A range of new models with new features is being rolled out at the fall and winter boat shows
The 15 powerboats in our annual boat show preview range from 23 to 66 feet and carry price tags that begin at $46,000 and top out at $3.16 million.
The fleet, from 13 builders, consists of three center consoles, four express cruising boats (including two New England-style sedans), one walkaround express fishboat, a high-end picnic-style boat, two displacement trawlers, two semidisplacement trawlers and a pair of convertible sportfishing yachts. Top speeds range from 9.5 knots (the Krogen 48 AE with a single 201-hp diesel) to 70-plus mph (the Yellowfin 39 with quad outboards totaling 1,200 hp).
Boatbuilders continue to pump out new models despite the uncertain economy. Viking is one of them. The New Jersey builder has four new 2012 models, including the 66 Convertible featured here. “We’re going in ready to show new boats,” director of communications Peter Frederiksen says. “We know this is a prime buying season. If the people show up, we are going to have the new boats for them.”
Although the Vikings are new from the keel up, some builders are repackaging or redesigning boats (above the waterline) for the new model year. Three of the vessels in our group ride the same hulls as previous models but feature interior improvements, redesigned helms or added on-deck components, such as the hardtop with auto-sliding sunroof on the Fairline Targa 38 GT and the Krogen 48’s redesigned pilothouse helm and larger staircases.
“The trawler market is baby boomers, and none of us are getting younger, so we’re doing anything we can to make it easier to move around the boat,” says Larry Polster, vice president of Kadey-Krogen Yachts.
Southport Boats, which was acquired by the Kenway Corp. (owner of Maritime Marine) earlier this year, has no new models, but its boats are now being built with resin infusion instead of hand layup, says Peter Galvin, the group’s vice president of sales and marketing. Southport’s 27- and 29-foot center console boats will be on display at the Newport (R.I.) International Boat Show.
Boat shows are a good way to get a look at today’s innovative propulsion systems, a bright spot in the marine industry during the last five years or so with the development of pod drives. ZF Marine and SeaVee Boats introduced a 34-foot center console with single-pod propulsion at last year’s Fort Lauderdale boat show — the first of its kind in the recreational marine market, according to the companies. In February, the newly formed Release Boatworks hopes to have the next single-pod boat — a 34-foot walkaround express fishing boat — at the Miami show.
The first Hunt 52 with Volvo Penta IPS propulsion will be shown at Newport, Annapolis, Md., and Fort Lauderdale, Fla. “We have run some extensive sea trials,” Hunt Yachts president Peter J. Van Lancker says. “It’s a phenomenal boat.”
Polster is upbeat about the show season. “I see the buying environment as a lot different than a year ago, especially on the brokerage side,” he says. “Our inventory is about half of what it was a year ago. We’re not talking $200,000 boats; we’re talking $800,000 to $900,000 boats. There’s a lot more activity. Is it like it was five years ago? Certainly not. But there has been a market turn. Right around the first of November last year we started noticing it.”
Here’s a sampling of the new boats you’ll see at the upcoming shows and where you’ll see them:
Carolina Skiff 23 Ultra Elite SS
(Miami and possibly others)
The Ultra Elite SS and Ultra Elite series from Carolina Skiff comprise four new center consoles from 19 to 25 feet, with nicely finished liners, more seating and amenities and better fit and finish. The two larger models — 23- and 25-footers — make up the Ultra Elite SS series. These boats are “family-oriented for day boating, and they’re also fishing boats,” advertising and marketing director Robert Sass says. “But under that fishing umbrella it can serve as both a shallow-water boat and can be taken offshore.”
U-shaped cushioned bow seating with a table can be removed to free space for fishing, Sass says. The standard equipment list is lengthy: fore and aft coaming pads, recessed stainless bow rails, rod holders, a walk-in console with a portable head, a cockpit bench seat and a transom sink with a hideaway faucet. The boat cruises at 28 mph and gets 3.7 mpg. The 23 can take up to a 250-hp outboard. Maximum horsepower for the 25 is 300 hp.
LOA: 22 feet, 11 inches BEAM: 8 feet, 4 inches DRAFT: 12 inches (engine up) DISPLACEMENT: 2,800 pounds HULL TYPE: modified-vee TRANSOM DEADRISE: 15 degrees SPEED: 48 mph top, 28 mph cruise TANKAGE: 85 gallons fuel, 9 gallons water, 9 gallons waste PRICE: $26,428.00 (without engine or trailer) CONTACT: Carolina Skiff, Waycross, Ga., (800) 422-7282. www.carolinaskiff.com
Cutwater 28
(Newport, Norwalk, Annapolis, Fort Lauderdale and Miami)
Cutwater hopes to have its two new pilothouse cruisers at several shows. Designed for cruising, fishing and overnighting, the Cutwater 26 and 28 are trailerable and powered with a single Yanmar diesel. The boats come from Fluid Motion, the designer and builder of Ranger Tugs. “The idea was to take one of the core strengths of Ranger Tugs, which is trailerability and the efficiency of one diesel engine, and add more speed,” says Mark Mansfield, national sales manager of the Cutwater Boats division.
Fluid Motion owners Dave and John Livingston designed these pocket cruisers, which combine a semidisplacement hull shape with reverse chines and a keel. The engine is mounted deep in the hull to keep the center of gravity low and the draft shallow, Mansfield says.
The boats feature such cruising amenities as a V-berth master stateroom, a galley and a head with stand-up shower. They come with a windlass, bow and stern thrusters, and a spotlight. The CW 28 has an aft steering option. The CW 28’s base price is $169,937 with the 260-hp 6-cylinder Yanmar. The CW 26 is $139,937 with a 180-hp 4-cylinder Yanmar.
LOA: 28 feet BEAM: 8 feet, 6 inches DRAFT: 2 feet, 4 inches DISPLACEMENT: 6,400 pounds HULL TYPE: stepped hull with keel SPEED: 32 mph top, 25 mph cruise TANKAGE: 100 gallons fuel, 40 gallons water, 30 gallons waste ENGINE: 260-hp Yanmar diesel PRICE: $169,937 CONTACT: Cutwater Boats, Monroe, Wash., (800) 349-7198. www.cutwaterboats.com
Pursuit ST 310
(Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Norwalk and Newport)
Pursuit has always built versatile boats, but the ST 310 really shines as a multitasker. “The boat is really well thought out from top to bottom,” Pursuit Boats marketing manager David Glenn says. “It’s a good crossover model between a true center console and more of a cruising vessel.”
Standard power is twin 250-hp Yamaha V-6 4-strokes, but most will go out the factory door with a pair of 300s, Glenn says. Cruising at 29.6 mph, the twin F300-powered Pursuit gets 1.7 mpg, not bad for a 31-footer with 600 ponies.
The boat comes with such standard equipment as a windlass, fiberglass hardtop, trim tabs with indicator, fresh- and saltwater systems, a slide-out refrigerator, a sink and a forward dinette that converts to a sun pad. There’s loads of cushioned seating from bow to stern, and the console extends to the starboard gunwale, freeing space for a two-person companion settee.
The builder hand-lays the solid fiberglass bottom and uses balsa as a core for the hull sides. The stringer system, transom, hardtop and various hatches and deck parts are resin-infused.
LOA: 31 feet, 2 inches BEAM: 9 feet, 6 inches DRAFT: 2 feet, 10 inches (engines down) DISPLACEMENT: 8,890 pounds HULL TYPE: deep-vee TRANSOM DEADRISE: 24 degrees TANKAGE: 260 gallons fuel, 20 gallons water, 20 gallons waste ENGINE: twin Yamaha F300s SPEED: 54.8 mph top, 29.6 mph cruise PRICE: $231,255 with F300s ($220,665 with F250s) CONTACT: Pursuit Boats, Fort Pierce, Fla., (772) 465-6006. www.pursuitboats.com
Tiara 3100 Coronet
(Annapolis and Fort Lauderdale)
Tiara has recaptured some of the characteristics of its earlier boats with the 3100’s low profile, diamond non-skid and wide deck walkways, CEO David Slikkers says. This open cockpit express is all about day boating, with ample cockpit seating and a standard starboard-side entertainment center that includes an electric grill, a sink and a drawer refrigerator. Port and starboard L-shaped stern seats face two aft-facing seats in the cockpit, an ideal arrangement for socializing. There’s a standard teak table for the companion lounge on the bridge deck, and an optional teak table is available for the cockpit.
The cabin includes a galley to starboard, a head and shower to port, a cedar-lined hanging locker and a forward berth. An ergonomically friendly helm design is a trademark for Tiara. Sightlines are excellent behind the overbuilt windshield, and the dark dash reduces glare. A windlass, bronze seacocks, a hot-and-cold cockpit shower and a windlass are all standard; AC, a genset, a galley refrigerator and a hardtop with sunroof are optional.
LOA: 33 feet, 1 inch BEAM: 12 feet, 6 inches DRAFT: 2 feet, 8 inches DISPLACEMENT: 13,550 pounds TRANSOM DEADRISE: 14 degrees SPEED: 40 mph top, 29 mph cruise TANKAGE: 210 gallons fuel, 33 gallons water, 20 gallons waste POWER: twin 375-hp Crusader gas inboards CONTACT: Tiara Yachts, Holland, Mich., (616) 392-7163. www.tiarayachts.com
Nordic Tug 34
(Newport and Norwalk)
This will be the 34’s first appearance on the boat show circuit, says Ben Wilde, owner of Nordic Tugs dealership Wilde Yacht Sales in Essex, Conn. “It is not a new hull,” Wilde says. “They took the 32 and executed a lot of new changes to the exterior. All of the pilothouse windows have been redesigned with narrower mullions for increased visibility.” And it now has a standard simulated teak-and-holly sole on the interior areas, he says.
The hard-chine, full-keel boat cruises at 8 to 12 knots. At 10 knots, the 270-hp Cummins diesel burns 3 gph for 3.3 nmpg. “The key is the long waterline and full keel. It is a very efficient hull,” Wilde says.
Standard equipment includes a bow thruster, and options include air conditioning and a generator.
LOA: 34 feet, 10 inches BEAM: 11 feet, 1 inch DRAFT: 3 feet, 11 inches DISPLACEMENT: 16,500 pounds HULL TYPE: semidisplacement SPEED: 17 knots top, 8-12 knots cruise TANKAGE: 205 gallons fuel, 100 gallons water, 30 gallons waste ENGINE: single 270-hp Cummins diesel PRICE: $287,300 CONTACT: Nordic Tugs, Burlington, Wash., (800) 388-4517. www.nordictug.com
Release 34
(Miami)
Release Boatworks hopes to have a single- and a twin-pod Release 34 at the Miami show. These express walkaround fishing boats will utilize a Cummins 480-hp diesel linked to a ZF 2800 Series pod drive, a ZF bow thruster and the ZF Joystick Maneuvering System, according to Jim Turner, owner of Release Boatworks.
The layout includes a V-berth, head and galley. On deck, the skipper operates from a starboard-side helm. The bridge deck will have two long inboard-facing settees capable of seating eight crew. At 9 feet by 9 feet, the cockpit can hold a fighting chair, Turner says. Standard fishing equipment includes two fishboxes with macerator pumps, a 50-gallon live well, rod holders and tackle lockers. (See page 86 for more.)
LOA: 34 feet BEAM: 11 feet, 4 inches DRAFT: 2 feet, 10 inches DISPLACEMENT: 14,500 pounds HULL TYPE: modified-vee ENGINE: single or twin Cummins 480-hp diesel and ZF 2800 Series pod drive SPEED: 32.5 knots top, 28 knots cruise (with single pod) TANKAGE: 315 gallons fuel, 50 gallons water, 12 gallons waste PRICE: $399,000 with a single pod, $450,000 with twin pods CONTACT: Release Boatworks, Stuart, Fla., (772) 633-0607. www.releaseboatworks.com
Fairline Targa 38 GT
(Fort Lauderdale, Yacht and Brokerage Show in Miami Beach)
Fairline Boats will debut an updated version of the Targa 38 GT, which incorporates a hardtop with a powered sliding canvas roof. Accommodations below have been increased with the option of a sofa that converts to a third berth in the aft guest cabin. There are two other berths in this cabin, as well as a V-berth in the forward stateroom. New windows allow more natural light into the boat.
The builder also upgraded the overhead lockers in the saloon and stateroom. The galley and head are on the port side, with a wraparound dinette on the starboard side. Twin Volvo Penta 400-hp diesel sterndrives will power the vessel to a top speed of about 45 knots, making it the fastest Fairline yet, according to the company.
LOA: 39 feet, 10 inches BEAM: 11 feet, 11 inches DRAFT: 3 feet, 4 inches DISPLACEMENT: 15,200 pounds HULL TYPE: modified-vee TANKAGE: 168 gallons fuel, 75 gallons water, 58 gallons waste ENGINE: twin 400-hp Volvo Penta sterndrives SPEED: up to 45 knots PRICE: $499,400 with twin 260-hp Volvo Penta D4 EVC CONTACT: See www.fairline.com for U.S. dealers
North Pacific 39
(Newport and Annapolis)
The North Pacific 39 trawler will be shown on the East Coast for the first time. A coastal trawler for a couple with occasional guests, the North Pacific has a full-beam saloon with plenty of seating and a galley that rivals much larger yachts, says Trevor Brice, president of North Pacific Yachts. The pilothouse offers excellent visibility from the helm seat and large bench seat, he says.
Below is a head with a separate shower stall. The master stateroom has an island semiqueen berth. The hull is solid glass with a low-maintenance superstructure (no teak). With a single 230-hp diesel, the North Pacific at 7 knots gets 3.6 nmpg. It has a range of nearly 1,000 nautical miles using 90 percent of its fuel capacity. The factory-direct builder offers the yacht for $360,000, well-equipped and delivered to the East Coast.
LOA: 39 feet BEAM: 12 feet, 7 inches DRAFT: 4 feet DISPLACEMENT: 25,000 pounds HULL TYPE: semidisplacement SPEED: 10.5 knots top, 7 knots cruise TANKAGE: 300 gallons fuel, 200 gallons water, 40 gallons waste ENGINE: single 230-hp Cummins diesel PRICE: $360,000 CONTACT: North Pacific Yachts, Vancouver, British Columbia, (604) 377-6650. www.northpacificyachts.com
Yellowfin 39
(Fort Lauderdale and Miami)
The 39 possesses all of the characteristics of the 36-footer — a smooth ride in rough water, a stable fishing platform and a signature sheer line — but is bigger and faster, company owner Wylie Nagler says. “The fuel economy is not going to be the same as the 36, but the ability to run in big seas fast is incredible,” Nagler says. “We built it off our 42 platform, but designed its layout and fishability like the 36. It’s an 11-1/2 foot beam, 70-plus-mph boat. It’s a big boat and it hauls butt. It’s a lot of fun and it just eats the ocean.”
The 39 rides a stepped hull, which decreases drag for better speed. Composite coring is used throughout the hull and deck. Yellowfin, a factory-direct builder, designs and constructs all hull and deck parts at its Sarasota, Fla., headquarters. The company also builds three smaller boats — a 17-foot skiff, 24-foot bay boat and a 21-foot hybrid.
On deck, there’s toekick space along the gunwales and around the console and helm seat. The boat comes with a full standup head. Other standard equipment includes hydraulic power steering, high-performance trim tabs and a T-top with seven rod holders. The 39 with quad 300-hp Verados set at 4,000 rpm will cruise at 40 mph with a mileage rating of 1.2 mpg.
LOA: 39 feet, 8 inches BEAM: 11 feet, 6 inches TANKAGE: 550 gallons fuel, 40 gallons water, 50 gallons waste DRAFT: 1 foot, 10 inches HULL TYPE: stepped deep-vee ENGINE: four 300-hp Mercury Verado 4-strokes SPEED: 70-plus mph top; 40 mph cruise PRICE: $318,960, $298,160 with triple 300 Verados CONTACT: Yellowfin Yachts, Sarasota, Fla., (941) 753-7828. www.yellowfinyachts.com
Hunt 44 Express
Cruiser (Miami)
The 44 was derived from the Hunt 52, says Peter Boyce, chief designer for C. Raymond Hunt Associates, the firm behind the entire Hunt fleet. “It’s a smaller version of the 52,” he says. “They are sisters — a big one and a smaller one — and they’re meant to look like each other and perform similarly.”
Both can be powered with pod or conventional propulsion, and both ride a deep-vee hull. “Nobody comes to us for a low-speed displacement boat,” Boyce says. “We design planing boats and they’re all deep-vee hulls. Owners of this type and style of boat are looking for a top speed of about 30 knots and a cruise of about 25 knots. So [the deep-vee] is really the only suitable hull form for a boat of that level of performance.”
Boyce anticipates a top speed of 29 knots and a cruise speed of 24 or 25 knots, with a full-load displacement of 40,000 pounds. “It’s not quite the magic 30-knot figure, but I suspect we shall have more power available from Volvo Penta in the future,” he says.
As for accommodations, the 44’s cabin includes two staterooms and two heads and a galley. The saloon has an inboard-facing couch on the port side and two single seats on the starboard side. The captain drives from a starboard helm. On the aft deck, two boarding doors sandwich a transom settee.
LOA: 45 feet, 10 inches BEAM: 14 feet, 6 inches DRAFT: 4 feet DISPLACEMENT: 35,000 pounds (light) HULL TYPE: deep-vee TRANSOM DEADRISE: 20 degrees SPEED: 29 knots top, 24.5 knots cruise (estimated) TANKAGE: 450 gallons fuel, 120 gallons water, 40 gallons waste ENGINE: Volvo Penta IPS600s (435 hp) PRICE: $1.25 million base (additional $44,000 for IPS) CONTACT: Hunt Yachts, Portsmouth, R.I., (401) 324-4201. www.huntyachts.com
Zeelander 44
(Newport, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Palm Beach)
The Zeelander 44 marries European styling and picnic-boat features to achieve an eye-catching profile. Twin 435-hp Volvo Penta IPS 600 diesels push the boat to a top end of 38 knots, says Chris Holtzheuser, president of Zeelander Yachts USA in Fort Lauderdale. Cruising at 28 knots, the boat gets 1 nmpg, Holtzheuser says. Fuel capacity is 500 gallons in an integrated fiberglass tank.
Frank Mulder, who is based in the Netherlands, was the naval architect on the Zeelander 44. The Dutch studio Cor D. Rover designed the yacht’s superstructure, styling and ergonomics. The 44 is being built in Holland, Mich., by S2 Yachts. Special engine mounts and hull-side insulation reduce engine and wave noise levels, Holtzheuser says. Noise levels measure an impressive 64 decibels at the helm at 28 knots, and that’s with an open bridge deck, he adds.
LOA: 44 feet BEAM: 13 feet, 1 inch DRAFT: 3 feet DISPLACEMENT: 28,000 pounds SPEED: 38 knots top, 28 knots cruise TANKAGE: 500 gallons fuel, 264 gallons water, 48 gallons waste ENGINE: twin Volvo Penta IPS600s PRICE: $1.2 million. CONTACT: Zeelander Yachts USA, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., (954) 522-9332. www.zeelanderyachts.com
Krogen 48 AE
(Newport, Miami and Trawler Fest Fort Lauderdale 2012)
The Krogen 48 AE is an updated version of the 48 North Sea. The AE stands for Advanced Ergonomics, which describes the trawler’s convenient, comfortable and oversized living amenities, says Polster, the company vice president.
The improvements include a redesigned pilothouse to accommodate side-by-side helm chairs and a larger electronics console. The two seats rotate to face the settee area abaft the helm, setting up a social setting, says Polster. The console can hold three 17-inch displays. The steps from the saloon to the staterooms, as well as to the pilothouse, are now “house-size” stairs, says Polster.
The expanded galley comes with a standard four-burner Viking range, household-size refrigerator/freezer, convection/microwave oven, and room for a trash compactor and dishwasher. Buyers can choose either a two- or three-cabin arrangement. The boat houses two heads, each with a separate shower.
The yacht now has LED lighting inside and out, and the nav lights are also LEDs. Two axial fans with moisture eliminators have been added to the engine room to supply dehumidified air to the 201-hp John Deere. The passagemaker has a range of more than 3,000 miles at 7 knots.
LOA: 53 feet BEAM: 16 feet, 8 inches DRAFT: 5 feet DISPLACEMENT: 56,450 pounds HULL TYPE: displacement SPEED: 9.5 knots top, 7-8 knots cruise TANKAGE: 1,000 gallons fuel, 400 gallons water, 100 gallons waste ENGINE: 201-hp John Deere diesel PRICE: $949,000 CONTACT: Kadey-Krogen Yachts, Stuart, Fla., (772) 286-0171. www.kadeykrogen.com
Hunt 52 IPS
(Newport, Annapolis and Fort Lauderdale)
This is the first Hunt model available with pod drives and joystick technology. The 52 gets an impressive 2 nmpg with a full load, for a range of 280 nautical miles. The use of pods has freed up space for a third stateroom, under the forward portion of the saloon sole. “We couldn’t have done that with a conventional drive-line because that’s where the engines would be,” says Boyce.
The boat has two heads with separate showers and a port-side galley with a starboard-side seating area. An L-shaped settee to port in the saloon faces inboard, with a dinette table. A seat stretches across the transom and is flanked by two boarding doors.
LOA: 57 feet, 4 inches BEAM: 15 feet, 8 inches DRAFT: 4 feet, 8 inches DISPLACEMENT: 54,500 pounds HULL TYPE: deep-vee TRANSOM DEADRISE: 20 degrees SPEED: 30 knots top, 25 knots cruise TANKAGE: 600 gallons fuel, 165 gallons water, 220 gallons waste (100 gray, 120 black) ENGINE: Volvo Penta IPS900 (600 hp) PRICE: $1.95 million base (additional $63,000 for IPS and third stateroom) CONTACT: Hunt Yachts, Portsmouth, R.I., (401) 324-4201. www.huntyachts.com
Bertram 64
(Fort Lauderdale debut)
The Bertram 64 replaces the 63, which was introduced in 2003, in the Florida builder’s lineup. The new boat retains the hull, but its sheer line has a new look and larger windows have been incorporated.
Fishing is done in the 194-square-foot cockpit, and the large mezzanine deck is packed with storage and fishing features. The area includes in-deck cockpit fishboxes, a built-in bait well, a refrigerator/freezer and ample rod storage. Also available is an optional pressurized fishbox with see-through window and lights.
The 64 comes with a Moritz OctoPlex system that remotely controls and monitors all AC and DC power distribution. Using a standard NMEA 2000 network, it provides complete vessel status information and regulates the bilge areas, tank levels, battery, and engine and generator.
LOA: 67 feet, 6 inches BEAM: 18 feet, 5 inches DRAFT: 5 feet, 3 inches DISPLACEMENT: 91,600 pounds TANKAGE: 1,850 gallons fuel, 360 gallons water ENGINE: 1,676-hp Caterpillar C32 standard, 1,925-hp Caterpillar C32 (Acert), 2,001-hp MTU 16v 2000 CR M-91 SPEED: 40 knots top (with 1,925-hp engine) PRICE: unavailable CONTACT: Bertram Yacht, Miami (305) 633-8011. www.bertram.com
Viking 66 Convertible
(Fort Lauderdale and Miami)
The 66 Convertible carries the profile and sheer of the new generation of Vikings. “It doesn’t replace the 64 C, per se, but is a totally different hull and running surface like all new Vikings,” director of communications Peter Frederiksen says. “It includes features found aboard the larger Vikings, including a day head in the saloon, private access for the crew through the engine room and a granite galley island with dual egress.”
The hull bottom is vacuum-bagged end-grain balsa skinned with knitted fiberglass laminates. Viking’s Viper power-assisted hydraulic steering uses programmable independent rudders, and there are manually operated backup systems throughout the yacht.
The flybridge overhang protects the observation mezzanine from the elements. Refrigeration and freezer space, tackle and gear stowage, insulated wells for fish and bait and a transom door with lift gate round out the highlights in the cockpit area. The yacht’s four staterooms each have a head and a fiberglass shower stall. The Viking 66 C will premiere at the Fort Lauderdale show.
LOA: 70 feet, 11 inches BEAM: 19 feet, 1 inch DRAFT: 5 feet, 5 inches DISPLACEMENT: 102,875 pounds HULL TYPE: modified-vee TANKAGE: 2,015 gallons fuel, 340 gallons water, 211 gallons waste ENGINE: 1,550-hp Man V12 1550 CRM diesels, 2,030-hp MTU V16 Series 2000 M91 diesels (optional) SPEED: 41 knots top, 32.5 knots cruise (with MTUs) PRICE: $3.16 million with Man diesels CONTACT: Viking Yachts, New Gretna, N.J., (609) 296-6000. www.vikingyachts.com
See related articels:
– $5 Lauderdale discounts for Soundings readers
This article originally appeared in the October 2011 issue.
