Test Notes
THE FOURTH HATCH in that transom leads to a surprisingly spacious crew cabin—or vast storage area, if you prefer. From a safety point of view, the hatch opens outwards and is hinged along the bottom edge—no wave is likely to dislodge it. But that also means you can’t leave it open in the rain.
THE 52 IS OFFERED with a choice of prop shafts or IPS drives, although the engines are the same in either application, and they are mounted in the same place to help keep the boat’s center of gravity roughly where it should be. With the IPS drives installed well aft, the engines are linked to them by jackshafts running beneath the crew cabin. Service access probably won’t be much fun, but the rest of the engine room is spacious and well organized.
SUNSEEKER EMPLOYS hard-bitten professionals as captains. Our seatrial skipper was Mark, an ex-Royal Marine who served in both the Falklands campaign and the first Gulf War. His unflappable demeanor probably had something to do with the fact that for him every working day since then has basically been a holiday.
LENGTH OVERALL is usually a straightforward measurement, but not on the Manhattan 52. The standard length includes the broad bathing platform seen on the test boat, which as an option can be hydraulic. Need a slightly shorter boat? There is a shorter, fixed platform that reduces length by 4 feet. None of the 83 customers have ordered it.