Maritimo 73 Motoryacht

Biggest Yet: This Australian builder set out to create a boat that would showcase its plans for the future. Did it succeed? The launch of a new flagship is always a telling moment for a boatbuilder. That's because she's always more than just a boat. She should be the largest, best-equipped, best-designed, and most stylish vessel

By Mike Smith

October 1, 2009

Biggest Yet: This Australian builder set out to create a boat that would showcase its plans for the future. Did it succeed?

The launch of a new flagship is always a telling moment for a boatbuilder. That’s because she’s always more than just a boat. She should be the largest, best-equipped, best-designed, and most stylish vessel in the fleet.

Maritimo’s 73 Motoryacht is all of that and more: She announces to everyone that this builder has big plans for the future.

Her size will probably impress you first. But check out her specs (opposite page), and you’ll see the 73 is a misnomer. She’s actually 81’4″ from her twin 220-pound anchors to her integral swim platform.

So what can you fit in all that LOA? Quite a lot. Her 38-foot-long enclosed bridge has seating for at least 11 in three cream-white helm chairs and two L-shape four-person settees. Maritimo also made sure you can entertain up here with ease: There’s a 32-inch LCD TV on an electric lift and a wet bar with ice maker, fridge, and sink, not to mention a sunroof to let in the fresh breezes. There’s even a convenient day head so you won’t have to go below.

Descend the internal hardwood staircase, with its sturdy 21/2-inch thick stainless steel handrail, and you’re in the saloon. A big L-shape settee upholstered in Natuzzi leather sits forward and to port, allowing guests to look back through nearly full-beam sliding glass doors. A single-level sole coupled with white dcor and full-length windows along the port side engender an open feel, even with full side decks. The galleywith standard Miele microwave plus a cooktop, drawer dishwasher, and two fridges and freezersis aft and to starboard, directly across from the port-side dining table.

The sleeping accommodations are below and maintain the same white decor as the saloon, which helps continue that feeling of openness. A full-beam master with his-and-hers heads sits amidships, while a stateroom with a queen lies forward and to port. The VIP has a centerline queen, and there’s another stateroom with bunks to starboard.

The engine room, aft but on the same level, holds a pair of 1,550-hp Caterpillar C32s that drive Maritimo-designed five-blade nibral props. The company predicts they’ll yield a top hop in excess of 39 mph (34 knots), impressive for a 58-ton displacement vessel with 75 feet of waterline. It’s just the kind of performance you’d expect from a flagship motoryacht. Add in elegant styling, roomy accommodations, and top-of-the-line interior features, and you’ve got an example of what Maritimo has in mind for the future.

CONTACT: Maritimo Yachts (206) 462-6080.