Revisit: Riviera 50 Enclosed with upgraded IPS 950s

He wanted a serious fishing boat. She desired comforts and luxury. And here the twain do meet. With owner input, Riviera options and after-market customisations, you can have your fishing boat and keep your marriage, too. But the real marriage worth celebrating is the Riviera 50 Enclosed Bridge with upgraded IPS 950s and IPS2 drives. Now this big 50 has the grunt it deserves.

The 600hp engines, Volvo Penta’s IPS 800s or the QSC 8.3 Cummins (no cost option), are now the standard offering with the Riviera 50. The Cummins produced a modest top speed of 26-27 knots and a cruise of about 20 knots for a safe 335nm range.

Now there’s nothing wrong with these speeds and figures, but in today’s world it’s realistic to expect a 50-foot flybridge cruiser to hit better than 30 knots and, thus, return mid-20 knots cruise for fast passage-making, fishing tournaments and keeping up with the Americans aboard their 30-knot flybridge craft.

So it was with a degree of gusto that we revisited the Riviera 50 Enclosed (boat #10) with an engine upgrade, namely to Volvo Penta IPS 950s (725hp a side). These turn the big — and this is a b-i-g flybridge 50 — into a 34-knot-plus boat that will happily cruise at 25-26 knots, roughly 400rpm off wide-open throttle. where you want it to be. Fuel consumption is also a winner.

See why we wanted a revisit with the repower? Read on.

The end result, a terrific bluewater fishing and cruising machine, is testimony to the Queensland boatbuilder’s willingness to meet diverse customer needs in this market and, it should be said, a reflection of the owner’s input and fishing nous. For this was a very nicely set-up boat that we would be happy campaign at tournaments and holiday aboard with the family. Just the right mix.

That said, you go get a lot in your standard Riviera these days. From a base price of $1.485 million with Volvo Penta IPS 800s, this fully loaded boat with bigger/better engines cost $1.637 million. That’s not that much more than that Riviera 50 #1 with Cummins we originally tested, plus this newer version had more than two pages of customisations!

We won’t endeavour to list all the factory and aftermarket kit, mind you, but the big expense was the engine upgrade to IPS 950s ($47,304 well spent), Sportfish mode that locks the pods outboard for wild manoeuvrability, along with a semi-custom rear flybridge fish-chasing helm pod meant no marlin was safe.

The stainless-steel pod had engine throttles and shifts and four LCD engine displays. Overlooking the cockpit, it offers a commanding view and incredible control for chasing flighty fish. There was a second go-to helm station on the flybridge ($16K option) back aft and to starboard, with skipper’s chair, moulded dash module harbouring a large 15in multifunction Garmin display, engine controls, Volvo LCD engine screens, Joystick, VHF and more.

The main ‘cruising’ dash forward, where you can see the road ahead from the upgraded Navigator helm chairs, was fitted with 15in Garmin screens, bigger Volvo Penta LCD engine screen, C-Zone monitoring panel and more.

Back on the fishing front, there were more rod holders in the rocket launcher, rod holders in the gunwales, Reelax outriggers, an in-transom live-bait tank and rigging centre alongside a barbecue, high-pressure bait/tuna tube and deck wash pumps, and cut-down swim platform for better fishability in reverse.

A lot of effort had gone into reducing water ingress through the transom doors and making the cockpit hatches virtually waterproof. Yes, this boat will be fished hard.

The Riv 50 #10 had optional teak decks, of course, an internal saloon lounge with pull-out table option, washer/dryer, and oak and teak joinery among soft-furnishing upgrades. The customisations include a Miele hotplate, an inverter to the AV system and icemaker, rod storage in the master cabin and a lot of other kit and personal touches that come from owning and fishing boats previously.

Considering the volume, the deep level of design, the high-quality fit and finishes, the engineering and careful innovation, and the flexibility to meet this game fisher’s needs, this should be considered a very special Riv. As a whole, the boat exceeds its $1.637 million tag.

And it’s nice to see Riviera reveal its game fishing mojo with what remains a real luxury cruiser.

The in-transom live-bait centre and barbecue sat harmoniously in a central transom island. The benefits of this moulding, with toe kicks so you can fish along its edge, outweigh the negatives for all but diehard heavy-tackle big-game practitioners.

All-important storage space extends from the transom bait tank and barbecue module with four tackle drawers to (optional lockable) side pockets, a quasi subfloor ‘lazarette’ deck moulding, across to a side ‘fish’ bin with Gulpa pump. New integrated Shorepower connections help keep things tidy at dock.

The new twin swing-out transom doors seemed to keep enough water at bay in reverse offshore to chase fish seriously (though the Cairns crowd will have other ideas). There is a top-loading cockpit fridge/freezer for fish/bait/refreshments and cruising fodder back against the cabin bulkhead, with an optional icemaker fitted opposite.

The moulded lids of all the fridges make comfortable impromptu seats, especially useful when trolling where the elevation assists fish spotting. The integrated portside rear-facing cockpit lounge, shaded under the awning, is the pick of the cockpit seats. The main battery breaker panels are behind here so you don’t need to go down to the engine room to fire things up. Although you really should beforehand, of course.

Details like outdoor powerpoints, drink holders, LED lights and the more accessible location for the main battery breakers are welcome, as are the recessed walk-around decks, which step up to conventional side decks backed by an extended bow and grab rails. Access isn’t compromised by the outriggers mounted up high and set from the flybridge.

Without the usual davit or tender, the all-white 50 with black outriggers, rakish lines and curved-glass front window panes looked sharp, clean, and pretty. The flybridge super structure is visibly reduced thanks to black mullions and the styling is at once contemporary but familiar.

The rear opening awning window, aft galley, abundant fridge/freezer drawers, cooking amenities, family-sized dinette and plush lounges cater for liveaboard boating. The lifted fit, finish and great finesse is topped off with the latest C-Zone digital switching, smart air-con controls, and plenty of 240V outlets for devices.

Internal stairs make for a safe transition to the flybridge, where there are yet more lounges, his-and-hers upgraded Navigator helm seats, a handy aft-facing seat alongside for guests. Three-sided clears, opening side windows and hardtop hatches (upgraded) ensure natural ventilation, with air-con an option you should still tick.

The L-shaped aft lounge, shortened to include the optional aft helm, had a low drinks table instead of the usual dinette. This actually seemed more practical. The amenities centre isn’t huge but you get a drawer fridge and small sink with hot/cold water in the bridge. The dash at the main helm has been lowered to maximise vision compared with Riviera #1, which had height-adjustable helm seats in any case.

The boat’s big dinette back in the saloon can seat six or even eight, converts to a coffee table, with a three-person settee opposite with an optional impromptu pop-up table that creates a breakfast/office/kid’s desk. There’s a 40in flat-screen television and AV system, separate TV in the owner’s cabin, while a supplied 2.5kW inverter operates the entertainment system, one galley GPO and the icemaker when not on Shorepower or running the silent 13.5kW Onan generator.

On the sleeping front, Riviera offers three very comfortable cabins instead of one opulent master aft. The portside master stateroom has an island double bed and en suite, the starboard aft cabin has twin adult-length single beds, while the VIP in the bow sports an island queen and door to the second communal/en suite bathroom. All three cabins enjoy substantial hull windows and opening portlights and/or hatches for natural ventilation, while the beds, storage and floor space are mindfully liveable.

In fact, the cabins remind us of those we come across on 60 footers from highbrow European yards. Wide companionways are kept that way by things like recessed opening doors. This 50 also had a washer/dryer in the third cabin, custom dedicated rod storage, cedar-lined hanging lockers, mirrors, magnetic door catches, big en suites with high showers, quiet extractor fans, good room around the heads and, you should note, excellent plumbing.

It’s a truly luxurious 50-footer that could sleep up to eight when you include convertible saloon or flybridge lounge options.

The hull carries its beam well aft at the chines and therefore has an innate ability to carry a good load and fish. Engine vents are inboard. Marine Air Flow devised the ventilation system, with positive (24V fan) forced-air supply, passive extraction and two-stage mist eliminators. Such things are a point of difference from, say, the old Riviera 47s. Think long engine and engineering life.

Engine room access is via a conventional cockpit hatch and the layout is logical, serviceable, owner-friendly, with virtual standing room forward. The fuel tank has sight gauges and remote shut-offs, twin fillers and stainless-steel fuel lines. There are two bilge pumps and a high-water alarm, plus fire-suppression system. Twin battery chargers ensure quick-response charging.

But in the cruising groove of 25-26 knots the tables are turned and this IP-950-powered 50 uses less fuel than the old 51 with MTUS or the 47 G2 with smaller Cat engines.

With the base 600hp Cummins QSC-8.3 engines, cruise at 2580rpm, roughly 400rpm off WOT, produced 19.6 knots up-sea. According to Cummins’ technical data, these cruise revs lead to 157.8 litres per hour of fuel consumption and a range of 335 nautical miles from 90 per cent of the 3000 litre fuel supply.

According to the supplied data, these bigger 725hp IPS-950 upgrades give a safe cruising range of 324nm at 25.3 knots and 2200rpm. So you can get places faster for the same range result. In fact, your cruising range decreases by no more than 10 per cent all the way up to WOT of 2560rpm for 32.5 knots and 303nm, says the data.

Putting all that aside, subjectively, this was a great boat to drive, cruise and, after chasing that imaginary marlin in Sportfish mode, it will put gung-ho game skippers out of work. The IPS-950s have a slow idle mode for bait trolling, station-holding for vertical fishing, and a nice wash and note at trolling speed. On the pegs it feels oh-so-smooth, quiet and refined.

Certainly Riviera is embracing Volvo Penta’s IPS and these bigger IPS 2 drives offer the grunt, bite and shaft-like handling this big 50 deserves. They are a better marriage and match than the standard engines. Smooth cruise and a lovely feel were the final words penned without a scribble on my trusty notepad.

Look out fish. But given the comforts there will be no fishwife. Think wedded bliss instead.