A diesel engine performance test, pricing information, feature list, and review of the Cheoy Lee 68 Serenity

During long voyages, luxury will be the call of the day as the below decks of the 68 calls for easy living. The full-beam (18'0") amidships master sports a king-size berth. Its en suite head has a surprisingly large bathtub, about 43"Lx18"H. To enter it requires you to negotiate a 20-inch step, no doubt there to keep water from sloshing out in a seaway. Still, at 5'7" I found it a stretch to get into the tub.

Aft the master is a double-berth guest stateroom, which can also be outfitted as a media room (I like that idea). A forepeak VIP offers guests a double berth and the crew stateroom aft of it with bunks rounds out the well-appointed accommodations, which includes Headhunters MSDs in the four heads and Sharp LCD TVs in the staterooms. The joinery here features intricate nautilus shell designs in the companionway sole and is of artisan-quality. The same level of woodwork is found in the saloon and galley.

In the interest of full disclosure, traveling at seven knots, or even 13, isn’t really my thing. (Do I hear 30?) But on this boat I learned to appreciate why slow cruising over long distances is so appealing to so many boaters, especially when it’s on a vessel as well constructed, outfitted, and designed as the Cheoy Lee 68 Serenity. She’s a pedigree yacht that’s purposeful in look, performance, and handling. And let’s face it: being able to travel more than 6,000 miles non-stop is just plain cool.

Noteworthy

ON DISPLAY

I’d never seen a KEP display at a vessel’s helm station, but the one on the 68’s flying bridge caught my eye: Its display was bright and crisp. KEP, which stands for Kessler-Ellis Products, has actually been around since 1960, building electro-mechanical counting devices out of Eatontown, New Jersey. By 2000, the company had expanded from counting products to LCD marine displays. The 68’s four 12-inch displays (KEPM-12s) are comprised of marine-grade aluminum and have a UV-resistant powdercoating. One-touch soft keys along the bottom make it easy to change screen views (say from plotter to radar) as well as split the screen and even add a picture in a picture (PIP). KEP builds displays for both the pilothouse (low light) and open bridge (daylight-viewable screen)

The Vitals

STANDARD EQUIPMENT:

Teleflex Hynautic hydraulic steering; ZF single-lever electronic controls; 2/20-kW Kohler gensets; Naiad stabilizers; Glendinning Cablemaster; 4/Headhunter MSDs; 2/Maxwell windlasses; Stidd helm seats (pilothouse and flying bridge); Nautical Structures 1,500-lb. davit; Corian countertops; GE Profile cooktop, Monogram convection oven; Sub-Zero stand-up-style refrigerator; 2/Sub-Zero drawer-type freezers w/ ice maker; Sharp TVs in saloon and staterooms; Marine Air A/C; Kenmore stacked washer/dryer

OPTIONAL POWER: 2/315-mhp Caterpillar C7 diesel inboards

OPTIONAL EQUIPMENT ON TEST BOAT: Furuno RD-30, NavNet system; Icom VHF 604; Simrad AP26 autopilot; watermaker; Ritchie 5" compass; ZF remote plug-in for electronic engine controls; telephone/intercom system; flying-bridge barbecue; Nautica tender; soft goods décor including Roman shades, headboards, bed treatments; chairs and stools; LED interior and exterior lighting; 100-amp shore-power system w/ 25kVA isolation transformer

PRICE AS TESTED: Not available

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