Often, sturdily built world girdlers double down on all things redundant and beefy, sometimes sacrificing a sleek aesthetic in the process. At the same time, yachts considered party platforms may put bluewater attributes on the back burner. But there does exist a nexus of the two lines of thought, and the Outer Reef 620 Trident is a prime example. She is a vessel that has Outer Reef’s oceangoing pedigree at her core and is also easy on the eyes. The 620 is a great trawler built to help ambitious owners step up from casual cruising to serious voyaging and still look good on the water. Outer Reef sees the Trident line as a stepping stone for yachtsmen who are coming out of first or second boats and who may want to cruise the world. Logically, many of these customers would encompass a younger demographic, and Tridents are built to accommodate their needs. Outer Reef also sees owners of this yacht as having a sense of style. The 620’s lines are appreciably sleeker than those of some other boats in her class. Her plumb bow and broken sheer line play together quite nicely to create the aura of a vessel that can handle rough seas but that looks equally at ease pulling up to a waterside hot spot in South Beach, Miami.
The 620 Trident also has performance numbers that should appeal to time-strapped cruisers. My test vessel, equipped with optional 600 hp Cummins diesel engines, topped out at just over 21 knots and cruised happily at 16.5 knots — a speed that makes Marsh Harbour in the Bahamas a relatively easy day trip from Palm Beach on Florida’s southeast coast. At 16.5 knots, the engines burned 34 gallons per hour while churning at 2,750 rpm.
Her ride was also quiet enough to hold a conversation at normal speaking volume (65 decibels) thanks to the application of the sound-damping material Noxudol 3100 to the hull. Furthermore, the engine room has several layers of high-density foam as well as Noxudol for noise reduction.
And in a pleasant surprise for a yacht of this size and type, she’s rather nimble. Rumbling along off the coast of South Florida at her cruise speed, I got the 620 Trident to pirouette in full circles to port and starboard in about a single boat length. Tracking was excellent, no doubt aided by a full-length keel that dipped below her Zeus pod drives. Although notably, she draws 3 feet 6 inches, making her amenable to skinny-water destinations including the Bahamas and the west coast of Florida. The 620 Trident is built of vinylester resin in FRP that is cored with PVC foam (she’s solid below the waterline). On my test day, that combination made for a confident ride as we sliced through lazy 2-foot seas.
On board, there are a few features that should make up-and-coming cruisers quite happy. The yacht comes standard with a three-stateroom layout, including an amidships master, a forepeak VIP, and a guest stateroom to port. Because Trident expects buyers to still be charging up the corporate ladder, the portside guest stateroom converts to an office, allowing for email responses before absconding for a refreshing dip off Baker’s Bay in the Bahamas.
The full-beam, amidships master has a shower enclosed in smoked glass, giving it the appeal of something you might find in a chic hotel. There’s also a walk-in closet and 6 feet 8 inches of headroom in this stateroom, space that will most surely be appreciated on longer journeys. The forepeak VIP has 7-foot headroom, a 31-inch Samsung TV, seven drawers and a hanging locker.
For onboard operations, the yacht has a CZone digital switching system that enables touchscreen control of all systems. The 620 Trident’s helm has close to 360-degree sightlines thanks to nearly wraparound salon windows. A snazzy high-polish walnut wheel complements twin Simrad screens and Mercury SmartCraft DTS controls, while a watertight door leads to the starboard side deck — a boon for docking and helpful when spotting flotsam and jetsam.
The yacht’s outdoor areas include a cockpit with U-shaped seating around a teak dining table for an alfresco bite. Side decks that lead to the foredeck are 17 inches wide and girded by 30-inch-high gunwales topped with 9-inch-high, 316-stainless-steel rails. Forward are a sun pad for a few friends and a stainless-steel Maxwell VWC 2500 windlass for anchoring.
The Outer Reef 620 Trident is designed for cruising or day boating, and can bat down a heavy sea for owners who want to venture farther away from shore. This is a yacht with pleasant lines and enough volume to be a liveaboard for a season spent cruising the islands. And she is worth a look for any yachtsman seeking to step up his voyaging game without sacrificing a thing.
Driving Force
Standard power is twin 550 hp Cummins QSB6.7 diesels matched to Zeus pod drives. Our test yacht had the optional 600 hp Cummins QSC8.3s. The engine room has an aluminum checker-plate sole, twin Racor fuel filters for the mains, and a 17 kW Cummins Onan genset.
Split Decision
Outer Reef builds its Trident yachts at a factory near Split, Croatia. Split is the country’s second-largest city. Lying on the eastern shore of the Adriatic, it’s a charter-friendly tourist destination should an owner want to couple a vacation with an inspection of the build. The city is famous for Diocletian’s Palace, which the Romans built in 305 A.D. Less a palace than a fortress, it comprises about half of Split’s “Old Town.”
Make Yourself Comfortable
The Outer Reef 620 Trident’s main-deck interior was designed for comfort and entertaining. The galley aft has a U-shaped countertop, a three-burner electric cooktop, a Bosch microwave, and a Vitrifrigo refrigerator and freezer. A U-shaped settee for eight people dominates the salon to port, opposite a retractable TV to starboard. Cherry, walnut and oak are the available woodwork options.
