Altima 60 Pilothouse

By Andy Adams

My first view of the Altima 60 Pilothouse was in Fort Lauderdale, at New River Marina. Backed in with her stern against the pilings, the Altima looked like many of the other yachts moored there, but once on board, enjoying the VIP tour with Altima Yachts president, Frank Sciortino and Director of Sales, Tom Hindson the yacht became more and more impressive.

With an overall length of 62’11” on a beam of 17’4″, the Altima 60 Pilothouse is 65,000 pounds of wonderful! The hull design is a 14 degree vee, planing displacement that features a 4’ 6” deep, 3” wide keel for improved tracking and to offer some protection should the boat ever run aground. It takes a pair of 800 hp Caterpillar diesels to make it go, but that’s about what you would expect.

What you might not expect is a surprisingly reasonable base price of $1,450,000. The price is relative of course, but it strikes us as a lot of yacht for the money. This is particularly true when you consider that a large percentage of the features are custom.

This type of yacht is most often purchased to serve as a vacation home. Owners are likely to cruise the Great Lakes, the Inland Waterway, the Caribbean, the Florida Keys and beyond. The 1,200-gallon US fuel capacity should take you between 400 and 500 miles at an easy cruising speed of 17 kn.

The twin Cat 3406 E engines use Glendinning electronic controls with a backup CPU and circuitry for added safety. All three of the helm stations [bridge, lower helm and cockpit controls] include a Dockmaster digital control system with a remote that controls bow and stern thrusters and can also pulse the main engines for the ultimate in dock side maneuverability.

Out on the water, the Altima 60 behaved as expected; tracking with the vee hull and keel were surefooted requiring little helm correction in the 3 to 4 foot Atlantic chop on test day. We had a fresh wind but even at top speed the Altima felt very solid and stayed dry. The Altima hit 11.2 kn at 1,500 rpm and topped out at 2,300 rpm doing 20 kn. The Altima heels over gently in a turn and comes around fairly level and without much drama.

The performance comes from the engine room, lying beneath the salon, yet still featuring six-foot headroom and access to both sides of both engines. Other neat features include tanks with sight glasses, Raycor fuel filters, fuel polishing systems and more. The Altima has an underwater exhaust system, water-jacketed for sound deadening. Accessible from the cockpit of the engine room is the large lazarette for storage of large items as well as open access to the rudder stocks, steering gear and a variety of other systems. The 17 kW Onan generator lives there; the Altima is equipped with 4 kW inverters and a bank of eight batteries.

Being your home afloat, interior spaces are very important. An African hardwood called Anigre graces much of the interior. Many of the panels feature book-matched grain and the teak and holly floor is plank.

The layout has many nice features; the day head by the aft salon door provides privacy and convenience. In the salon, the square side windows are deeply tinted glass with attractive silk blinds inside. A starboard side settee with high/low table will get lots of use since the large screen television is concealed in the port side. The Cantalupi marine lighting used throughout had a dimmer on most circuits to set the right mood.

All staterooms boast individual temperature controls. There is a central vacuum system with an outlet on the flying bridge. All counters are granite and there is a built-in liquor cabinet and a wine chiller.

The U-shaped galley is finished with GE Profile commercial appliances including double-door fridge, granite counter tops, dovetailed mitered cabinetry and much more. Just ahead is a side bench with table for dining and the staircase to the bridge.

A vast expanse of forward glass with huge windshield wipers makes the interior helm station very usable and comfortable with relatively unimpeded outward vision.

The VIP tour continues down the starboard side companionway with a huge storage space under the stairs. There is a handy Malber washer/dryer combination behind a fully vented door. To port is a mid-cabin with a single berth and built in desk for an on board office and a built-in, fold-down ironing board.

The forward stateroom features an island queen berth with enclosed head with separate shower and good storage space.

The master stateroom is aft and features a conventional queen-sized berth, fully accessible on three sides, with attractive night tables, large hanging lockers and on the port side, a head featuring a sliding door, vanity, private enclosed MSD and a separate shower stall as well.

The aft swim platform covers the full 17-foot beam with stainless steel rails to prevent anyone from falling overboard. There is storage, a freshwater wash down, handheld shower and even an intercom to the bridge. The cockpit is spacious with a four-seat bench, removable table, high sides and a remarkably substantial bow rail in oval tubing. The wide, recessed side decks with both port and starboard cabin side doors are especially handy when docking or airing out the salon.

The bridge is the main living area for most owners and the test boat was equipped with black carpeting to keep the glare down. There is a large bench seat with storage underneath, a refreshment center featuring a JennAire grill, U-Line icemaker and refrigerator combination. The helm on our test boat was very well-equipped with adjustable helm and companion seats.

Overall our impressions were very positive. In this class of yacht, buyers can generally afford what they want, they buy it and keep it. Whether you are your own captain or you keep a captain and crew on board, this boat has the space, features and accommodation to be a comfortable home away from home, even on a very long cruise.

Originally published in Canadian Yachting’s July 2006 issue.

Specifications

Engine: Twin Caterpillar 3406, 800 hp at 2,300 rpm, 14.6 L / 891 ci, inline 6 cylinder turbocharged and aftercooled.

Propeller: 30” x 32” four blade Nibral

Length: 62’11”/19.25 M

Beam: 7’4”/5.28

Weight: 65,000 lbs / 29,600 kg

Fuel: 1200 US gal/4543 L

Water: 250 US gal/946 L

Holding Tank: 100 US gal/378 L

Base Price (2006): $1,450,000 US

Test Boat Price (2006): $1,750,000 US