HIGH SEAS

HIGH SEAS Exploring the OUTBACK

Outback Yachts’ new Outback 50 blends trawler style with cruiser performance—and it comes with a wonderful back deck

By Howard Walker

Andrew Cilla knows boats. For 40 or so years he headed up Fort Lauderdale–based top yacht brokerage Luke Brown Yachts. And full disclosure here, I came this close to buying a 55-foot Fleming trawler he had listed back in 2011.

So, when Cilla decided the time had come to sail off into the sunset, he knew exactly what he wanted in the boat of his dreams.

It would need to be in the 50-to-60-foot range. It had to be fast, but not too fast, with a 20-knot top speed. It should have trawler-style lines and be comfortable, economical, and easy to maintain. And it needed to have great outdoor space, with a big back deck for lounging.

With the help of acclaimed Sarasota marine architect Michael Peters and John Olson, president of West Coast–based Offshore Yachts, Cilla designed and built his dream yacht, named it the Outback 50, and launched the first example— for himself—at the end of 2019.

What did he do once he’d obtained the keys? He cleared his desk at Luke Brown, packed a bag, threw the lines from his slip at the Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo, and set off on a sixmonth “escape” cruise, all the way up to Northeast Harbor in Maine.

Since Cilla’s cruise north, the highly respected Kha Shing Shipyard in Taiwan has built another three Outbacks, each with a base price of around $1,380,000.

But what’s with that Outback name? It comes from the yacht’s 16-foot-long shaded rear deck and Cilla’s passion for heading “out back” to the deck for a little R&R. And this is arguably the

yacht’s best feature in what is a multitude of best features. It offers space for a large dining table, a couple of Jet Skis, a small flotilla of kayaks, or a collection of loungers for just kicking back and taking in the view.

Cilla’s other key requirement was that the rear deck be open at the stern. While there’s a folding stainless rail across the back for safety, it can be removed to open the cockpit up to the swim platform and the water. Fold back the huge glass doors between the cockpit and saloon, and the largely uninterrupted space flows from the helm station all the way to the stern.

Below decks there’s a comfy master cabin in the bow and a twin-bed guest cabin, though only one head and shower, so it will work well for a cruising couple with a kid or two.

Up in the salon there’s a nicely equipped galley alongside the helm station, which has its own sliding side door for access to the decks. A small sofa and a mirror-varnished fold-out table are ideal for indoor dining, while a levitating TV takes care of movie nights. The interior of the boat is pretty narrow—the yacht’s overall beam is just 15 feet, 6 inches—but that’s how Cilla envisaged the 50, with a slender hull for economical performance and easy marina docking.

Climb the cockpit steps up to the flybridge and, again, the space is huge. There’s room for a 10-foot inflatable boat with a crane for raising and lowering. Forward there’s a central helm, with a first-mate seat alongside and an L-shaped sofa behind. From up here, the 360-degree visibility is outstanding.

Standard power comes from a pair of fuelsipping 320-horse Volvo D4s with shaft drive, though the optional 425-hp Cummins, similar to those fitted to Cilla’s 50, are the ones to have, providing 18-to-20-knot cruising and 24 flat out. Throttle back to a lazy 8-knot trawler speed, and the 550-gallon tanks should take you more than 1,000 miles.

The Outback 50 is a great looking, thoroughly well-planned, and swift trawler. For the Florida «cruising lifestyle, it’s just about perfect.

POWER FILE

PRICE: FROM $1,370,000 LENGTH: 56 FEET BEAM: 15 FEET, 6 INCHES WEIGHT: APPROXIMATELY 40,000 POUNDS ENGINES: 2 X VOLVO D4 DIESELS POWER: 320 HP TOP SPEED: 21 KNOTS WHY WE LOVE IT: BECAUSE IT WAS DESIGNED WITH EXPERIENCE AND TRUE PASSION.