MARITIMO M53 CRUISING MOTORYACHT REVIEW
If you dream of one day heading off as a couple for that extended, open-ended cruise - perhaps to Tasmania or chasing the sunshine farther north as we often plan - then the new Maritimo M53 Cruising Motoryacht will be hard to beat. Caterpillar engines, low shaft angles, and bow and stern thrusters are a great combination, while the new Maritimo style teamed with purpose and practicality add to the mix.
The M53 comes with the right credentials from a boatbuilder with a well-deserved reputation for creating comfortable long-distance cruisers. But the M53 is more of an evolution than revolution - the boat replaces the Maritimo 52 while retaining the foundations like high quality construction. The fuel-efficient, variable deadrise hull, low nine-degree shaft angles, full walkaround decks and a luxurious well-designed interior are among the established features.
Then the Maritimo M53 departs to follow the styling introduced by the M56 released last year. There's more rake to the bow, the flybridge is swept back and gone are the side wings projecting from the bridge. This contributes to a modern, sleek look but not at the expense of practicality. The walkaround sidedecks, and the enclosed flybridge with internal staircase, make this boat easy to get around, especially at sea. Yet the boat isn't so big that she's unwieldy and, as such, will suit a cruising couple to a tee.
LIFE ABOARD
The saloon lends itself to spending serious time onboard. There's L-shaped seating around a fold-up dinette forward on the portside and lounge seating to starboard. In between, is the companionway down to the accommodation. We'll get to that.
The galley is aft and opposite the polished timber staircase to port leading to the flybridge. Under the staircase is a comprehensive wetbar that includes bottle and glass storage as well as a fridge. The TV is at home sitting atop this cabinet in what would otherwise be wasted space.
The gourmand's galley is superbly appointed with Corian benchtops, a stainless steel sink with mixer, four-burner electric cooktop, microwave and dishwasher. A couple of special features worth mentioning are the large upright fridge-freezer built into the cabinetry and the swing-out pantry that would do justice to any swanky apartment kitchen. There's also an optional island bench, with cupboards below for appliance storage.
The large side windows, wide windscreen and the framed glass bi-fold doors that open out into the cockpit let in a vast amount of light and add to the sense of space. The doors, which are a Maritimo feature these days, work well and the saloon, galley and cockpit become one a huge, single-level living or entertaining area when you swing them open.
The cockpit is partly covered by the overhanging flybridge and features a large outdoor-entertainment module across the transom with a sink, eutectic freezer and an optional barbecue. As such, you can entertain a large group or stage an intimate soiree for two at that picture-perfect anchorage somewhere or other.
IN THE DETAIL
As a boatowner and operator, I like the attention to detail in the M53. The freshwater and water-blaster connections are housed neatly in a cockpit side locker and, just forward, there's a second moulded sink with storage underneath. A fishbox with gulper pump is recessed in the cockpit sole, near the huge lazarette housing the blackwater tank, freshwater tanks and air-conditioning units, plus plenty of room left over for storage.
Access to the engineroom is via another cockpit hatch - it's vast and almost standing height! There's room for a washer-dryer combo just inside the entrance, opposite the Caterpillar 17.5kW generator, and you can see forward to the bulkhead where the fuel filters and coolant bottle are mounted for at-a-glance checks. Seawater intakes have east-to-see glass tops, there's a fully moulded liner to spot spills or leaks, and good access to all the bilges and double freshwater pumps. The latter is a nice touch; just ask anyone who's had a water pump fail while away.
The twin 715hp Caterpillar C12 engines are located well forward, allowing for low shaft angles, while servicing room is about as good as it gets. In short, this is a sensational engineroom. Everything is well thought out, from the hinged aluminum checkerplate panels covering the shaft wells to the hinged-lid battery boxes outboard of both engines that form the perfect seat when replacing oil filters or checking engine anodes. With plenty of 'eggshell' soundproofing foam on the ceiling, the boat is also quiet. Enough said.
OUT AND ABOUT
The M53 has nice, wide sidedecks making it safe and easy to get around, even for children or pets while underway. Big rails right to the bow, where the coachhouse roof makes a pleasant spot to sit and watch the world go by, add to the sense of security. The big Muir winch is housed in a recess so that mud or silt coming up with the anchor flows back overboard rather than on deck and there's a chain locker either side. Foot controls for the winch are close by as is the connection for the water-blaster hose. There's also a seawater washdown.
By this stage, I was feeling pretty good about the M53. But if I needed any more convincing the next couple of hours at the helm certainly did the trick. The helm is located in the fully enclosed flybridge, which is a standout and ideal for that long passage. There's great vision all-round for skipper, navigator and guests. There's also an optional sliding sunroof so that you can decide how much fresh air and sunshine you'd like.
A single, fully adjustable helm chair (doubles optional and preferable) faces a large console with plenty of room for a couple of 12in screens and an array of nav gear, engine controls and monitoring systems. Aft of the helm is an L-shape lounge with fold up table, with another lounge to port. There's a wetbar and sink in the port aft quarter, while sliding glass doors lead to a spacious rear deck. All told, it's another room.
CABIN CAPERS
Accommodation on the M53 is truly luxurious and spans three cabins and two bathrooms all accessed by a wide staircase featuring LED lights. The master stateroom amidships is big and bright, courtesy of the large portlight in the hull as well as another separate porthole plus overhead hatch. The full walkaround queen-size bed has a fully sprung mattress that lifts to reveal storage and there are inbuilt bedside tables and plenty of hanging space. The en suite is beautifully styled and equipped with separate shower with frameless glass door, vanity and electric toilet.
Forward is the guest stateroom with queen-size walkaround bed, lots of storage and hanging space. Portholes either side and an escape hatch provide plenty of natural light and cross-flow ventilation. Guests have direct access to the communal bathroom, which has a separate door in the companionway to service the third cabin and double as the dayhead. The third cabin is fitted with bunk(s) and a large hull portlight.
With accommodation like this, spending extended time onboard certainly wouldn't require sacrifice! And travelling with friends, or having the occasional guests or family come to visit and stay overnight, wouldn't be a problem either. Thus, size-wise, the M53 is just right.
DRIVIN' TIME
The M53 is a very easy boat to drive, whether cruising with just enough power to be on the plane or travelling at full throttle. It's quiet underway, too, especially with the flybridge hatch closed. As we headed out through Sydney Heads on a beautiful sunny day, with a gentle 2m swell rolling, everything felt right. To top it off, we were joined by a curious whale on its annual migration. I, too, felt like I just wanted to keep going north.
As I said, as a coastal cruiser the M53 won't disappoint. There are no gimmicks, what you see is what you get - a real home away from home with proven seaworthiness, safety and cruising comfort.
FACTS & FIGURES
MARITIMO M53 CRUISING MOTORYACHT
PERFORMANCE & HANDLING
The M53 is predictable, with just the right amount of feel through the wheel, a sense of security underway, and a feeling of being at one with the ocean. If you happen to be caught out in a big sea I'm sure this boat will handle it. At 14kts, she guarantees an impressive cruising range of 450nm-plus.
The C12 engines, rated at 715hp at 2300rpm, produced a top speed of 30kts on the day. Cruise is 22kts at 2000rpm, but as the official figures show, 1700rpm gives 18-19 knots for 6.87lt/hr and a range of 505nm-plus from 90 per cent of the fuel supply. Now that's comfort cruising.
SEA TRIALS
Twin 715hp Caterpillar C12, 2000lt fuel, full water, four people onboard
RPM SPEED LT/H RANGE
700 7.2kts 24.5 1018nm
1100 10.1kts 49.5 707nm
1500 14.2kts 106.5 462nm
1900 22.35kts 165.5 468nm
2100 26.3kts 203 449nm
2300 29.9kts 239.5 433nm
WOT 30.85kts 260.5 410nm
* Official sea-trial data supplied by Maritimo Australia
PRICE AS TESTED
$1,665,929
OPTIONS FITTED
Caterpillar C12 engines, Simrad NSE Package, GS15 GPS antenna, BSM-1 sounder, BR24 broadband radar, air-conditioning to flybridge, sternthrusters with flybridge controls only, engine controls portside and aft, flybridge rail covers, Strataglass windscreen, wiper and washer fitted to centre fixed window, windscreen cover, lower helm, saloon carpet covers, teak-laid cockpit, sidedecks, swimplatform and flybridge balcony, flybridge carpet, cockpit 240V stainless steel barbecue, cockpit floodlights, high-pressure water-blaster with outlets in cockpit and anchor well, hydraulic swimplatform, electric sunroof, galley island bench, vinyl-teak flooring at saloon entry, flatscreen TV-DVD in saloon and master stateroom, Fusion DVD/CD/AM/FM sound system with iPod dock, subwoofer and cube speakers, cockpit marine speakers and remote, underwater LED Lights, Décor package
PRICED FROM
$1,485,000 w/ standard 2 x 715hp Cummins QSM11 engines
GENERAL
MATERIAL: Fibreglass with cored topsides
TYPE: Variable deadrise deep-vee monohull with moulded spray rails
LENGTH OVERALL: 17.6m
BEAM: 5.2m
DRAFT: 1.35m
WEIGHT: 27 tonnes (dry)
CAPACITIES
FUEL: 3850lt
WATER: 800lt
HOLDING TANK: 300lt
ENGINE
MAKE/MODEL : 2 x Caterpillar C12 ACERT
TYPE: Six-cylinder common rail diesel
RATED HP: 715 (each)
DISPLACEMENT: 12lt
WEIGHT: 1174kg (dry)
SUPPLIED BY
Maritimo Offshore,
15 Waterway Drive,
Coomera, Qld, 4209
Phone: (07) 5588 6001
Website: www.maritimo.com.au
Email: ldurman@maritimo.com.au
OUR VERDICT
The Maritimo M53 is a conventional shaft-driven boat that's very well engineered, performs reassuringly, and comes with a great liveaboard layout and luxurious accommodation. Add the proven heritage from an iconic boatbuilder and you have a compelling argument for downing tools and going cruising instead. In fact, she's my favourite Maritimo from 2010!