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One
thing that impressed me about the 4050 was her clean, uncluttered deck
surfaces. For example, an articulated boarding ladder stows neatly beneath
a small hatch in the swim platform, and there’s a large stowage
area for fenders and lines through another hatch in the platform. Connections
for shore power, cable TV, and phone jacks are in a compartment beneath
the steps to the bridge deck. Forward, the optional foredeck sunpads are
recessed, and her Maxwell windlass is even mounted beneath a hatch to
eliminate a possible trip hazard.
From
a gull’s-eye view, you might easily mistake the layout of the 4050
for an express cruiser. But below deck, her interior is unmistakably aft
cabin. Big upper and lower side windows in the saloon let guests enjoy
the view whether they’re standing or seated. A port-side L-shape
sofa/sleeper is standard, but I was intrigued to learn that double recliners
are an option. Opposite, the fully equipped galley boasts double stainless
steel sinks, an 8.5-cubic-foot refrigerator/freezer, two-burner stove,
and built-in microwave. There’s abundant stowage, and overhead cabinets
are suspended, allowing a pass-through to the adjoining dinette.
The
biggest surprise, however, was the size of the two staterooms, each larger
than one might expect on any 40-footer. The 6'6" x 4'10" queen
berth in the guest stateroom is as big as you’d find in the master
on many express cruisers, and the aft master stateroom, with a similarly
sized berth, has stowage that would rival a shore-side condominium. I
counted at least a dozen large cabinets plus a full-size cedar hanging
locker and four large drawers. There are even big stowage bins beneath
the berths in both the master and guest staterooms.
With
all her interior volume, it was hard to fathom that this motoryacht would
be capable of express cruiser speeds. It was time to hook up our test
gear and find out. Easing out into Green Bay, we shoved the throttles
forward, and I watched the radar gun as the twin 425-hp MerCruiser V-8s
pushed us to a speed of nearly 36 mph. Typical of big gasoline-powered
boats, she was a bit sluggish from 2500 to 3500 rpm, but once on plane
she was responsive. You do need to plan ahead, however, because at speed
the 4050 has a turning radius that seems bigger than a football field.
She banks nicely but needs lots of territory, and while she’s turning,
her underwater exhausts tend to ventilate, causing no harm but producing
a disconcerting change in her sound level.
A few
weeks later, during Cruisers’ annual dealer meeting in Sturgeon
Bay, Wisconsin, I was able to test a sistership powered by a pair of 420-hp
Caterpillar diesels. With greater low-end torque, the diesels got the
hull out of the hole about three seconds quicker than the gasoline engines,
but with those diesels adding some 3,500 pounds (more than ten percent),
top speed was reduced by the same percentage, to about 321⁄2 knots.
Top
speed is only part of the story, though. Big diesel engines cruise easily
at 90 percent of full rpm, which on the 4050 translates to about 30 mph
while burning around 38 gph. Gasoline engines, on the other hand, are
better suited for cruising at about 75 percent of maximum rpm, in this
case delivering 23 mph at 3600 rpm and still using about 38 gph. By comparison,
at 23 mph the Cats would burn just 29 gph.
Regardless
of power, I found the 4050’s engine access to be excellent, although
since it’s through a large hatch in the saloon sole, potentially
inconvenient. Wiring was neatly run and labeled, and all systems were
readily accessible, thanks to more than a foot of clearance around each
side of the engines.
I was
equally impressed by the 4050’s structure: two hefty longitudinal
stringers flank her centerline, a second pair runs outboard of the engines,
and a third pair extends along the inboard edges of her aluminum fuel
tanks. Her hull bottom, sides, decks, and superstructure are cored with
balsa.
Multipurpose
boats often end up doing nothing well, but the 4050 Express Motoryacht
fulfills her promise, and she’s well constructed to boot. So you
may not have to choose between an express cruiser and a motoryacht after
all. If the 4050 fulfills your needs, all you’ll have to decide
is, will it be gasoline or diesel?
Cruisers
Yachts Phone: (920) 834-2211. Fax: (920) 834-2797. www.cruisersyachts.com.
George
L. Petrie is a professor of naval architecture at Webb Institute and provides
maritime consulting services. His Web site is www.maritimeanalysis.com.
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