Horizon PC68 Yacht Review
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One thing that is often at the forefront of my mind as I climb through boats, particularly at the three major South Florida shows, is how the model will fare as a Bahamas cruiser. To check boxes as an enviable vessel to get you from Palm Beach to the Out Islands, a boat needs a few things, including a shallow draft, a seaworthy hull to get across the Gulf Stream, and enough on board volume to keep even the closest of friends and family from driving each other crazy. Enter the Horizon PC68, which I boarded at this year’s Palm Beach International Boat Show, and which has all those qualities and then some.
A 68-footer with a 24-foot, 6-inch beam, this catamaran is more comparable in volume to a 90-foot monohull than anything else. Yet in large part owing to her spread out weight displacement, her draft is just 5-feet, 4-inches, shallow enough to beat the magic 6-foot requirement to get in and out of the Bahamas’ notoriously skinny waterways.
Also, because of her comparably large footprint, as well as those twin hulls, her stability in a whipped-up sea should be excellent. I’d wager she can make the hop across the notoriously fickle Gulf Stream rather comfortably in all but the worst conditions. She’d make that journey at a 20-knot cruise, and be able to step it up to 26 knots with twin 850-horsepower MAN i6’s.
And that leaves her on board space, and the accompanying creature comforts, which are both creative and well implemented. When stepping aboard, guests are greeted by a centerline, hydraulic swim platform that raises high to become a diving board. It’s not large enough to hold a tender, which will live on the flybridge, but it is big enough for a PWC if so desired.
The cockpit has the compulsory alfresco dining table and transom seating, but also has a few more unusual tricks, including a bosun’s locker to port that comes stocked with cleaning supplies, as well as hidden compartments in the side-deck steps that reveal a fuel gauge for each of the 750-gallon tanks. The cockpit also has a Dometic icemaker and refrigerator, and a sink to aid in entertainment duties. JL Audio speakers that pockmark the space also do well to aid in those endeavors.
The PC68’s salon is dominated by a large galley to starboard that will be a favorite of would-be Top Chef contestants, owing to loads of counter space and a Miele fridge with double freezers that will be a boon for long excursions to places where good food may be hard to scrounge up.
This yacht can be configured with an on-deck master, or with the master below as part of a four-stateroom layout. The model I was aboard had the down-below, starboard-side master, which I felt was large enough to make keeping the main deck open for entertaining a wise choice. The stateroom had an athwartship king and nearly seven feet of headroom that really opened up the space, as well as a private entrance. The designated crew cabin just aft of the master also has a private entrance. Two guest cabins occupy the portside hull.
Up top, the PC68 has an expansive flybridge that makes full use of the boat’s beaminess. The flybridge is divided into two areas, one lounge forward of the windshield—which must be nothing short of lovely when under way on a beautiful day—and then the main space aft of the windshield. The after portion has an alfresco, hi-lo dining table, and an adjustable lounge to starboard opposite the upper helm that can convert into a daybed. If you’re the kind of person who enjoys a good boat nap (read: almost everyone), this daybed should most definitely catch your eye.
Just imagine, the captain’s at the wheel, and perhaps after a big night out in Miami, you lay down on the daybed just as the PC68 revs up its engines and shoves off from Miami Beach Marina. Gentle sea breezes caress your skin as the MANs rumble far below lulling you fast asleep. When you wake up a few hours later, the sands are snow white, the water is gin clear, and your Bahamas dream has just started to come true.
Horizon PC68 Specifications:
LOA: 68’0”
Beam: 24’6”
Draft: 5’4”
Power: 2/850-horsepower MAN i6s
Fuel: 1,500 gal.
Water: 300 gal.
Cruise Speed: 20 knots
Top Speed: 26 knots
Price: $5.4 million
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Source: https://www.powerandmotoryacht.com/boats/horizon-pc68-yacht-review
