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In the saloon I begin to appreciate the design team's work in maximizing food-prep and lounging spaces. The galley is to port, and the stairs that lead down from topsides—each step has a compartment in it for stowage—only partially separate the galley from the rest of the saloon. This leaves room for the cook to heat food with either the two-burner Schott Ceran electric cooktop or the Tappan convection oven and microwave. The bulkhead that divides the VIP from the saloon tilts outward toward the bow, increasing the elbow room at the bench-style dinette. It seems to affect only the VIP by utilizing some of its floorspace—a smart trade-off, since there is still plenty of room to stand and dress. What else do you really use that space for, anyway?
But you use your boat for much more, including the pleasures of driving her, so we start the engines to see how she handles. We pull away from the dock and head to a well-protected section of the Intracoastal Waterway to collect our data.
a d v e r t i s e m e n t
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The water here is smooth, and so is the Zaffiro's acceleration. As I push the Volvo Penta throttles past 1200 rpm, I hear a high-pitch whirring, the telltale sign of superchargers (these engines have both superchargers and turbochargers). Clayton tells me to speed up to 2400 rpm, and when I do, the turbos kick in and the sound quickly dissipates. I bring her back down to a comfortable 2000 rpm in order to test her handling. The power-assisted steering is tight and sporty, and I have a fine time leaving big S-wakes to splash against the walls of the canal.
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But smooth water play isn't the proper test of a vessel's seakeeping abilities, so I take her through the ebbing tide in Hillsboro Inlet and out into stacking seas. The waves past the breakwater are running a good three to five feet. I keep the engines well shy of their 3600-rpm-WOT rating, cruising along around 2500 rpm (26 mph). We run at the waves at angles, slicing into most of them due to the 25-degree deadrise amidships. We catch a few hard hits, but they come mostly during trim-tab adjustment or when I change headings. I feel safe and in control the entire time, and as I pass a dive boat, the guests onboard snap pictures of us playing in the seas. All the while the Zaffiro was pleasurable to drive and handled herself well in conditions that would challenge many boats in her size range. Her hand-laid-fiberglass structure felt strong and stalwart, with never a rattle or groan. In short, her toughness lived up to her namesake.
She was like a sapphire in another way, too. The finest of these gems are translucent, so even in their density they appear open. The 36 is like that. Her openness is a result of mixing smart design items—such as the engine hatch—with a thoughtful layout. It's not everyday you find a full-beam master, well-laid-out saloon, and a VIP on a 32-foot hull. She's a rare jewel indeed.
For more information on Cranchi Boats, including contact information, click here.
SPOTLIGHT ON: Bimini Tensioners
The rattling of a bimini top can drive some boaters up the wall, forcing them to either slow down or hold onto the shade's frame with one hand so that they can continue to enjoy their cruise.
Thankfully Cranchi sought out a better solution: adjustable tensioners on all the top's framework. With a simple twist, you can snug the bimini to the correct pressure given the conditions of the day. We tried it out during our test, and the Zaffiro 36's top never budged.
Taking the bimini down is just as easy: All you need to do is loosen the tensioners and fold the top down.—G.R.
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This article originally appeared in the August 2008
issue of Power & Motoryacht magazine.
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