Introducing MJM

INTRODUCING

53z

By Chris Hughes, MJM Yachts

MJM Yachts has become a prestigious icon of premium, high-tech performance yachts. Family owned and operated, MJM designs and builds inboard and outboard models in the Carolina Downeast style. They are known for their high-tech construction, a blend of superior epoxy composite materials and advanced engineering. By combining state-of-the-art processes and ultra-stable and efficient hull geometry, MJMs have become world famous for their smoothness of ride, exceptional handling, and high-speed cruising comfort.

When Founder Bob Johnstone, also the co-founder of J-Boats, was looking for a powerboat after his long career in sailing, he applied what he had learned when it came to lightweight, strong, and efficient boat design. Equally important were the looks and lines of his new idea. These boats needed to be beautiful. Taking inspiration from the capable Downeast flat deck boats of the northeast, the classic and impressive PT (patrol torpedo) boats of WWII, and various other performance style boats – the core of the MJM design was imagined. To turn this idea into an actual boat required the help of a naval architect, and with the advice of son, Peter Johnstone, Bob partnered with Doug Zurn, utilizing his eye for sleek-looking designs with efficient hulls. And so, the MJM became a reality with the first model, built the 34z in 2002.

Since then, the brand has evolved through various models to include the 29z, the 36z, and then, the first ISO Cat “A” Ocean rated 40-foot model, the 40z. For many in the yachting community, the 40z is considered the world’s best couples cruising yacht. Her speed, efficiency, ease of handling and innovative layout solved many of the problems that had existed in cruising boats up until that time.

There were several key elements that made the MJM popular. First was their epic handling and sea-kindly stability. Another was the safe and confident feeling an MJM provided to its owners when boating in less-than-ideal conditions. Many owners have told a tale of being thankful they were in an MJM when the weather turned on them, voicing the confidence and knowledge that they would make it to their destination in comfort and without worry.

Each new model incorporates several core features that have made MJM so popular, such as side boarding doors at floating dock level, excellent visibility from the helm, a flush deck layout, and superb stability. One of the most enjoyed features is the MJM indoor/outdoor pilot house. Having the ability to open the electric front windows, roll up or sliding glass sides and remove the aft section, which creates a ‘summer porch’ on the MJM, allowing one to enjoy the surroundings of each new destination. There was also the purposeful and added benefit of being able to enjoy boating more with this design. If the weather becomes threatening, other boaters would pack up and head home knowing they had to get ahead of the coming storm. In an MJM, you could enjoy a few more hours of sun, then simply button up the pilothouse and head back to port in climate-controlled comfort. Thus, allowing MJM boaters to get out on the water earlier in the season and stay out longer in the fall.

Another breakthrough for MJM was the 50z, widely-hailed as the most capable liveaboard express cruiser in her class. Easily singlehanded and also a Cat “A” Ocean-rated vessel, the 50z can go from having breakfast in New York to an early dinner in Annapolis in just over seven hours. Even more impressive, she would do all of this while burning only 310 gallons of fuel.

Working with son Peter, one of the last models Bob brought to market was the 53z – the largest outboard-powered express cruiser. A next-generation version of the 50z, the 53z incorporated a redesign that saw a new, second master ensuite as standard and a walkthrough transom redesign. This inevitably led to a diesel POD drive version called the 53zi, now considered the most efficient and capable cruising and entertaining yacht in its class.

With Peter Johnstone now at the helm of MJM, progress started to move quickly. First, was the introduction of the 43z, an outboard family day yacht ideally suited for today’s boating lifestyle and needs. With classic MJM performance characteristics, the 43z became one of the most popular models in the age of larger outboard luxury yachts. Always firmly in the cruising market, the 43zi, a diesel POD drive soon followed which enjoyed rave reviews from across the globe.

Next in Peter’s plan was a focus on capabilities; this meant being able to embrace the changes in technology to stay

53z Aft Cockpit

on the cutting edge of manufacturing from an engineering, process, and materials point of view. To do so, he created a new facility in Washington, North Carolina with over 200,000 square feet of space from which MJM can continue to expand their innovative designs.

During manufacturing, the seesaw between process technology and materials innovation is a constant. While vacuum infusion has been around for decades, it has evolved to now take advantage of advancements in materials. Abiding by the mantra: lighter, stronger, faster, more efficient, the new generation of MJMs relies on a proprietary epoxy resin formulation, combined with the latest in coring materials and specially engineered tri- and quad- axial linear E-glass. Utilizing a special process that includes post curing, a level of precision is achieved that makes an MJM stand apart.

The special formulation epoxy resin and E-glass are brought together through the vacuum infusion process, allowing for several important points of precision. The first being that the process eliminates the possibility of air voids, no matter how small. Next is the ability to exactly control the E-glass-to-resin ratio, achieving the optimum 60:40 blend. Finally, the application of a vacuum compacts and