Life on the fly

The 23-metre hull carries a 6-metre beam and offers a variable deadrise hull form with deep keel, sharp bow entry and flattened progression aft that’s all designed for offshore cruising efficiency and range, as well as cruising comfort and stability.

Those impressions held up when we got underway. At the flybridge helm station, fingertip controls soon had us humming along at an easy 27 knots and noise and vibration were virtually imperceptible. This owner chose Simrad instruments, and it appears Simrad and Garmin are mostly preferred, although Furuno and Raymarine also get a look in.

Hull design and engineering are centred on straight shaft drive technology, with standard 1,150-horsepower Scania Di16s delivering power via ultra-efficient shallow shaft angles and five- bladed Nibral propellers. Such configurations, a feature of the Maritimo philosophy, result in a relatively low draft – in this case 1.5 metres, allowing anchoring closer inshore or inside reefs that may otherwise be inaccessible. Options include MTU powerplants with 1,380 horsepower and 1,625 horsepower, the latter of which were fitted on our review boat.

It all makes for a capable long-distance cruiser that inspires the confidence to head out into the blue. “I love Maritimos – they’re a great bluewater boat; you can go anywhere in them,” says one Australian M75 Flybridge owner.

“We’ve gone up to Far North Queensland and the Whitsundays – there’s nothing like it – and have just had a 10-day stint on the Gold Coast. Perhaps we’ll do a circumnavigation of Australia now, and a trip to Fiji and beyond.

“Our M75 is an owner-operator set-up, and we ticked all the boxes to make it easy for one of us to manoeuvre and berth the boat on our own,” he continues. “The MTU package, including Side-Power thrusters, is certainly a big part of this.”

Scrutinising the vessel in more detail, we head first to the adventure deck where refrigeration, a sink with drainage and food-prep areas, plus an electric cooktop are all provided in the aft cockpit module. In addition, there are three flush-deck hatches with deep storage that, apart from the usual fenders and sunlounges, are big enough for inflatables and a range of water-sports toys.

A couple of steps either side lead up to a nicely outfitted aft lounge and dining table, which like its interior counterpart seats eight guests. The teak deck extends into a wide swim platform that drops below sea level at the touch of a button.

“If you’ve got kids jumping off the boat and splashing around, they’re over there, while you can be just steps away in the cockpit not getting covered in water,” enthuses the Australian owner about the adventure deck set-up.

Deep protected walkways lead to the foredeck sunlounges and, once there, the largest tender – with its own discrete crane – is slotted into twin grooves that keep it clear of a central sunpad.

We anchored and weighed seamlessly using push-button controls – it’s a straightforward process that can be easily handled either by crew or by an owner-operator.

Heading inside, Maritimo Marketing Director Simon Stewart describes the M75 galley as Maritimo’s largest and most bespoke to date. We’d go further and say it’s one of the best layouts and finishes for a vessel this size we’ve yet encountered.

It focuses on an island benchtop, surrounded by galley fittings and fixtures in a transverse U-shape from starboard, with more integral facilities ensconced beyond the central walkway to port. The island benchtop will also provide bracing support in a seaway, and is highly utilitarian.

There’s high-quality Miele galley gear, and the refrigerator and freezer are found behind wood-covered doors. A wine cabinet is similarly disguised; moreover, the solid Bianco stone tops used in the galley are repeated in the ensuites, giving subtle continuity of theme.

Across the corridor is a delightful custom pantry and the overall impression, apart from ultimate practicality, is conveyed by the extensive wooden panelling that softens more frequently used metallic aluminium-silver galley finishes. Full marks.

Forward again, the principal M75 saloon and indoor dining area is like a first-class lounge, with a pop-up TV. The sliding windows are at the perfect height for seated guests to see the vistas underway. Carpets here and in the cabins are 100-percent New Zealand wool from Cavalier Bremworth, while leather-like vinyls in a variety of colourways are used in strategic places.

Steps lead down to the cabins consisting of four staterooms with three ensuites, in addition to an auxiliary crew berth and ensuite accessed from the adventure deck back aft. The full-beam king bed master stateroom definitely feels like a superyacht set-up with all the usual amenities, while the ensuite has two basins, head and shower, and ample wardrobe and dressing room space.

The queen bed VIP in the bow is also walkaround, making access and changing the bedding that much easier, and there are two further twin cabins, one of whose ensuites doubles as a day head.

The layout means there’s plenty of space for friends and family, both in sleeping quarters and in social areas. “Normally, there’s four of us when we go away – my wife and I, and our two younger children,” says the owner. “But I also have three older children – two of them are married, and we have our first grandchild. All of them come away with us at various times – the M75 not only offers more room, it has very flexible living spaces as well.”

Maritimo recently released four new finish packages – Dune, Cove, Oyster and Haven. This owner chose Dune, described as an homage to the sandy dunes that line our coast.

Up top, the enclosed flybridge, reached by an internal stairway, is perhaps the pièce de résistance of the M75. It exemplifies the yacht’s interior theme, and continues the Fusion sound system. Forward, two custom helm seats look over the controls and a complete array of Simrad instruments; there are also recessed mini-controls for docking, and for use in backing down for fishing or stern-to mooring. Another set could be added aft.

The flybridge is a likely gathering place for family and friends, and it’s arranged in two sections – one accompanying the helm, and the second larger lounge for relaxing or watching TV is still in conversational range with the helm. This whole deck can be closed off by a glass partition at the stairway for child safety or privacy if, say, the flybridge is being used temporarily for extra accommodation.

The flybridge hardtop offers shade, although electric sunroofs forward and over the aft flybridge lounge can be opened for fresh air and sunshine in fine weather.

The aft alfresco deck of such flybridges can create a quandary for designers for how to best utilise this space. Maritimo’s solution on the M75 is a clear statement, offering a separate lounge, full bar and bar stools. This area can also be enclosed in the case of inclement weather, serving as a sort of winter garden extension to the skylounge.

The M75 Flybridge is another masterful addition to the Maritimo range, and is clearly capable of plying the exotic seas and straits of Southeast Asia and East Asia, as well as the Pacific, in a style that would have been unimaginable for anything but superyachts only a decade or two ago.

A fuel capacity of over 10,000 litres provides considerable range, opening up the playgrounds of Australia, New Zealand and far beyond.

Base price is subject to variables like inflation, shipping, insurance and so on, but AUS$6 million is a good ballpark, and to get full value, don’t skimp on the fixtures and fittings – you do get a lot for that money. Stand-out standard features include the multi-use adventure deck; one of the largest and best-outfitted galleys we’ve seen; an impressive full-beam master stateroom; the interior stairway to the fully enclosed flybridge; and last but not least, the aft fly deck with its bar, three bar stools and lounge.

It all adds up to a package that makes you want to head out, and that can take care of you when you do. “Maritimos are designed to be used, not parked in a marina, and we have room to take family and friends on great seafaring travels, plus you’re connected with everyone when you’re driving on the bridge deck, or cooking on the principal deck level,” says the Australian owner. “What’s more,” he concludes, “the bar area outside on the bridge deck aft is as much a delight as the cruising lounge adjacent the helm. It’s all brilliant.”

maritimo.com.au