So two couples can comfortably face forward, there are two double-wide bench-type seats at the Tiara Q44’s helm, one at the driver’s location and the other on the passenger’s side.
Tiara’s Q44 Adventure Yacht
One of the nifty options on the Tiara Q44 is the Mediterranean-style sunshade that can be easily set up on the foredeck. Not only does the shade produce a relaxing ambiance onboard, it’s also looks very cool from afar.
Tiara’s Q44 Adventure Yacht
Yet another nifty option on the Tiara Q44 entails teak. Shown here is one of the wide walkways that can be optionally paved with pampered cellulose. Gives the boat a more traditional look, we suppose.
Tiara’s Q44 Adventure Yacht
The Tiara Q44 comes standard with weather covers for the forward sunpad and jumpseat. The covers can be stowed in a nearby locker.
Tiara’s Q44 Adventure Yacht
The lounge at the rear of the Tiara Q44 can be converted from forward facing to aft-facing and visa versa. It can also be converted to a sunpad to please sun worshippers.
Tiara’s Q44 Adventure Yacht
Imagine the potential for fun here. With the transom lounge converted to a sunpad and a couple of burgers grilling atop the optional island galley nearby, the Tiara Q44’s cockpit becomes a sort of beach afloat.
Tiara’s Q44 Adventure Yacht
Ah, the aft island galley of the Tiara Q44. It’s a stroke of genius really, at least from the standpoint of transferring backyard cookouts to the cockpit of a boat.
Tiara’s Q44 Adventure Yacht
Executive editor Capt. Bill Pike backs the Tiara Q44 into her slip at Tiara’s own marina in Holland, Michigan. Note that he’s standing outside the helm area, but manipulating a joystick engine control that’s inside. Makes for excellent sightlines while docking.
Tiara’s Q44 Adventure Yacht
The Tiara Q44 showcases the “glass helm” concept synergized via the combined efforts of Volvo Penta and Tiara Yachts. Sophisticated electronics? Yeah, but Tiara’s still mounted an easy-to-read magnetic compass.
Tiara’s Q44 Adventure Yacht
The Garmin remote allows a driver to seamlessly navigate the Tiara Q44’s “glass helm.” And because it is mounted atop the arm of the helm seat, just abaft the Volvo Penta joystick control, a driver can also control his displays and other instruments and also steer (via Vovlo’s “Joystick Drive” feature), all while comfortably kicked back in the seat.
Tiara’s Q44 Adventure Yacht
The Tiara Q44’s accommodation space is quite simple, albeit also quite elegant. The head is split, with a shower stall to port and an MSD compartment (with sink) to starboard.
Tiara’s Q44 Adventure Yacht
The fashionable scissors-type master berth of the Tiara Q44 splits into two lounges that swing up against the hullsides of the cabin. Note how thick the mattresses are. Comfy!
Tiara’s Q44 Adventure Yacht
With the master berth split into two hullside lounges, the accommodation space of the Tiara Q44 becomes quite roomy. There’s a privacy blind for the “vista window,” by the way.
Tiara’s Q44 Adventure Yacht
Stanchion bases for the Makefast Mediterranean-style sunshades that can be optioned for the Tiara Q44 slide into polished-stainless receivers, once the protective slugs are removed.
Tiara’s Q44 Adventure Yacht
The under-hatch ground-tackle-handling system at the bow of the Tiara Q44 gives the foredeck a smooth, racy, uncluttered look.
Tiara’s Q44 Adventure Yacht
Note how the water pump and accumulator in the machinery spaces of the Tiara Q44 are shock-mounted. Cuts down on the noise and vibration that’s often associated with this type of equipment.
Tiara’s Q44 Adventure Yacht
he engine room of the Tiara Q44 offers stoop headroom, not standing headroom. Still, once the stainless-steel entrance ladder is removed, access to the inboard components of the engines (filters, dipsticks, etc.) is decent.
Tiara’s Q44 Adventure Yacht
Adding fluid to the Tiara Q44’s Volvo Penta IPS drive units is going to be a little difficult. Not only are the access hatches a tad small, they are located at the bottom of the big transom storage locker, which is likely going to be full of lines, buckets, and other wash-down supplies most of the time.
Tiara’s Q44 Adventure Yacht
We rest our case. As you can see, our test boat, the prototype of the Tiara Q44, already has a bunch of obfuscating stuff in the transom storage locker. You’ll have to remove much of it, as well as the interlocking deck-protectors underneath, to get at the IPS unit-fill hatches.
Tiara’s Q44 Adventure Yacht
The Tiara Q44 is a sort of high-end SUV on the water, complete with roof racks for kayaks, bikes, paddleboards…you name it.
Tiara’s Q44 Adventure Yacht
The Drummond Island area made a great spot for Tiara founder and honcho Leon Slikkers to do a long-term, hands-on test of his baby and brainchild—the Tiara Q44.
Tiara’s Q44 Adventure Yacht
When viewed from head-on, the Tiara Q44 does not look exactly confrontational, but she does seem to be up for just about any kind of conditions King Neptune can toss at her.
Tiara’s Q44 Adventure Yacht
The whole point of the Tiara Q44 is to facilitate fun on the water during the daytime. While accommodations for sleeping onboard are decidedly plush, they are less important perhaps than the roof racks, the cockpit’s island galley, and the electrically actuated push-button doors (port and starboard) that instantly let the outdoors in.
Tiara’s Q44 Adventure Yacht
At day’s end, the Tiara Q44 heads for the barn. In his quest to thoroughly vet his design, Tiara founder and honcho Leon Slikkers spent several days onboard, traveling the upper reaches of Lake Michigan, and spending nights snoozing on the scissors-type berth in the master.
