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The fuel berth in Palma, Mallorca, seemed unusually popular considering the recent rocketing price of oil. Sailboats drifted about, patiently awaiting their turn. Three or four motoryachts circled warily, their captains tweaking the throttles and burning out their bow thrusters in an effort to keep station in the afternoon breeze—alert to the imagined danger of some impertinent fishing boat jumping the queue. Across the harbor a large, blue Ro-Ro freighter sounded two blasts on her horn and began to pull away from the quay as a sailboat crossed under her bow, oblivious.
Finally it was our turn. A tanned marinero in a straw hat and shades took our lines and dragged the diesel hose over from the pump. Our captain jumped ashore and disappeared into the cabin on the end of the dock. Following a leisurely Spanish interlude—discussion, negotiation, and, I don't know, maybe refreshments and family photos—the fuel started flowing.
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The tanks weren't even that low. Considering we were about to carry out a full performance trial, the skipper seemed remarkably unconcerned about the effect the added weight might have. I've known yards to run boats on vapors and empty the water tank before a test, anxious to achieve the best possible speed. But here in Palma, watched by a gaggle of waiting boats milling about in the afternoon heat, fuel flowed into our Pershing 64.
And flowed. Four hundred liters came and went on the gauge. Then 500—that's nearly 1,000 pounds. Six, then 700, and finally—and only when the pump halted at its maximum readout of €990 (about $1,550)—it stopped. We had taken on 760 liters—an extra 1,400 pounds—and were heading out to see how fast the boat would go.
The new Pershing 64, launched this past summer in Europe, replaces the excellent 62 in the lineup. Since last year's 72 was introduced ("Seductive and Stylish," January 2008), the company's design department has been busy reinventing the brand, with many of the styling and technological advances first seen in that boat rolling out into new models. So as well as the new curves to the superstructure—the old Pershing curves having been so comprehensively imitated by just about everyone—this new boat has the excellent extending cockpit overhang that we admired on the 72. Plus there's the truly show-stopping saloon bulkhead: a heavy two-part glass partition which simply slides away, completely out of sight, between the two sofas—or in reality, between the master cabin and the tiny crew cabin. It was also good to see the custom teak-lined cutlery and crockery stowage in the saloon.
The cheerful pastels of 2004's 62 ("Rocket Cruiser," January 2005) have given way to a much cooler scheme of hard-edged, pale oak veneers and dark wenge flooring, with a pleasingly tactile coarse-weave mat in the saloon by way of contrast, and plenty of leather to add a touch of luxury. Perhaps I should have worn socks, but I couldn't help noticing that a virtually black floor didn't get half hot on a summer afternoon in Mallorca.
The layouts of the old and the new models could hardly be more different. The 64 is definitely a design from the Midships Master era, with a big central suite between those huge hull windows, instead of the paired twin cabins of the 62. The central double berth faces forward, with the shower and head on the port side, aft of the obligatory chaise lounge by the window. Over to starboard, there is a sideboard and dressing table, with further stowage in the entrance lobby—including a small fridge.
None of the spaces down below feels especially large, thanks to the 64's relatively narrow, performance-oriented beam of just more than 16 feet. This is perhaps more noticeable in the VIP cabin in the bow, although with a hanging locker on each side and two big drawers under the berth, it will at least be possible for your guests to keep their stuff tidied away. The head is a reasonable size, although no bigger than that of the guest twin, over to starboard, which is set down three deep steps and feels a little cave-like. There is 6'7" headroom, however, and two full-length berths of slightly different widths—one 28 inches, and the other four inches wider.
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