Australia-based Riviera Yachts is known state­side for its line of convertibles, but the builder made a big splash at last year’s Fort Lauderdale Internation­al Boat Show with a two-stateroom, 36 foot express. Now, to appeal to those with bigger families—or more friends— Riviera has upped the ante with the three-stateroom 4700 SportYacht.

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.

Similar to ACR’s ResQFix PLB, McMurdo has introduced a GEPIRB (GPS-equipped Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon) that’s smaller yet supposedly performs better.

The 1.5-pound SmartFind Plus ac­complishes this largely by using LEDs for its strobe, which along with automatic seawater activation, built-in flotation, and longer trans­mission life are what distinguish EPIRBs from PLBs (plus the fact that some models come with an automatic float-free mount).

Note that Simrad has also introduced a compact GEPIRB in the same price range and that both companies also offer GPS-less models, but those will typically take longer to de­liver less-accurate position information to the SAR authorities.

A portable oil-changer is basically a five- gallon plastic bucket with a pump mounted on top; the pump sucks up old lube oil through a cocktail-straw-size tube via the dipstick hole and dumps it into the pail.

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.

Sometimes less is more, especially if doing less means doing it better. A case in point is the layout of Cheoy Lee’s 78 Sport Motoryacht. Rather than maximizing the number of guest staterooms, the sav­vy builder opted for just three. But each one is so generously proportioned that it’s like every stateroom is a master suite. All three extend full-beam, the master offering a king berths while the two guest suites offer queens. For extra privacy, the forward stateroom is accessed via its own stairway alongside the lower helm. Even the crew stateroom is exceptional; full-beam at the stern with upper and lower berths, a dinette, and a private head with separate shower.

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.

Mika Orlando went from owning a CABO 31 to a CABO 40 to a CABO 52 Express in just three years. “CABOs have amazing fish- catching ability,” says Mika. “On our second time out during a tournament, we were still just dialing in our new CABO 52 Express and we caught and released a 300-lb. blue marlin!”

Top quality power.
Quality on the CABO 52 begins in the engine room. MAN V12-1550CRM, 1528 HPm, V¬12 common rail injection, turbocharged and after-cooled marine diesel engines nestle into the glistening white gelcoat finished engine spaces, with plumbing, wiring, shafting and control cables neatly run, secured and easily accessed. Power options range from 1500 HPm MTU V-10′s to 1675 HPm Caterpillar C32′s. “One thing’s that unique about the 52 is that even with all the power, I can run the boat by myself,” says Mika. “I can actually, physically, take it out of the dock by myself. There aren’t many boats that size that one person can run. I can do that because it’s very agile, it just turns on a dime. It’s just as maneuverable as my 40. It has very large propellers, 53-inch wheels. It’s just so maneuverable.”

Top quality safety and comfort.
One of the reasons I kept getting larger CABOs is because we’re doing more competitive fishing.
You have to go offshore in the Gulf and stay out for as many as three days, maybe 150 miles offshore. You needed large fuel capacity, efficient fuel economy and everything onboard. A lot of people don’t want to stay onboard for three or four days without coming in. And most importantly, it has to be a safe boat. The Gulf of Mexico may not get hundred-foot waves, but it gets different types of waves that can sink vessels a lot easier than swells. The CABO 52 is perfect.

The CABO 52 is, of course, very comfortable. Some people say there’s no cabin room on an express boat, but we fish with eight guys on overnight trips and we all make it work pretty well. With the two heads, large sleeping quarters and the gourmet galley, it’s very easy to have that many people on long overnight trips.