The 47-footer takes her kin’s concept of one-level living and expands it. The resulting flexibility of the saloon-helm area is outstanding: Aft, a glass and stainless steel door folds away, and the bulkhead’s expanse of glass flips up and latches firmly into place to the hardtop. Both the sunroof and side windows electrically open to complete the alfresco transformation, allowing those sitting at the saloon’s C-shape set­tee—or in the galley directly’ opposite it—to enjoy the breeze and communi­cate easily with guests in the cockpit. The saloon is also great for movie nights, courtesy of a standard 26-inch LCD TV and Bose Lifestyle stereo sys­tem. And if it gets too hot, just close up the saloon and turn on the standard 24,000-Btu Cruisair air conditioning.

Like the saloon, the cockpit is meant for entertaining. The teak dining table seats six comfortably; lower it via two gas-assisted Besenzoni pedestals and add cushions, and it becomes a two-person sunpad. A wet bar with refrigerator and ice maker are just to port and forward of the settee, while an optional extendable awning can shade the entire cockpit.

To free up space in the cockpit, the standard electric barbecue is transom- mounted and opens aft, so the chef stands on the port side of the swim plat­form when grilling. But because the forward few feet of the platform is fixed, guests can still access the centerline ten­der garage via an electrically activated hatch (where the standard ten-foot Zo­diac RIB is stowed) and use the swim platform, which lowers hydraulically. Standard power on the 4700 is twin 567-hp Caterpillar C7 ACERT diesel in­boards, with the option of twin 715-hp Cat Cl2s.

Most notable, she has just a single pair of longitudinal strakes (not the usual two pairs), and the strakes aren’t paral­lel to the center line. Instead the sharp­ly down-angled strakes are farther a­part at the bow than at the stern, a fea­ture Martin introduced in order to im­prove lift and to straighten the flow of water into the props. Combined with an exceptionally deep forefoot to soft­en the ride in heavy seas, the strakes help keep her dry while stabilizing the hull in slop and chop.

So successful was the hull form on the 57 that Ocean left it unchanged for the new 58 Super Sport. Post what has changed is a lot more than you might imagine possible with just an­other foot of length. For starters, her bridge clerk offers an unusual cen­ter-console-style helm station aft of a giant, wraparound settee that should seat at least eight big guys comforta­bly. And her cockpit has been en­larged and fitted with a mezzanine seat that offers guests a great up- close view of the fishing action or just a relaxing place to hang out at day’s end.

In the saloon the 58 offers a big, U­ shape settee to port; it’s a better use of space than the L-shape seating area on the 57. And in that same vein, the galley sink and cooktop are farther forward, giving the 58 lots more floor and countertop space than the 57 of­fered. Opposite, the dining area is al­so larger, offering a full U-shape set­tee and dinette.

Perhaps the most significant changes in the layout are on the low­er deck. While the 57 had three state­rooms and three heads, including a full-beam master, the berths in the second and third staterooms were situated athwart ships; that are not the preferred orientation, especially for guests trying to sleep when the yacht is rolling. With careful allocation of her extra foot of lengths, the 58 offers a much improved three-stateroom, three-head layout.

The full-beam ma­ster is virtually unchanged, but there’s now a fore-peak VIP with a center-line berth, while in the third stateroom there’s a pair of twin berths facing fore and aft. Lots of im­provements from just one more foot of length.

I used one of these for a couple of years on my GM-powered Hatteras, and it worked fine, albeit slowly—very slowly. If you’re talking twin engines plus gears, plus a genset, pack a lunch when you change your oil, because you’re going to be there a while.

A better solution is to invest in a built-in oil-change system, comprising a reversible electric pump and a manifold of valves plumbed to your engine crankcases, trans­missions, and genset. You pump the used oil into a container, and then move the exhaust hose into a five-gallon pail of fresh oil (where it now becomes the supply hose), re­verse the pump, and refill. The oil is quickly pumped out and in via the oil pan drain, rather than through the dipstick tube. You’ll also have to find a place to dispose of the old oil properly—ask your marina manager or even your dockmates for their advice.

Reverse, X-Change-R, and Jabsco sell oil- change systems to suit multi-engine setups. Installation is straightforward, but drains each engine before pulling the oil-pan plug, or you’ll have an EPA-size cleanup job. I’d bite the bullet and pay the yard—its mechanics are skinnier.

Cheoy Lee’s 78 Sport Motoryacht

On the main deck, the design phi­losophy seems to be just the opposite, offering a little something for every­one. Forward there’s a big country kitchen, while amidships there’s a for­mal dining area with a small wet bar adjoining a spacious seating area in the saloon. Alfresco devotees can choose between a dinette on the aft deck and an L-shape dining area on the flying bridge, near the hot tub. Another instance of less is more relates to ‘weight; the less a vessel weighs, the more speed she’ll deliver for a given power and fuel burn. The entire hull, deck, and superstructure arc cored with PVC foam, and key areas of her structure are reinforced with biaxial and triaxial laminates.

Resin infusion ensures an optimum resin-to-glass ratio and thereby a good strength-to-weight ratio. Amenities aside, it’s performance that’s key in a sport yacht, and the 78 builds on a long-established reputa­tion for offering a good turn of speed and a soft ride, thanks to a deep forefoot and fine entry coupled with a moderate dead rise aft. Partial propeller pockets improve propulsive efficiency while cutting draft to less than 5/2 feet. Twin 1,000-hp Caterpil­lar C18s are standard, but Hull No. I is being fitted with optional 1,400-hp Caterpillar 3412Es that will reported­ly boost top and cruise speeds to 26 and 23 knots, respectively.