11 minute read
AMERICAN BEAUTIES
Hinckley Yachts Picnic 40 S SilentJet
What happens when you combine Down East lobster boat lines with the latest in hybrid diesel-electric power? You get Hinckley Yachts’ brand-new Picnic 40 S SilentJet.
This built-in-Rhode-Island knockout features two beefy 90-kW electric motors juiced by an 80-kWh battery to ease you out of your slip in stealthy silence. Then this oh-so-elegant 40-footer will cruise along at 7 knots for an hour and 5.5 knots for 90 minutes.
When the battery gets low—or you simply need to get somewhere in a hurry—the Hinckley’s twin 550-horsepower Cummins turbo-diesels will kick in and punch you to a 35-knot cruising speed.
And while the diesels are purring, they’re also topping up the battery. In just 30 to 45 minutes, they’re back to being fully charged, allowing you to run all the systems (including the air-conditioning) at anchor with no need for a generator. Watts not to love? (hinckleyyachts.com) POWER FILE
PRICE: $2.6 MILLION (EST.) LENGTH: 42 FEET BEAM: 12 FEET, 10 INCHES ENGINES: TWIN CUMMINS DIESELS POWER: 1,100 HP ELECTRIC: TWIN 90 KW TOP SPEED: 37 KNOTS
Viking Yachts 64 Convertible Huckins Sportsman 38
If you want to strike fear into the biggest fighting marlin or tuna in the deep blue sea, you want a Viking. Based in New Gretna, New Jersey, this familyowned builder has been turning out state-of-the-art fishing battlewagons for more than half a century.
Viking’s latest—and perhaps greatest—big-game fishing machine is the 64 Convertible, a hard-charging, wave-smashing 64-footer packing more than 4,000 horsepower of V12 MTU muscle.
Evolved from the super-successful 54 Convertible, this new 64 saw a major redesign of its hull and deck, which now has the strength and rigidity of a Wells Fargo bank vault. Forty knots into gnarly seas? Not a problem.
But the added appeal of the 64 is that it combines hedonistic levels of luxury and comfort for when the rods are stowed and the margaritas get mixed. There’s even the option of an enclosed, fully air-conditioned flybridge, as well as air-conditioning in the cockpit and a 50-inch pop-up HD TV in the leather-lined salon. (vikingyachts.com)
POWER FILE
PRICE: $6 MILLION (EST.) LENGTH: 63 FEET, 10 INCHES BEAM: 18 FEET, 11 INCHES ENGINES: TWIN MTU V12 POWER: 2 X 2,000 HP TOP SPEED: 42 KNOTS POWER FILE
Lovers of classic wooden motor yachts will likely know PRICE: $1.2 MILLION LENGTH: 38 FEET all about the racy Sportsman 36 that Frank Pembroke BEAM: 12 FEET, 6 INCHES Huckins began building at his Jacksonville yard way back ENGINES: CUMMINS QSB in 1936. At the time it was the must-have weekend cruiser 6-CYL. POWER: 2 X 380 for Florida boaters. HP ELECTRIC: 20 HP
While the original Huckins Sportsman eased out of TOP SPEED: 35 KNOTS production decades ago, a new consumer appreciation for authenticity and retro style prompted the Huckins family to create an updated version of the original Sportsman 36—and make it a hybrid.
While the unmistakable lines are largely unchanged, everything else is brand new. Now, instead of trusty timber, the Sportsman 38 uses the very latest in marine construction materials, including Kevlar, carbon fiber, and impact-resistant structural foam.
In place of the original gas motor, there’s a pair of beefy 380-horse Cummins inline-6 turbo diesels, together with a high-torque 20-hp Elco electric motor juiced by a bank of 18 lithium-iron-phosphate batteries. Engage the electric motor and the Sportsman will glide along at 7 knots for a couple of hours. Fire up the diesels and you can run at 35 knots.
Going back to the future has never been so much fun. (huckinsyacht.com)
Coeur Custom Steinway 340 HT
POWER FILE
When hockey great Wayne Gretzky wanted a new boat for cruising on Idaho’s Lake Coeur d’Alene—where he has a summer home—there was only one choice: a wooden masterpiece from local builder Coeur Custom.
The result is this mirror-varnished 34-footer, built from double-planked sapele hardwood and featuring a plump upright bow, a curvy stainless-steel-framed windshield, a sun-shading hardtop, and a wave-piercing deep-V hull. Inside there’s room for 12 in the main cockpit and a spacious open bow, with all-white upholstery designed by Gretzky’s wife, Janet. She also commissioned lots of cushions emblazoned with her husband’s iconic 99.
Powering the Steinway 340 HT (named for the piano maker) is a pair of Mercury 8.2-liter 430-hp gas inboards that can push the boat to a comfortable 45-knot top speed.
Fancy one just like it? Coeur Custom has a second boat in build that will be priced at around $900,000. (coeurcustoms.com)
PRICE: $900,000 LENGTH: 33 FEET, 6 INCHES BEAM: 9 FEET, 6 INCHES ENGINES: MERCURY V8S WITH BRAVO OUTDRIVES POWER: 2 X 430 HP TOP SPEED: 45 KNOTS
POWER FILE
PRICE: $17 MILLION (EST.) LENGTH: 112 FEET BEAM: 23 FEET, 10 INCHES ENGINES: TWIN CATERPILLAR C32 POWER: 2 X 1,900 HP TOP SPEED: 26 KNOTS
Westport W112
For any well-heeled captain of industry contemplating purchasing a superyacht around the 100-foot mark, there’s one name that shoots to the top of the list: Westport.
This Port Angeles, Washington, yard has been around since 1965, building salty commercial craft and passenger ferries. In the mid-1980s, it expanded its lineup to include luxury motor yachts.
The most successful in Westport’s constantly growing catalog is the W112 series. Since its debut in 1994, more than 65 of these classy 112-footers have been built, making it arguably the most successful superyacht ever.
What’s the appeal? Timeless elegance is part of it; Westport shirks the current trend of overexaggerated, origami-folded yacht design. The 112 is also the perfect size—not too big, not too small—with cabins for eight guests and space for a crew of five.
She’s also fast. Two 1,900-hp Caterpillar diesels can give an impressive 26-knot top speed. Add to that a composite fiberglass hull that’s acclaimed for its smooth, super-stable ride, and you have a vessel that’s more than worth its multimillion-dollar price tag. (westportyachts.com)
Cigarette Racing 59 Tirranna
POWER FILE
PRICE: FROM AROUND $3 MILLION LENGTH: 59 FEET BEAM: 14 FEET
There’s poetry in motion when a Cigarette Racing 59 ENGINES: MERCURY Tirranna—propelled by a sextet of supercharged 4.6-liter Mercury Racing V8 outboards packing a combined 2,700 hp—is shrieking across the water at 80 mph. Eyeballs water, RACING VERADO 450R POWER: 6 X 450 HP TOP SPEED: 70 KNOTS cheeks flap, follicles get wrenched from your scalp. Call that fun? You bet.
This pencil-thin projectile is the flagship of Miami-based Cigarette’s fleet. Constructed from lightweight yet I-beam-stiff carbon fiber and composites, the Tirranna is designed to do one thing and one thing only: Go insanely fast. Miami to Bimini? The Tirranna will get you there in less than an hour.
Yet it’s also packed with creature comforts, like a 29-speaker 5,200-watt JL Audio sound system and Poltrona Frau leather upholstery. Below decks there’s a forward settee that converts to a queen bed, plus a spacious shower and head. In the cockpit and open foredeck there’s seating for up to 28 of your closest friends.
If all this sounds appealing, expect to write a check for around $3 million. But when it comes to zipping to the Bahamas for lunch at 80 mph, the Tirranna is priceless. (cigaretteracing.com)
Chris-Craft Launch 35 GT
POWER FILE
PRICE: FROM $548,000 LENGTH: 35 FEET BEAM: 10 FEET, 10 INCHES BASE ENGINES: MERCURY V8 6.2-LITER POWER: 2 X 350 HP TOP SPEED: 50 KNOTS
Nothing captures the essence of American beauty on the water more than a Chris-Craft. The now-Sarasota-based company has been around since 1874, when Christopher Columbus Smith, aka Mr. Chris-Craft, built his first wooden boat at age 13.
These days, the company is part of another American icon, Winnebago Industries, and builds a lineup of center-console and bowrider models in the 24-foot to 35-foot range. Each one combines high style, quality, and craftsmanship with surprising value for the money.
Our current favorite is the flagship of the fleet, the new Launch 35 GT. In addition to masses of stretch-out seating, this family-friendly 35-footer comes with all those lovely Chris-Craft cues, such as teak flooring, diamond-quilted upholstery, and a stainless-steel-framed windshield.
Take your pick from twin Mercury or Volvo V8 gas engines with stern drives. Or triple 300- or 350-hp Mercury Verado outboards, each with the option of easy-parking joystick control.
We’re sure Chris Smith would be proud. (chriscraft.com)
Burger Boat Company SYCARA IV
Manitowoc, Wisconsin, seems an unlikely place to base a company that specializes in cutting-edge superyachts. But the Burger Boat Company has been crafting world-class vessels here since 1863. Among the hundreds of award-winning yachts the yard has turned out over the years, one of the true standouts is the 151-foot Sycara IV, designed to capture the style and splendor of the 1920s Golden Age. Built for East Coast car dealer extraordinaire Ray Catena, she features a gorgeous fantail stern, gold-leaf-encrusted bowsprit, and a sleek superstructure that enables her to squeeze under the low bridges of New York’s Erie Canal. Inside she’s all Madrone burl paneling with inlaid POWER FILE Macassar ebony, teak, and maple flooring, plus lots of PRICE: $28 MILLION mirror-polished stainless steel. French doors leading (EST.) LENGTH: 151 into the main salon feature Lalique crystal panels. FEET BEAM: 27 FEET In 2017, the yacht was sold to Florida entrepreENGINES: TWIN CAT- neur Klaus Bytzek, who renamed her Nadan and ERPILLAR POWER: 2 X 600 HP TOP SPEED: 14 KNOTS embarked on a refit that included the addition of a pilothouse on the top deck. She was sold again in 2021 after being on the market for $28 million. (burgerboat.com)
POWER FILE
PRICE: FROM $2.5 MILLION LENGTH: 66 FEET BEAM: 16 FEET, 2 INCHES ENGINES: VOLVO-PENTA IPS950 POWER: 2 X 725 HP TOP SPEED: 30 KNOTS
POWER FILE
PRICE: $100 MILLION LENGTH: 216 FEET BEAM: 43 FEET ENGINES: TWIN CATERPILLAR DIESELS POWER: 2 X 2,280 HP TOP SPEED: 16 KNOTS
Seattle-based Delta Marine dates back to 1967, when brothers Ivor and Jack Jones began building fiberglass fishing boats. Today, the Jones family still owns and operates the company, which is renowned for the graceful, state-of-the-art superyachts it designs and builds.
Yachts like the ravishing 216-foot Invictus that premiered in 2013 and is a firm favorite within the luxury charter market, cruising the Mediterranean in the summer and the Bahamas and Caribbean in the winter.
Featuring a rugged steel hull and lightweight composite superstructure, the yacht is cavernous inside and out, courtesy of a beam that stretches more than 43 feet. Below decks it’s big enough to accommodate 20 guests across nine staterooms.
Powered by a pair of 2,780-horsepower Caterpillar diesels, she has a top speed of 16 knots and carries enough fuel to cover 5,000 nautical miles at 13 knots. Delta’s craftsmanship is seen in the top-notch construction and stunning interior fixtures and fittings. Our favorite spots aboard are the Rat Pack–style bar and sky lounge that converts into a nightclub worthy of Paris. If you’re in the market, she could be yours for a cool $100 million through brokers Burgess. (deltamarine.com)
If there’s such a thing as a Bentley Continental for the seas, a leading candidate would by the Maine-built Sabre Yachts 58 Salon Express. With its gracious proportions and single-minded focus on quality and craftsmanship, the Sabre 58 oozes luxury from every pore of its satinvarnished woodwork. The 58 is part of a five-model lineup of Sabre Salon Express fast cruisers that includes a 38, 43, 45, and 48. Add to these a 48 Fly Bridge and top-of-the-line 66 Dirigo flagship. But the $2.5 million 58 has everything the cruising family could dream of. Below decks, there’s a full-beam master cabin, a forward VIP, and a twin-berth guest cabin to starboard, each with its own en-suite head and shower. Up in the salon, there’s a spacious galley, oversized sofas, and a well-equipped helm station with seating for four. Power comes from space-saving Volvo Penta IPS950 pods each packing 725 hp and good for more than 30 knots flat out. And just like that Bentley, this Sabre delivers its horsepower in serene silence. (sabreyachts.com) «
