Outer Reef Yachts, whose boats are known for their globe-girdling cruising itineraries, has launched its 670 Azure Sport Yacht.

This bluewater-capable, owner-operator cruiser, which is the flagship of the builder’s six-model S Class lineup, starts with solid hand-laid fiberglass construction for the hull below the waterline. Above the waterline, PVC sandwich core is used for strength without added weight. All in, this 67-footer displaces about 99,000 pounds. The yacht is outfitted with ABT Trac 220 stabilizers with 6-square-foot fins to further enhance the ride over the long haul.

Power for the 670 Azure Sport Yacht is a pair of 985 hp Caterpillar C-12.9 diesels paired to a ZF transmission. (The standard spec is twin 500 hp John Deere diesels.) In addition to main engines, those passages are supported by two 20 kW Northern Lights gensets to ensure all of the hotel loads, including the MarineAir direct air conditioning, have the required juice when the only sight is the next horizon.

The 670 Azure Sport Yacht has two helm stations, one forward and to starboard on the main deck with a single helm chair and companion seat across, and a second, double-wide helm seat on centerline on the flybridge. Both helm stations have Stidd seats and Garmin multifunction displays. The flybridge also has an L-shaped settee seating to port and abaft the helm as well as room for a grill and tender stowage on the aft deck.

Accommodations include a full-beam (17’2”) owners’ stateroom amidships with a king-size berth, a walk-in closet, satin-finish teak bulkheads, doors and cabinets, and an en suite head with teak-and-holly sole and a shower. There is also a forepeak VIP with a queen-size berth and a guest stateroom to port with two bunks. The VIP has access to the guest head with a shower. There is also head access off the companionway.

On the main-deck, the entertainment-centric layout starts with the galley aft. A drop-down window helps create a seamless connection between the salon and cockpit. The Azure 670 Sport Yacht’s galley is set up with GE appliances, in microwave, electric cooktop, oven, undercounter refrigerator, trash compactor and garbage disposal.

In the cockpit, there are two bar stools and a countertop facing the galley further illustrating the indoor-outdoor connectivity. There is also a dining table under the flybridge overhang abaft the bar area with bench seating along the transom.

Stairs to starboard lead to the lower teak cockpit, while a second door provides access to the hydraulic swim platform, which lowers to let owners to launch a tender and water toys, as well as prep to go scuba diving and swimming.

For sun and breeze, accompanied by some quietude, the 670 Azure Sport Yacht has a foredeck lounge with U-shaped seating around a teak table. It’s a great spot for sundowners on the hook.

With its robust construction, long-range-cruising accommodations, reliable power and a layout conducive to family-friendly voyages, the Outer Reef Yachts 670 Azure Sport Yacht should make the short list for enthusiasts ready to aim for that second star to the left and head straight on till morning.

Take the next step: outerreefyachts.com

Quick Specifications:

• Length Overall: 67’6”
• Maximum Beam: 17’2”
• Draft: 5’
• Fuel Capacity: 1,000 Gal.
• Freshwater Capacity: 300 Gal.
• Displacement: 99,000 Lbs.

The post Outer Reef Yachts Debuts 670 Azure Sport Yacht appeared first on Yachting.

Top Trawlers 

The following 15 trawlers are all vessels we’ve written about. They are listed in no particular order.

• Nordhavn 96: Built for an owner who desired to self-sufficiently while cruising the world, literally.
• Beneteau Grand Trawler 62: This trawler can travel nonstop for 1,000 nautical miles.
• Kadey-Krogen 52: This twin-engine-capable, all-oceans trawler is a solid fit for voyaging cruising couples.
• Bering Yachts B76: The B76 is the builder’s first fully custom trawler in this size range.
• Ranger Tugs R-43 Command Bridge: This vessel is equally comfortable at a 7-knot stroll or an 18-knot jog.
• Beneteau 48 Swift Trawler: Based on the builder’s Swift Trawler 47, this yacht has a resin-infused fiberglass hull.
• Kadey-Krogen 50 Open: The 50 Open can cruise at 6 knots nonstop for 5,000 nautical miles.
• Outer Reef 620 Trident: It has a three-stateroom layout and optional 600 hp Cummins diesels.
• Grand Banks 60 Skylounge: This yacht is efficient across a variety of cruising speeds.
• Krogen Express 52: Headroom to spare, two staterooms, a chef-ready galley and long range define this trawler yacht.
• Grand Banks 85 Skylounge: Grand Banks’ V-warp hull form makes for a level running attitude, seakindliness and long range.
• Vicem Yachts 82 Classic: Construction is in cold-molded, strip-planked mahogany with epoxy.
• Outer Reef 610 Motoryacht: Power on this Outer Reef is a pair of 500 hp John Deere 6090 diesels.
• Nordhavn 59 Coastal Pilot: Did someone say this is a 20-knot Nordhavn?
• Marlow 58E: A high level of customization and admirable performance are at the heart of the Marlow 58E.

Nordhavn 96

The Nordhavn 96 is the yacht builder’s second-largest yacht its 17-model fleet, which ranges from 41 to 120 feet length overall. (There is a new 112 on the drawing table.) The builder says the N96 is based on its earlier 86-footer with a 10-foot cockpit extension, which increases both main-deck, skylounge and below-deck volume. The N96 we reviewed was built by an owner who previously had an 86-foot Nordhavn, but with his plans for extended cruises to remote destinations, the 96 was the right size for his voyaging plans. In fact, since the owner took delivery of the boat, it has been on a continuous circumnavigation.

Quick Specifications

Beneteau Grand Trawler 62

Beneteau’s Grand Trawler 62 has 1,000-plus-mile range and 20-knot speed with twin 730 hp i6 MAN diesels. The Grand Trawler 62 is the builder’s flagship in its Trawler series, which also includes the Swift Trawler 35, Swift Trawler 41 Sedan,  Swift Trawler 41 Fly and Swift Trawler 48. Small touches set the Beneteau Grand Trawler 62 apart. They include sea rails on all lockers to keep stowed food and gear in place, leather-wrapped interior handrails for security in a seaway, and leather drawer pulls like those found on larger yachts. Long-range cruising accommodations include a full-beam master stateroom aft, a forepeak VIP and twin-berth guest stateroom. A Quick X3 gyrostabilizer helps mitigate any potential rocking and rolling on rough days.

Quick Specifications

Kadey-Krogen 52

The Kadey-Krogen 52 is the trawler-yacht builder’s smallest offering in its raised-pilothouse series, complete with a Portuguese Bridge. Owners can choose from either a two- or three-stateroom layout, and between a single-diesel engine or twin-diesel engines, for owners seeking redundancy. The standard engine is a 231 hp John Deere diesel. With the single-engine setup, draft is 5’5” and with twins it’s a shallower 4’6”. At 6 knots, range is an ocean-crossing 4,850 nautical miles. At 7 knots, it’s 3,300 nm. At 9 knots, it 1,700 nm. The builder states, “The entire Krogen 52 is built from only three molded pieces for maximized structural integrity. There are no additional secondary bonds or caulk joints that can inevitably cause issues. All deck and superstructures are cored and vacuum-bagged to maximize strength while minimizing weight.” Additionally, six longitudinal stringers enhance overall strength.

Quick Specifications

Bering Yachts B76

Lemanja is the first custom boat that Bering has built in this size range. The yacht is notable for its steel hull and aluminum superstructure, and for its 4,000-nautical-mile-plus range with its twin 404 hp Cummins QSL9 diesel engines. As rugged as the Bering 76 is built on the outside, it also offers homelike comforts in its skylounge inside, offering panoramic views out large windows surrounding the space. Sole-to-ceiling glass offers similar views in the open-plan salon. Accommodations are fox six guests in three staterooms with a master stateroom and two guest staterooms, plus crew accommodations. In addition to its traditional diesel engines, the B76 has a solar-rechargeable battery bank for hybrid propulsion.

Quick Specifications

Ranger Tugs R-43 Command Bridge

The Ranger Tugs R-43 Command Bridge is a long-distance cruiser with creature comforts. Our expert found the R-43 Command Bridge to be a solid candidate to cruise The Great Loop. We agree. Twin Volvo Penta IPS450 pod drives give the boat efficient low and high cruise speeds at 7 and 18 knots, respectively. For those that have work during their cruise, the R-43 Command bridge’s master stateroom is set up with an office with a desk. Long trips require extra stowage and a way to clean salty clothes, so on the R-43 Command Bridge there is a washer, dryer, auxiliary refrigerator/freezer and stowage under the dinette, which rises on electric rams. Voyagers who buy a R-43 Commander Bridge can opt for a Factory Delivery Experience, which is three days of instruction on Puget Sound, and includes in boat systems, handling and maintenance.

Quick Specifications

Beneteau Swift Trawler 48

The Beneteau Swift Trawler 48 has a 1,300-nautical-mile range at 8 knots, but can also speed away at 26 knots if the weather goes south in a hurry. Based on the builder’s 47-footer, the three-stateroom, two-head Swift Trawler 48 has a resin-infused fiberglass hull. Power is a pair of 425 hp Cummins diesels. The main-deck layout includes a galley aft setup, which is accessible to the cockpit. There, the seating and dining area can be fully enclosed, with tracks in place for side curtains. The helmsman is kept comfortable on long passages with a bolstered, pedestal bucket-style seat with a flip-up footrest. The Swift Trawler 48 we reviewed had upgraded 12-inch Raymarine HybridTouch displays (9-inch screens are standard).

Quick Specifications

Kadey-Krogen 50 Open

Designed for serious extended cruising, Kadey-Krogen Yachts 50 Open provides owners with amenities that will enhance those longer passages. The galley is fitted with a Sub-Zero refrigerator and freezer, a four-burner Wolf range, a microwave and an optional dishwasher. Unlike in many trawlers and their traditional pilothouse design, the galley is located on the same level as the helm and salon. Belowdecks is the master stateroom amidships with two hanging lockers, 12 cabinets, additional drawers for stowage and an en suite head, shower and two sinks. Forward of the master is an office. The 50 Open’s hull has soft chines and a curved after end, much like the characteristics of a sailboat built for cruising. The result is an efficient hull form that provides a gentle landing into troughs when the sea gets a temper. This trawler can cruise at 6 knots for 5,000 nautical miles; 7 knots for 3,000 nautical miles; 8 knots for 2,100 nautical miles; and 9 knots for 1,200 nautical miles.

Quick Specifications

Outer Reef 620 Trident

Outer Reef Yachts 620 Trident delivers a three-stateroom layout and optional 600 hp Cummins diesels that allow this vessel to approach a top hop of 21 knots. Cruising speed is a little over 16 knots, burning about 34 gallons of fuel per hour at 2,750 rpm. The amidships master stateroom has 6-foot-8-inch headroom, a walk-in closet and a shower enclosed in smoked glass. In the forepeak VIP stateroom, there are seven drawers, a hanging locker, a 31-inch Samsung TV and 7-foot headroom. The portside guest stateroom can convert to an office, too. The aft galley has a U-shape countertop, a three-burner electric cooktop, a Bosch microwave and a Vitrifrigo refrigerator and freezer. Cherry, walnut and oak are the available wood options.

Quick Specifications

Grand Banks 60 Skylounge

It’s obvious after a quick peek inside the Grand Banks 60 Skylounge that the Grand Banks Yachts trademark external DNA is retained. The deck, cabin house and skylounge are all composed of infused carbon fiber, reducing weight aloft and creating a lower center of gravity. With twin 900 hp Volvo Penta D13 diesels, the 60 Skylounge can accelerate to 31 knots and cruise at about 25 knots. The 60 Skylounge can also travel up to 2,000 nautical miles at 10 knots on a 1,530-gallon fuel tank. Twin 1,000 hp Volvo Penta IPS1200s are also available.

Quick Specifications

Krogen Express 52

The Krogen Express 52 runs on twin 440 hp Yanmar diesels and can cruise at 8 knots for 1,680 nautical miles or at 16 knots for 500 nautical miles. Top hop:  22 knots. In the interior, Krogen Express has outfitted the 52 with a master stateroom and a guest stateroom. The former has a queen island berth, more than 7-foot headroom, hanging lockers and smaller cubbies to port and to starboard, and an en suite head with a molded fiberglass shower stall with a seat, a VacuFlush toilet and a granite countertop. A power lift elevates the berth and grants access to more stowage underneath. The Krogen Express 52’s salon has a 26-inch HD LED TV and a home-theater system, leather Stressless chairs to port and a built-in, L-shape settee to starboard. The galley boasts granite countertops, a three-burner Force 10 propane range with an oven, a refrigerator, a GE microwave oven, a deep Elkay sink and a pullout sprayer faucet. There is a Buff Ultraleather Stidd helm seat for extra comfort during long runs.

Quick Specifications

Grand Banks 85 Skylounge

The Grand Banks 85 Skylounge comes in at more than 87 feet length overall and displaces 108,000 pounds, with a 22-plus-foot beam and an air draft of just under 26 feet. Owners can choose either a three- or four-stateroom layout. The standard motors are twin 1,000 hp Volvo Penta IPS diesels, twin 1,300 hp MAN straight-shaft diesels are optional. With the larger engines, owners can also choose an optional stern thruster, in addition to the standard bow thruster. With the IPS diesels, top speed is 26.5 knots and fuel burn is 100 gallons per hour, resulting in a range of 699 nautical miles. At a 21-knot cruise speed, fuel consumption drops to 57 gph, and range climbs to 972 nm. At a 9-knot jog, fuel burn falls to 9 gph, and the Grand Banks 85 Skylounge can cruise nonstop for about 2,500 nautical miles.

Quick Specifications

Vicem 82 Classic Flybridge

The Vicem 82 Classic is a flybridge model built in cold-molded mahogany, which creates a stout hull form with reduced weight. The yacht is notable for its timeless Downeast lines and strong joiner work. For cruising enthusiasts, the Classic 82 Flybridge is powered with twin 900 hp Volvo Penta D13 diesels. The yacht has a top-end speed of 17.8 knots, and the cruising speed is 15 knots. At 9 knots, and considering a 10-percent fuel reserve, range is reportedly 1,100 nautical miles.  Accommodations three en-suite-equipped staterooms. The master stateroom is full-beam and amidships with a king-size berth is on centerline. The starboard-side guest stateroom and a forepeak VIP each have queen-size berths.

Quick Specifications

Outer Reef 610 Motoryacht

Built for an enthusiastic cruising couple after a three-year boat search, the Outer Reef Yachts 610 Motoryacht (part of the builder’s Classic series), was customized with a fore-and-aft berth in the owners’ stateroom (as in, not athwartships), and berths rather than bunks in the smaller of two guest staterooms. This Outer Reef 610 was designed to be used as a liveaboard vessel, so the salon is not set up for dining (there are tables in the pilothouse, on the aft deck and on the bridge). A pair of swivel chairs in the salon face the built-in couch and the pop-up TV to port. The 610 is built with hand-laid fiberglass, PVC coring above the waterline, resin infusion and a vinylester barrier coat against osmosis. Power is twin 500 hp John Deere 6090 diesels turning ZF transmissions. The 610 tops out at about 13.5 knots with full tanks and 21 people aboard. The engines burn 20 gph at 1,800 rpm for 11 knots at 45 percent engine load. Those numbers should allow it to cross oceans without shortening engine life.

Quick Specifications

Nordhavn 59 Coastal Pilot

Nordhavn has long been known for its stout circumnavigation-capable craft, and the Nordhavn 59 Coastal Pilot carries on the the tradition of a beefy build with addition of…speed. Twenty-knots-plus, actually. Twin 715 hp Cummins diesel inboards and a new semidisplacement hull form are said to be key to the performance equation. The Nordhavn 59CP has a 777-nautical-mile range at a 9.3-knot cruise, and a 255-nm range at its 20.3-knot top-end. Construction is a solid fiberglass hull bottom supported by full-length longitudinal stringers and a series of transversal supports for added backbone. High freeboard should keep the decks dry in a seaway, while rails keep the crew secure during transits. Nordhavn says the 59CP has a “CE category A unlimited offshore rating, ensuring the vessel has the seakeeping and strength capabilities to take on most serious coastal cruises up to 1,000 miles.”

Quick Specifications

Marlow Yachts 58E

Following on the successful Marlow 57, the Marlow 58E was started from scratch on a blank sheet of paper. The essence of the 58E is that it has better performance and more internal and external volume than her predecessor. The centerline length grew 10 inches over the 57, but the waterline length increased 16 inches and the beam widened 4 inches. If you were to examine the two boats out of the water, you would see more bell-shaped forward sections making for a soft impact with the vee’d portion. Power options start with twin 575 hp Caterpillar C9 diesels, but the 58E we got aboard had beefier twin 1,015 hp Caterpillar C18 diesels. Top speed: 27.9 knots. At 8 knots, the Marlow 58E can cruise nonstop for 1,400 nautical miles.

Quick Specifications

Frequently Asked Questions:

What is a trawler yacht?

A true trawler typically has a full-displacement hull form and robust construction to handle open-water operation, and it’s designed to operate self-sufficiently for long periods of time. They are slow-cruising vessels, but over the years, hybrid yachts called fast trawlers have emerged to offer displacement-speed operation as well as the ability to run at planing speeds when desired.

What is a full-displacement hull form?

A displacement-hull form is known is for its rounded nature and deep draft. Full-displacement vessels do not plane on the water, but rather push through the water. This hull design makes displacement-hull vessels incredibly seakindly, but it also makes them relatively slow (think 5, 6, 7, 8 knots) when compared to semidisplacement- and planning-hull designs.

Is a long-range cruiser the same as a trawler?

While all trawlers are certainly long-range cruisers, not all long-range cruisers are trawlers. True trawlers will have full-displacement hull designs and not all long-range cruisers have them.

The post Top 15 Trawlers for 2023 appeared first on Yachting.

If Mother Nature had been less obstinate, Miles Cherkasky might have continued to sail.

“I’ve been sailing since I was probably 14 years old, almost half a century of sailing,” he says, now in his 60s. “One day, I was doing a delivery from Baltimore down to Miami Beach where we have a slip, and there was no wind, and I was sitting there listening to my engine run, and I couldn’t go anywhere, and I thought, ‘This is stupid. Time to get a trawler.’”

But what kind of trawler? He and his wife, Laureen, knew they liked longer-distance, offshore cruising—after Miles retired back in 2007, they bought a 47-foot high-performance sailboat and cruised it from Nova Scotia to the Bahamas a few times—but they weren’t quite sure how to achieve a good cruising experience in a powerboat. That is, until the day Miles helped with the delivery of an Outer Reef.

“When they came out of the inlet, Miles was putting away his cup of coffee, getting ready, thinking there were going to be all these waves and it would be sloppy, but nobody around him was moving or getting prepared for these big seas,” Laureen recalls. “The ride was like glass. When he came home that day, he said, ‘We have to get an Outer Reef.’”

Just like that, the Cherkaskys became members of a club that has grown almost exponentially in recent years, as an increasing number of boaters realize they can live their long-distance cruising dreams with the kinds of creature comforts that used to be limited to land. Today’s offshore-capable power yachts for cruising couples and families, built by companies such as Outer Reef, Nordhavn and Kadey-Krogen, are being built for go-anywhere adventure. They’re also being outfitted for the specific types of adventures that owners want to undertake.

“These boats are not marina queens,” says Jeff Druek, president and CEO of Outer Reef. “We talk a lot about equipment on board, things like inverters, solar panels, how many generators, what size generators, what type of air conditioning—things of that nature. Every piece of equipment in the boat is talked about, in terms of how they plan to use their boat, how far they’re going to go afield, how long they’re going to be away from the dock and where they’re going to be cruising.”

Nordhavn President Dan Streech says the way today’s bluewater hulls are being built and outfitted is making adventure cruising a real option for people who just a couple of decades ago would have feared it. The kinds of discomfort and danger that used to be part and parcel of crossing oceans are now minimized by modern construction, communication tools and redundant systems, so much so that all kinds of people feel comfortable cruising far and wide.

“You’re seeing normal people who in no way would’ve been sailboat material 35 years ago,” Streech says. “They have the chart plotters and Starlink. They’re sitting on the open ocean doing Facetime with their grandchildren. They’re not disconnecting from the world. It’s not necessary to have physical sacrifices or the emotional trauma of cutting themselves off. They have washers and dryers, wine coolers, TV, communication as they’re heading down to the South Pacific, and they are part of a huge social network, even just inside the Nordhavn world. We have 600 boats. The owners’ group—there are probably 20, 30, 40 posts a day with people who have a question. That feeling of isolation is gone.”

John Ellis took delivery of his Nordhavn 68, Dragon, in 2021 with a vision of following in his parents’ wake, only in a less-stressful way.

“I have a lot of sailing experience. My parents were cruisers,” Ellis says. “I spent time on board with them in the South Pacific. I’ve been on long passages with slanted decks. That wasn’t really what I was looking for. I loved those years—they were wonderful—but I’m looking for a different experience.”

A big part of the offshore powerboat experience for Ellis is fishing, so he customized his Nordhavn with extra bait tanks and rod stowage, along with two Seakeepers: an SK9 and an SK16. “When we stop and we’re fishing in the open ocean, we need to keep the motion down on the boat,” Ellis says. “The ocean has a tendency to want to rearrange the furniture on these big boats. Now, we tap a button, and it’s just as solid and stable as it can be. Nobody’s mad at me, and nothing’s breaking. No plates are crashing inside.”

That change in the way bluewater boats are built, Streech says, is also changing the profile of offshore cruisers. Back in the day, the typical Nordhavn customer was a husband who wanted to point the bow offshore and a wife being dragged along for the white-knuckle ride. Not so today, Streech says: “Just a shower alone was a luxury 35 years ago, and now you’re standing in a stone shower with gorgeous fixtures and a heated towel bar. What we’re seeing more and more is teamwork. A couple comes in, and she’s not looking at her phone half-mad because they just had a fight in the car. Not at all. She’s right there on the team and leading it sometimes. She has deduced that this is a path where they can share something, have an adventure and travel the world.”

Ellis says that’s exactly the plan that he and his wife share, now that both their kids are off to college. Their intent is to complete a 10-year circumnavigation.

“We’re going to go to the Caribbean and then come up the Eastern Seaboard, then go up to Nova Scotia, then back down to Florida after hurricane season next year, then Bermuda to the Azores, then get to Portugal and figure out whether we want to go up the Thames for fish and chips or whether we want to go around the corner to France,” he says. “It’s inevitable that we’re going to do both. My wife wants to do all the things, and we’re super happy with all the confidence we’ve been able to build aboard the boat so far.”

Sandy Peretsman says it was actually his wife’s idea to buy the Kadey-Krogen 48 that they named Third Child. She’s still winding down her career, but he retired this past January and started thinking harder about what comes next. They’d always had smaller boats and chartered larger ones in destinations such as the British Virgin Islands; he wanted them to have a bluewater-capable boat of their own, one that would let them do more as owner-operators. “My wife pushed me to do this a few years ago when I was turning 60,” Peretsman recalls, adding that his wife told him, “You don’t want to be one of those people who say, ‘I’m going to do it,’ and you don’t.”

So, they’re doing it. They base Third Child out of Charleston, South Carolina. So far, they’ve gone as far south as the Bahamas, and they’re thinking about heading up to New England, as well as cruising farther south into the Caribbean, as they become more comfortable aboard. “You can island-hop your way all the way to the Virgin Islands without ever driving more than 200 miles at a time, and we already drive that along the East Coast,” he says. “My personal preference is offshore because there’s a lot less traffic. It’s more relaxing. You don’t have to worry about how deep the ocean is or running aground, or boats passing you and crossing you. It’s just a big, blue patch, so you can go where you want, as you want.”

The more time he spends running his Kadey-Krogen, Peretsman says, the more he’s thinking about increasing his cruising distances. “I can go from Charleston to Europe and most of the way back on one tank of gas,” he says. “These boats will go 4,000 or 5,000 miles on a single tank of fuel. It doesn’t suit everybody, but if you want to be out there, it’s a wonderful boat for it.”

Streech says that for Nordhavn owners, ocean crossings aren’t even big news anymore. The company has had 13 boats complete circumnavigations so far; one of them did it three times. Over at Outer Reef, Druek says, so many people want to cruise off the beaten track that the resale value of the bluewater-capable boats stays high. Some of them, he says, he’s resold eight or 10 times.

It’s a testament to how far powerboat building has come that adventures so impressive are increasingly common. “To the Marquesas, that’s 3,000 miles,” Streech says. “It’s shocking, it’s mind-numbing that if you looked down from an airplane, you probably couldn’t even see the boat, and these boats make it. They do it over and over and over again.”

The Core Elements

Nordhavn President Dan Streech says that for distance cruising, “there are basics that have to be adhered to in terms of stability, structure, fuel capacity, fuel handling. All those things need to be there. They don’t get talked about that much anymore. They’re a given for us now at Nordhavn.”

Having It All on Board

Production Manager Fran Morey says Kadey-Krogen owners typically stay on board at least six months each year. “They want everything that’s the latest and greatest, and they also want the creature comforts of home,” he says.

The post Building Bluewater Cruising Yachts appeared first on Yachting.

Outer Reef Yachts is sharing more details about its new 670 Azure Sport Yacht.

The defining design feature on this model is an indoor-outdoor galley and aft deck for guest relaxation and entertainment.

According to Outer Reef, this hull of the 670 Azure Sport Yacht is built for a young cruising couple. Exterior features include what the builder calls a “Serenity Foredeck Lounge,” and a hydraulic integral sports platform aft. The sports platform submerges into the water for launching equipment, tenders, fishing and more.

What is the Serenity Foredeck Lounge? It’s an optional entertainment zone on the foredeck of Outer Reef models, for owners who want additional privacy from traffic on the docks at marinas.

Where to learn more: go to outerreefyachts.com

The post Meet the Outer Reef 670 Azure Sport Yacht appeared first on Yachting.

Outer Reef Yachts has re-engineered its 650 Classic Motoryacht, adding features that previously were exclusive to the larger 700 Classic Motoryacht.

Changes to the 650 Classic Motoryacht include a larger galley with an open layout; a main-deck day head to starboard; full-size refrigeration; a master stateroom with a king-size berth, and with single or twin heads; internal stairs from the salon to the crew cabin; and an FRP staircase to the flybridge, replacing a previous stainless-steel ladder.

Overall, the yacht can be used as a four-stateroom vessel with four-and-a-half heads (if there is an owner-operator without crew).

When will construction start on Hull No. 1 of the re-engineered 650 Classic Motoryacht? Soon. Outer Reef’s team says several customers have already placed orders.

Take the next step: go to outerreefyachts.com

The post Outer Reef Yachts Re-Engineers the 650 Classic Motoryacht appeared first on Yachting.

For David and Nicole Kruegel, cruising is for their birds. Leeloo, a white-bellied caique parrot, and Atticus (Atti for short), an eclectus parrot, take to the seas as eagerly as they do the air. The Kruegels are significantly expanding their voyages in their new full-time home on the water—a 2009 Outer Reef 650 Motoryacht—and the 7-year-old parrots are enthusiastic companions.

Boats and birds have been constants in Nicole’s life. Her childhood home was Tempest, a 1937 46-foot wooden sloop anchored in Dana Point, California. She got her first bird, a lovebird, at age 7 and has had feathered friends ever since. David grew up in Ormond Beach, Florida, and has spent countless hours water-skiing, surfing and scuba diving. Their mutual love of the water drew them together and assured they would always be a boating couple.

They started in 2007 with a 19-foot center-console, then, two years later, moved up to a 30-foot Regal. A 2016 cruise through the Abacos aboard their Mainship 430 trawler convinced the duo that it was time to find a boat that they, their two cats and the birds could live on full time. “Every time we sailed, we had to board the birds, and it was a big hassle to find a facility that could take care of them properly,” David says.

They took delivery of a Fountaine Pajot sailing catamaran in March 2020. After sailing along the Eastern Seaboard and the Florida Keys, in fall 2021, they returned to the Bahamas, this time with the parrots. “It was a learning experience for U.S. Fish and Wildlife, and for the Bahamian immigration and customs folks because they’d never had to do this before,” David says. The Kruegels scrambled to complete paperwork and health checks before leaving the United States. Upon their arrival at West End, they found the Bahamian officials less interested in paperwork than in taking selfies with the birds.

The family cruised Grand Bahama, the Abacos, Eleuthera, the Exumas, the Berry Islands and Bimini.

Having parrots “is like having a 3- or 4-year-old forever,” David says. First, there’s the diet. They need daily fresh fruits and vegetables, which can be difficult to find while cruising. Leeloo can be a picky eater. “We gave her a green apple in the Bahamas, and she threw it back at us,” Nicole says.

As the Kruegels settle into their Outer Reef 650 Motoryacht, Avalon, there’s something for everyone. The boat has a 3,500-nautical-mile range, which will enable them to check off a bucket-list item: transiting the Panama Canal and exploring the Pacific. The interior gives the humans plenty of room to lounge and the birds lots of interior flight space.

In the parrots’ customized aft starboard cabin, the top bunk has been removed to allow more room for their cage and a view out the window. The birds also have their own head with a perch beside a big mirror. “Leeloo likes to look at herself and talk to herself all day,” Nicole says. There’s also plenty of room for the birds’ snacks and toys.

On rough sea days, the parrots prefer to hunker down in their cabin. But on calm days, “they can’t wait to get out,” Nicole says. “They’re eager to see where they are and what’s going on. They get so excited.”

Fan Favorite

Outer Reef Yachts has experienced strong demand for the 650. Recently, it has invested in reengineering this bluewater voyager. The 650’s updated design has enabled a 4-stateroom, 4½-head layout—a best-in-class long-range motoryacht.

The Lineup

The Outer Reef 650 MY is part of the builder’s Classic series, which includes 15 other model variations from 63 to 90 feet LOA across three vessel classes called S, M and X. Beam dimensions identify each class. It also has Trident, a modern long-range sports motoryacht line with 62- and 72-footers as well as an Explorer series with a 108- and 115-footer.

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For Years, Outer Reef Yachts has seen its 700 Classic Motoryacht become its most popular model. Clients wanting similar attributes in a smaller model have now led the yard to create the re-engineered Outer Reef 650 Classic Motoryacht.

The new Outer Reef 650 Classic Motoryacht has a larger galley with an open layout, a day-head to starboard on the main deck, full-size refrigeration in the galley, internal stairs from the salon to the crew cabin and an improved layout.

“Ultimately, as an owner-operator without crew, the new 650 design transformation has created a four-stateroom, four-and-a-half head yacht,” Jeff Druek, Outer Reef’s president and CEO, stated in a press release.

Are any of the new Outer Reef 650 Classic Motoryachts in build? They will be soon. Outer Reef says three of the boats have already been ordered.

Where to learn more: go to outerreefyachts.com

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Yachtsmen have a habit of calling Jeff Druek and telling him they want to live their cruising dreams.

Druek is president and CEO of Outer Reef Yachts, which builds long-range motoryachts from 58 to 115 feet length overall. About 10 percent of the buyers, Druek says, are “roamers,” by which he means boaters cruising far off the beaten course, exploring destinations such as the Galapagos Islands and Patagonia.

Felipe Massú is definitely that kind of boater. He bought the 2014 Outer Reef 700 Motoryacht Dogo’s Hideout, whose previous owner had been keeping it in the Pacific Northwest. Massú had a bucket-list dream of rounding Cape Horn, Chile, and he needed a yacht that could handle the unpredictable weather conditions as well as the long-range cruising.

His dream is now a reality. Massú took Dogo’s Hideout on a 35-day itinerary from Puerto Montt, Chile, to Ushuaia, Argentina, a city whose nickname is “the End of the World.” He called getting there one of his great challenges as a navigator, and found the area’s beauty so stunning that along the way, the yacht made more than a dozen stops.

Dogo’s Hideout is not the first Outer Reef to round Cape Horn. Previously, the Outer Reef 880 Cockpit Motoryacht Argo completed the feat. That yacht, built in 2015, had then-owner Paul Hawran aboard as well as Druek, who spent nearly two days on airplanes to get to that part of the planet.

“There is nothing more satisfying than to build a yacht that is not only luxurious and comfortable for everyday cruising, but that also meets the highest of standards for the most treacherous of journeys,” says Druek, who wonders which yachtsman will call him with a bucket-list cruising dream next.

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Susan Swope’s father was a Hatteras dealer who also built oceangoing houseboats, so she tasted the cruising life early. As an adult, she had a 54-foot Azimut and then switched to a 61-foot Outer Reef. “We were tooling back one day from someplace, and I realized that I liked going slow and seeing the sights and not being windblown,” she says.

Her 61-foot Outer Reef wasn’t exactly a slouch on speed, but it was a bit small for her needs. Swope cruises with friends, family and dogs and wanted more room for scuba gear. In July 2019, she ordered a 74-foot Outer Reef, which should be with her in the United States by the time you read this.

“We redesigned the stern of the boat,” she says. “There is a cabinet that’s going to hold a Brownie YachtPro [compressor] and the tanks, so all of that will be contained. The tanks can be filled right there and in the water, and it’s all out of the way when you’re not using it.”

Outer Reef president Jeff Druek says the original swim platform is now more of a sports platform. “You could probably put seven or eight people with dive gear on this platform,” he says. “It’s very spacious.”

Inside, Outer Reef made custom enhancements, says interior designer Deborah Dorn: “We commissioned pieces, we have vintage pieces, we have special finishes. It’s a more elevated interior in terms of products, artwork and artisan-made items.”

Swope’s big concern now? Where to go first.

“I think in the summer, we may go up the East Coast. We’ve got great plans, maybe to go to Bermuda and further down the islands to the Turks and Caicos, and I have this idea in my head about going to the Mediterranean,” she says. “Diving is just a big bonus.”

The post This Outer Reef ‘Equiessence’ is Made-to-Order appeared first on Yachting.

The Outer Reef 650 is a long-range cruiser built for blue water. Hull construction is solid fiberglass below the waterline and PVC coring above it. Full-length longitudinal stringers and athwartships stringers add backbone.

The yacht’s cruise-speed range is 9 to 15.5 knots with a top speed up to 22 knots.

The 650 has a three-stateroom layout with a full-beam amidships master, a forepeak VIP and a portside guest stateroom with a double berth, all with en suite heads.

At press time, six Outer Reef 650s were available, ranging from $1,595,000 to $1,795,000.

From the Archive

“The watertight rear door swings open to reveal a cherry-wood salon lined with carefully book-matched teak veneer panels and flooded by natural light on three sides. A remarkable wood table, with two folding leaves that lay flush on top, sits in front of the L-shaped settee. In the closed position, the table has two bird’s-eye maple inserts. …Black granite graces the galley countertops.”

—Yachting, October 2007

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