Marlow 57 Classic

As featured in the 2008 edition of trade-a-boat's 'Big Boat Collection'

It had been an early start so, with a few hours to kill, we motored into the calms of sun-drenched Morning Bay on the western side of Pittwater, grabbed a club mooring, shut down the motors and put our heads on the pillows.

The generator was left running to power something or other - I'm guessing the icemaker for post-work sundowners - until, blllltttttt, it spluttered and died.

I start this story here because, moments after our generator gave up the ghost, the Marlow 57 Classic (boat no. 14 out of the moulds) motored alongside for testing. I warned them about the jellyfish, which had now turned the water into a thick soup the likes of which none of us had seen before, but the agent, Dave Ratcliff, a cruising enthusiast himself, smiled and said: "No worries, we've got a sea chest."

A sea chest - a giant central intake for all your raw-water pumps that won't get blocked by jellyfish - is just one feature that separates the Marlow from your average pleasure boat and defines it as serious long-range liveaboard boat. The more you look into this well thought-out boat and the reams of literature supporting it the more there is to embrace.

Following the release of the impressive Marlow 70E at the Sydney International Boat Show last year, the 57 Classic tested here appears a more manageable owner-driver size and a boat that a couple with itchy feet could maintain themselves. It's big enough to cross oceans and cruise around Australia, yet it's not so big that you won't want to take it out on weekends with the family.

Sidepower bow and stern thrusters (hydraulic on 78-footers and above) make decamping a snap and they are part of a separate remote aft docking centre in the cockpit. This, among many other things, will appeal to the retirees for whom this boat is obviously pitched. Hopefully, I'm not getting old before my time because the Marlow 57 Classic is this writer's and his cohort's current dreamboat.

Hard chined, the hull can be driven as fast or slow as time and the depth of your pockets allow. Motor options range from the base twin 575hp Caterpillar C9s to twin 715hp Caterpillar C12s as per the demo boat, all the way to 1015hp C18s for the American market. But even with the twin 715s the boat gets up and boogies, clocking a top speed of more than 20kts and, during sea trials, surfing to 26kts, says Ratcliff.

Not that high speed is the intent of the Marlow Explorers. The boats are more about savouring the comforts.

SEMI-CUSTOM CRUISERS
Spanning eight classically styled motoryachts from 53 to 82ft, the Marlow Explorers are the brainchild of David Marlow, 64, an American cruising buff whose many feats include selling more Grand Banks than any other dealer in America, retiring at age 43, and returning to make his dreamboats. He used naval architect Doug Zurn to help with the early hull shapes.

After searching the world for a suitable site Marlow settled on Xiamen in China, which is about 800km north of Hong Kong. The yard, which collected the World Superyachts Award for Environmental Policies last year, was built from the ground up. Locals were trained and, today, more than 500 are making about 20 Marlows a year, with 250 workers living on site. The factory's water retention system is used, among other things, to irrigate the vegetable patch.

Just as importantly, Marlow made sure his semi-custom Explorers - there is scope for some internal chops and changes - can be built to Lloyds Certification Ocean Class Category One, which is for deep ocean waters far from a safe port and in winds of Force Nine (strong gales to 47kts) and waves to more than five metres. The 57 Classic here was built to ABYC, CE and Bureau Veritas, with Lloyds certification and the paperwork an option.

The boats are built from just three major moulds for the hull, deck and liner; using Kevlar, vinylester resin, closed-cell Corecell foam and vacuum bagging. A Marlow Explorer reportedly struck a semi-submerged ferrocement boat at 22kts, but damage was limited to the leading edge of the strut keels and repairs were effected in 24 hours, boasts the blurb.

Instead of a central keel, the two so-called Velocijet Strut Keels on each Marlow hull act like feathers on an arrow. Together they protect the running gear and bearings, which is important when cruising in skinny waterways where the boat draws 1.63m, while aiding tracking and directional stability, reducing rudder size, dampening roll and pitch, and reducing wake and drag, claims Marlow.

What I can say for certain is the 57 Classic certainly tracked well offshore and didn't bury its bow downsea at displacement speeds like some go-slow boats I've driven. The water also peeled off the bow for a dry ride in the five-star pilothouse, behind 16mm-thick laminated armour-plate glass panes and pantograph wipers, it was all smooth sailing. Besides the keels there are half tunnels to lower shaft angles and a flat run aft for lift.

CRUISING ESSENTIALS
There are some things in the cruising life you can't do without, like fuel, which at 6041lt and carried amidships, provides more than five days and nights of continuous running. The 57 Classic also has a big 20kW Northern Lights generator for onboard power and, besides being fitted with a Sea Recovery watermaker that produces 3000lt a day, it carries 833lt of water plus a separate 235lt filtered drinking water supply from a stainless steel tank which is used for onboard consumption and the icemakers. Scotch drinkers will bow.

Naturally, I started my tour of duty in the engine room which has a watertight door to the lazarette and about 180cm of headroom. The boat was fitted with a Fireboy fire-fighting system, had Lexcen panels in the sound shield around the generator for at-a-glance inspections - the gennie is the hardest working and most neglected item on a cruising boat - plus big wet exhausts with underwater ports, fan-forced ventilation and extraction, even a workstation with vice and tools.

There are battery chargers and a big 4000W inverter, chilled-water air conditioning systems (24,000 BTU in the saloon and 36,000 BTU in the pilothouse and accommodation), hydraulics for the Naiad stabilisers and power steering, but no engine-driven bilge pump. I noted charcoal filters for the water, redundant Racor filter sets for each motor, a sight gauge on the fuel tank, hot-water service and stainless steel handrails around the twin C12 Cats courtesy of Marlow's in-house craftsmen. Oh, and the seachest with huge inspection window and, what's this, no jellyfish!

Interestingly, Marlow uses Aquadrive marine couplings, a system that claims to reduce noise by up to 50 per cent and vibration by up to 95 per cent. And, with that, it can use soft engine mounts to further dampen the Cats, which were indeed purring rather than pounding. The Northern Lights gennie was quiet too, and most of the plumbing lines enter a common outlet on the port and starboard side, lessening the need for skin fittings.

Back aft in the lazarette is a crew or kids quarters, with two bunks, a microwave oven, TV/DVD/CD and fridge, plus a Vacuflush loo, extractor fan, storage for long-term provisions and one of the boat's many ducted-vacuum outlets. Hey, I'd be happy living back here. The pump room, meanwhile, is back under the accommodation in the bow, but even it has teak trim, a light and ventilation.

As with most big boats, the electrics are mainly 24V on the DC side and there's a complete battery-monitoring system. The control panel is simple, with split systems for generator and 30amp shorepower, and full wiring schematics and coding included. The appliances, meanwhile, are Miele and Fisher & Paykel, which can all be serviced locally.

OUTDOOR LIVING
Like all good cruising boats, you can trounce around the 57 Classic at sea. Even better, the deep bulwarks measure up to your ribs, so we're talking a grandkid-safe boat. Doors either side of the helm, with weather seals, assist with mooring, the grabrails are oval shaped for a better grip, while the Portuguese bridge has twin removable occasional seats for hanging out at anchor.

Anchoring is taken care of by twin Maxwell windlasses and your choice of stainless steel plough or CQR. Suffice to say, there are salt and fresh water washes at either end of the boat, but also dockside power, water and communications connections. The stainless steel framed deck hatches that can be dogged either way, so you can get some natural ventilation while cruising, are another nice touch, as are the side gates which assist with provisioning.

Besides a trick docking centre, the cockpit has room for a small table and chairs under the overhang. Amenities include a sink, icebox - full of Chinese Tsingtao beer if you're lucky - deck shower and a decent boarding platform. Internal and external ladders lead to the bridge, which is especially roomy and outshines the cockpit as this boat's outdoor living area.

Though there weren't any clears, the integrated hardtop provides shade to the fair-weather entertaining space up top with seating for at least six. There's a fridge and icemaker, sink and Miele griddle, although a bigger aftermarket stainless steel barbecue is to be fitted. The aft deck was furnished with a 500kg-lift telescopic davit for swinging a decent tender and personal water craft.

Twin high-backed Stidd helm seats are plush, but it would be even better if they could face aft to the lunch setting as well as face the ocean when cruising. The repeater electronics include twin Cat panels, Simrad chart plotter and autopilot, searchlight, intercom, CD player and more. There was a trick Marlow stainless steel ship's wheel, but Satcom is needed if you're serious about your cruising. Otherwise, plenty of living space and great views of all but the transom, hence that aft docking station.

INDOOR LIVING
Things get even more interesting when you look inside, with details from grain-matched Burmese teak joinery - cherrywood, maple and birdseye optional, but specify it up front as each log is specially milled - to a dedicated biscuit bin in the galley with heat lamp to stop the dreaded soggies, a humidor for the Cuban cigars, and hatches that grant access to every single servicing item and wire. Marlow has made doubly sure of that.

Despite the walkaround decks the saloon is beamy and, coming from our 42-footer, it made my cohort's jaw drop. The flooring is all easy-clean teak, with loose rugs to soften things up. Seating exists for 10 to 12 on big Ultraleather-upholstered lounges that double as day or night berths and the picture windows are at the perfect height.

The hi/low table can be used as a second dining area or to serve buffet lunches, while the wetbar includes dedicated wine cooler, fridge and icemaker, sink and filtered water. There are also ducted air-con, timber blinds, a 37in LCD television, Bose Lifestyle system, and a servery to starboard-side galley up on the raised pilothouse that serves the secondary purpose of providing full headroom to the full-width stateroom below.

Underway or at rest, the boat is ready to cook. There are Miele four-burner cooktop with potholders, oversized upright fridge/freezer with enough room to take platters - though freezer space could be improved on this 57-footer by fitting a chest number or two to the lazarette - Miele dishwasher, microwave oven, travertine or marble counters, and those details such as a dedicated knife drawer, the heated cracker crisper and bread bin.

The galley is handy to the portside dinette around which you can seat six for dinner or use the lounge as a day/night bed while off watch and someone else is reeling in the cruising miles. Above the central helm seat is a full spread of system monitors and switch panels, plus tank gauges and more. Suffice to say, the electronic Morse shifts and hydraulic steering or autopilot make light work of commanding the 37,500kg (that's dry) ship.

ACCOMMODATION PLAN
The three cabins and two heads are all forward down a starboard-side companionway leading off the pilothouse. There's a small foyer at the foot of the steps with a Miele washer and dryer, and clever double doors to the twin-bunk cabin immediately ahead, adding to the sense of space here.

This third cabin, whose bunks are gargantuan, has a dresser that can be used as an office, which is what many Americans do. The VIP cabin up front features an island berth and headroom is huge.

The full-beam, timber-planked master cabin is back aft, with a queen bed with innerspring mattress traced by a forest of teak joinery including hanging space, drawers, a hive of hatches and oodles of room to stow clobber. Headrooom is a high point.

Both en suites feature Blanco fittings with separate shower stalls and Headhunter loos. The finish in the cabins comprises teak planking and cherrywood liners. The hanging spaces are cedar lined and lit, all doors and hatches have rubber vibration stoppers, and there are TV/DVDs and air-con controls.

OFFSHORE HANDLING
However handy this boat's 20-knot top speed and 18-knot fast cruise may be in, say, adverse weather, or a bar crossing, the Marlows are built for long-range cruising foremost. Think port-to-port along the coast and many an island odyssey in-between.

With 6041lt of fuel and a displacement speed of about 9kts, where the motors are loping along at 1160rpm and sipping 44lt/h in total, the boat has a safe range in excess of 1100nm in one hit, leaving 10 per cent of fuel in reserve. The pilothouse means you can cruise in fair and foul weather, decibel levels are 68 to 72 at 20kts, while the high swooping bow sheds water at displacement speeds and a Portuguese bridge keeps the sea at bay and not in the bulwarks should things get nasty.

Naturally, there are Naiad stabilisers to counter any rolling during beam-on seas. The blades are connected to a gyrocompass and computer that anticipates the roll and predicts its pattern then alters the blade angles to counteract it. It was calm for our test, but I'm told you don't feel beam-on seas to at least 1.5m and anything bigger is virtually a ripple.

As it was, the boat had just a lovely defiant motion though the water, big views forward, and real cruising comfort. Beyond displacement speed, the twin 715hp Cats get the hull planing at about 2000rpm and 12 to 13kts for 180lt/h, while 2150rpm produces the optimum high-speed cruise of 16 to 17kts for about 210lt/h in total or a safe range of more than 440nm, which is Sydney to the Gold Coast if you are in a hurry.

Add the impressive construction, attention to detail, abundant water and fuel, space and comforts, and timeless styling with teak joinery, it's hardly surprising the Marlows enjoy a strong following overseas. Apparently one changed hands three times with as much as an $80,000 premium on the original price simply because buyers don't want to wait 18 month to two years for a new one.

Luckily for local cruising buffs, the Marlow 57 Classic is a stock boat. There is a 65 heading for Perth too, and so impressed is dealer Ratcliff that he's ordered a 57 for himself. He got as far as Port Douglas last attempt and, with his new Marlow 57, plans to fulfil the dream and keep going around Australia. Maybe I'll stow away.