Johnson 65

Enter the German transmission company ZF (Zeppelin Foundation). It’s one of the world’s two biggest transmission manufacturers in the medium to large recreational launch market (the other being Twin Disc). ZF take horsepower seriously and the research suggests the ZF Pod 4000 system is the only pod-drive unit available that is rated to more than 1000hp (the IPS 1200 series is the closest rated, for 900hp powerplants).

The bottom line is that if you want get all the advantages of a pod drive in a boat the size of the Johnson 65 -- joystick manoeuvrability, two-person handling at the dock, and industry-leading fuel economy -- at the moment, the ZF 4000 is your only option. And that is what makes the Johnson 65 unique. It’s claimed to be only vessel of its class in Australia propelled by pod drives.

So that in a nutshell, was the motive that resulted in us stepping onboard the Johnson 65 next to the Gold Coast’s Marina Mirage, with a helicopter warming up in the background. I just had to experience this 43-tonne displacement craft, which could allegedly be parked with style and dignity in the hands of a boating novice by virtue of its lanyard-harnessed joystick control and a pair ZF pod drives.

My overall impression is that the Johnson 65 sits on the cusp of the superyacht category and it would be unjust to think of it as merely an oversized cruiser. The air-compressed, touch-sensitive saloon door slider is testament to that -- no dubious-quality aluminium joinery here. The boat’s side profile could be described as sleek and somewhat predatory, which is a change from the more traditional look of its older sisters. The three-tier layout is much like most in this class with a flybridge and outdoor aft deck on top; a saloon, galley and outdoor entertaining space in the middle; and the accommodation and engineering spaces on the lowest level.

It is refreshing to see that the temptation to shoehorn in extra accommodation has been resisted. The three double cabins, all with private en suites, will do an admirable job -- after all, this boat has been designed literally from the keel up not to require professional crew. The forward VIP cabin and queen-sized starboard cabin are finished beautifully as expected, but it is the master cabin that is truly fit for a king. 

We see classy staterooms almost every month but this full-beam, centrally-located oasis made my jaw drop. Strolling there is an experience similar to walking into a top-notch hotel room for the first time. Of course, the bed is massive (and embarrassingly inviting -- I grabbed the opportunity to recline briefly), but it is space and ambience that gives the occupier that royal feeling.

With 5.58m of beam to play with, the furnishings on either side of the bed, including a full makeup cabinet (sorry ladies if my terminology is a bit off), has almost no impact. And ladies, you will be even more impressed with the walk-in wardrobe and bathroom in here. Yes, the master cabin en suite is certainly worth a mention as well. It’s beautifully lit and furnished, but the icing on the cake would have to be the shower. It really is very large and comes complete with a teak-finished bench seat.

As you can imagine, with only three cabins in the design there is room for an extra feature or two in the lower deck accommodation areas. Of particular interest to me was the dedicated office space. The design principle behind the Johnson 65 was to build a boat capable of catering to the needs of the successful business person and his or her family in absolute style afloat, without needing to call upon the services of professional liveaboard crew.

This private office afloat comes complete with everything required to stay close to the action including wireless 3G Internet and an in-room Panasonic PBX phone system (there’s a handset in every cabin). Just add your laptop and you’re in business, so to speak.

The galley, dining room and saloon are on a single level and lead via the electronic sliding door to the outside lower-deck lounge. This space is tastefully opulent in its presentation and is a continuation of the sort of quality we found in the accommodation areas. African cherry joinery and granite countertops are perfectly complimented by genuine cream leather upholstery.

As an enthusiastic cook who regularly takes on challenges beyond my ability, I was delighted to spend some time exploring the impressive galley. The counter space and extensive selection of quality appliances is notable enough but a feature that caught my eye was the coffee-machine lift. This sits in a tailor-made cabinet on an electric ram allowing it to be lowered out of sight, freeing up even more bench area while ensuring that even out in conditions rough enough to rock this boat there is no chance of a coffee-spill disaster. That kind of forethought and attention to detail speaks volume of the builders -- yet more evidence that the Johnson 65 is no production boat.

The galley is perfectly placed to service a five-seat table, and once the fine dining is complete, it makes perfect sense to lounge the evening away on sumptuous, full-leather couches in the saloon. That way you can immerse yourself in the genius that is the Kaleidescape entertainment system. At least I think its genius because it is well over my head. So just switch it on and enjoy.

Up front, I could not have been more impressed with the engineroom access. A watertight, four-point locking sea-door leads to a workshop/storage room, which in turn leads to the engineroom proper via another watertight sea-door. Initially I was critical of the placement of the first door as it could be exposed to the elements during a bluewater crossing, but I had to withdraw my comments when a second access hatch for just such circumstances was pointed out.

Service access to the twin CAT C18s and ZF 4000 pods is generous and set-up in such a way as to make many arduous tasks easy, which is probably the best way to ensure preventative maintenance is conducted to the highest standard.

Up on the bridge, Roger walked me through the wide range of technologies available to the skipper, including automatic trim tabs from Humphree, the  stabilisers, FLIR night-vision and thermal imaging, a wide array of Raymarine electronics, and of course the lanyard-harnessed ZF joystick controller.

I imagine there are plenty of people reading this with experience on 40- or 50-foot boats who struggle to understand why a 65ft boat is considered to be such a step up in size. It is only 15 feet longer after all, that’s barely more than a small trailerboat. It’s not the length that is the issue, it’s the volume. The average 50ft flybridge cruiser displaces around 23 tonnes, whereas the Johnson 65 displaces more than 43 tonnes -- almost twice the size. 

Stand next to it at the dock and you will see what we mean. It’s intimidating. Hit something, even gently with 43 tonnes of inertia and things break, and there is nothing worse than mangled stainless steel, particularly on the neighbour’s boat, to dent your confidence — no pun intended. This is the reason most people hire professional skippers when they start playing on toys like Johnson 65.

At sea, the boat was equally impressive. Any craft with this sort of bulk will ride well in the 20-plus-knots we trialled her in off the Gold Coast, but she is remarkably stable thanks to the cutting-edge electronic stabilising technology. I thoroughly enjoyed the way she made short work of a solid metre-high swell at almost 25 knots. She is quiet and vibration free, so much so it was easy to forget we were at sea at all when I left the bridge to continue my note taking below.

The Johnson 65 is semi-custom, and that means many of the features can be altered to suit the client’s requirements. Features like the electronic door openers, the extensive galley and the jaw-dropping stateroom all leave an impression, but the thing that really sets this boat apart from many other beautifully presented vessels in Australia is the joystick-controlled pod-drive on a lanyard. 

I cannot think of another boat of this volume that can honestly be parked by two novices with only a couple of days training under their belt. That is what makes the Johnson 65 unique.