Maritimo S70 heads to New Zealand

After having spent a lifetime following in his father’s footsteps in the supermarket businesss in New Zealand, Brian Carran said it was finally his turn and that of his wife Cath to go shopping… for a dreamboat.

"Up until then we didn't have the time to spend extended periods on the water and, apart from annual trips to the Med, where we would cruise with friends, most of our boating was on our Beneteau 473 [yacht].”

The journey to find their dreamboat — and realise their retirement plans — saw the long-term yachties look at trawler-style passagemakers at various boat shows and they considered a custom Kiwi cruiser.

But the clincher was a trial run in big seas off the Gold Coast aboard the M70 motor yacht with a flybridge.

"We were very impressed with the way the Maritimo handled the rough conditions and said to them that we would be interested if they could produce a single-level sport cruiser model," Brian said.

"That started the whole process and now our magnificent four-cabin, single-level, sedan yacht called Waka Tete is a reality.

Apparently, the couple have pored over every inch of the boat in the design and build phase, working through a mock-up model, and changing and adapting various things to create a bespoke S70 that suits them to a tee.

WHITSUNDAYS SHAKEDOWN
Powered by twin Scania 900hp engines, the S70 will be perfect for the Carran family and friends to enjoy some luxury motor cruising.

"Our son and his wife and the grandkids, Cath's brother and another son and his fiancée and her father have already been onboard at various times during our shakedown cruise.

"We have both family and friends joining us for various times when we are in the Whitsundays," Cath said.

While the engineering, performance and navigation side of the vessel has largely been Brian's domain, Cath is said to have worked tirelessly with Maritimo's fit out team and her NZ-based interior decorator to create a feeling of pure luxury within the vessel.

The bathrooms all have Corian flooring, soft furnishings including bed linen are Italian fabrics, there’s a floating breakfast bar in the galley, and purpose-designed tub chairs in the saloon.

The plush L-shaped lounge was made to measure so it doesn’t encroach on the companionway, while special timbers sourced from Indonesia in the galley and saloon have all been touches the Carrans have made to personalise their boat.

"The state of the art galley is Cath's domain and I have the lazerette which is my man cave," Brian quips.

The couple relocated the laundry from the cabin area to the lazerette and Brian also had the Maritimo team produce a 'floating helm station' that doesn't close in the companionway to the fully beam master suite below.

The couple plan to spend time cruising in the Whitsundays near the end of October when the boat will be motored across the Tasman to its home port in Auckland.

ANOTHER CUSTOM S70
Maritimo's CEO Garth Corbitt said the whole exercise with the Carrans from who to go had been both pleasurable and rewarding for the Gold Coast yard.

"We have worked with them every inch of the way and the end result is a truly world class sedan sports yacht," he said.

"They are thrilled with the result and our entire team is justifiably proud of what we have created."

Corbitt says an order has been placed for a second S70 and interest throughout Australia and internationally is increasing.

"This is a robust, true bluewater cruising motor yacht that provides a living environment the equivalent of a luxury hotel and we are confident it will be a winner," he said.

The Carrans plan to spend plenty of time in the twin helm chairs exploring the waterways around New Zealand and further afield.

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