Beneath a blistering summer sun, a bevy of boats approaches Hadley Harbor in Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts. Among the fleet is Relentless, a Sabre 48 Fly Bridge, with owner Capt. David Horne at the helm. After the boat is anchored, he joins his wife, Susan, and friends aboard for his go-to on-the-water meal: Reuben sandwiches with an IPA of choice. Horne then reaches for his guitar and plays a few Jimmy Buffett-inspired tunes before cranking up the onboard sound system.
Hadley Harbor is among the most popular spots in Buzzards Bay, a topic Horne writes about on his My Buzzards Bay blog. His cruising adventures often end up there and have gone as far away as Bar Harbor, Maine, but he now has his sights set on a more distant horizon—which is why he’s awaiting delivery of a Maritimo M60 in April.
“We’ve been doing this for six years, so anything that’s viable within 200 miles, we’ve already checked out,” Horne says, ticking off his bucket-list destinations to visit next. “You could probably put Nova Scotia in that category. My father’s family is from Nova Scotia, and they go back seven generations of either being a sea captain or building ships.”
The transition to an M60 will add about 12 feet length overall, compared with his current boat, and almost 2 feet to the beam. The 1,200-gallon fuel capacity will be more than double what he has now, and the enclosed-flybridge helm station will allow for a different kind of cruising.
Those qualities are why many boaters step up to an M60, according to Dave Northrop, director of Maritimo Americas. “We’re finding more and more experienced cruisers are discovering what our Maritimo owners have known all along: that a yacht designed for efficient cruising and performance adds to the excitement,” he says.
Horne started boating as a child. He can remember being 7 years old aboard a 12-foot, 5 hp dory with his grandfather, a plumber, out on Buzzards Bay. They made landfall about 5 nautical miles away before returning home to Horne’s angry parents.
Today, Horne is a grandfather himself. His daughter and son-in-law have two children, who, he expects, will sleep in the twin-berth stateroom aboard the M60. The boat will also have a full-beam master for him and Susan, and a forepeak VIP for his adult children. His daughter, in particular, never wanted her kids to sleep in the crew space.
“I’m not even sure she’s that crazy about the idea of going cruising,” Horne says. “But my grandkids are, and my son-in-law is too. So, of course, my wife loves having the family around. We’ll make it work for my daughter.”
The couple plans to entertain on the M60’s main deck. The cockpit has a table and settee, a wet bar, movable furniture and seating that flanks the salon entrance. Inside, the salon has two sofas plus a table.
There’s a sun pad on the foredeck and more guest space on the M60’s flybridge. The helm is to starboard, with nearby guest seating. Through the sliding doors, outside, is yet more seating with a table.
“The big thing is it opens up that whole downstairs area as a big salon,” Horne says of the flybridge. “I did a quick measurement, and I think it probably has three times the interior space as the 48.”
Horne can’t wait to take delivery, point the bow north and go.
“When I was 6 years old, I cut lawns, and I used money to subscribe to Yachting magazine,” he says. “I would just sit there and flip through the pages and dream.”
Now, the dream is becoming a reality.
