BOAT REVIEW- 2011 Cruisers 48 Cantius Hardtop Coupe

by Canadian Yachting on 1 Nov 2011 When life serves you up lemons, make lemonade. The Cruisers Yachts 48 Cantius has so many design innovations that it is as refreshing as a frosty glass of lemonade on a summer's day. We all know about the lemons; that was the economic downturn that started back in 2008. The yacht business slowed dramatically. In response, the new 470 Coupe model that Cruisers Yachts had in development was halted for a time while the management at Cruisers Yachts waited to see what would happen with the market.

As Jon Viestenz, Product Manager for Cruisers Yachts and Rampage Sport Fishing Yachts explained, the slowdown gave them time to rethink the new 470 design and to spend more time talking to customers as well. Their research showed that customers wanted to get away from canvas. They wanted ease of movement and they wanted interior amenities above deck where possible. So, Cruisers had time to make lemonade!

The original coupe hardtop was changed and the canvas was replaced by a permanent sliding glass bulkhead door. That improves communication and movement, plus the solid locking door meant they could eliminate the sliding cabin door through the dashboard. Since the 'patio door' secures the whole boat when you lock it up, the rest of the interior could be opened up in ways not possible before. As Jon describes it, the 48 Cantius is now a two salon boat and natural light streams down to the lower deck like never before.

The 48 Cantius is a radical departure from previous Cruisers designs but all that extra development time really paid off. Canadian Yachting was flattered to be the first magazine to get their hands on the throttles. We flew to Wisconsin to visit the Cruisers Yachts plant in Oconto, a short distance north of Green Bay on Lake Michigan.

This is more than just refreshing lemonade for boat buyers, it may be hard lemonade for some of the competitors. This 48-footer planes off in 11.6 seconds, tops out at over 37 mph, gets more than 1 mile per gallon cruising at 28.2 mph and it just plain feels different than anything else we can think of when you're on board.

The differences begin at the top. The new cabin hardtop features an expanse of glass with an enormous electric sunroof. There's a pull-out sunshade of course. The roof lines are more angular and crisp than we've seen in some time and the very large side glass and windshield sections have attractive proportions while bringing in incredible amounts of natural light and terrific 360 degree visibility too.

The three-section glass bulkhead door has impressive polished stainless steel frames and it opens up the cockpit to the main deck. The main deck has a large L-shaped dinette on the port side with a handsome, high-gloss, folding, removable table, plus a recliner section where you can stretch out and talk to the people at the double wide helm seat.

The helm on the test boat (Hull # 1) had a single seat, but production models will have a sliding double helm seat with flip up bolsters and armrests.

The navigational centre design puts two Raymarine E120 wide screens up in clear view. An LCD panel provides data from the twin Volvo Penta IPS 600 diesel engines – the very first Volvo EVC models into the country. Cruisers literally had them flown in to make the public debut of the 48 Cantius.

These new electronically controlled diesels get a special control box. Built into the new EVC systems are cruise control, an autopilot system and a button that increases or decreases the throttle setting incrementally instead of moving the levers. You can also change the controls to the throttle only mode, single lever mode, or a special low speed mode to assist in docking. Finally, the system also has a station-keeping feature which maintains a stationary position based on GPS coordinates, holding the 48 Cantius in position with little shots of engine thrust directed by the computer – very handy when waiting your turn the gas docks or for another boat to clear a narrow channel.

Driving the twin Volvo Penta IPS 600s is natural feeling and they are very responsive in this hull. A little poke at the throttle and you're off and running. The response to the steering is equally rewarding and the boat will heal over and carve a fairly tight turn even at high speed. The hull is quite beamy and there is a lot of stability both at rest and at speed. The deep vee design should deliver a soft ride even in the rough stuff.

While driving the boat, we opened the electric sunroof with the glass bulkhead door closed. In came the sun and a little bit of fresh air but otherwise there was no buffeting, no drafts and most remarkable, virtually no increase in noise.

The Volvo Penta engines live below the cockpit sole, accessed through a large hatch. The engine room has an amazing 5' 4' of headroom and there's 49 inches of space between the engines. Cruisers mounted a 15.5 kW Kohler generator between and still got access all the way around. There are four heat and A/C units totaling 64,000 BTUs output. The rigging looked extremely neat and it's a very hospitable engine room, but the best thing was how it isolated the engine noise from the rest of the boat. You need to drive this to appreciate how comfortable it is, even at speed.

It's still good with the glass bulkhead open too. The entertainment center on the starboard side joins with the cockpit port and starboard refreshment centers to virtually give you a second galley. The test boat had a Vitrifrigo refrigerator on one side and an icemaker on the other, plus an electric barbecue grill. The interior entertainment center has a sink, lots of storage, an elaborate bottle rack and an electric lift for the large flat screen television. There's also a Sony audio entertainment system for your iPod, CDs, radio and whatever!

Things get even more surprising when you head down the seven steps to the lower deck.

The dashboard area has been opened up underneath the windshield and side glass to bring in huge amounts of natural light and an amazingly spacious feeling. There's more than seven feet of headroom through much of the lower deck salon. The rich Wenge cabinetry and dark flooring with contrasting white leatherette upholstery adds to the feeling. To starboard is the dinette with a big, fixed side window. This is a great place to sit when running. You get a wide view and a quiet ride.

Opposite is the main galley with an almost home-sized, two-door refrigerator/freezer, a Cuisinart convection microwave, a Eurokera ceramic two-burner stovetop, a large double stainless-steel sink and designer tap set. It's a great galley with drawers for pots and pans, lots of room for dry goods and a pullout drawer for the custom fitted dishes.

In the bow is the guest state room with an island queen berth, port and starboard cedar-lined hanging lockers, storage lockers surrounding the area and three big drawers under the berth itself. Your guests are treated royally with a separate head to starboard and a shower compartment to port.

The master stateroom is just amazing for a boat of this size. There is full standing height throughout virtually the whole area and the big port lights on either side bring in an impressive amount of daylight.

There's a vanity table, makeup mirror and a big sink also with a designer tap set. A separate enclosed head and shower compartment lies aft of that. The queen-sized berth is in the center and a home-sized amount of cabinetry runs along either side. You'll have plenty of room for your belongings, even on an extended trip.

For entertainment, there are remotes for the sound system located throughout the boat, including flat screen TVs and DVD systems in both staterooms as well as a fourth flat screen TV located in the galley area for viewing from the lower dinette.

Exterior details are just as good. The main deck flows right out to the cockpit with a U-shaped aft seat and table for outdoor dining. The aft side of this opens to reveal a cavernous bin where you can store mops and brushes, four large fenders in baskets and other bulky items. On either side are transom gates leading to the very large aft swim platform. Our test boat had the hydraulic lift version so you can just drive your dinghy on and pick it up.

Once outside, you will discover that the 48 Cantius has well-placed handrails and wide side decks leading to the big forward sun pad. It's not hard to get around the exterior of this boat but Cruisers Yachts made it even easier with a walk-through windshield section. That section also has an opening panel that just brings in a blast of fresh air if you open it. You also get a remote controlled electric windlass, 200 feet of chain and a big anchor.

This is a boat you simply have to see and drive if you are in the market for a 48. We raise our glasses in a toast to Cruisers – frosty refreshing lemonade naturally!

For more boat reviews like this, go to www.boatcan.com and www.canadianyachting.ca.