Nautitech 48 Open Review: A Performance Cruiser with Room to Roam

After visiting and sailing Nautitech’s new flagship catamaran, the 48 Open, this past fall as part of Cruising World’s Boat of the Year trials in Annapolis, Maryland, it occurred to me that people could take the word “open” to mean any number of things.

First and foremost, it could refer to the sporty twin helms—located aft on either transom—in the great outdoors, under the open sky, out there where you can feel the wind in your face and hear the rush of water flowing past the hulls as wakes are left quickly astern in any sort of breeze.

Then there’s the open feel to the boat, especially in the flow from the salon to the cockpit. Interior designer Christophe Chedal-Anglay—working alongside the naval architects at Marc Lombard Yacht Design Group and the Nautitech team—created a space with furniture and fittings that’s kept minimal enough not to feel cluttered, but with accommodations that are ­refined-looking and more than adequate to keep a crew of even eight on charter well-fed and pampered. Overhead hatches and cabin windows let in lots of light, and a sliding door and adjacent window opening to the Bimini-top-shaded cockpit eliminate the distinction ­between indoors and out.

Topsides, wide and open side decks, along with ample handholds molded into the cabin top, make moving about while underway seem secure. Below, what the builder calls the ­optional “smart room,” located in the forward starboard ­cabin, gives an owner open-ended choices for how the space will be used. It can have a berth for two, or inboard bunks that fold out of the way; or it can be fit out as a utility room with a washer, dryer and lots of stowage. 

Last, the 48 gives an owner open-ended options for how and where the boat will be used. It can easily be handled by a couple, it has space enough for a family, and there’s a four-stateroom design, making it charter-friendly as well.

The 48’s hull and deck are foam-cored and vacuum-­infused; interior bulkheads, also cored, are reinforced with carbon fiber for added strength. The hulls—narrow at the waterline for sailing performance—flare out above chines running their length. This adds to interior volume below, as well as to buoyancy underway.

There are five layout options. The boat we sailed had the owner’s stateroom in the port hull and a guest stateroom aft to port, with the smart room and bunks forward.

A salon occupies the bridge deck, with a nav station ­forward to port, fridges and freezers to starboard, and a stand-up bar/counter/bookshelf—you name it—in between. Not sure what to do with it? Try standing there chatting with a mate. It’s a good spot to lounge, both dockside and underway.

The U-shaped galley has an aft-facing sink and a counter where dishes can be placed when they’re handed in from the cockpit dining table just aft; opposite, aft to port is the dining table with L-shaped seating outboard. Interior woodwork can be finished in light walnut (standard) and oak. 

Twin 75 hp Volvo diesels powered the 48 we sailed (60 hp is standard). Those, plus add-ons such as electronics and an 11 kW Onan generator, raised the cost of the boat by about $300,000 on top of the $1.1 ­million base price.

Noise levels while ­motoring were relatively low, even with the throttles set for a get-home-­quick speed of 8.5 knots. Cruising speed (1,800 rpm) was just over 7 knots.

But really, why motor? The Nautitech is a whole lot more fun to sail. 

Electric Harken winches just inboard of either wheel make raising the square-top main and trimming sheets a push-button effort. Another set, located at either end of the transom, controls the traveler that runs between them and the mainsheet. Reef lines and such that exit the mast are led into covered channels in the Bimini top and over blocks to clutches in the cockpit, eliminating line clutter except around the helms, where there’s plenty of room to sort things out.

The cat comes standard with a self-tacking jib, which is what we found on the boat we sailed; a 135 genoa is an option. Our test boat was also rigged with a beefy code sail set on a sprit using a continuous-­line furler. With that kite rolled out, we were definitely hauling the mail on a blustery day on Chesapeake Bay. We saw consistent speeds ranging from the low 9s well past 10 knots in about 15 knots of wind. The payday came in a 20-knot puff, when the ­speedo hit 15 and stuck there for a while. Fun ride.

With the screecher rolled back up and the self-tacker unfurled, we still saw lots of 7s and 8s on the GPS as we beat upwind. And the boat was ­really easy to sail. Standing at the helm, I did notice a bit of a blind spot caused by the corner of the cabin and glare off the windows as we weaved our way through crab pots. But moving around a bit solved the problem. 

Besides, crab pots probably won’t be an issue in a place where a boat like this will likely be going. Think trade winds, white sandy beaches and tropical punches. If the 48 Open were my boat, that’s where I’d be bound. 

Take the Next Step

Price: Approximately $1.4 ­million (as tested)
Website: nautitechcatamarans.com

The post Nautitech 48 Open Review: A Performance Cruiser with Room to Roam appeared first on Cruising World.