private heads, two staterooms and sleeping accommodations for up to six passengers—is a serious cruiser for people who want to spend days and nights aboard.
Josh Emmick, Tiara’s business development manager, is at the helm as we leave Big Red behind us. A trio of 600-hp Mercury Verado outboards are gently rumbling behind the boat. The 48 LE was designed around this propulsion package; as a result, the motors should deliver good speed and range.
Emmick throttles up to a cruising speed near 5000 rpm, where the 48 LE runs at 36.7 knots and consumes 92.3 gallons of fuel per hour. At this lively pace, the boat gets .40 nautical miles to a gallon for a range of 236 nautical miles. We won’t travel that kind of distance today, but long passages should be delightful in this enclosed salon, with its teak sole, thickly upholstered settee, huge Webasto sunroof and glazing all around.
We begin our run with the power window on the aft bulkhead dropped down and the salon door open. The breeze feels great, and I think I want more of it, until Tiara’s Whitney Vishey pulls the door shut and presses a button to close the window. Suddenly, the sound of silence feels as good on the ears as the breeze felt at our backs; the quiet will most likely make extended runs easier on the crew. At this speed, the decibel level is close to 70, but if you throttle back to a slow cruise near 3500 rpm, decibels hit pleasant and unusually quiet notes in the low 60s.
There are features to make the captain’s work easier. The opening window next to the helm station, for instance, allows the skipper to talk with crew on deck when they’re setting the hook in an anchorage. Two platforms built into the helm console make it easier for the driver to find a comfortable place for his feet when underway, and there’s a platform to stand on when you need to get the line of sight just right.
The electric Stidd seat is roomy and adjustable. At the dash is a first for Tiara, the integration of the bowthruster with the Mercury Joystick Piloting System. It allows the captain to maneuver the boat faster and more accurately when docking. Tiara offers bowthrusters on all its boats with joystick piloting, because it can be good practice to turn the thruster on in tight quarters in case you need a little extra control. With this system, you don’t have to think about engaging the system. It happens automatically.
Navigation is provided by Tiara’s integrated electronics system and two Garmin 16-inch GPSMap displays at the helm. I like the fact that you can install another 16-inch Garmin display opposite the helm station, to port. There, a crew member can settle in on the two-person bench seat and help out with navigation by offering another set of eyes. This third screen is an option, but Emmick says it’s one of those things that most people order, along with equipment like the Seakeeper gyro and FLIR M232 camera.
Vishey, Tiara’s director of marketing, approaches the portside bench seat to demonstrate one of the multiple “transformational” features on the 48 LE. She presses a button under the seat to release a locking mechanism, then slides the bench forward to expand the four-person settee by at least a foot, maybe two. The process, which is low-effort, is the first step in converting the settee to a berth for an adult or two children.
Vishey takes me below to the accommodations level to check out another transformational feature in the guest stateroom. There, two single berths slide together with a gentle push to create one large berth for a couple. Headroom here is not standing, but the space is comfortable with a settee, windows, carpeting and easy access to the guest head. For the owners, there’s a master stateroom forward, with a queen-size berth that’s distinctive for the generous amount of space on either side of the base. You can walk around it without wondering if you’ll bang a toe with every step. Headroom here, and in the master stateroom’s en suite head with separate shower, is well over 6 feet.
We step out into the cockpit just as Tiara’s flagship, the EX 60, passes us to port. There are about six people aboard, all Tiara employees who are busy prepping the boat for delivery to its new owners. Emmick says the company sells about 220 boats a year. That’s a big number, “but it’s not in the thousands,” he says, and that allows the company to stay on top of things and provide every customer with thoughtful service.
The cockpit is a comfortable place for boat-watching and just taking in the scenery. The hardtop with an integrated Makefast Powered Sunshade protects everyone from the sun. That includes passengers in the aft-facing seats against the bulkhead and those in the power-rotating lounge, which is the wow factor on the 48 LE.
Press a button near the transom and the lounge turns to give passengers control of the view. If the kids are swimming behind the boat and you want to keep watch, spin the lounge 180 degrees until you’re facing aft. Or, if there are fireworks off to the port side, rotate the seat 90 degrees and enjoy the show without craning your neck. The rotating lounge has been a signature feature on Tiara cruisers for a couple of years, but this one takes the design to the next level. The back side has a sleek countertop (with concealed grill) that serves as a buffet space for entertaining.
A yachty feature in the cockpit is the “hullside terrace.” Press another button and the portside gunwale drops to expand the usable deck space and make it easy for guests to get in and out of the water (a four-rung swim ladder is included). For easy boarding from a dock, there’s a door in the starboard gunwale. The cockpit also has a lot of insulated stowage, synthetic teak decking that feels good on our feet and a drop-down TV. That’s an option, but also something most people order.
Less-sexy features on the 48 LE include well-placed handrails, inside and out. You can’t walk anywhere without having a robust piece of metal to hold onto if the ride gets lumpy or the wake of a passing boat rolls the 48 when it’s at anchor. Sidedecks are wide and the bowrail is tall so it’s easy to walk forward, which we all do to check out the huge sunlounge with adjustable headrests. And there’s plenty of stowage aboard, from insulated coolers in the cockpit to sliding drawers in the salon and tall hanging lockers in staterooms. These features may sound rudimentary, but Tiara does them all well, which says something about the company’s commitment to building seaworthy boats for experienced owners.
As we approach the dock, Emmick neatly tucks the boat into its slip with the aid of the joystick while the crew adjusts the lines. It was a short ride, but the dash out to Lake Michigan was worth every minute as I learned a few things about Tiara’s new launch.
As for the main takeaway, I’d say don’t rush your experience aboard the 48 LE. Give this new family cruiser all of the time it deserves.
Tiara 48 LE
LOA: 48’4”
Beam: 14’2”
Draft: 3’10”
Weight (dry): 32,500 lbs.
Fuel: 660 gals.
Water: 100 gals.
Power: (3) 600-hp Mercury Verados
Price (approx.) $1.8 million
This article was originally published in the October 2023 issue.
