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More
noticeable is the woodwork. It’s all cherry, including solid raised-panel
doors and dining table top. Don’t look for the flawless, mirrorlike
finish on something from England or Italy, but finished in satin varnish
and accented by a plush vinyl overhead and Ultraleather upholstery, the
result is a warmer, classier ambiance. The joinery is noticeably improved
as well, courtesy of CNC routers, and better-quality brass-and-chrome
door hardware and Moen plumbing fixtures and countertops of Corian instead
of molded fiberglass provide pleasing counterpoints.
How
did Silverton upgrade all this and keep the base price of the 39 under
$279,500 with gasoline power ($328,530 with diesels)? Beyond improved
production efficiencies, one answer is judicious selection of standard
equipment. While the 39 has a lengthy list of standards, some of what
you might expect to be standard on a 39-footer is not: the aft-deck enclosure
($2,553), exterior carpet ($1,225), fore and aft washdowns ($385 each),
electric—as opposed to just heat exchanger—water heater ($535),
and for me the biggest surprise, TVs. That’s right, no TVs are standard.
A 20-inch unit with separate VCR for the saloon costs $980, and you’ll
pay $820 each for the 13-inch TV/ VCRs that grace the forward and master
staterooms.
Is this
a rip-off? Hardly, given the fact that even with a 20-item options list
that included, besides the gear noted above, three-zone air conditioning,
Kohler diesel genset with soundshield, VacuFlush MSDs, windlass, Raymarine
electronics (autopilot, chartplotter, GPS, radar, VHF, and Tridata), and
Glendinning Cablemaster, our 39 carried a list price of under $416,000.
For
that price you also get some neat twists to the aft-cabin paradigm. The
windlass is inside the anchor locker, hidden from view and errant feet
yet easily accessible. The bridge has good sight lines forward and to
either side, and the console perfectly accommodates the optional Raymarine
electronics with minimum clutter. The helm seats—not always Silverton’s
forte—are comfortable and feature flip-up bolsters for stand-up
operation. And there are seven drink holders up here.
Unlike
many aft cabins, this one has no partition between the bridge and aft
deck, so passengers on both levels won’t feel isolated. To maximize
cockpit deck space, the aft seat is recessed into the transom, and a forward
port-side wetbar is standard, although it has only cold water. There are
six more drink holders here and two ways to board: a molded-in raised
starboard step for fixed docks and a port-side stairway to the four-foot-deep
swim platform for floating docks. A starboard pod at platform level provides
stowage and a place for shore-side hook-ups.
The
saloon is also different: unusually bright, thanks to a glass windshield
and big flush-mounted side windows with opening panels for cross-ventilation,
a touch you’ll find in the aft and forward staterooms, too. That’s
a welcome departure from builders who assume everyone orders air conditioning
and uses it all the time. Although TV is optional, a Glomex TV/FM antenna
with tuner is standard, presumably to accommodate the standard full-size
tuner and three-CD player. (More upscale entertainment gear is available.)
A small cabinet by the companionway holds the battery switches, so it’s
easy to turn everything off as you leave.
The
galley, down a step and to starboard, is notable for its abundant counter
space, stowage—including a nice counter-level slide out pantry—and
oak sole. A coffee maker, microwave/convection oven, full-size refrigerator,
and three-burner stovetop are standard; a conventional oven is an option.
Like
the galley, the fore and aft staterooms, separated by sliding doors, are
marked by an abundance of stowage, but the real news here is the split
shower and head in the aft master. Each compartment—especially the
aft shower—is large and has its own solid cherry and frosted-glass
door. Silverton upgraded the cabinet pulls here and throughout, but while
they look nice, I found their openings too small for my normal-size fingers.
The
roomy staterooms come at the expense of a less-than-commodious engine
room accessed by a narrow hatch in the saloon sole. Once I was inside
all the mechanicals seemed to be accessible, although doing anything more
than fluid checks on the genset would require extra nimbleness. PFS dripless
shaft seals, engine-coolant reservoirs, and interior strainers are all
standard, but alas, battery boxes are not.
Because
a gale on test day restricted our performance tests to the Intracoastal
I can’t say much of the 39’s seakeeping. Silverton is refreshingly
candid about her abilities, however, saying her dimensions and hull form
weren’t conceived with bluewater passagemaking in mind. From what
I could tell, she’s stable and her handling is predictable.
Predictable
is not a word I’d use to describe the 39, however. If you board
her expecting to find the same old Silverton level of fit and finish,
you’ll be surprised, even more so when you discover that this is
one image makeover that apparently didn’t leave any of the admirable
qualities—like price—behind.
Silverton
Phone: (856) 825-4117. Fax: (856) 825-2064. www.silverton.com.
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