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If ever
there were an oxymoronic blending of opulence and frugality, it would
be the term “bargain motoryacht.” Yet there’s no other
way to describe the Pacific Mariner 65, a yacht with modern construction
and good performance that is offered complete—right down to the
watermaker, 15-foot tender, and stabilized DSS television system.
Even
skeptics will be hard-pressed to find a corner that’s been cut to
reach that figure. It certainly isn’t in the construction, where
the 65 shames a lot of pricier competitors. The hull is solid FRP below
the waterline and employs vacuum-bagged Airex above. Stringers are foam-encapsulated
in FRP with higher density foam used for engine beds. Three watertight
bulkheads are of two-inch-thick vacuum-bagged Divinycell and, like every
bulkhead, are bonded to the hull for increased rigidity. The saloon sole
is 1 1/2-inch-thick vacuum-bagged Divinycell composite; other flooring
is of treated wood.
The
65 is a three-piece boat: hull, deck, and cockpit liner. Everything above
the sheer line from forepeak to the end of the flying bridge, except the
radar arch, is one piece of vacuum-bagged, Corecell-cored fiberglass.
Each side mullion is a ring frame cored with eight-pound-density Divinycell,
which provides outstanding rigidity. The deck is through-bolted and fiberglassed
to the hull.
Pacific
Mariner certainly didn’t cheat on size either. Actual hull length,
minus the standard four-foot-long swim platform, is 64'11". Inside, the
rooms are big and headroom exceeds 6'8". The saloon is about 20 feet long
and bright, thanks to all those side windows and a nearly all-glass aft
bulkhead with starboard sliding door. (Each window has its own miniblind,
and there’s a full-width curtain for the aft bulkhead.)
The
feeling of spaciousness here is enhanced by a lack of clutter. The principal
piece of furniture is an L-shape leather couch in the aft port corner
facing a lovely camphor-wood high/low table. The only other furniture
is a pair of Danish modern chairs on the starboard side framing a small
table that drops flush to the hull side. The forward bulkhead is devoted
to built-ins: a port-side wetbar with U-Line refrigerator/freezer below
and glass stowage above, a well-equipped entertainment center on centerline
with RCA DSS tuner and TV, VCR, dual-tape deck, five-CD changer, and AM/FM
stereo tuner by JVC. Everything is wired to Bose speakers, and built-in
VCR tape and CD stowage racks.
Decor
here and throughout, the work of Cheryl McLaughlin, aims for mass appeal
and simplicity: light carpet, upholstery, and overheads, accenting satin-finished
teak. If you’re thinking of bringing your stylist aboard, forget
it. Although the company allows flexibility in fabrics, carpets, and some
furniture, all bulkheads stay where they are.
Walk
forward, up three starboard steps and past the flying bridge stairway
(there’s another in the cockpit), and you come to the galley, dining
area, and pilothouse—all in one space with no partitions and framed
by glass on three sides. This is a terrific plan because it allows people
in all three spaces to not only converse but to commingle.
The
galley is equipped as you’d expect—double-wide refrigerator,
flush-top stove with microwave above, double sink, dishwasher, trash compactor,
even a Lazy Susan in a corner cabinet so you can use all the space. Countertops
are a light shade of Corian, which the company mills with a raised lip
so things won’t roll off. The sole is vinyl that looks for all the
world like wood planking. There’s even a two-foot by two-foot hatch
above for ventilation (though air conditioning is standard). To starboard
are built-in cabinets for dishes (china and silverware for eight are included),
just a short walk to the eight-person dining table, elevated to give occupants
a better view.
Fully
forward is the lower helm, with two pedestal seats—not the electrically
adjustable machines you often see, but perfectly comfortable nonetheless.
They are affixed to the sole by large knob-screws, so you can easily remove
them for vacuuming. Sightlines are superb—at 5'10", I could see the
forepeak while seated—and visibility through the three-piece windshield
should remain good in inclement weather, thanks to Hepworth 50-mm articulated
wipers with integral washers.
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