It’s not clear at first why Aquila added a brand new 42 to its Yacht line, with no plans to discontinue its best-selling 44 Yacht. That’s, till you step on board the brand new vessel.
“They appeal to two totally different consumers,” says Alain Raas, Model Supervisor at Aquila Energy Catamarans. “However this would be the begin of a brand new era of our Yacht line. And what’s particular about this one is its cabin configuration — it’s distinctive for a 42ft boat.”
Hull primary had an attention-grabbing stateroom configuration, with the main bedroom portside, the smaller VIP starboard, plus up entrance, within the centre of the 21ft-wide powercat, a ‘utility’ cabin for the captain. However first, let’s discuss in regards to the efficiency of hull one, which I ran within the Gulf of Mexico close to Aquila’s Clearwater headquarters in Florida.
The Gulf of Mexico that day was calm, with a minor chop, and few different boats on the water. We handed the native ‘Pirate’ ship, a vacationer attraction formed like a barque however utilizing diesel energy. There was additionally a go-fast occasion boat, additionally carrying vacationers, that attracted a pod of dolphins wake browsing on the bow. Briefly, it was a beautiful Florida day.
Commonplace diesel engines for the 42 Yacht are twin 230hp Volvo Penta D4s, however our boat featured the upgraded 300hp variations, whereas there’s an additional improve choice of two 370hp Yanmar 8LV engines.
As we piloted from the flybridge, the boat got here on airplane in eight seconds. At 1,500rpm, velocity was 9.3 knots; at 2,500, 12.4 knots; at 3,000, 18.1 knots. Finally, the 300hp Volvo Penta D4s have been capable of push our boat to a prime finish of over 21 knots at 3,450rpm.
Hanging Out
The hull form by French naval structure agency VPLP features a sharp entry and planing surfaces working the size of the sponsons. Exterior house is 610sqft, practically the identical as the inside, with notably beneficiant areas being the flybridge (192sqft), aft cockpit (137sqft) and sides/foredeck (218sqft).
An revolutionary function price stating is the strict crane system for the tender, which, on our boat, was a Highfield Traditional 340 GT.
A winch extends and retracts the crane from the flybridge, whereas an digital winch lowers and raises the tender. And when the boat is out, it may well serve to carry up a hammock! It’s a intelligent system tailored from the crusing world.
The swim platform can also be broad, permitting quick access throughout the transom to the aspect passages to the foredeck. The cockpit options an aft couch and a big desk, whereas ahead is the model’s signature bar space.
The aspect passages felt secure, with sturdy handrails for simple passage from stern to the bow. The foredeck has two double solar loungers and small seats tucked into the ahead edges of the sponsors.
The vast stairs as much as the flybridge — an ordinary function on all Aquila’s Yacht flybridge fashions — are a serious differentiator in what Aquila payments as an oceangoing boat. There’s nothing like quick, quick access from the helm to the anchor rode to reinforce the onboard expertise.
Up prime, the flybridge is big, boasting not solely the sq. footage however monumental headroom. “We had 15 individuals seated right here the opposite day,” Raas says.
The structure consists of an L-shaped lounge that runs alongside the port aspect and rear, an alfresco eating desk, and centre island galley that features a grill and fridge. There are additionally seats on either side of the two-seat helm within the centre.
Inside Choices
Of the inside’s complete habitable house of 621sqft, the saloon and galley occupy 240sqft, whereas the three (or 4) cabins and heads complete 381sqft. My preliminary impression was that of a ship the place open house is the precedence, quite than rooms being jig-sawed into tight quarters.
As per the 44 Yacht, the cockpit connects to the galley by way of a gap window and counter, with two bar-style seats. That type of association connects inside and outside on fair-weather days, whereas when it’s raining, all the things buttons down properly.
The principle saloon is on a barely raised platform to starboard, whereas hull one featured the usual structure, with no decrease helm. As a substitute, there’s a portside console with devices for monitoring engine stats, efficiency and GPS coordinates. Aquila provides the inclusion of a decrease helm as an improve and Raas mentioned the choice has been chosen on about half of the present orders.
I wasn’t loopy in regards to the wall materials, a faux-wood-grained Formica surrounded by hardwood frames. It made the boat look cheaper than a yacht-calibre vessel ought to. Raas countered that the fabric doesn’t age like actual wooden, including to resale worth a number of years down the street.
I appreciated the remainder of the 42 Yacht’s inside — very a lot. The home windows are giant, so pure gentle is plentiful, and headroom is beneficiant, even within the staterooms.
The total-length master bedroom to port encompasses a queen-sized berth, desk house, distinctive storage and a ahead en-suite rest room with a big glass bathe (together with rainforest showerhead).
The VIP to starboard is shorter in size however not cramped and options an aft-facing mattress and, once more, a big en-suite rest room, this time aft.
Within the three-cabin choice, the ahead utility cabin turns into a bigger third stateroom by having a double berth athwartships, slicing out the starboard bulkhead and utilizing the house for the massive storage field ahead within the starboard hull as an en-suite, accessed by steps.
Within the four-cabin structure, the starboard cabin turns into the grasp, and the port hull options two cabins, fore and aft of a shared rest room.
Match and end was distinctive throughout each inside and exterior, from the glass work to the double stitching within the exterior seating to the massive beefy stainless cleats which have turn out to be an Aquila signature.
Like all Aquila powercats, the boat is constructed on the Sino Eagle Group manufacturing facility, however this time the ability used single-piece moulds for each hulls and the superstructure.
“That was a problem for manufacturing as a result of all the things is vacuum-bagged and these embrace very huge moulds,” Raas says. “However doing it this manner quickens manufacturing and makes it a a lot stronger boat.”
The 42 Yacht is rated for 12 passengers offshore and 21 on the dock. With the arduous prime, the peak above the waterline is 18ft, which could possibly be a problem with low bridges, though the yacht will be ordered with out the arduous prime.
All in all, a fantastic cruising cat, with plenty of house and considerate cabin choices, and a welcome addition to Aquila’s rising flybridge household.
This text first appeared on Yacht Model.
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