Cruisers Yachts 60 Cantius

By Andy Adams

We had the pleasure of traveling to Wisconsin to attend the Cruisers Yachts dealer meeting this past summer where the company launched their new flagship, the Cruisers Yachts 60 Cantius.

The dealer reaction was overwhelmingly positive to this new addition to the Cantius line that Cruisers Yachts began several years ago. There are now 41, 45, 48 and 60 foot models in this elite line which is named after K.C. Stock’s father, Cantius. This brings up two important points; the design philosophy of the Cantius line is to redefine the express cruiser style to deliver gracious living on one level, improving the social aspects of the boat and making it feel more spacious. Mission accomplished there. The other thing is that this company is owned by K.C. Stock who, with his were on hand to personally work with their dealers at the meeting.

The Cruisers Yachts brand has a long and illustrious history. When I was a child in the 1960s, the most successful dealer in our area was the Cruisers Yachts dealer and one of the wealthiest families on the lake had “his ‘n hers” Cruisers Yachts runabouts in their boathouse. The company has long and close relationships to their dealers and as a result, has continued to be successful even when economic downturns threatened less stable builders. The Cruisers Yachts dealer network may be one of their best assets!

The dealers certainly were enthusiastic about the 60 Cantius. Groups of 20 people and more were lining up for a ride around Sturgeon Bay the whole time we were there and the new boat handled even parties of this size with ease.

The design philosophy behind the 60 Cantius is to do everything with ease. Rather than packing as many features as they could into this new yacht, owner and dealer input drove the designers, DeBasto Design and Facheris Design (who were at the dealer event) to focus on gracious dimensions. Everything is laid out and opened up for real people to use in comfort.

Privacy is also an important element. The Master stateroom and the VIP stateroom are widely separated with amenities that rival those at home.

As you first approach at dockside, the styling and size of 60 Cantius are impressive. The lines are those of a sleek express cruiser, but there’s no mistaking that this is a big boat. Boarding by the stern, port and starboard steps lead into the cockpit yet still leave abundant space for the U-shaped seating across the transom. The centerline length is 59’10” on a 16 foot beam, so the cockpit is quite wide.

Everyone loves the cockpit for relaxing and entertaining. A handsome glossy finished table and electrical sunshade over the area makes this a great spot for outdoor dining. Expanding on the space, the full glass bulkhead into the salon has a port side partition that lowers electrically to create an island kitchen effect complete with 2 barstools.

Also, the side decks and railings are wide and flat making it safe and comfortable to go up to the forward deck.

Cruisers calls this the Bow Lounge and it features a wide, forward-facing bench seat as well as sun lounges with reclining backrests and there’s a sun shade you can fly over the area to add to the comfort. It’s really nice to have a private area to relax.

At the mooring or underway, the salon is where you’ll spend most of the time because that’s where the helm is and because this is one enormous living space that includes the galley on the port side, keeping food and beverages near at hand and making it easy to serve meals either in the cockpit, or if the weather dictates it, inside on the dinette. Light-colored wood flooring and trim offers easy maintenance but at the same time, is warmly welcoming.

The galley area has abundant counter space in a U-shape, includes a the Fisher Paykel dishwasher, two Vitrifrigo refrigerator freezers, twin stainless steel sinks, elegant faucets and hardware. This is only steps from the grill and refreshment area in the cockpit. It will be easy and comfortable to get meals together on this boat!

In addition to the seating at the dinette, there is a comfortable couch on the starboard side and the boat is full of exciting features like a big flat screen television on an electric lift, opening side glass and a massive sunroof that you can open or close in a matter of seconds. Daylight simply floods in, especially where Cruisers’ designers have again opened up the area ahead of the helm, keeping the lower level very bright and open.

The helm almost seems to float and it’s a pleasure to use. Our test boat included large Raymarine multifunction displays, (Garmin is also available), a Volvo Penta engine display for the twin IPS950 engines and using an NMEA 2000 gateway, you can put whatever information you want, on whatever screen you’d like to use, including your mobile devices. The Raymarine screens allow you to pinch and zoom, drag-and-drop and configure the information any way you want it.

A pair of Stidd seats will provide long-distance driving comfort for the captain and mate and the sightlines on the boat are ideal giving you an almost unrestricted 360° view. Standing or sitting operation is comfortable, and even with the sunroof and the side glass wide open, the boat was impressively quiet. This one won’t tire you out with engine noise.

Heading down the companionway, you come to the lower deck, bathed in light from above and with big areas of side glass as well. Floor plan options allow the buyer to use this space as a lower salon, or to finish it with a guest cabin on the starboard side.

Our test boat had that guest cabin with 2 single bunks, flatscreen television and lots of hull-side glass. The electrical panel and also a clothes washer / dryer is built in here. The oversize sliding door opens most of this cabin up when the sleeping accommodations are not needed. On the port side is an attractive credenza and our test boat had a wine chiller built into it.

Heading forward you’ll find the VIP cabin which has a nearly full-size queen berth, easily accessible up either side, and this cabin has extensive glazing overhead and in the hull sides as well as the unusual feature of a walk-in closet! Of course your guests get the usual big flat screen television and other amenities, all scaled up for extended living comfort.

That’s especially true of the guest head on the port side which has a fully enclosed shower stall, big vanity and sink and lots of space around the MSD.

The Master stateroom is full-beam with a king-sized bed and this cabin functions more like a private living area with mirrored bulkhead, very large side windows with opening ports, big en suite head with private shower stall and the great feature of translucent door and wall panels to bring in more light. Very elegant! We also loved the built in Bosch coffee machine, refrigerator and café seating on the starboard side.

Back at the helm. Piloting all this turned out to be easy with the IPS950 engines delivering amazing thrust for getting a big load moving and the hustle to reach 39 mph wide open. You could run this big yacht quite a distance in a short space of time and in impressive comfort. It rides high, turns in decisively and responds quickly to trim changes to counter side winds or sea conditions. Then, the joystick docking with a second set of cockpit controls makes it equally easy to return the 60 Cantius to its slip. Slide the doors closed and walk away…until the next time!

Specifications

Twin Volvo Penta IPS950 with Joystick docking. Volvo D11 engines, 725 hp each.

L.O.A. 59′ 10″ / 18.24 m

Beam 16′ / 4.9 m

Fuel Capacity (Gallons/Liters) 647 g / 2449.16 l

Waste Capacity (gallons/liters) 100 g / 379 L

Water System Capacity (Gallons/Liters) 149 g / 564 L

Weight (lbs./kg), Approximate 55,000 lbs / 24,948 kg

Test boat and pricing provided by Cruisers Yachts, www.cruisersyachts.com

Photo Captions

Photo 1 – New Cruisers Yachts Flagship Emphasizes Living Space

Photo 2 – The VIP stateroom was really spacious.

Photo 3 – Gracious living indeed! The master includes this coffee machine and refrigerator for a private breakfast in bed.

Photo 4 – The master stateroom in the Cantius 60 is sized and equipped for extended cruising in comfort.

Photo 5 – The galley is to port and forms a bar at the bulkhead with an electric partition.

Photo 6 – More extended cruising accommodations – this laundry area is in the mid-cabin.

Photo 7 – Inset Below: The view facing aft from the helm shows the great sightlines and huge sunroof.

Photo 8 – With plenty of storage space, dual drawer refrigerator / freezers, double sinks and the electric aft glass partition, the Cantius 60 is geared to entertaining.

Photo 9 – Frosted glass panels in the master head add lots of light and a spacious feeling.