CHASING BLACK MARLIN IN A NEW MARITIMO 550 IS A THRILL OF A LIFETIME

From Lizard Island south to Cairns and just a short distance offshore from where the Coral Sea throws itself relentlessly against Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, sea creatures of mythic proportions reside for a few months each year. Massive animals, graceful in form with incredible strength, that in turn entice a select group of fishermen from around the globe to converge here. In these fabled waters, home to the largest black marlin from late October through December, is a fairytale ecosystem most anglers will only dream  about, the largest coral reef in the world- 3,000 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching 1,600 miles, composed entirely of living organisms, inhabited by exotic fishes and colorful marine life.

Cairns, pronounced “cans” by locals, is the northernmost city in Queensland, the main access to the Reef and thus the epicenter of the big game fishing world in those months when gladiators in multimillion dollar sportfishing vessels take up residence with a common purpose: to do battle with a grander, or a marlin over 1,000 pounds.

Aussie builder puts
his racing knowledge
into luxury cruisers.

Reprinted From Southern Boating

Powerboat racing is one of Bill Barry-Cotter’s great passions, and he’s won seven Australian Class I offshore powerboat championships. The technology he’s utilized and helped develop in the demanding world of offshore racing has helped him to design his Maritimo line of long-range luxury motoryachts, which he founded in 2003 in Queensland, Australia. At displacement hull speeds, Maritimo offshore cruising yachts, which range from 44 to 60 feet, can travel up to 3,000 miles, while at cruising speeds of 28 mph, they can travel from 500 to 1,000 miles without refueling, depending on the model.

That speed and range, along with hull design, rigging and attention to detail, have made Maritimo a brand that is turning heads in the United States market. With nine dealerships in the United States and one in Canada, Maritimo is quickly gaining interest among U.S. buyers.

Southern Boating Contributor Doug Thompson sat down with Bill at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show in October and learned what he had to say about the U.S. market, how he builds his boats, and what other boat builders he admires.

By: Pierce Hoover
Reprinted From: MotorBoating

As the latest addition to the Maritimo fleet, the 56 Cruising Motoryacht takes comfort and performance to a whole new level.

One could legitimately say that Maritimo’s Cruising Motoryachts defy comparison — at least in relationship to various enclosed-bridge sport-fishing yachts of similar size and shape. While war wagons from builders such as Bertram, Viking and Hatteras consider fishing prowess paramount, the Maritimo fleet places a far greater emphasis on comfort, versatility and efficient operation. With their slippery hulls, their secure, crewfriendly side decks, their raised, sheltered cockpits and airy interiors, these vessels are equally suited for entertaining aboard, long-range cruising, swim parties at anchor and, yes, even a bit of fishing.

Reprinted from March 2010 Sea Magazine

WE LEFT THE DOCK IN A 10- TO 15-KNOT side wind, but our captain, Chris Elliott of Compass Point Yachts, used the remote thruster control and the aft controls to move the boat effortlessly into the channel. Later, when I turned the boat stern-to at 8 knots into a choppy sea with a good groundswell (I noticed no chattering, shimmering or cavitation), we took on 6 inches of green water in the cockpit. I stopped the boat and the water was gone in about three seconds — I timed it. I wasn’t surprised by either of those events, however, because the Maritimo 550 Offshore Convertible has Bill Barry-Cotter’s 40 years of shipbuilding experience behind it.

Just a quick post to let everyone know, Compass Point Yachts Seattle has moved into new digs.

Our new Seattle office is located at:

901 Fairview Place N
Suite A140
Seattle, WA 98109

P: 206-462-6090
F: 206-577-5025

Our new Seattle office is located under Joey’s Restaurant at Chandler’s Cove.

Please stop by and say hi, and see what’s happening in the exciting world of Maritimo yachts.

The summer of 2009 started out with great promise for boaters in the Pacific Northwest, and I don’t think anyone was disappointed.

Our adventure started in beautiful Victoria; the capital of British Columbia, a charming Canadian city on Vancouver Island. As we enjoyed sunshine in the harbor while looking at the majestic parliament buildings that grace the waterfront, a local photographer putting together his portfolio visited us, and in no time we became his subject, or rather our Maritimo 52 Skylounge was the subject (see www.reubenkrabbe.com  and click on portfolio- people). Our photographer was prepared and had even brought his own model. I thought perhaps I might even have a chance so we took pictures too! Victoria was beautiful and we did so enjoy the beautiful city views.

NORTH TO ALASKA

After a maiden voyage from Newport Beach, California to Seattle, Washington, Ed and Patty Dunn set off in their newly acquired Maritimo 52 on the adventure of a lifetime-a 3000 nautical mile trip to the beautiful cruising grounds to Alaska.

Patty Dunn takes up the story…

Captain Bruce Champion and Owner/Captain Ed Dunn

Up the Coast from Newport Beach, CA to Seattle, WA – 1250 Nautical Miles

We cruised out of Newport Beach, California on third of December 2007, with a crew of 3 that included the Skipper, Ed Dunn, Captain Bruce Champion, Ret., and Whittaker Dunn, grandson of the Skipper. A beautiful day was enough impetus to continue into the evening and night. A storm caught us about 12:30 AM and necessitated a stop in Monterey Bay, south of San Francisco for the remainder of the day and another night. Early on day 3, we left and traveled to Bodega Bay. The following day after an early start with flat calm seas, a whale that was being chased by an Orca and unfortunately hit us, and the boat  suffered damage to the rudder, the shaft, and the props so we were forced to drop our speed to 14 knots instead of the 19k or so that we were making. We stopped in Fort Bragg for the night. The Maritimo is built so stout that even with the damage done we were able to continue our open-ocean voyage without stopping for repairs, and time was of the essence because of weather.

It took another 8 days to complete the trip to Seattle, but except for the weather related layovers we had no further difficulties. Our secret to success in ocean travel on the West Coast of North America was watching swell height versus distance in seconds between swells and never attempting waves over swells of more than 5 or 6 feet. It didn’t hurt that the Maritimo is a fabulous open ocean boat: 76.5 hours at sea, 1250 nautical miles, 2,400 gallons of fuel.