Boat test for the 2008 Marlow Explorer 86 CMY with boat pictures, boat specifications, and boat test results. Includes pricing, videos, engine test reviews, and ratings for the 2008 Marlow Explorer 86 CMY.

As we go through the vessel dockside, it becomes clear to me that the 86 is a sound and comfortable vessel. But I know that that would matter only if she performs well. Unfortunately, once we get her off the dock and into the waters of Terra Ceia Bay, the one- to two-foot waves don't allow a test of her seakeeping ability, although performing three to four boat-length loops with the wheel hard over raises some four-footers that slip unnoticed under our bow. The main reason for that radius—still quite good for an 86-footer—appears to be the twin Veolcijet strut keels, another patented Marlow design, that stick down like an A near the stern to add stability and to protect the shafts housed within them. The design imposes no such resistance for dockside maneuvering. With the wheel centered and engines opposed, she spins slowly but within her own length, and adding a little rudder accelerates her at a controlled and predictable rate.

Standing on the flying bridge, I feel exhilarated and completely in control behind the wheel; she is both fast and easy to drive. I feel I could take her anywhere, and with over a 1,300-mile range at 19 mph, I'm pretty sure the new owner will do just that. And wherever he takes her, he'll have the knowledge that she can handle it because she's built tough. She's definitely a boat that fits the passage-making mold.

For more information on Marlow Yachts, including contact information, click here.

SPOTLIGHT ON: Chain Locker

When I asked David Marlow about the advisability of placing a pulpit on a 90-foot boat, he explained that inside the pulpit were thin plates of steel, bolted together, and stacked vertically like long business cards in a box.

An even more important part of the design is the chain stowage, which is not in the foc'sle but 14 feet farther aft and nine feet farther down; basically under the VIP's queen berth. This puts the ten-pound-per-foot chain below the yacht's longitudinal metacentric height, so it acts as ballast in a seaway instead of adding to pitching. Another smart move: The "mud-hog" pump that flushes the chain-wash residue overboard can double as another bilge pump.—G.R.

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