High 40s - boats.com

In case you haven't noticed, there has been a sudden surge of activity, by buyers and builders alike, in motoryachts at the upper end of the 40-foot spectrum. What makes a yacht in this size range so attractive?

Step from a 40-foot boat to a 50-footer, and the difference in space can be startling, a result of an interesting phenomena that takes place in motoryachts as they near the half-century mark.

With each increment of length added to a boat, the volume of the hull grows geometrically, providing more space for cabins, engine rooms, and living areas.

There is a downside to increases in length, of course, with added weight requiring larger engines and more fuel as well as a bulkier package to handle when docking or anchoring. But there are two primary reasons for this sudden interest in motoryachts in the high 40s.

First, at this point in length and volume, it becomes possible to have three full-sized staterooms for owners and guests without resorting to shoebox-sided dimensions.

Second, a well-designed maxi-40 is still easily handled by a husband-wife team without the need of a professional crew. That makes this size range the upper end of the owner-operated yacht, with most of the accommodations of larger craft and fewer complications.

We have selected four yachts that fit this high-40s range to serve as cases-in-point: the Hatteras 48, Nordic 50, Viking 50, and Ocean Yachts 48. Each of these combines the basic attributes already mentioned: three comfortable staterooms and uncrewed cruising. Let's take a look at each of these maxi-40s.

Hatteras 48

The Hatteras 48 is a sleek embodiment of their new styling, while still retaining a distinctive Hatteras look.

The standard layout on the 48 features three staterooms, but an option allows the third stateroom and head compartment aft to be eliminated to create an over-sized master suite. The suite includes a large master head and a full walk-in closet in addition to the queen-sized berth.

The forward guest stateroom also has a queen-sized island berth, private head compartment, and nearly as much space as the master stateroom.

The Hatteras 48 has several spacious areas for entertaining or relaxing, including an airy midship salon with a galley-down layout opposite a dinette, a spacious aft deck that can be enclosed to create another living area, and a high visibility flybridge with lounge seating.

Standard power on the 48 are twin Detroit Diesel 8V92TA diesels of 720 shaft horsepower each, with fuel tankage of 750 gallons.

Nordic 500

From the opposite end of the nation comes the Nordic 500, a pilothouse motoryacht as well-suited to the rest of the country as to it's native Pacific Northwest. The Nordic is unique because it offers an essentially customized interior, allowing each owner to decide how to best allocate the space into two or three staterooms.

The master stateroom is forward, with a queen-sized island berth, private head with shower, and ample locker and drawer space.

Just aft of the curved stairs to the pilothouse is what homebuilders once called a bonus room: a large area that will be finished for each owner as part of the base price. The most popular layout is to put guest staterooms on each side of a short hall, one having a double berth and the other having upper and lower singles, both served by a private head compartment on the hallway.

Like many Northwest designs, the Nordic 500 has full walk-around side decks, an enclosed pilothouse with dinette and lounge for foul weather, a comfortable salon area, and a flybridge with large boatdeck for fair weather operation.

Lightest of our fleet at 44,400 pounds, the Nordic is built of hand-laid fiberglass with Baltek coring for strength and insulation. Standard power is a pair of Cat 3208TA 375-horsepower diesels, and fuel capacity is 600 gallons.

Viking 50

The Viking 50 was designed specifically for easy operation without crew, and this flush-deck motoryacht combines both a full-width salon with a walk-around deck for ease of docking.

Three double staterooms include two large suites and a forward guest cabin, each with a private head with shower (the master stateroom has a bathtub).

The main deck is spacious, with the wide main salon featuring a spacious sofa, chairs, and wet bar. Forward of the midship bulkhead is the galley area with a dinette as well as the optional lower helm station, which turns this into a gathering place underway. The flybridge is combined with a boatdeck that extends over the lower aft deck, providing room for shoreboats, water toys, or sunning areas.

Power for the Viking 50 is a pair of Detroit Diesel cs of 735 horsepower each, fueled from the largest tankage in this fleet of 770 gallons.

Ocean Yachts 48

The second entry for Ocean Yachts in the motoryacht field is their new 48MY, a David Martin design that combines speed (27 knots) with luxury.

Also a three-cabin layout, the Ocean 48 two large suites fore and aft, with a guest stateroom midships. The master stateroom aft has separate entry from the main salon, and features a large head compartment with bathtub. The forward stateroom has an island berth and head with shower, while the guest stateroom has a double berth and another head with shower.

A galley-up arrangement is off the salon, a lower helm is optional, and the upper deck has lounge seating around the helm station as well as space for a shoreboat.

Power comes from a pair of Detroit Diesel 6-71TIB 485-horsepower diesels with tankage for 500 gallons.

For more information, contact:

Hatteras Yachts Dept. Y P.O. Box 2690 High Point, NC 27261

Nordic Yachts Dept. Y P.O. Box 964 Bellingham, WA 98227

Ocean Yachts Dept. Y Box 312 Egg Harbor, NJ 08215

Viking Yachts Dept. Y Rt. 9 New Gretna, NJ 08224

Hatteras Specifications

L.O.A. 48'9"

Beam 16'

Draft 5'

Displ. 50,000 lb.

Fuel 750 gal.

Water 170 gal.

Power Twin DD 8V92TA 720shp.

Ocean Specifications

L.O.A. 48'6"

Beam 16'4"

Draft 4'

Displ. 51,000 lb.