Caribbean 40

International Marine has been building boats since well before this scribe emerged to greet the world. One of Australia's longest serving production boatbuilders, the Melbourne-based yard trots out the classic Caribbean cruisers, including some models originally carrying the Bertram badge.

Above all else, Caribbean cruisers are known for their tough-as-nails construction using lashings of resin and rovings. This time-proven assembly method, based on the belief that more is better, has produced literally thousands of boats that have stood the test of time.

Don't believe me? Thumb through the pages of Trade-A-Boat and note the pre-loved Caribbean and Bertram boats for sale. Chances are, there are probably more of them than any other brand. But in recent years - and the last few months in particular - there has been a sea change in the old yard down south.

No longer content to rest on its laurels - something International Marine has done for too long - the company has acquired new equipment and staff as part of a refurbishment plan. The result is that boats like the Caribbean 40 now have a factory-fitted contemporary interior with high-gloss timber finish, stylish mouldings and modern counter tops.

The facelift has had a remarkable impact on the 40, which is the present-day flagship and the best Caribbean ever. A handy-sized cruiser for everything from family flings to bluewater fishing, the 40 was originally released in September 1998.

Today, there are more than 50 in the field. But only in the last few months, following market forces and dealer demands, has International Marine produced a boat that not only the performance but also the looks befitting a berth in the 21st Century.

A NEW BENCHMARK
The interior changes came about due to the acquisition of a new spray booth and a concerted effort to liven the boats up by the likes of marketing man John Barber. Responding to customer and dealer feedback, Barber has made the 40 the company's benchmark. For now, that is.

About three years ago, a plan was hatched to tidy up the 35 and 40 as a result of persistent calls from the two biggest Caribbean dealers around: Sylvania Marine in Sydney and an American outlet. Quite simply, the company had to lift its game to compete in the US and reel back lost ground to flash local competition.

Aside from the new spray booth, the company hired new talent and expanded its trim shop as well as branching out in the interior decor department. These were deft decisions, as internal cosmetics and aesthetics, above all else, sell boats these days.

Most popular in a single station layout without a lower helm, the Caribbean 40 has a moulded hardtop with integrated handrails and radio boxes that give the flybridge a real sense of permanency. The blanked-in lower screen resulted in an updated window line and new side window frames.

In the cockpit, there are moulded steps to the sidedecks and modern moulded amenities units. At anchor on the day of this review, five people sat about the Caribbean 40's big cockpit on folding chairs while contemplating the boat. The Caribbean has the biggest deck I've seen on a 40.

Depending on your persuasion, you can have the Caribbean 40 equipped with everything from livebait tanks and game chairs to davits and tenders (as seen here). Most buyers, including the couple who came along for the ride, tend to want their 40s for dual-purpose applications.

But it's not until I stepped inside the new Caribbean 40 that the improvements became obvious. What a difference some light headliners, two-pack gloss teak joinery, rounded mouldings, trezinni counters and additional lighting make.

After casting a critical eye over these furnishings, I must say these boats finally stack up. All the panels, doors, hatches and so on fit together perfectly. As mentioned, there are now far more decor options, allowing you to create a personalised boat with a contemporary or, should you prefer, classic finish.

DESIGN LINES
While the Caribbean 40 has one of the biggest cockpits in its class, its saloon is smaller. But when you are entertaining where do people gravitate? The answer is outdoors, of course. That being the case, perhaps there's more sense in having a bigger cockpit at the expense of saloon space.

A central door leads into the saloon from the cockpit - with a step to help keep water out should you need to go hell for leather in reverse gear.

The aft windows don't open, but there are opening side windows in the saloon. Also available are optional air-conditioning units.

The view aft out the window from the seats is excellent, while headroom is more than 1950mm. Eight 12V halogen downlights, vinyl headliners, optional leather upholstery, marine carpet, and high-gloss teak joinery make for moderate maintenance.

The lounges provide seating for eight, reclining space for two and dining capacity for five. The starboard side lounge has a pullman berth to give additional sleeping capacity on this family-orientated 40.

A pretty high-gloss teak entertainment centre on the starboard side contains the control panel with AC/DC circuit-breakers. This boat had a 12V bar fridge, an icemaker, dedicated bottle and glass storage cupboards and drawers.

You can fit a 52cm television with a DVD and surround sound. The sound system is a six-stacker Clarion stereo, upgraded from four to 10 speakers, plus remotes on the bridge and master cabin. There is a drawer for stowing the CDs and videos.

CRUISING GALLEY
The homestyle U-shaped galley, down one step from the saloon on the port side, has loads of space, truly impressive freezer capacity and the best long-term cooking facilities out of any of the 40s I have driven. The counters now come standard in a trezinni material, which is a moulded stone-like substance that leaves the old formica for dead.

Ventilation comes via an opening side window. A surfeit of cooking room and two double powerpoints let you operate toasters, woks, coffee machines and so on. Two deep drawers and an additional pot drawer hold the bulky items and there are four drawers including a dedicated divider for cutlery.

Pantry space includes a big area under the sink, which is nice and deep and equipped with home-like water pressure. Victuals can also be kept in the sub-floor engineering space.

Cooking amenities include a Miele two-burner hot plate with a high stainless fiddle rail that lets you cook when underway and a big Panasonic convection microwave as standard. The fridge and recessed deep freeze are up to serious cruising.

BIGGEST BATHROOM
The volume of the Caribbean 40 hull - which still has a handy 17° of deadrise aft - is most evident in the accommodation. The bathroom to starboard with an ensuite door borders on crazy big.

Inside the one-piece moulding, you will find enough non-skid floor space for two people to dress by the moulded vanity. A hatch (no extractor fan) gives ventilation, while storage exists in the vanity and overhead shelves.

The shower is a king-sized number. Access to the sump pump is under the grate, but the shower door needs a catch to keep it closed. This Caribbean 40 came with a Vacuflush loo with a holding tank. All up, this is the biggest bathroom of any 40 on the market.

SLEEPING GIANT
Available in twin-cabin layout only, the Caribbean 40 has a crew cabin amidships to port, which has two whopping single berths. Actually the bottom bunk is closer to a double. But even the top bunk - measuring 2.00m long by 1.06m wide with 510mm of headroom - is a good size.

Headroom is a lofty 1.92m and there is ample floor space to dress with the door shut. Storage comes via four drawers, but there is no hanging space. A hatch and/or optional air-conditioning lets you control the climate.

Nice improvements include the full-gloss teak doors and vinyl headliners - farewell to that daggy frontrunner.

But the master cabin in the bow is where you will find the best bed in the house. The queen-sized island bed has a big inner-spring mattress across which shorter folk will be able to sleep. It's that big.

Headroom is 1.86m, with a moderate amount of dressing room around the bed, plenty of sitting room at the bedhead, and six drawers below. There are side shelves for personal effects, a deep and roomy hanging locker, and a hatch for fresh air and/or optional air-conditioning and factory bed linen.

OUT AND ABOUT
This was the third Caribbean 40 I have driven. Although there are no electronic engine options, you can choose between twin 3126 420hp Caterpillar motor and two 450 Cummins 6BTA diesel donks. The latter add $3800 to the bottom line, and you get a little more acceleration and a smoother idle. But I've always been a Cat man.

Fully laden and against a flood tide, this 40 with twin Caterpillars produced a steady 20.5kt cruise at 2200rpm. A touch of in-trim helped keep the bow down and offset the big fuel and water load. At 2400rpm, the boat returned a fast cruise speed of 23.7kt. Flat stick, the motors pull 2750rpm and the boat does about 30.4kt laden.

At 2200rpm the boat gives the impression it is comfortable cruising all day long. According to previous trials, at 2250rpm the Caribbean 40 with Cats and full fuel and water uses 76lt/h on each motor. Allowing 10% fuel in reserve, you will get 11hr 50min running for a range of 268nm.

This substantial range explains why Caribbean 40s have been involved in some serious passagemaking over recent years. I have heard of boats undertaking trips from Sydney to Hamilton Island and venturing as far north as Port Douglas.

A pair of prospective boat buyers who came along for the ride had plans to cruise and dive with their new boat. They also like to entertain afloat because it's less formal than at home. Impressed by the boat and the price, they ended up leaving after signing on the dotted line for a new Caribbean 40.

For all the improvements to the finish, some things remain the same. Solid fibreglass construction stands out on the latest Caribbean 40. So, too, an attractive price tag. The boat sells from a base of $485,000, which undercuts its glossy competitors by a fair whack.

But the 40 won't be the flagship for long. International Marine is working on a new 47 with a fully enclosed bridge and a standard inventory including all the bells and whistles to take Caribbean to the next level again. The price will be under six figures and the launch date is scheduled for before Christmas.

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