Hinckley Yachts Announces Picnic Boat 40

Hinckley Yachts has announced its third, and largest Picnic Boat, the Picnic Boat 40. She will join the 34 and 37 MKIII, expanding the line to three models.

I recently had the chance to visit Hinckley’s Portsmouth, Rhode Island, yard and get a look at the mock-up of this yacht, and she will have some neat new features. One that caught my eye was a power-operated, side-boarding door that can slide under the gunwale as opposed to opening into the cockpit, saving valuable floorspace.

Naval architect Michael Peters penned the Picnic Boat 40’s deep-V hull form with 19 degrees transom deadrise. Hinckley says the 40 will be powered with twin 480 hp Cummins diesels matched to 322 Hamilton jet drives. Optional power is twin 550 hp Cummins diesels. Top speed with the bigger motors should be 38 knots and 34 knots with standard power. Cruise with the 480s will reportedly be 30 knots.

Additionally, her shallow 2-foot, 2-inch should make her a favorite with skinny-water cruisers.

Hinckley was one of the first builders I know of to use resin-infused construction, and this Picnic boat 40 represents the builder’s evolution in this area. The yacht will be built via TriGuard Epoxy construction, using Aramid fiber and E-glass on the outer skin and carbon fiber for the inner skin. The vessel will be infused and then post-cured with epoxy resin. Corecell M foam coring should help keep the 40 lightweight, yet strong.

Entertaining is at the heart of the Picnic Boat 40 with an aft bench seat to port in the cockpit and an opposing settee creating a great alfresco cocktail ad conversation area. The salon has an L-shaped table to port with the helm set up forward and to starboard.

For the captain, the 40 will have Hinckley’s new JetStick III enabling fingertip control.

If you want to use the 40 as a weekender, there is a dining table belowdecks with a hi=-low table that converts to a nearly king-size berth.

Look for the Hinckley Picnic Boat 40 to debut in early 2018.