10th Annual Owners Rendezvous and Other MJM Happenings

It was all fun, stories, and an afternoon of boating when more than 80 people attended the 10th Annual Owners Rendezvous Friday Luncheon at the Naples Yacht Club. A record turnout of 31 boats were represented. There was plenty of food, laughs, and camaraderie as new and seasoned owners alike shared tales of adventure, exploration, and family fun aboard their MJMs. Builders Mark Lindsay and Scott Smith of Boston BoatWorks and the MJM Customer Support Team of Jon Clermont, Raphael Silva and Mike Hall were present and lauded for the high level of quality and responsiveness in dealing with even the smallest of issues.  Read More...

MJM 35z: Hull #1 is in Production

Above is MJM Yachts Founder Bob Johnstone celebrating the layup of the first 35z on January 4, 2017 with the laminating team at Boston BoatWorks. Hull #1 completes the end of May, the first of 12 boats now on order.

Want to own a piece of yachting history?

Who would have guessed this is where J Boats and MJM Yachts took root. Built in the 1850s and now on the market, “Salt Acres” in Stonington CT is where Bob and Rodney Johnstone spent summers away from Glen Ridge NJ.  As infants  in the late 1930s, they were shanghied from cribs by sailing parents before they could talk and object. At age 2, little “Robbie” was given the helm and commanded to “push” then “pull” in a parent-child race. They finished last. The rest is history.
Tip when Cruising.  Going east from Stonington, as you enter the narrow channel toward Watch Hill, this is the view to port opposite Sandy Point.

Inquire: Geb.Masterson@liladelman.com

MJM NEWz - October 2016

• The MJM Yachts 35z Defines Luxury & Performance in the Day Boat Market
• New 40z Video: Boating Magazine's Test & Review
• 50z Comfort and Privacy: The Innovative Portable Bulkhead System

Click to Open MJM NEWz - October 2016

MJM NEWz - September 2016

• MJM Sponsors Sailors for the Sea Green Boating Guide
• 50z Review by Yachting Magazine... Timeless Design
• Raymarine's New gS Series and Raster Charts on an MJM

Click to Open MJM NEWz - September 2016

MJM NEWz - July 2016

• Founder Bob Johnstone honored with Mystic Seaport's 2016 'America & the Sea' Award and to be Inducted into the National Sailing Hall of Fame.

Click to Open MJM NEWz - July 2016

MJM NEWz - May 2016

• MJM 40z - The Ideal Loop Boat
• MJM 50z - 2017 Sliding Glass Sides & Guest Cabin Options
• Video of a 40z Engine Check
• Seakeeper Gyro Review

Click to Open MJM NEWz - May 2016

MJM NEWz - April 2016

• 50z Review by Passagemaker Magazine
• "The Luxury of Effortless Driving"... 50z
• ISO CE Mark Category A "Ocean" Rating Explained

Click to Open MJM NEWz - April 2016

MJM NEWz - February 2016

• 50z Interior Guest Cabin
• 50z Review by Power & MotorYacht Magazine
• Tour the New Boston BoatWorks

Click to Open MJM NEWz - February 2016

MJM NEWz - December 2015

• MJM Innovations in Layout & Design
• 50z Review by Southern Boating Magazine
• The Ease of Docking an MJM

Click to Open MJM NEWz - December 2016

REMINDER - 9th ANNUAL OWNER RENDEZVOUS - January 29, 2016

Why Triple Engines on the 50z?

CONFESSIONS OF A BOAT CREATOR by Bob Johnstone

50z at 40 knots - Turning Water into Steam

I was concerned about installing triple IPS 600s in the 50z because it seemed logical that 3 engines would use 50% more fuel than 2 engines. MJM’s mantra has been “Twice the Fun, Half the Fuel”. Wouldn’t this be undermining a key reason for MJM success? Our designer, Doug Zurn, and the engineers from Volvo Penta straightened me out, “Bob, fuel efficiency is a function of horsepower applied to overcome the drag of pushing a particular boat through the water at a given speed. So, it doesn’t matter whether it’s 1, 2, or 3 engines, the same amount of HP is required to get that hull going. So, 3 engines will each be working less than 2 engines.” But, I wasn’t buying that theory at displacement speeds under 9 knots, where the major part of boat hours are spent in harbors, watching races, on the ICW, etc.. Seemed 3 engines would be just humming there, not very productively, when 2 would more than do the job. They had no answer for that. Our most experienced dealer thought triple engines were a bad idea because his customers never cruised over 25 knots. Of course, there weren’t many boats around that could, so that hindsight was a safe 20:20 but his son said, “Go for it, Bob.”

PERFORMANCE EXCITES
Whether is it was blasting around the harbor in a Sunfish sailboat or a low freeboard Boston Whaler as a kid, those amazing moments launched most of us into the world of boating as a lifetime pursuit. Trouble is, as our boats got bigger, the thrill of driving the early sportscar like craft was being lost... along with that feeling of being one with wind, boat and waves. Restoring that joy of driving and performance was the motivation in creating J Boats, Inc., which is the leading performance brand of sailboats and where we’re going with MJM Yachts. So it didn’t take much encouragement from the more youthful of our MJM dealers to brighten the vision of having a 50z that outperformed the Sabre 48, Hinckley Talaria 48 and East Bay 50 by 10 knots, with the same 50 gph fuel burn at 35 knots others got at 25 knots, while keeping a lower profile, flush decks and side doors at floating dock height. We were off and running.

Volvo Penta Triple IPS 600 (3x435 HP) D6 Diesels

VOILA! 3 ARE BETTER THAN 2
Of the 11 MJM 50z’s ordered to date, 9 have been triples. Only 2 have ordered twins. One for shoal cruising on the Chesapeake and Bahamas and the other due to a ledge in front of his dock in Marblehead harbor. The 50z with twins draws only 2 feet 10 inches which is less than a 40z, because the drives are mounted further up and outboard under the hull on the deadrise. And, fuel efficiency of triples is marginally better at slow harbor speeds on a heavier boat than with twins. No one forecast this. My explanation from sailing days is that 3 sets of props blowing bubbles under the back end of the hull do a better job than 2 sets of props or even a single prop in helping the boat break loose from the drag of the water. Sailors were always brainstorming schemes to win races, like pumping liquid ivory soap through the head’s overboard discharge to lubricate the hull. 

MJM Offers the Best in Charting

Here's the expansive 'mega yacht' sized navigation layout possible on a 50z. Everyone can be involved with the adventure and know what's going on. And, with extra wide Stidd Seats, 4 people can share the experience. The fiddle on the companionway lid holds a Chart Kit between pilot and co-pilot. Two e165 Raymarine Displays are used for Vector and Raster Charts. The two smaller displays are for Depth (upper) where visible from either piloting seat and Autopilot (lower) with instant adjustment control knob. 

Notice the horizontal flat inboard of the IPS Joystick.  This space is designed for your lunch while underway. 

50z ZING Navigation Display

Complete, detailed Raymarine Raster Charts for the U.S. come with every new MJM. These are display operable versions of NOAA paper charts.  Yup!  With advancements in electronic charting over the past ten years, we've come full circle... paper charts on a touchscreen plotter! Raymarine is unique in providing the Raster version of NOAA paper charts as free downloads to micro SDHC Cards for the entire US.  

Raymarine Vector and Raster Charts Showing the Sector of Daytona Beach
Look at the difference in detail

I swear by the Raster Charts for navigating the ICW and small coves in New England because they give bridge heights, more depth soundings, more visible navigation buoys, points of interest to know what you are seeing, etc. While Navionics, Garmin, C-Map and Raymarine Vector charts are good for course planning, they strip out too much detail to provide more area coverage...compromising a level of detail with critical information for gunk-holing and ICW navigation. 

MJM - World's Most Fuel Efficient Powerboats

The best indicators of powerboat cruising performance are: (1) fuel efficiency expressed in nautical miles per gallon (NMPG), just like automobiles and (2) speed attained per horsepower installed. With these criteria, MJM Yachts is #1. 

Open the data sheet LINK:    MJM Fuel Efficiency Comps & Observations

Using detailed published data, it shows how 5-MJM models outperform other brands and types of powerboats...debunking some long held industry shibboleths in the process.

WHAT THE DATA SHOWS

1. Diesel I/Os are twice as efficient as gas outboards. A cruise-equipped MJM 29z with single 260 HP diesel I/O weighs the same as a Hunt Surfhunter 29 with twin 250 HP outboards. Harbor cruising at 8.3 knots, the 29z is 3.5x more fuel efficient...burning 2 gph vs. the Hunt’s 7 gph. Cruising at 25-26 knots, the MJM is 2x as efficient, getting 3.0 nmpg vs. the Hunt’s 1.5 nmpg.

Volvo Penta D4 260 HP Diesel with DPH DuoProp Drive

2. “Hypebrids" is a better description. A diesel/electric hybrid is not yet the answer. The Greenline 33 Hybrid weighs the same as an MJM 34z. At a displacement speed of 8 knots, where you’d think a hybrid would excel, the MJM is more efficient. Top cruising speed (using 87.5% of wide open throttle) for the Hybrid is 12.2 knots, the MJM is 26.6 knots. 

3. Jet drives are not efficient. The MJM 36z (twin 220 HP Volvo Penta D3s) weighs the same as a Hinckley Talaria 34 (twin 260 HP Yanmar 6LY3s) with jet drives. The MJM 36z gets twice the mileage of the Hinckley and is 2 knots faster. You will also note a difference in engine/drive packages. The lighter Volvo D3s on the 36z are more fuel efficient than the heavier optional Yanmar 6LY3s.

4. Weight and beam are major performance factors. A Sabre 42 and MJM 40z have similar length on deck and the same IPS 500 propulsion package. The Sabre is nearly 50% heavier and 2 feet wider. The epoxy composite MJM has (a) the stability from a lower center of gravity to earn ISO Category A Ocean Certification vs. the Sabre's B Rating, (b) 50% better fuel efficiency, (c) an upper end cruising speed of 34 knots which is 5.9 knots faster, and (d) greater range.

5. Pound for pound and dollar for dollar you get more with an MJM. The Hinckley Talaria 43 (2x550 HP Cummins powered jet drives) and the 6 foot longer MJM 50z (Volvo Penta 2x435 IPS 600 pod drives) are the same cost per pound, $56. But, the differences are astounding. Apart from 15% more living space, the MJM 50z with 230 less HP has a 2 knot advantage in upper end cruising speed. At the same 25 knot cruise speed, the MJM burns half the fuel with a 200 mile greater range.

6. Triples are as fuel efficient as twins. The MJM 50z with triple IPS 600s has marginally better fuel efficiency than that same MJM 50z hull powered with twin IPS 600’s. It’s all about the amount of HP applied to overcome resistance at a certain speed... even at displacement speeds. Seems 3 sets of props do a better job of separating the hull from the grip of the water than 1 or 2 sets of props, even with the heavier engine weight.

50z With Triple Volvo Penta  IPS 600 Drives and Interceptor Trim Tabs
A 50z is Truckable, Fitting Under the 13'6" Height Limit with Drives in Place

7. Trawlers are slow, not fuel efficient. Pushing bluff, heavy hulls through the water at anything beyond 10 knots puts fuel efficiency ratings below outboards and jets. The Beneteau 44’ Swift Trawler 50 (anything but “swift”) at its top cruising speed of 20 knots goes a half nautical mile per gallon (40 gph) while the triple IPS 50z at 35 knot cruise goes 3/4’s of a mile per gallon (48.5 gph). The Grand Banks 43 with 2x480 HP Cummins burns more fuel at 10.3 knots (25.4 gph) than a 50z at 24 knots (24.0 gph).

8. Traditional construction results in low performance. This is evident in the Tiara 50 Coupe and the Asian built Hunt 52. Compared to the high-tech and admittedly more expensive advanced epoxy build of the MJM 50z, the Tiara and Hunt burn nearly twice the fuel at comparable speeds and have a 5 knot slower top end cruise speed with reduced range. 

MJM EXCEPTIONAL STABILITY - Explained

MJM Yachts have gained a reputation for exceptional stability, responsive handling, and sea kindliness. These qualities result, not by chance, but by design. That and advanced engineering and construction are all part of MJM's DNA. All MJMs are built to scantlings of the International Marine Certification Institute (IMCI) so as to be Certified at the highest possible rating for safety and seaworthiness. The 50z and 40z are CE Mark Certified Category “A” Ocean. The 29z, 34z and 36z are Certified Category “B” Offshore, the highest possible for a vessel under 40 feet. Let’s explore how this level of stability and driving control is achieved.

STATIC STABILITY  

The most influential factor in a vessels initial (static) stability is Metacentric Height (GM). This is the distance between Metacenter (M), which is fixed and set by the vessels form stability and the Vertical Center of Gravity (VCG), which is determined by the vessels shape and construction.

The lower the VCG, the more stable the vessel. That’s the key advantage MJMs have over other boats. By using stronger, lighter epoxy composite laminates, and narrower waterline beams, VCG is lowered, making the GM spread greater than is possible on other conventional polyester and vinylester built powerboats. Net,net: MJMs have exceptional at-rest and sea keeping stability characteristics.

DYNAMIC STABILITY  This also sets MJMs apart. This comes into play when a boat is at planing speed. MJM hulls are designed to be balanced and easily driven with predictable response to your touch at the wheel, regardless of sea state or wave angles. Here, Longitudinal Center of Gravity (LCG) is important. That’s the balance point around which the inertia of the hull in motion pivots, either up and down over waves or when steering from side to side.

The forefoot (1) of MJMs incorporates rocker into its profile. This is where the keel on centerline curves upward before making its sharp ascent up to the stem. This prevents “bow steer” when driving down into the back of waves. Deadrise angles are approximately 45 degrees in this area of the hull, with sharp entry angles of 50-55 degrees. The combination of these two design elements ensure a very soft ride. The bottom then transitions smoothly going aft to a moderate 18.5 degree deadrise (2), then holds constant in the last 1/3 of the length to the transom. This aft section of the bottom is the primary running surface and, like training wheels on a bicycle, provides stability and a pivot point for responsive turning at speed.

The combination of bottom design and Longitudinal Center of Gravity (LCG) determine a vessels dynamic stability. Hard Chines (3) and Lifting Strakes (4) not only aid in this endeavor, but help deflect water away from the forward end of the vessel, along with the Carolina Bow Flair (5) that provides reserve buoyancy up high in the bow to prevent submarining in steep following seas. 

MJM - QUALITY ECO-YACHT - Professional BoatBuilder Magazine Oct/Nov 2015

This 18 page article is the second COVER feature on MJM by ProBoat mag.  Essentially the editors are amazed other boat builders haven't adopted the more environmentally friendly, wet-prepreg epoxy system utilized on MJMs to attain better handling, performance, seaworthiness and fuel efficiency.

Click to read:     Professional BoatBuilder Oct/Nov 2015

A link to the earlier feature in Professional BoatBuilder (Feb/Mar 2006) can be found below in this blog.

MJM Florida Dealer Wins Bronze at Pan Am Games

When you see Augie Diaz and his crew Kathleeen Tocke on the MJM 40z or 50z at forthcoming Florida boat shows, be sure to congratulate them for winning the Bronze Medal in the Snipe Class lat the 2015 Pan Am Games in Toronto.  Augie’s sailing credentials also include having been US Rolex Yachtsman of the Year.  To email Augie directly:  augiediaz@msn.com

MJM Offering Sliding Safety Glass Option

Looking Aft on 50z #5 Having Just a Single Sliding Pane

Shown on 50z #5 (above and below) is MJM's first installation of tinted sliding glass panels instead of clear roll-up Strataglass. This option is also available on the 36z and 40z.  The forward half remains on the outside, effectively opening half of what’s possible with Strataglass.  The added expense of vented small forward windows is not necessary because of powered windshields, overhead vent hatches and the large opening adjacent to the piloting seats when glass is slid aft.

NEW Fully-Opening Powered Windshields

The Boss Checking Operation of Power Windows on 50z #4

The trend today is for opening up living spaces for better visibility and fresh air.  Nothing does that better than these new MJM fully-opening windshields. A 1st in the industry!  Self-contained, motorized, synchronous actuators (telescoping pistons) are attached to windshields and frames with robust hardware and are operated by 3 rocker switches at the helm. Windshields are held firmly in place at any angle. They close with a solid thunk, so lock-down dogs (seen on lower edge of window frame) are rarely used.   Standard on the 50z and an option on the 29z, 36z and 40z. Here are the benefits: (1) Opening boat -  get instant fresh air; (2) Docking or Anchoring – talk to crew; (3) Into the wind - open them an inch or two; (4) Harbor cruising - open them all the way up.  

See Video of MJM Powered Windshields

Spring Cruise of ZING

Our antidote for Winter has been a pair of 3-week cruises on our MJM 50z starting out in Naples FL, visiting Boca Grande, Sanibel, Sarasota, Marco Island, et al.. then going across the Okeechobee Waterway to Stuart, Jupiter Island Club, Palm Harbor (WPB), Bahia Mar.. ending up at the Miami Beach Yacht & Brokerage Show.  The next segment, following the blossoms North… goes from Palm Beach Boat Show to the garden tours of Charleston…  and to watch 139 J/Boats (of 277 total) competing in Charleston Race Week April 16–19. Here's a trip report of the latter.


 MON - Palm Beach to Vero Beach  Departed Palm Beach Boat Show at 1130 hrs. Monday (Mar 30) for a sea trial and Seakeeper demo out Lake Worth Inlet… dropping off 3 prospective owners at Sailfish Marina on Singer Island before Mark Lindsay, Scott Smith and I headed North to Vero Beach.  There we hosted a Wine & Cheese Soiree aboard for 15 friends at 1730.
  
TUE -Vero to St. Augustine  Next morning, Dick Tillman captured us flying past his Merritt Island dock at 35 knots on the Indian River. Weather was calm so we went offshore from Ponce de Leon Inlet to St. Augustine. Cruising at 35 knots we passed Cindy and Bud Purcell in their pretty 62’ Huckins Linwood LA BELLE HELEN, leading them into Camachee Cove in St. Augustine. Later we shared dinner and mapped out a reciprocal service strategy whereby Huckins Yachts (Jacksonville) would become a service center for MJM in N. Florida to supplement Whiticar Boat Works (Stuart) in S. Florida… while Boston BoatWorks would service Huckins Yachts in the Boston area. MJM only deals with the best. ABBRA (American Boat Builders and Repairers Association) awarded Whiticar Boat Works the “Best Boatyard in the USA" for 2015. 

ZING on the Indian River Buzzing Tilman's Dock on Merritt Island

WED - St. Augustine to Jacksonville Beach  That afternoon, I traded in Mark & Scott for Mary at the Beach Marina in Jacksonville. To start our 12th Annual 3-Week Spring Cruise, we dined with friends from Islesford ME.

THU - Jacksonville Beach to Jekyll Island   Great island island for a bike ride on their excellent bike trails then dinner at the  elegant Inn where Federal Reserve incorporators met in 1910. 

FRI - Jacksonville to Isle of Hope (Savannah)  After church, Friday, we cruised the 90 miles to Isle of Hope on the ICW in 3.75 hours averaging 24 knots.  Had to crawl with the center engine turned off a couple of times where we saw 4’ depths at two crossover cuts on the ICW at low tide. 

SAT/SUN  - Isle of Hope to Hilton Head and Easter  It was a short trip. Easter Morning dawned with a magnificent full moon set at the Harbour Town Marina. The moon looks smaller in this wide angle shot.  It’s over the small building at right. There we dined with old friends from early years in Cali, Colombia.

ZING on a Full Moon Easter Morning 2015 at Harbour Town Marina, Hilton Head

MON - Hilton Head to Charleston.  Those 90+ miles on the ICW took nearly 5 hours with a couple of long No-Wake zones near Parris Island Marine Base and approaching Charleston, averaging 18 knots. We passed about 30 boats and opened up to 35 knots on the Coosaw River passing Chisolm Island, a Rice Plantation once owned by Mary’s Great Grandfather. He was one of 3 Confederate officers who went out in one of his pulling boats 154 years ago to demand surrender of Ft. Sumter.  April 11th is when the “recent unpleasantness” started.  Yes, MJM has some Charleston DNA.  MJM Yachts is an South Carolina LLC as the 34z was conceived while we were living here.  A fun fact: while the “Z” recognizes designer, Doug Zurn, “Z” is also the American Power Boat Racing Association's letter designation for South Carolina… appropriate for a revolutionary performance design.  I am writing this aboard ZING on the Megadock of Charleston City Marina, below.

MJM 50z #1 ZING on the MegaDock at Charleston City Marina

  

EPILOGUE  -  50z #1 ZING was sold while in Charleston to its new owner, Bill Collatos of Boston.  After an orientation cruise with yours truly to Norfolk and then with Capt. Mike Hall on to Boston, Bill was ready to spend the summer with his new ZING (keeping the name) at the Nantucket Boat Basin.

MJM Becomes Corporate Sponsor of AGLCA

That's America's Great Loop Cruisers' Association.  Cruising is about shared adventure and to do the Great Loop or parts of it, is a wonderful way to learn more about the country and meet new friends.  But, the right boat can make a big difference. The MJM 40z is particularly well suited for a number of reasons:

✓ Category A Seaworthiness – There are about 1200 miles of potentially rough open water… 824 miles on the Great Lakes and 389 miles between Mobile and Clearwater… plus the Chesapeake, the Sounds in Florida and Carolinas, and Jersey Coast.  I’ve seen a 4-day 30+ knot Westerly with mountainous, steep seas in the North Channel and  a surprise 70-knot “white squall” on Lake Michigan.  The MJM 40z is only one of two known vessels suitable for doing the Loop, between 30 and 50 feet that are ISO Certified Category A ‘Ocean”. The other is the new MJM 50z.

✓ IPS & DPS Managing of Locks –Volvo Penta IPS joystick docking and DPS (Dynamic Positioning System) allows you to go down the center of the lock. Stop. Use IPS to go to the wall.  Then engage the DPS to hover next to the wall. You don’t have to be in a rush to grab lines. The DPS will keep the boat from slewing with the bathtub effect..  The flush deck from wheel to stern cleat makes it easy to grab a stern line without having to go up and down stairs or levels.  See why the 40z maybe the easiest 40 footer to handle in tight situations:  Solo Docking a 40z

✓ 10 Foot Air Height – With radar and a Glomex HD TV antenna, a 40z can do the Erie Canal route and has to wait for only 2 bridges of the 21 between Ft. Lauderdale and Palm Beach.

✓ Speed – There can be large distances between good marinas and anchorages. With 34 knot cruising speed, you can pick a weather window on the best day of the week to cover as many as 275 miles in daylight… rather than have to run overnight at 8 knots, be holed up for a week waiting in a less desirable anchorage, or risk having to be underway in all sorts of weather.

✓ Fuel Efficiency and Cost - Fuel efficiency is a function of horsepower applied to overcome resistance/drag.  It takes more fuel to push a heavy boat.  It is a myth spread by trawler builders that they are more fuel efficient. The only way to improve fuel efficiency is to build them lighter & stronger… of epoxy composites…like an MJM.  At 8 knots, an MJM 40z gets 3.8 nmpg with a range of 1197 miles with 90% of its 350 gallon tank..  A Grand Banks 41 trawler at 8.8 knots gets 1.1 nmpg with a range of only 501 miles.  You do the math on fuel cost for the 5,000 plus miles involved.

MJMs Are Better Powerboats... Thanks to Sail.

You may have seen MJM 50z ads in SAIL, Sailing World and Sailing that describe how sailing contributes to  a better powerboat. MJM Yachts was created by a sailor,  drawn by a sailor (Doug Zurn); built by sailors (Mark Lindsay & Scott Smith) and are owned by sailors.  Among the most recent owners,  60% still have or had a J/46, Carkeek 40, New Custom 60, J/122 (2), Gunboat 60, J/24, J/22, J/109 and J/120. 

MJM Yachts Founder, Bob Johnstone, applied his J/Boats ‘Best Performing Brand’ strategy and many years of sailing experience to create a better powerboat.

Like sailboats, a stronger and lighter boat with a low VCG performs better. Prepreg epoxy composites make the 50z faster, more fuel efficient, fun to drive, easier to handle and more seaworthy. The 40z and 50z are the only two Down East designs of any size Certified ISO Category A Ocean.

Sailboats behave better in large following seas than slow powerboats. If the latter can’t cruise at 25 knots to outrun these seas, stick with sail. But, MJM's are special. They are all designed to cruise at better than 25 knots. 

Sailboats heel, but worse:  Powerboats roll. To stop the roll… yes, behave more like a sailboat with sails up… 50z is the first powerboat with a Seakeeper Gyrostabilizer as standard equipment.  Now, this already stable boat doesn’t roll at all, even at anchor or when watching races off Newport. In fact, the next dozen 40z's were all ordered with Seakeepers as well.

MJMs with opening windshields and roll-up side curtains, are in tune with sailors who enjoy being outdoors in fresh air with a 360° vista.  The main decks compare to an upper flybridge deck of much larger yachts.  Sailors feel right at home with the livability of 50z’s  Great Cabin below.

MJMs offer much easier boating at the drop of a hat with Volvo Penta IPS joystick, DPS auto-hovering and a flush deck from wheel, aft through cockpit sidedoors onto a floating dock. No need for foul weather in the all-weather, heated or air-conditioned pilothouse.  OK… admittedly, there are some aspects of sailing not found on a 50z.

50z Express Model Announced

Following up on success of this stylish option on MJM 34z, 29z and 40z models, MJM introduces the 50z Express model.  Tooling has been produced, so this configuration is currently available on new orders. 

This model was motivated by 3 factors:

1.  It’s a good looking boat to broaden 50z’s appeal. 

2.  For those wanting more glass on the sides, it does so without having to go to large sliding glass panels. The fixed portion in safety glass accounts for 60% of the normal opening... with stiff 2 EZ@CY type hinge up panels in the upper aft corners rather than roll ups.  

3.  Two advantages for small kids are (a) they are better contained inside on the settees and when going forward on side decks, the grab rail on the  curved window frame works well.

New Yard Up and Running in Charlestown MA

Here it is. One of the most exciting developments is the move of operations from antiquated and cramped quarters East Boston to a brand new 35,000 sq. ft. Boston Boatworks facility in Charleston MA.  New boats can be launched for sea trials on Boston Harbor from our own small Marina and travel lift bay.  Note:  There’s not a new mod blue deck color.  That blue is a peel-off coating to protect the sand-colored non-skid. When in Boston, if you’d like to arrange a visit, please contact Scott Smith on his cell phone at 207-252-7190.

MJMs Under Construction at Boston BoatWorks 

MJM 50z - BOAT OF THE YEAR 2014

At a Gala Reception during the 2014 Ft. Lauderdale Boat Show, MJM was awarded the best design in it's category by an elite Selection Board made up of the Editors of the AIM Group of magazines which include SAIL, Power & MotorYacht, Passagemaker, Yachts International, Soundings and Soundings Trade.

50z Making Tracks!

Most impressive of the runs down the coast was from Rye NY 272 miles to Annapolis in 7.5 hours consuming 375 gallons of diesel.  That's an average of 34.93 knots.  Has any cruising yacht made this passage in less time or more comfortably? 

That voyage started at 0655 daybreak, took us down the end of LI Sound, through the City on the East River, around Sandy Hook, down the Jersey shore to round Cape May, then up the Delaware to the C&D Canal and down the Chesapeake to the Annapolis Yacht Club…arriving at 1425 hrs... using just 375 gallons of her 520 gallons capacity. That’s 0.7 nautical miles per gallon. At a slower trawler speed of 7.7 knots, 50z gets 2.9 nm per gallon, with range enough to go to Bermuda and back.

The Voyage of 50z #1 in October 2014 

At 35 knots you feel relaxed and at one with the boat. Conversation is normal. Response to a light touch on the wheel is predictable and immediate…no delay, resistance, mushiness, yawing or bow steering…a clean, crisp, comfortable driving experience that you or your autopilot can appreciate. With optional Triple Volvo Penta IPS 600s, 50z has real get up and go… 0-20 kts in 5.2 seconds with a top speed of 40 knots!