BUYER’S GUIDE:
David Marlow is bringing his latest creation to the docks of Ft. Lauderdale, the MARLOW 58E. The 58E steps into the role played by the Marlow 57, a boat that had a venerable 11-year production run, and promises to be everything the 57 was and more—higher speeds, longer range, and more interior volume.
She’ll be sidled up next to her big sister, the 62E that made her debut last February at the Miami International Boat Show, a boat that is already generating a good amount of buzz.
Both boats are built using Marlow’s proprietary “Full Stack Infusion,” a construction technique that produces boats that are remarkably light (for their size) and also very strong. And as you know, less weight means more efficiency, and more efficiency means longer cruises, less fuel, and more time enjoying your boat. I’m not sure how it happened. I now own two and a half boats spread from South Portland, Maine, to the Virgin Islands. One of which I agreed to buy after my wife began to tear up at the thought of her parents selling it. It was her grandfather’s Grady-White, which she spent a lot of time on cruising Casco Bay. I urged her parents to sell it when they purchased a new boat so they wouldn’t have to deal with being, ahem, two-boat owners. When she began to tear up, I leaned over to my father-in-law. “The hell with it, I’ll buy it.” What a setup! We’re transitioning the boat from a cocktail cruiser to a little offshore machine. Right now I’m hunting for hardtop options. I’m not wild about how they look on a small boat, but the added protection is a benefit, and I’ll be able to add additional electronics. These are also on my list. My father-inlaw thinks I’m nuts to add radar and an MFD. However, we want to take the boat beyond Casco Bay and head Down East to our favorite coves around Mt. Desert Island and Eggemoggin Reach. And because I’m a bit of a freak, I want to dress-up the Grady with a fresh blue hull. I’m pricing out all the options now and hope to have her ready to go by Memorial Day. My 1968 Boston Whaler Nauset 16 is resting snugly at her Nantucket mooring. Yet after any rain storm I’m making calls to see if she’s floating okay. I need to find a better bilge pump option. My float switch tends to get stuck in the small aft sump. There’s got to be a better solution. I’ll be in the tents on the hunt. Then it’s off to look for mattress options for the shared 46-footer. The 20-year-old cushions are 15 years past their prime. I’ll be in the Virgin Islands a few days before the boat show to take some measurements. Now, the trick will be to remain focused just on these projects, or my wife may find another reason to cry.— If you’re looking at a Marlow 58E, here are other boats at the show you might want to check out: HAMPTON ENDURANCE 686 SKYLOUNGE LRC, FLEMING 65 SHOW DEBUT: Discover a new level of efficient cruising in the ARCADIA 85, where clean design makes the most of a glass superstructure and spacious accommodations. SHOW DEBUT: THE VIKING 75 MOTOR YACHT signals a return to the company’s cruising glory with a Michael Peters design you won’t want to miss.