Well, thanks for your patience. I closed long distance last week and didn't want to post anything "official" until I physically had the chance to be on board. So I am officially here to let you know that I am on board my 2010 Meridian Yachts 441 Sedan Bridge (how'd you guys ever guess)!
If you were to search back through my posts you would see it is actually a process that began around 2 years ago when I went to the NY Boat Show specifically to see this boat. While I loved and will continue to champion the V358, I knew back then that a move was inevitable, whether in two years or five years or more. So I figured, why not spend as much time as it takes to hone in on exactly what would be the next, best choice for my evolving boating lifestyle? Having the luxury of pressure-free time is obviously the best way to shop for anything.
And yes, after initially falling in love with the 441, I thought it was really more boat than I needed. But as time passed and the more I looked at everything in this class, the more I realized that the extra few feet were worth embracing and will inevitably allow me to stay in this boat longer if I take to this style of boating, as I expect to. And I looked at everything. Sea Rays, obviously, but you have to go to a much larger Sea Ray to attain the sense of space that you get with the Meridian. And I could have purchased a larger, barely used Sea Ray for less money. And yes, the fit and finish in certain areas of the SR is a notch above, but the more time I spent on the Meridian, particularly without hopping right from the Meridian to a Sea Ray, I realized that the finish really is very nice in its own right. And those things that still bother me after I've been living with it for a while can be addressed. So much about the process is based on first impressions so it is very important, as with a house, to really spend time just sitting around and trying to get to know a boat beyond the initial 'splash.'
And I checked out older Viking Sport Cruisers and Fairlines and new Cruisers 447's, but there were just too many compromises. Meridian really got it right with their design for my purposes and aesthetic. And they are similar to Four Winns in the value you get. I remember when I bought the V358 how some people would turn their noses a bit until they got on board, saw the build quality, how beautiful she was, how loaded with amenities she was and, when I would tell them what I paid, what an extraordinary value she was compared to comparable boats in the class. People have the same reaction with the Meridian. Which is all fine, except in the end, I'm the only person who has to be satisfied with buying and owning it.
One of the biggest features of the 441 that kept me coming back over anything else in the class is the bridge. It has more space than the cockpit of my 358. That is something that was very important to me if I was going to move to a bridge boat and the 441 simply blows everything else away. I've already taken to calling it the 'Sky Lounge.' It has a full hard top with a polycarbonate enclosure, heat and air, a grill (something that I was always a critic of in that space that I'm sure I'll grow to love) and other terrific amenities. And when the hatch from the cockpit to the bridge is closed, it is amazing how quiet the ride it. That's something that was also important to me as I find wind and engine noise over long periods of running time fatiguing. The helm is forward so the sight lines are great, save the usual blind spots common in helm-forward bridge boats. There is a camera aft that displays on one (or both) of the E120's at the helm.
And the truth is, I wasn't really thinking I'd be buying just yet. I put my 358 away at the end of the season fully expecting to commission it in the spring. But a chance opportunity for a sea trial came up and that was the beginning of the end. The boat I demoed had the Cummins Diesel 480 engines with Zeus. I expected to be impressed but my expectations were truly exceeded. The joystick maneuverability and Skyhook are certainly exceptional advancements, but what ally sold me was the open water performance. As you saw in the earlier picture, at nearly 37 mph we were burning a (relatively) miserly 51 gph. This is a 32,000 pound boat. At 33 mph, my 16,000 pound 358 burned 45 gph with the engines working harder than you would wan to push them for too long. You can run these diesels wide open for hours and they would love it. So back down to an honest cruise speed and the difference in fuel burn between my FW and new boat is negligible. Which means my range is about to go way up and that will be great. Add to that the super-low noise levels and sport boat maneuverability (not that you're doing a lot of fast spins - but you could) and I pretty much realized there was no going back. I'll save the debate on the concerns with pod drives for another thread, but I did my due diligence and feel completely comfortable making the move.
So here are the specifics:
LOA 47' 2"
Beam 14' 3"
Draft 3' 1"
Bridge Clearance 19' 6"
Fuel Capacity 432 gal
Water Capacity 150 gal
Holding Tank Capacity 55 gal
Weight (dry) 31,233 lbs
Cabin Headroom 6' 7"
• Twin Zeus 480 CMD QSB engines (459 hp)
Some of the options:
• Bridge Air Conditioning/Heat with upgraded 13 kw generator
• Bridge Grill
• Bridge Hardtop
• Bridge LCD TV w/DVD
• Bridge Refrigerator
• Bridge Stereo System
• Central Vac System
• Docking & Engine Room Video Monitoring
• Engine Oil Change System & Fuel Transfer
• Foredeck Sunpads with canvas covers
• Glendinning Cablemaster System
• Guest Stateroom Entertainment System
• Hard Polycarbonate Bridge Enclosure
• Master Stateroom Entertainment Center
• Overboard Discharge w/Macerator
• Rawwater Washdown (Fore & Aft)
• Raymarine Premium Navigation Pkg
• Salon Ice Maker
• Washer /Dryer
• Underwater Transom Lights (Blue)
• Vessel View
I do love the idea of adding the extended, hydraulic swim platform and I may. But that will put her at over 50' LOA so, as with several other mods I may do, I'm going to live with her as is for the time being and make informed decisions as I go.
And I did trade the 358. I know how the numbers are manipulated in trade-in deals, but what they gave me was more than fair, I was obviously good with the overall deal and there is a lot of value to me not having to sell her myself. Somebody is going to get an exceptionally well-cared for, fully-loaded V358.
Anyway, if you're still reading this, that's waaay more than enough for now. It's exciting and daunting all at once. But the really good stuff in life usually is.
More pix to come.
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