Alaska 46 Flybridge

That’s the question I asked myself after stepping aboard the latest offering from Alaska Motor yachts.

This 46-foot flybridge motoryacht indeed has a big, comfortable central stateroom with queen-size bed, wood panelling, plenty of cupboard space and a roomy ensuite with a separate shower stall.

But before we get into all that, let’s have a look at just where this brand has come from.

Alaska boats are built In Shanghai and have been imported by Leigh-Smith Cruiser Sales since 2003. During that time, over 80 boats have been sold here ranging in size from 46 to 60 feet in both flybridge and sedan forms.

According to director Dean Leigh-Smith, the demographic of the typical Alaska buyer is a retired or semi-retired couple upgrading their boat to something more comfortable, and with the ability to take family or friends on cruises, or for entertaining.

Power is generally supplied by a pair of Cummins QSB 5.9 440hp diesels, however our test boat had the upgrade to the 480hp engines that propelled the 16000kg Alaska up to a maximum of 25 knots with a comfortable cruise of 18 knots. It’s good to note that both bow and stern thrusters are standard equipment making the boat a dream to handle around the marina.

The Cummins diesels come with the “Smartcraft” engine control panels on the lower helm station and lovely electronic engine controls.
To keep everyone comfortable, dual air conditioners are also standard with a 16,000 BTU unit servicing the accommodation and a 24,000BTU taking care of those in the Saloon.

A 7kW/50Hz Onan generator is also standard. While down in the engine room I noted that all the systems were ‘big boat’ systems with solid through-hull fittings. I also noted Racor fuel filters and three large-capacity bilge pumps.

Back up in the saloon there is a large L shaped dinette on the port side with a lounge long enough to stretch out to starboard.

The galley is located opposite the lower helm station and features a really nice twin-door fridge freezer, a second fridge under the four-burner electric cooktop, a microwave and twin sinks. Storage abounds.

The lower helm station has a comfy perch, all electrics with room for more, and vision is great through the surrounding picture windows.

Outside, notable features are the wide, walk-around decks roomy cockpit and a wide foredeck with a big Muir windlass mounted thereon.

Access to the flybridge is via a solid staircase (as opposed to a ladder) from the cockpit – an easy and safe ascent.  The flybridge itself is a beauty with twin helm seats, U-shaped lounge and a fridge for cool drinks. There is plenty of room on the aft deck of the bridge to fit a davit and stow your tender.

All-round clears keep the wind and weather at bay but roll them up on a nice day and get that wind-in-the-hair feeling of a flybridge boat.

The deck is fibreglass sandwich construction with half and inch of teak bedded in epoxy.

All structural bulkheads are one inch foam sandwich panels spaced with Divinycell and bonded to the hull with four plies of 18oz mat. The hull and deck are through-bolted with stainless-steel bolts at nine-inch centres then glassed over with woven rovings.

We found a nice groove at about 15 knots where you’re doing around 2200rpm and burning about 70 litres per hour. From the 2270 litre tanks, this will give a range of around 480nm.

The Alaska, although it feels like a bigger boat than a 46, is actually a pretty good handler. Our test day was blustery with a nasty chop and although we didn’t put to sea, it was obvious that this is a boat built for passages.

The semi displacement hull cut through the chop like a knife through butter and other boat’s wakes didn’t move us.

I’d sum it all up as a solid, powerful cruiser with long-range potential, good value ... and a very comfortable stateroom amidships.