Maritimo M45 Motoryacht

The 440 Offshore Convertible (some 11 built to date) that followed soon after was his first pod-driven flybridge cruiser. It’s telling that both the 440 and C47 platforms have survived today, although they remain the only two Barry-Cotter (and collaboratively Volvo Penta-designed) pod-driven hulls.

The C47 is now the Mustang 50 following Barry-Cotter’s acquisition of the namesake Gold Coast boat builder in the busy 2010 year. The 440 hull, meanwhile, has been retained for this new M45, which sports a whole new top deck to slot into the Motoryacht range.

Meanwhile, 50 per cent of Australian-built cruisers are now fitted with Volvo Penta IPS pod drives and the company is nudging 15,000 units globally since IPS 1 was introduced in 2005. The bigger IPS2 and IPS3 drives are advancing on the market, too.

The M45, the new baby of his popular Motoryacht range, broadens Maritimo’s ‘entry-level’ offerings.

“We chased the market with a sub-$1 million Motoryacht and it’s going to be our best seller,” Barry-Cotter told Boatpoint.com.au and Boatsales.com.au soon after the M45’s debut at the recent Sydney International Boat Show.

Ever the [Sydney] boat-show maestro, Barry-Cotter offered the first six M45s to the public at $960,000 -- with pod or shaft drives -- soft furnishing package, twin Simrad 12in screens including colour plotter, sounder and radar, plus autopilot and Bose stereo system.

Our pod-driven demonstrator was bound for America and priced at $1,054,055 with $59,055 of general and non-standard options including twin 12in Garmin screens, autopilot, Bose, saloon television, Blueray player, teak on swim platform, cockpit fridge, dishwasher, washer/dryer, flybridge table and more.

But for a truly complete Motoryacht, you will need a watermaker for autonomy, a tender to get to shore, and a barbecue in the cockpit. That might cost another $40,000 or more.

But it is good to see the new M45 now comes with a bit more fruit as standard compared with earlier Maritimos that were even more price conscious. The new fit-out feels befitting of the price. Certainly, the market thinks so.

There are walkaround decks, though nowhere near as wide as the M48’s, while the accommodation was changed from three cabins in the 440 hull to two bigger cabins on the M45 with new Motoryacht deck. The bathrooms are enlarged and improved, too.

As with all the yard’s Motoryachts, you get an island amenities centre flanked by transom gates leading out to the swim platform. There’s an icebox, optional barbecue hot plate, sink with hot and cold water, and storage. We’d like a 240V powerpoint as standard here as well.

The deep swim platform and decent cockpit play into the Australian way of boating. Above-deck cleats, fender and rope lockers help keep things neat and tidy, while the walkaround decks make going forward surefooted, especially considering this is a mere 45-footer. An intermediate wire on the bow rail would be nice.

The Muir windlass is recessed to keep mud at bay, there’s a saltwater washdown, but no non-skid on the bow sprit. Still we had no issues trouncing about the big foredeck and getting back down the ‘house’ sides.

The upright fridge/freezer is opposite, that is to port, built into the high-gloss teak cabinetry filling the void under the aft ascending stairs. A couple of drawers add to the storage, while twin doors nearby reveal the tried-and-tested simple breaker-style BEP 12/240V control panel and generator start.

Amtico flooring in this high-traffic area (buckled in one spot) becomes carpet denoting the forward saloon living and lounging space.

An L-shaped lounge and small triangular teak ‘dining’ table, which was a tad tight to get around, are mounted on a raised floor section that improves headroom in the aft cabin below (but removes scope for drawers). Two couples can fit here and good views extend seaward and to the television opposite.

A second L-shaped settee is to starboard alongside a cool, new AV/drinks cabinet that includes bottle storage, twin leather-topped serveries -- handy for cocktail hour or a buffet lunch -- and, yes, a 240V GPO for recharging your devices, plus television under the flip-up lid.

Storage drawers add to the cabinet’s usefulness, there was an optional washer-dryer under the adjoining lounge base, and we’re told a new sub-lounge drawer will be included on future boats.

The en suite features full shower, Vacuflush freshwater head, recessed sink with solid vanity top, Italian fittings, and OceanAir hatches throughout, each with insect/shade screen. Bravo. We’ve called for that.

Industrial designer David Stewart had a hand in lifting the nautical style in the cabins, but his fold-down teak ‘shelves’ either side of the island bed, while handy for resting things, need a rethink as the self-tappers are prone to pulling free.

Cedar lining would be nice in the hanging spaces, too. And we’d want a TV on the wall of our stateroom. All cost, of course, though TVs are cheap these days.

During the Sydney boat show, I listened to a Kiwi couple aboard the M45 who had the view to using the aft cabin as their stateroom instead. There are layout options here: three singles or, per demonstrator, a transverse double and a single.

Opening portlights, hanging space, and a small bedside table with drawer were noted. But while there’s headroom at the cabin entrance, you’re living and sleeping close to the floor back here. The upside is that the noise on the chines should be less than in the bow.

A door from the aft cabin leads into the second en suite/dayhead, which also has a full shower stall.

With the helm forward and an extended aft bridge deck, you get a huge amount of entertaining space, seats for cruising with a crowd, dinette, fridge, bottle locker, servery and sink. There’s even a standard convertible double bed made in minutes from the L-shaped lounge. At the very least, it will be coveted by kids during ocean passages.

Stowage space for safety gear exists here and there, with carpet underfoot and good headroom above. A safety-harness point on the hardtop let’s you clean it with safety, too. Standard air conditioning and a Webasto electric sunroof, with shade and insect screens, lead to climate control, while LEDs throughout lets you light up the decks without worry at night.

Twin helm chairs are standard, where they used to run one. Though you don’t drive a boat like a car, the main helm chair is offset slightly from the wheel. But the leather trim and reworked dash pod lift the standard. And with an internal staircase, you have great access from the saloon without getting your feet wet.

Four of the five M45s are now heading for Sydney -- the boats are a nice size to slot into local marinas -- all with the shaft-drive option. The pod boat we tested was headed for an American dealer, but it might appeal to newbies as well.

As for the engine installation, the IPS 600s are mounted in what would otherwise be the boat’s lazarette. Thus, you miss out on storage space. Servicing access is excellent, with an electric floor lift revealing the watertight engine room.

Maritimo includes outboard buoyancy tanks just in case there’s a breach. Otherwise, you can jump down and check the integrated strainers, dipsticks and coolant.

A hatch leads into the engineering space forward. I managed to crawl in, but it will be tight for bigger and older folk. A bigger hatch is needed. Water is on the centreline, fuel outboard, interconnected with one sight gauge, and there’s an Onan 11kVa generator. Hopefully, you don’t have to change the impeller too often. Air con intake and water pumps are here, too.

The internal engine vents are a nice touch, but the skin fittings high on the hull sides -- thus reducing costs since sea cocks aren’t required -- could lead to extra hull cleaning in future. A minor detail in more ways than one.

As with all IPS-powered boats, Volvo Penta checked off on the hull design but this is a Volvo certified IPS installation as well. The modified-vee hull has 14-15 degrees of deadrise at the transom and an interesting second chine that sits above the waterline for spray deflection -- there wasn’t a drop on the flying bridge windscreen after many snappy turns -- and to boost internal volume

On paper, at 14.80 metres (48ft 6in) in length overall, this is a big 45 in typical Barry-Cotter fashion. It has a good amount of freeboard for offshore boating at displacement speeds, too. Hull construction is solid GRP for the running surface, with cored deck structures.

Displacement is 16,000kg compared with 14,500kg for the 440 Offshore Convertible with smaller flybridge. Yet our sea trials -- and those of the American before us -- proved the M45 wasn’t unstable or top heavy. It goes over only so far before bouncing back upright.

We tested this very thing in a tightish spare berth in Sydney to show some prospective buyers how easy it was. Then we sallied forth into the fray and some distant rolling cloud that ushered in a weather change and the coldest Sydney weekend in more than three years. Thank heavens for enclosed flying bridges!

Spinning smaller T2 props rather than the T3 props on the 440 means a slightly lower top speed over 29-30 knots as opposed to 32-33 knots. But Barry-Cotter told us he lightly props the M45 in the expectation that owners are more cruising orientated with a lot of gear in tow.

Consumption figures were impressive. With full water and three-quarter fuel plus two people, the M45 returned 92 litres in total at 18.5 knots and 2760rpm. In other words, 4.97 litres per nautical mile. This equates to a safe cruising range of at least 325 nautical miles from 90 per cent of the 1,800 litre supply.

At 3300rpm, a fast cruise, we clocked 26 knots for 131 litres in total or 5.03 litres per nautical mile. So your range is about the same -- at least 322 nautical miles -- meaning the state of the sea will dictate how fast you go. Range is almost constant unless you drop to displacement speeds for 600-plus nautical miles.

Either way, the M45 is a better boat than the 440 Offshore Convertible and, it must be said, this is Barry-Cotter’s best pod-driven effort to date. This fact hasn’t been lost on the boat-buying public. Some 12 days after the boat’s debut at the Sydney International Boat Show, five M45s have been sold. At this rate, it is the new best-seller.