Mustang M32 with twin Volvo Penta D3 diesels

The M32 launched in 2011 after Maritimo bought the struggling Mustang brand. An entry-level sportscruiser, borne out of the GFC, the boat adopted a back-to-basic’s approach. The big little boat, dubbed the Baby Maritimo for it had little in common with Mustang boats, became another Bill Barry-Cotter-built success story. Four-years later, the M32 is still selling well. One of the biggest volume boats in its class, the boat caters for a family of four for a weekend afloat. The M32 may be all you ever need. This second revisit of the no-expense-spared 21st M32 proves the point. This is the first M32 with twin diesels, joystick docking and driving, generator and air-con and other upmarket options. New levels manoeuvrability, safety and luxury in what’s become a giant killer.

OVERVIEW
- Loaded Baby Maritimo continues to attract attention
Here are a couple of things I bet you didn’t know.

When the M32 was launched in 2011 tested here
, Maritimo’s founder and principal Bill Barry-Cotter and top driver Ross Willaton decided to take the boat to the Sydney boat show by sea to prove her seaworthiness.  There was no autopilot or electronics save handhelds.

The intrepid pair copped some heavy weather and were both pretty glad to see Port Stephens, but they made an irrefutable point along the way. Don’t underestimate the M32’s seaworthiness or its cruising potential. Built with the same integrity as its big sisters, which range all the way to 70-odd feet, this ‘Baby Maritimo’ punches above its weight.

You might also be surprised to learn that the M32 is still attracting steady interest from new-boat buyers in the rebounding market. It’s the only boat of its size made by the big Australian cruiser marques in these bigger-are-better days. The M32 goes a long way to making luxury boating affordable and is priced from $235K with a petrol engine and sterndrive.

Indeed, some boatowners don’t buy the ‘bigger is better’ line. The M32 featured here was all the boat the Gold Coast owner wanted. The twin engines and joystick make boat handling around his tight tidal berth a breeze. And for gadding about the Broadwater, lunching at Couran Cove and cruising up the Coomera, this is a great sportscruiser that provides simple, enjoyable days afloat.

PRICE AND EQUIPMENT
- Cutting loose with the options list
Having determined that the M32 was big enough, the owner set about equipping his boat to the kind of high levels one might be accustomed to finding in much bigger boats. Certainly, Maritimo is a good bet when it comes to fitting up extra engineering and electrical items. Some of the extras on this M32 are standard issue on the multimillion-dollar luxury long-range Maritimo motoryachts.

The big decisions started with the upgraded 170hp D3 Volvo Penta diesel engines for extra manoeuvrability and a doubly safe boat. The addition of the joystick docking and driving adds hugely to the boat’s ease of handling around the marina and at speed for quick course adjustments in open water.

There was a 4kW Onan genset for autonomy and, moreover, to power the 12,000btus of air-conditioning. With the press of a button or two, Queensland summer heatwaves vanish into the ether.

A small invertor was fitted to run the TVs at night without the rumble of the genset and there were plenty of GPOs in the bathroom and cabins for connecting 240V appliances. An external 240V barbecue was added on the optional rear swim-platform rail, too.

The boat had an autopilot linked to its Lowrance HDS-10 fishfinder/GPS for easy coastal cruising. Foot controls (in addition to helm controls) for the windlass and a chain counter assist anchoring, while the full rear awning with camper covers, windows and fly screens to let you cook, entertain and even sleep on deck without biting insects ruining your night.

Internal reflective window coverings help keep the saloon cool and weather-protected under the Queensland summer sun. Together with a freshwater flush toilet, these options helped create a terrific little weekender. The base price of $235K headed north to $328,467. But the owner got what he wanted and is a happy camper, we hear.

LAYOUT AND ACCOMMODATION
- A family and couple’s cruiser with everything you need
We’re not going to rewrite our previous M32 tests here, but we should reiterate the fact there’s a lot of utility about the Mustang 32. This is a boat conceived for your archetypal Aussie family much like the Mariner 26 way back then.

We like the sheltered seating under the hardtop, the galley-up and barbecue aft, the twin cabins and big bathroom below decks. It will all make good boating sense with a small family aboard.

There’s a reasonably deep integrated swim platform, handheld hot/cold shower and aft-facing transom lounge (gas bottle locker nearby) to add to the waterfront real estate. Our test boat had a 240V GPO and U-bar with barbecue, too.

Once aboard, the single-level cockpit/helm deck and galley are ready to serve. These areas all largely shaded by the hardtop.

Seating comes in the form of an L-shaped lounge to port around a teak dinette. Your could option this up as a convertible daybed/outdoor sleeper, especially if you have the camper and insect covers.

Storage is a highlight and found under the lounges, in various lockers and drawers.

The galley module opposite the helm includes upgraded electric two-burner stove instead of the usual gas number, sink and Waeco 12V fridge, with yet more storage below.

Add the underfloor shortage room and there’s plenty of space for stashing provisions, water toys, fishing gear, roll-up tender and more.

Meantime, there’s a good deal of cockpit floor space and ample headroom under the hardtop. Because the side decks aren’t especially wide, internal space has been maximised.

Grab rails on the cabin top assist your passage to the small foredeck with windlass. Back at the helm, a manual sunroof adds to the ventilation.

The dash had the Lowrance 10in screen as its centrepiece. This can relay Volvo Penta engine data, as do the twin LCD Volvo engine displays. There was the joystick, air-con outlets, and nearby Onan start switch. The battery system is simple and the generator installation added to the functionality.

The twin helm bench seat is equally welcome and with trim tabs you can correct weight imbalances easily enough.

Accommodation wows on the M32.

The stateroom in the bow boasts a big island bed, twin opening ports and escape hatch, and his and her hanging lockers. There’s storage under the mattress, while the teak joinery has 13 coats of varnish in keeping with the yard’s multi-million-dollar craft.

Scoring a second cabin with twin bunks is a boon in a boat this size. The kids will relish their ‘cubby house,’ while couples will have somewhere to throw the soft bags and clothes. An opening portlight ensures fresh air and you can delete the cabin door for a more open-plan layout.

The bathroom is a beauty.

The big white moulded space has oodles of room to operate the handheld shower and it’s an easy-clean space, too. The electric freshwater Vacuflush toilet feeds off the boat’s modest 120 litre water supply that will last a weekend if you’re not wasteful. An additional 120-litre water tank is an option.

HULL AND ENGINEERING
- Fair mouldings and a big-boat fitout
The hand-laid solid-glass hull has vinylester resin to ward off osmosis. The mouldings look very fair, there are stainless steel through-hull fittings below the waterline, Fireboy fire-suppression system, high-water alarm and aluminium fuel tanks. All the wiring and plumbing is colour coded.

The boat comes standard with a 25amp battery charger and two N200 batteries, with a 4kg gas bottle for the cooker. In other words, the basic Mustang 32 is based on the KISS principle. As mentioned, this boat #21 had a generator, air-con, electric cooktop, electric barbecue, plus AC circuit breaker panel, shore-power changeover switch, and plenty of AC outlets.

An electric hatch lift grants access to all sides of the twin D3. The cockpit floor has a slight camber to accommodate the engine height but it’s not a noticeable step. This boat’s diesel fuel system includes twin tanks, balance line and separate Racor filters for engines and generator.

ON THE WATER
- Petrol versus diesel, single versus twins, and a joystick for docking and driving
We have spent a good deal of time aboard the M32. In fact, we were floating around the Gold Coast yard when the first one was being designed and built. To date, some six different petrol and diesel engine variants have become available.

Our first test of the Mustang 32 was with the base single MerCruiser 8.2-litre (502cui) 380hp MAG big-block V8. The boat was good for nearly 37 knots on the day or, according to the official data, 37.05 knots.

Our revisit was on a M32 with the award-winning Volvo Penta V8-380, which also produces 380hp only it does it with a 6.0-litre block weighing about 100kg less than the MerCruiser.

This higher-revving engine, which cost a $10K premium, wound out to 5850rpm for 0.4 knots greater top speed, but returned 18 per cent better fuel economy at optimum cruising revs.

As for the oil-burner options, there have been single Volvo Penta D6-330 or Mercury TDI (VW) 350hp diesel engine upgrades for $23,400 and $31,600 cost premiums.

This is the first M32 with twin diesels, the D3 170s, and as such it’s probably the boat with the most potential and greatest built-in safety margin for serious long-range cruising, big bay work, port-to-port and coastal hopping.

Certainly, there was plenty of grunt from the diesels and we shot to planing speed soon after our application of throttle. Top speed at WOT was 35.50 knots according to the official data, but the cruising economy and range are what it’s all about.

At 3000rpm you’re doing 24.2 knots for a 388nm range, while 3200rpm is the absolute sweet spot for 26.9 knots fast cruise using 1.64lt/nm for a 395nm range from 90 per cent of the 300-litre fuel supply. The range is pretty much the same at 3400rpm and 29.2 knots if you can maintain that speed.

These cruise figures represent greater than 50 per cent better efficiency than the big-block V8s. The twin diesels use just 44-48lt/hr at 27-30 knots fast cruising. The only downside was some audible induction noise at lower revs, but all in all this was a very snappy performer with the D3s.

We all know about joysticks in docking roles, but we’ve also driven a few boats like this with Volvo Penta’s Joystick driving feature. Basically, the stick alters your autopilot heading, not your revs or speed, so once you set the throttle you just tweak the joystick to change course.

On a snappy 30-knot-cruise sportscruiser like this, we’d prefer driving off the wheel in the confines of somewhere like the Broadwater. Offshore, you’re not going to change course that much when cruising from waypoint to waypoint, not more more than a few +/- degrees at most. But there is something novel about ‘driving’ off the joystick at speed all the same, and it's easy to start getting into it.

Despite the extra engine weight, the M32 didn’t labour too much jumping out of the hole either. At rest, the added weight down low might be a boon. That said, boats like this are best anchored for the night in sheltered boltholes to escape rocking.

VERDICT
- A terrific little twin diesel
Not everyone understands the M32, especially those who don’t spend a lot of time on boats. This is an excellent Aussie-made entry-level cruiser for our big waterways, bays, harbours, long rivers and coastal sweeps with desirable anchorages at one end and often blown-up water in between.

Both Mustang and Maritimo boats undergo four different surveyor checks during the build process. The dealer and client also sign off on the boats during pre-delivery. The result is a boat that’s very well made and the M32 is made to the same standards as bigger Maritimos.

Barry-Cotter’s entry-level offering has been well-received, with sales to New Zealand, Singapore as well as most Australian states. Usually, there’s not too much bling on the boats, just good buying and boating sense.

But this twin-diesel variant has some smarts, longer legs and certainly a lot more comforts in keeping with the Maritimo long-range luxury cruisers. Without doubt the best M32 on the water. The boat was displayed proudly alongside the multimillion-dollar Maritimo sister ships at the 2015 Sanctuary Cove Boat Show.

LIKES
>> Excellent diesel-powered performance and cruising range
>> Exceptional ‘dockability’ from Volvo Penta joystick
>> Spacious family sportscruiser with twin cabins

NOT SO MUCH
>> Some induction noise at lower transitional rev ranges
>> You pay a decent premium for twin diesels

SPECIFICATIONS
Price as tested: $328,467 with upgraded twin Volvo Penta D3-170 and Joystick driving and docking, 4kW Onan generator, 12,000btu air-con, autopilot, awning and camper covers and more
Priced from: $235,000 with Volvo Penta V8-380 or MerCruiser MAG 380mhp
Length overall: 9.85m
Hull length (ISO): 9.67m
Beam: 3.175m
Draft: 1.05m
Displacement: 4700kg with Volvo V8-380
Fuel capacity: 600 litres
Water capacity: 120 litres
Holding tank: 45 litres
Sleeping capacity: 4+1 standard
Engine: Twin Volvo Penta D3-170 with sterndrives

Supplied by:
Maritimo Offshore
15 Waterway Dr, Coomera, 4209
Queensland
Ph: (07) 5588 6000
www.maritimo.com.au