Overview

Punch the throttles at the helm of the Mystic M5200XL, and the acceleration feels so smooth and effortless that you don’t realize how quickly you’re gaining speed or even how fast you’re actually going. That is, until you glance to one side and notice the houses and channel markers along the waterway start to blur. Then you feel like a pilot flying a private jet on a ­bluebird day, experiencing nothing but pure speed in a luxury setting.

Founded in 1996 by John Cosker, Mystic has had a hand in both the offshore-racing and recreational-boating sectors since that time. On the rec side, Mystic has gained a reputation for building opulent speedsters, which is fully evident when you step aboard the M5200XL. The boat is highly customizable, so no two are exactly alike, but our test model had a total of eight helm-style seats—two rows of four—under the hardtop, each with its own flip-up bolster, so everyone can adjust independently to their own comfort level. Step aft to the transom for a wraparound lounge featuring an electrically actuated teak table that can be converted to a sun pad with the add-on cushions. Just aft of the helm stadium seating, there’s a summer kitchen with a sink, grill, and a cooler that slides in and out at the push of a button.

Interior and Accessories

Coaming bolsters adorn the inwales from stem to stern, and the wide walkways to either side of the console provide easy passage to the spacious bow lounge. With 40 inches of freeboard, moving around this boat feels safe and secure. Just forward of the console, Mystic installed three forward-facing lounges with their own cup holders and armrests. The wraparound seating in the bow is ergonomically designed for comfort. Two electrically actuated tables can be deployed to rise from the deck and create another social space. Our tester had a Garmin display, synced to the helm, ­flush-mounted into the bow, so passengers can keep tabs on where the captain is going.

Step belowdecks into a cabin with 6 feet, 4 inches of headroom and a V-berth that converts to a dinette. The head has a vanity with a mounted bowl sink, as well as a VacuFlush ­toilet—all separated from the shower by a full-length glass door. Our test boat had the summer kitchen in the main cockpit rather than a galley belowdecks, but owners can add one ­below if desired. Crank up the air conditioning on a hot summer night to sleep or hang out in climate-controlled comfort. All of it adds up to a boat that’s more than capable of meeting your needs for an overnight cruise.

Engines

But if you’re interested in the Mystic M5200, No. 1 on your checklist is going to be how this boat performs, and on our test day, it came up aces. With four Mercury 600 Verado V-12s on the transom, this 13-ton boat climbed onto plane in an astounding 3.1 seconds and hit the 30 mph mark in just 7.5 seconds en route to a near 80 mph top end. What’s more, our running angle never climbed over 2 degrees on our clinometer, confirming what we already knew—the boat did not squat or hesitate coming out of the hole. That’s important when commanding a boat of this size and speed, so you can always keep your eyes connected to what’s ­happening on the water in front of you. The double-stepped hull ran with a level attitude and felt predictable throughout the speed range.

Handling proved as smooth as silk during hard-over turns at 30 mph, and our view of the water and surrounding area was never compromised. The tall wraparound windshield kept us protected from the wind at speed, and the twin flush-mounted 27-inch ­Garmin displays were easy to read from behind the wheel. Our test boat also featured Garmin’s Surround View, providing a ­360-degree ­video feed of the entire boat. All of that gives the captain an extra level of awareness while operating at high speeds. Mystic ­prerigs its M5200s for a Seakeeper 6 gyrostabilizer—80 percent of its ­customers opt for one—but it’s such a wide, stable boat that it handles well in a beam sea without a gyro.

There aren’t many builders making performance-based 50-footers, but another luxurious choice to consider is the Formula 500 S­uper Sport Crossover, which lists for $3,625,520 with the same quad Mercury 600 Verado ­package. Nor-Tech also offers a 500 Sport that lists for $2,100,000 (starting price).

While every Mystic is highly ­customizable, our test boat had some cool added features that are worth pointing out. The electric ­sliding hardtop lets you bathe the cockpit in natural light and get some natural ventilation on the right day. There’s also an electric sunshade that can be deployed from the hardtop to cover the cockpit aft of the hardtop, and a canvas sunshade that can cover the bow lounge. The extended swim platform helps with boarding at the dock or taking a swim while anchored near the sandbar.

After spending the day running the ­Mystic M5200XL, doing everything from flat-out speed runs to running at idle in no-wake zones to docking it in a current using the joystick controls, there’s no doubt that this boat can satisfy your need for speed while also keeping your crew safe, comfortable and entertained.

Read Next: Mystic M4200

How We Tested

• Engines: Quad Mercury 600 Verado outboards
• Drive/Props: Outboard/Verado 12 16.5″ x 37″ 4-blade stainless steel (outer); Verado 12 16.5″ x 37″ 3-blade stainless steel (inner)
• Gear Ratio: 2.50:1 Fuel Load: 231 gal. Water on Board: 0 gal. Crew Weight: 600 lb.

High Points 

• With 40-inch gunwale height, the freeboard is securely taller than waist-high from stem to stern.
• Carbon-fiber windshield frame and hardtop shaves 300 pounds in weight compared with a fiberglass hardtop.
• Eight helm seats with independent flip-up bolsters means everyone has a plush place to stand or sit under the hardtop.

Low Point

• Bow lounge jumpseat backrest on our test boat didn’t recline enough; Mystic is changing the design starting with the next build.

Pricing and Specs

Speed, Efficiency, Operation

The post Boat Test: 2025 Mystic Powerboats M5200XL appeared first on Boating Mag.

Overview

At 70 mph, I knew I should be watching the seas ahead in the potholed Gulf Stream, but the numbers painting green on the big Garmin monitor in front of me were as hypnotic as the eyes of a swaying cobra.

They read 70.1, 70.0, 72.3, 69 (woops, hit a swell), 70.2.

The entire dashboard of the new Intrepid 51 Panacea is laid out for someone with a penchant for speed. The three big Garmin monitors give the skipper’s “office” the feel of a CIA special ops center, and the push buttons for systems are clearly marked and curve across the dash like those on a new C-8 Corvette. Coincidentally, that’s the car owned by Intrepid president Ken Clinton. (You are so busted, Ken.)

But the real Intrepid story is several feet below where I stand, with the legendary transverse-stepped Intrepid hull. The 21-degree deadrise is sharp enough to shave with, slicing the waves cleanly before they meet legions of softening strakes, followed by a transverse step that aerates the after sections, reducing drag and increasing speed and efficiency. The short version? Intrepid’s 51 Panacea takes no notice of swells that would rattle your fillings on other boats.

Because everyone wants to see those speed numbers and look through the amazingly huge one-piece curved windshield, the 51 has a second row of four seats on a raised platform, so guests have ­mezzanine seating to overlook the action.

Full disclosure: As a boat reviewer, one thing I look for is wasted space. But the 51 Panacea foiled me. Every teensy inch has been used. As Clinton says, “Everything deserves a home,” so you’ll never have to throw fenders into the cabin (there are hinged fender or dive-tank holders in the coamings) or stash dock lines in an empty baitwell (more lockers). With outboard power, there is an immense lazarette under the cockpit large enough to ­become a mother-in-law suite, which provides easy ­access to the 11 kW Kohler genset and the Seakeeper 6 gyro.

Engines

Speaking of power, there is one particularly cool feature on the 51: an unassuming lid just left of the wheel. Lift the lid and there are four perfectly aligned keys to bring the four Mercury 600 hp V-12 outboards to life. For car junkies like Clinton and me, the mention of V-12 brings to mind the sound of canvas ripping loudly, but these V-12 Verados were surprisingly quiet. Granted, I was in the front-row seating, but my decibel meter barely hit 80 dB(A) with the hammer down at 6,000 rpm.

Interior and Accessories

But the 51 is more than a go-fast boat; it’s a high-speed luxury vessel. The cabin might look lean and low, but it has all the opulence of a weekend getaway, with a convertible table that becomes a wider-than-queen (86 inches) berth, and a comfortable head with an electric toilet and a 31-by-44-inch shower stall (impressive) behind a Lucite door. Save water and shower with a friend.

The galley is minimalist, with a pair of Isotherm drawer fridges, a one-burner Kenyon stove and an eye-level microwave, all of which take care of morning coffee. For more cuisine, a full outdoor kitchen is behind the cockpit seating, with a big grill, an ice maker and a roll-out ice chest. You can enjoy those steaks and burgers forward, past the trio of tilt-up sun lounges on the cabin roof and over to the bow seating that wraps around a table. Getting there is secure too, with 38-inch padded coamings right to the bow locker, with its hidden Maxwell anchor windlass. You can also dine in the cockpit on the fold-down seat, which creates another alfresco entertainment area but disappears when anglers are present.

That cockpit also has two exits: through a solid door to the transom platform by the kickers, and another bigger one through the port coaming. There is a back story on the pioneering design of that fold-down dive door through the hullside. The Hillsborough County sheriffs in Florida used Intrepids for marine patrol and, in 1994, were having trouble retrieving divers from the water. Intrepid cut a big hole in one coaming and engineered a door that became a sturdy platform, and the dive door was created. Intrepid just acquired that landmark Intrepid for restoration after 25 years and 30 sets of motors.

It is simply impossible to fault the construction of the 51 Panacea. Intrepid was an early pioneer of fully infused resin hulls with carbon fiber for strength and lightness. So, even when those numerals are painting 70-plus, there are no creaks or groans.

Underway, the 51 is just a delight. Putting the hammer down from idle doesn’t produce the expected bow rise and loss of vision forward. Instead, the 51 Panacea seems to levitate straight up onto plane. That’s clearly the result of perfect fore-and-aft balance and the lift characteristics of the hull form. We didn’t need to use tabs or outboard trim to “push over” the bow wave and get onto plane; it ­occurred seamlessly.

For those who slept through ancient history classes, Panacea was the goddess of universal remedy, and this 51-foot Intrepid lives up to her name. Whether you want to go fast, weekend in comfort, or entertain (and amaze) friends, this one is for you.

Read Next: Boat Test: 2023 Intrepid 41 Valor

How We Tested

• Engines: Quad 600 hp Mercury V-12 Verado
• Drives/Props: Outboard/Verado 12 16.75″ x 33″ (front); 15.25″ x 33″ (back)
• Gear Ratio: Two-speed, 2.50:1 Fuel Load: 840 gal. Water on Board: 0 gal. Crew Weight: 1,100 lb.

High Points

• Electrical panel at eye level just inside the cabin means no scrunching to find the right switch. 
• Hatch gutters are deep enough to handle biblical rainstorms or energetic washdowns.
• Bow seating transforms into backrests, sun pads with armrests, and a host of other seating and lounging choices.

Low Points

• Give me an extra burner in the cabin galley.
• Stronger backrests for the seats; I found myself slowly reclining.
• More sissy grab bars for the troops in both rows of seating because the armrests don’t lock down.

Pricing and Specs

Speed, Efficiency, Operation

The post Boat Test: 2023 Intrepid 51 Panacea appeared first on Boating Mag.

Overview

After a day on the water testing the new Cruisers Yachts 50 GLS, I realized why it seemed so familiar. It reminded me of the Porsche 356 coupe I owned decades ago. It was fast, it was fun, it was comfortable, and everyone looked when I blew past. I loved that car dearly and still regret selling it. 

GLS stands for Grand Luxury Sport and, as the flagship of the “adventuring” GLS series of Cruisers Yachts boats, the 50 is all that and more. This yacht is about fun and entertaining on the water. Once you get past using the words “Cruisers” and “outboards” in the same sentence, this is a quite spectacular yacht. 

Cruisers calls the 50 GLS “the ultimate dayboat,” which is accurate in one sense, but limiting in another. The 50 is great for entertaining a boatload of friends, but also doubles as a surprisingly luxe overnighter, with two staterooms and a spacious head with a separate stall shower.

For starters, the cockpit is spacious, and even more so when the sides butterfly down to a 21-foot beam, leaving the aft seating in an island of comfort with its own table. The transom grill (or optional two grills) is convenient to the cockpit and allows the chef to ­surreptitiously dispose of charred burgers overboard.

Engines

Set well behind the chef is a whacking-great trio of 600 hp ­Mercs that push this 19 tons of comfortableness to just shy of 50 knots (56 mph) with more than enough punch to yank skiers and tow toys right out of the water when you put the hammer down.

Interior and Accessories

Three separate seating areas dot the cockpit, with more than enough room to move about without banging knees, and then there is the bow seating. Press a button and the windshield slides open (no lifting ­required), ­offering a deep walkway (safe for all ages) to reach the trio of adjustable sun lounges (with armrests) on the cabin top. You won’t want to walk 15 feet to the twin Isotherm fridges in the aft cockpit, so a cooler is tucked under a seat with a chiller plate (no ice).   

Cruisers Yachts, now owned by MarineMax, created a good-looking yacht, from the black slash on the topsides that conceals the windows to the sleek hardtop that presents you with choices. Want sun and breeze? Open the sunroof and walkway door, plus lower the electric side windows. Hiding from the sun? A 9-foot MakeFast awning grows from the top to shade the aft cockpit. 

The helm features a trio of 19-inch Simrad monitors (including CZone digital switching), a joystick linked to the Side-Power bow thruster, and a fully adjustable helm seat next to a double companion seat.

Step below and the bright cabin is surprising, with 6 feet, 8 inches of headroom and a queen-size berth forward behind French doors. A mini galley holds a microwave for morning coffee and croissants, and an Isotherm fridge augments the two in the cockpit galley. The enclosed head is most civilized, with a Lucite-doored stall shower more than 4 feet wide. 

A second cabin is tucked under the ­cockpit, with a pair of berths that convert to a queen berth—perfect for kid naps or guests, although it won’t encourage them to linger. Each cabin has 32-inch TVs, and a 55-inch TV pops up behind the cockpit galley.

Before the 50 GLS was dropped into the water, I had a chance to examine the Donald L. Blount-designed hull with two full-length strakes and wide chine flats that threw the spray far to the side underway. It’s clear that Blount’s performance-boat background provided us with a soft ride through 2- to 3-foot seas, but more importantly, the 50 GLS begs you to exercise your secret Mr. Toad. Crank the wheel, and the twin-propped Merc ­V-12s bite like a Rottweiler. The 50 just grins, banks comfortably, and asks for more dog treats, please. Even Aunt Edna is going to love this ride.   

And while you’d think that 36 cylinders hanging on the transom should make muscle-car noises, well, they don’t. At idle, we registered just 58 dB(A) on the decibel meter, and with the throttles down flat, we were at 85 dB(A), which OSHA says equates to the sound of a vacuum cleaner. There’s no “I didn’t hear you” excuse on the 50 GLS.

Hanging those outboards on the stern also opened immense undercockpit space, which had a Kohler 15 kW genset on our test boat (for keeping those blenders mixing margaritas and the AC going at the sandbar), plus a Seakeeper 6 gyrostabilizer. There was also ample storage for boat gear, from fenders to inflatable toys. 

The speed chart tells part of the story (56.6 mph), but not the real-life part. Think in terms of Lauderdale to Bimini in 60 minutes, Long Beach to Catalina in a half-hour, and the same from Cape Cod to Nantucket. Even ­better, this isn’t a pounding ride, but a comfortably luxurious adventure.

Shopping? Another $1 million gets you a ­Formula 500 SSC with four Merc 600s ($3,537,110), plus another 10 mph at wide-open throttle. Do compare and run both boats.

The Cruisers 50 GLS checks all the boxes. It is a bowrider on steroids, an express cruiser with entertaining ambitions, an overnighter in comfort, and a performance boat. 

Like my long-gone Porsche, the 50 GLS is a classic for our own times, and one that should bring you as much fun as my little silver four-banger.

Read Next: 2022 Cruisers Yachts 34GLS

How We Tested

• Engines: Triple 600 hp Mercury Verado V-12
• Drive/Props: Outboard/Verado 18″ x 27.5″ 4-blade (front); 3-blade (rear)
• Gear Ratio: 2.50:1 Fuel Load: 100 gal. Water on Board: 10 gal. Crew Weight: 450 lb.

High Points

• Folding cockpit “terraces” add flexibility and space at rest (but rails would be nice).
• High coamings and grab rails everywhere are safe for kids.
• Cockpit phone-charging station handles six phones, plus one by the skipper.

Low Points

• Galley “splash rail” won’t keep any spilled gazpacho from hitting the upholstery.
• A handrail into the cabin would be appreciated.
• White dashboard creates huge reflections in windshield. Buy black felt!

Pricing and Specs

Speed, Efficiency, Operation

The post Boat Test: 2023 Cruisers Yachts 50 GLS appeared first on Boating Mag.

Overview

The Nor-Tech 500 Sport is a center-console that is also a yacht. It has the sharp lines of a multifaceted gem, and for a boater in the market for something in this class, our tests revealed nothing that would take away from its feature-benefit value proposition. In other words, put it on your boat-show must-see list.

Engines

Its carbon-fiber and Kevlar-reinforced triple-stepped hull proves solid and takes full advantage of five Mercury 450R outboards, achieving top speeds in the high 80s. That’s thanks to the partnership between Mercury Racing’s commitment to high-performance outboards and Nor-Tech’s decadeslong track record producing light, sturdy, high-performance hulls.

The Mercs are V-8s—supercharged to boost the massive output of the V-8 powerheads—and integrated digital throttle, shift and power steering reduces the work of managing them to pure fingertip pleasure. You could argue the vessel is not fuel-friendly, but considering the hull size, amenities, sleeping accommodations and sheer stadium seating, the economy is better than average. What’s more, Mercury’s cowling style is designed to easily color-match to the hull design thanks to color panels that can be customized for any of the color schemes available from Nor-Tech’s designers and paint shop.

Interior and Accessories

Usually, speed and exotic colors aren’t the first things a boater thinks of in reference to luxury, but Nor-Tech’s engineers put some posh twists into the boat that make it comfortable for skippers and their crews. A large center console is topped with a tempered-glass windshield that wraps around the console, ending in outward flares on each side that deflect the airstream generated by the speed of the Mercs away from the cockpit and aft seating. Wind dams open from the sides of the console, closing the space between the inwales and console. The result calms the air behind the helm seats, making 80 mph exciting and comfortable. For shade, the hardtop covers two rows of seating with a welded aluminum, smartly powder-coated superstructure bonded to stringers, the console and the hardtop in the most rigid manner possible. The superstructure is also designed to accept gyrostabilizers installed either at the factory or as an aftermarket addition.

Situational awareness at speed is enhanced with three large Garmin displays; the starboard (third one) is cleverly mounted in the sliding door to the spacious cabin below. A Mercury VesselView display above in the hardtop gives another look at engine systems and allows unique functions, like toggling between luxury quiet-exhaust settings or rumbling performance-exhaust settings that let the motors breath. Digital switching routes through the displays, but Nor-Tech provides tactile buttons for the most-used onboard systems, such as the horn, bilge, navigation lights and more. Systems integration includes audio as well, whether you choose a JL or Fusion system.

The helm itself is centered so the skipper can enjoy the company of crew, with custom bucket seats on each side. Spacing is ideal for performance handling, with bolsters that allow stand-up driving with a safe, comfortable reach to the wheel.

For refreshment, a cold plate cooler is positioned full-width in the skipper’s leaning post, and the second-row leaning-post seat has an identical cold plate cooler.

While luxury is the name of the game in the Nor-Tech, the boat’s style and vibe is all Miami Vice. The HCB Yachts Suenos ($2,600,000) offers a 53-footer that can go toe-to-toe in luxury with the 500 Sport, but it’s vibe is more Outer Banks, thanks to its tall stem and wide Carolina bow flare. The Suenos offers an extra foot of beam compared to the Nor-Tech and takes good advantage of it, providing teak-trimmed bucket seats at the helm, lounges forward, and plenty of cabin amenities belowdecks.

Nor-Tech’s comfort is not to be outclassed by another boatbuilder. Aft, a beam-to-beam lounge with back bolsters wraps over the transom. Forward seating wraps around the forepeak of the sole, and an extra-wide dual lounge is centered on the console’s front. Tap a button and a full-width footrest raises the comfort level.

The cabin below, inside the console, is airy and roomy with expansive portals. Tap a button, however, and these turn opaque, closing the cabin for privacy and leaving behind a soft, diffused light. A large berth, spacious head compartment and a seating area make for happy cruising.

The Nor-Tech 500 Sport is blistering-fast, with mouth-watering color schemes and a soothing style in amenities to make all riders content and the skipper proud to own it.

Read Next: 2022 Nor-Tech 392 Super Fish

How We Tested

• Engines: Five Mercury 450R
• Drive/Props: Outboard/Max 5 28.3″ x 15″
• Gear Ratio: 5.44:1 Fuel Load: 400 gal. Water on Board: 50 gal. Crew Weight: 500 lb.

High Points

• LED cabin blackout windows proved cool and practical.
• Chill plates in dual coolers eliminate the need to haul ice.
• Light carbon-fiber-reinforced hull makes the most out of Mercury horsepower.

Low Points

• Though we believe a teak cabin sole suits a vessel of this caliber, Nor-Tech says no (but yes to performance).
• Full-beam aft couch eliminates a transom door, but gunwale doors are comparably convenient.

Pricing and Specs

Speed, Efficiency, Operation

Nor-Tech Boats – Cape Coral, Florida; 239-567-5030; nor-techboats.com

The post 2022 Nor-Tech 500 Sport appeared first on Boating Mag.

Overview

Idling up to a bustling Florida Keys hotspot in Formula’s 500 Super Sport Crossover, I watched as patrons left their tables, stopped dancing and crowded out onto the dock, phones up and filming. We spun the gleaming blue 50-footer’s nose into the full-moon current, giving all assembled a first-ever public look at Mercury’s V-12 600 Verado—all four of them.

We stopped abeam of a spot between two boats that, just maybe, allowed 4 more feet than the Formula’s 53-foot-4-inch length overall. A murmur arose from the crowd.

With Joystick Piloting engaged, we shunted sideways into the space, tipped the dockhand and grabbed some lunch. Yep, Formula’s 500 SSC impresses as much as it proves practical.

Engines

Its seakeeping and maneuvering definitely caught my attention during our test, which involved running the boat from Fort Myers to Fort Lauderdale, around the tip of Florida. Built specifically for the V-12 600 Verado (Formula was one of a select few boatbuilders to work with Merc and dial in the big mill), this 22-ton deep-V topped 64 mph during speed trials, with full tanks, a crew of three, and hundreds of pounds of boat-show brochures and other gear aboard. It crushed open-water chop at 45 mph. The 500 SSC proved nimble too. I enjoyed the heck out of conducting locked-over turns, also at 50 mph. You’ll find yourself cutting S-turns with this boat just for fun. The carving thrust induces G-force and delivers big smiles.

But there’s more to this boat-and-motors combo than just mega-power. The motors enhance the luxury and convenience aspects of the 500 SSC’s mission as much as its performance. You can read my full assessment of the V-12 600 at boatingmag.com/story/boats/mercury-introduces-v12-600-outboard, but in short, the gear cases turn and the powerheads don’t, meaning you get uncanny dockside maneuverability and station-holding, and an easy 50-footer to run singlehanded. Waiting for a slip, we held position in an inlet with the tide running hard by simply engaging the system and keeping a lookout. It’s two-speed gear case and double props mean great performance when entertaining the big crew this boat accommodates. Maintenance? Hauling out a boat this size is a project, and Merc recognized that by placing a hatch in the cowl that allows changing fluid and filters while in the water. Quiet? There is no quieter big-boat propulsion. Cool factor? Oh yeah, plenty.

Interior and Accessories

That there’s dedicated storage for a Ski Bob on the platform speaks volumes about the boat itself, as do the electric latches that secure the locker doors; the folding radar mast; the dedicated life jacket and slicker locker; the hardtop with a huge windshield, windows and a sunroof; and the expansive bow lounge in a separate Zip code from the transom platform. Formula’s 500 SSC provides fun and luxury for dayboating with as many crew as you’d likely take along.

It can also carry its owners on more intimate cruises. Belowdecks, despite allowing for the supersize bow lounge topside, the cabin still provides the accommodations of roughly a 38-foot-long express cruiser. There’s a master stateroom aft, complete with a sofa, queen berth and 32-inch LCD TV. It’s elegantly appointed and large hullside windows complement the decor; the space is intimate, yet bright and open.

Forward, an Ultraleather U-lounge arrays guests around an electrically rising dining table that converts to a queen berth. In view is a 32-inch smart HD TV with a sound bar, and the audio system here, as throughout the boat, delivers excellent sound. Motorized blinds temper the light pouring in through the hullside windows.

The galley is available in high-gloss or open-grain styling. It includes tempered-glass stemware, an Elka swivel spout in the sink, a pullout Isotherm 120V/12V stainless-steel refrigerator, a microwave, a Keurig coffee maker and a trash bin. In the head, discover more indirect lighting helping illuminate a separate shower room with rain and wand dual shower heads, a seat, a tempered-glass door, an exhaust fan, a night light, and four hooks for swimsuits or towels. The commode and vanity look upscale residential. The “forget and flush” model toilet alleviates the owner’s need to worry about plumbing, compared to other systems.

As on deck, a short list of details helps to flesh out this boat’s place in the fleet. For instance, there’s indirect LED lighting in a variety of places. Additionally, a sculptured cyclorama, backlit by your favorite pastel or primary color, serves as the backsplash at the galley. There are marble counters and pickled wood cabinetry, and a Dyson vacuum and charging station hides under the companionway. The hardwood galley drawers are constructed using dovetail joints, providing elegance and longevity. Did I mention the electronic window that goes dark for privacy by pushing a switch? 

Even leaving the Formula’s finish and ride qualities aside, there is no rival boat that delivers a sportboat’s convenience and excitement, a cruise ship’s carrying capacity, and the ability to serve as a weekender all in one outboard-powered package. Therefore, I don’t have a specific comparison boat to suggest, except to say that many big center-consoles offer carrying capacity, overnighting ability, exciting performance and even some luxury, though less so than you’ll find aboard the Formula 500 SSC.

How We Tested

• Engines: Quadruple 600 hp Mercury V-12 600 Verados
• Drive/Prop: Outboard/Verado 12 33″ pitch, stainless-steel dual-prop propsets
• Gear Ratio: 2.50:1 Fuel Load: 600 gal. Water on Board: 80 gal. Crew Weight: 500 lb. 

High Points

• Hardtop provides excellent visibility at all speeds via a huge windshield, windows and a sunroof.
• Providing more than just raw space, this boat offers at least four separate and distinct gathering areas. Invite everybody.
• Lay this baby over into a turn and discover a big boat that delivers sportboat fun.

Low Points

• We’d like to see fiddle rails on the counters.
• Generous bow walkway precludes installation of a portside windshield wiper.

Pricing and Specs

Speed, Efficiency, Operation

Thunderbird Products – Decatur, Indiana; 260-724-9111; formulaboats.com

The post 2022 Formula 500 SSC appeared first on Boating Mag.