Maritimo C60 Review

Maritimo C60 

Sports Boat Review

Reviewed: August 2009

Author: Daniel Tillack

Overview:

This Australian cruiser with cosmopolitan style proves beauty can be more than skin deep.

Main Features:

The boat’s good looks run through every corner of the interior.  The C60 has a range of about 600 nautical miles when cruising at 25 knots and the marine electronics package is the owner’s choice. Unwind on the forward sunpad or stetch out in comfort on the leather lounges.  The full-beam master cabin disguises its practicality with style.

“Maritimo C60 Sports Cabriolet – All the answers”

The C60 Sports Cabriolet strikes a bold pose at Maritimo’s new Sydney office at The Spit. The deep-blue bow rises from the water like a regal figure, intimidating white-hulled subjects surrounding it. (This model is available in white if you prefer the shy option.) Good looks are important when you’re splashing cash on the best kind of mobile home, but the highlights of this boat aren’t only skin deep; a closer look reveals a very ‘liveable’ platform guaranteeing fun-filled weekends and holidays.

Our test day was the kind you want as a boat owner, not a boat tester. We could have flipped a coin to decide if it was calmer inside or outside the heads of Sydney Harbour, so with nothing to learn from heading outside, we studied the finer points of what a 60ft cruiser should offer: lifestyle.

Maritimo sports cabriolet – always the entertainer

The cockpit is a spacious entertainer. The pedestal table with director chairs makes for a nice lunch spot before an afternoon swim—waiting an hour for your food to settle, of course. There is a fridge and icemaker to help beat the summer heat and the port and starboard drink and snack shelves are handy when the C60’s stereo signals a party on board.

The barbecue and sink in the transom allow you to throw some meat on the heat, have a quick five-minute swim before pausing to flip the steak, launching a bomb-dive re-entry to impress the kids/wife/mates, then re-board and start serving a hearty lunch.

A transom lounge—instead of the barbecue—is optional for vegetarians.

The deckwash will help keep the cockpit clean and there’s enough storage for boat bits plus snorkelling gear and other toys.

The swim platform makes entry and exit easy and is a nice spot to sunbathe or soak your feet while sipping a cool drink. If the sun is sinking on your time astern, overhead cockpit lights extend the day.

Bomb-dives, swimming, splashing, chatting and laughing can be a bit noisy for some—they can escape via the sidedecks to the comfy sunpad on the foredeck. There’s room for two if they care to take a friend.

The galley is well-positioned at the cabin entrance—large glass sliding doors framed in stainless steel—so the cook or cocktail extraordinaire can chat with sunbathing guests while preparing refreshments or a salad to go with the barbecue. The galley position is similarly social for the next morning when those sunbathers who attacked the cocktails with enthusiasm are sprawled on the comfortable interior lounge moaning, “I’m never drinking again”.

A hearty traditional breakfast is made possible by the four burner electric cooktop, microwave, fridge/freezer and plenty of cupboard and drawer space. The sink has a separate filtered drinking water tap—to keep your fluids up. After bellies are filled, the dishwasher accommodates hangover-related laziness. All these features are just as handy for the well behaved because they make life easier, allowing more time for the good stuff.

The Maritimo inside scoop

Chilly nights, rainy days or oppressive heat can still be enjoyed thanks to the comfort of the air-conditioned saloon. It’s a nice place on a good day too: there’s a sunroof for fresh air and smell of the open ocean, if that’s what you prefer while you curl up with a book or relax with a drink on either the port or starboard lounge.

The design incorporates windows all around, so you’re not robbed of any views while indoors. The roof height was noticeably generous and added to the free-and-easy feel. Film buffs are catered for with a television unit with DVD and CD player.

The tax on a long day in the sun is an early evening. Heavy eyelids can be refreshed with a shower in the master cabin’s ensuite, then you can retire to the queen-size island bed and watch TV, read under lights, or do whatever else comes to mind. There’s plenty of storage for clothes, a small closet will hold bulkier items and there’s a desk for some catch-up work or make-up application.

A guest couple have a double island berth, hanging lockers, shelves, drawers and reading lights. The guest cabin has access to the day head via a double door arrangement, which they can use as an ensuite; or if there’s a full crew, they share that bathroom with the occupants of the portside double bunk berth and the starboard single bunk berth. Both bunk berths have cupboard and clothes hangers, the single also houses the washer/dryer.

The C60 explorer

For those who enjoy exploring the coast, the C60 has twin 715hp Caterpillar C12 diesels and holds 5600 litres of fuel. According to Maritimo, this will cover 602 nautical miles cruising at 25 knots (see Range Figures, right). Other hardware includes a ZF 2:1 gearbox, standard bow thruster and a stern thruster is optional.

Maritimo’s Peter Jenkins was also keen to point out the eight-degree shaft angle’s ability to keep the nose down. This combines well with the window arrangement for good vision while at the helm, which could otherwise be a concern on a single-level boat this size.

The helm has twin pedestal seats. The marine electronics package is of owner’s choice—the best kind of package—but if you have no preference, Maritimo’s staff will explain options.

The hull held true to its bold appearance by traversing the flat water with disdain. It wants a challenge and a glance at the Maritimo badge reminds you of the history and people behind the boat, leaving you assured it’s up to it.

Once you’ve motored up the coast and found your secluded anchorage, you can press a button and watch the transom open to release a sporty 3.2m tender. Then you can zoom around bays and beaches until the little explorer in you is content—or hungry—and return to what is a comfortable and stylish home-away-from-home on the water.

Boating Performance

Range figures

RPM Knots LPH NM Range L.P.N.M.
700 7.7 22 1764 2.86
900 9.1 30 1529 3.30
1100 10.4 48 1092 4.62
1300 11.5 76 763 6.61
1500 15 103 734 6.87
1700 18.9 123 774 6.51
1900 22.2 159 704 7.16
2100 25.7 215 602 8.37
2300 28.7 244 593 8.50
2348 29.6 258 578 9
Note: Range figures are supplied by Maritimo and are calculated on 5040 litres of fuel (90 per cent of fuel holding capacity).

Boat Specifications

Length overall : 18.8m (61’7”)
Beam : 5.2m (17’4”)
Draft : 1.3m (4’7”)
Fuel : 5600 litres
Water : 800 litres
Holding tank : 300 litres
Weight : 24.35 tonnes
Sleeping capacity : 6 (optional 8)
Standard engines : 2 x Caterpillar C12 715hp