MarineMax Unveils 46’ Powercat For BVIs

We're just back from the Miami Boatshow, our knees are killing us and, mercifully, we can’t feel our feet.  Lots of walking, but some fascinating news, too.

MarineMax Vacations showed off plans and renderings for their new 46-foot power catamaran that will be available in the British Virgin Islands for bareboat charters.  They have ordered 30 of the cats, which will be called the MarineMax 464, and charters will start as early as December of this year at their Tortola base.

The MarineMax 464 will have some innovative features and a list of equipment not found on most bareboats.  One that appealed to us is the easy access to the foredeck from the flybridge.  Stairs on each side of the bridge lead forward to the foredeck, making it easy for the skipper to help with anchoring or picking up a mooring buoy without having to go aft to the cockpit and then along the side deck to the bow. 

A second innovation we liked is the high-low cockpit sole.  The entire after section of the cockpit can be lowered electrically to water level, creating a solid “beach” for swimming and snorkeling, and vastly simplifying retrieval of the tender. 

Another great feature is the forward cockpit.  Shaded by the overhang of the bridge and reached by a very civilized door from the salon, it has wrap-around seating and a table.  This, in our opinion, is the perfect place on the yacht to enjoy a sundowner at anchor. 

Other niceties on the 464 are a Spectra watermaker (no stopping every day to buy water!), Kenyon electric barbecue (no messy charcoal!), full Raymarine electronics including radar, GPS and chartplotter, and Northern Lights air conditioning with generator.

While there is a three-cabin “owner’s” version, the 464s in charter service will have four double cabins, each with ensuite heads with showers. 

For info, MarineMax Vacations or 888-461-5497.

MarineMax Goes Power, Too!

Following on the heels of the announcement by MarineMax Vacations of their fleet of 13 new Dufour sailboats entering charter service in the BVIs is news that they will add 10 new power catamarans starting on June 1, 2012 at the same Hodges Creek Marina.  According to VP Raul Bermudez, the cats will be customized Aquila 38s, designed by Morelli and Melvin. 

Like the Dufour sailboats, MarineMax Vacations is going for an upscale audience by adding such niceties as a watermaker, electric barbecue grill and wi-fi.  The two-cabin, two-head boats will, of course, have the expected amenities such as generators and air conditioning.  To be called the MarineMax 382, the boats have a forward walk-through from the oversized flybridge which MarineMax prexy, Lex Raas, labels succinctly as “huge”. 

MarineMax Vacations, 888-461-5497, www.marinemaxvacations.com

Marine Max Jumps In

MarineMax, the largest recreational boat and yacht dealer in the United States, has jumped into the bareboat charter pond with a fleet of Dufour luxury sailboats based out of Tortola in the British Virgin Islands.

Chris Caswell PhotographyCalled MarineMax Vacations, the bareboat program will initially offer 15 Dufour sailboats and intends to follow that with a fleet of bareboat powerboats as well.  Aiming to appeal to a higher-end charter clientele, each of the boats will have $50,000 in upgrades that include a generator, air conditioning, and a watermaker, which sets them apart from other BVI bareboats.

Two sailing models are now available: the MarineMax 413 and the 433.  The 413 is actually the Dufour 405GL, a 40-footer with three cabins and two heads.  The 433 is the Dufour 425GL, a 42-footer with three cabins and three heads. 

Arriving later in 2012 will be two power catamarans: a 38-footer with a two-cabin/two-head layout and a 45-footer with four ensuite cabins plus a flybridge.

The fleet will be based at Hodges Creek Marina, which is in Maya Cove on the east end of Tortola and just a short taxi ride from the BVI airport on Beef Island. 

Until March 31, 2012, the company is offering 20% off bareboat charters of five days or longer when booked before January 31.

We expect this to be a serious contender, since MarineMax Vacations president Lex Raas and VP Raul Bermudez both held those positions for many years with The Moorings, and clearly understand bareboat chartering.

MarineMaxVacations, 888-461-5497, www.marinemaxvacations.com