Marlow 70E MKII

Breaking from the norm can be rewarding, from a subtle upgrade to a major change.

This Marlow 70E MKII is making it happen on all levels.

When I arrived at Marlow Yachts’ southwest Florida yard, I looked around the marina for a 70-foot yacht. By habit, I was looking for one of its white or signature blue hulls. I was surprised as I was directed to this 70E MKII, a bit of a horse of a different color. The gray hull stopped me in my tracks. I know Marlow has used this color once or twice before and I had thought it was more of an experiment. But yet here was another — of course with the familiar Marlow lines and lapstrake hull, from the raised wave-slicing bow with generous flair to the enclosed command bridge. The more I looked, the more I liked the color combo. And there are a few things this owner opted for to help carry the color scheme from hull to house. Let’s take a look.

No teak zone

First off, aside from the aft deck hi-gloss teak dining table, there is not one lick of exterior wood to be seen. No teak decking, caprails, steps, railings, staircase — not even the swim platform. This gives a much cleaner look to the esthetics. The biggest benefit is that it eliminates all that maintenance that goes along with keeping wood finishes looking fresh. Don’t get me wrong, I like a cleaned and oiled teak surface and highly varnished rail. But this 70E MKII, with its bold exterior color scheme, doesn’t need the teak accents.

Marlow worked with the client’s desires and painted the window frames jet black all around to give a cool “blacked out” effect. Even the hull portholes are frameless and dark, giving the appearance of a “mystery” yacht. Carrying the color scheme to the top, the radar arch, radar antenna and domes are all finished in Awlgrip Shark Grey. An additional item with no maintenance is the radar stanchion, as it’s fiberglass, not metal that can chip and rust.

So as not to be a grey blob on the water or look too much like a naval vessel, the house superstructure is a brilliant Matterhorn White, contrasting with the metallic Stone Gray Awlgrip hull to accentuate the deck levels.

Pony up

With such a contemporary look, it would be unfounded if you weren’t introduced to what’s “under the hood.” Get that trawler misnomer out of your head. In the spacious engine room is a pair of MAN V12 1,650-hp diesel engines coupled to Twin Disc transmissions ready to go.

Taking the average speed and fuel consumption over reciprocal course lines during our sea trial, the 70E MKII topped out at 32.2 knots — an impressive cut of speed for an approximately 125,000-pound vessel. Of course, you won’t run like that all the time, but feel confident that you have the horses to beat it to port. Running at 75% load at 2100 RPM, the two MANs burn 130 gph combined yielding 28 knots.

Enter here

If you’re looking for the teak, then step inside the 70E MKII and you will see the magic the Marlow craftsmen perform in creating top-end quality furnishings. With the dreams of the owner and skilled hands of the builder, Marlow customized this yacht to perfection.

Port and starboard Ultraleather sofas with storage below maximize the seating capacity in the salon. Hi-gloss teak and holly flooring contrast against the satin-finished teak cabinetry and furnishings. Since Marlow’s designers have repositioned the engine air vents, the salon sofas can be installed a bit further outboard. This results in more usable floor space in the salon, like for the low-fiddled custom wood coffee table with dual ottomans. These ottomans also double as storage space, perfect for keeping the family games together. Of note are the power outlets at the base of the sofas, allowing you to charge and recharge on the sofa simultaneously. Other niceties are the forward 60-inch TV, custom coffered ceiling, end tables and Subzero wine cooler and fridge/icemaker. To cook or not to cook

Rivaling a home setup, the galley is large and fully functional. Designed like a country kitchen, there’s ample workspace and social gathering areas. Nestled under the forward windows is a large L-settee dinette with teak table. With the kitchen being a key gathering place, the chef and guests can continue to be together. Add in a few bar stools around the large central island. Housing two Subzero fridge/freezer drawers on one side, GE trash compactor on another and multiple storage drawers, the island is certainly a welcome addition. Along the starboard side are the Fisher & Paykel dishwasher, a Kohler double sink with integral cutting board, a Wolf four-burner gas stove (that’s right, a gas stove onboard), a lower Wolf oven, a microwave and a full-height Subzero fridge. If you have culinary prowess, this galley will not disappoint.

Lower level likings

To port, next to the dinette, is a staircase to the lower-level staterooms. Within the full-beam midship primary stateroom are a center king berth, a walk-in closet, plenty of drawers and lockers, and a flat-screen TV. Jack and Jill sinks allow for cohabitation next to the voluminous shower stall and Sealand Vacuflush toilet. A classy touch are the Shoji Screens to cover the portholes.

Forward is the VIP with a center king berth and teak-planked walls. Either side has permanent Pullmans, great if needing to sleep in proximity to kids or for storage. A head with a shower stall has private access.

To starboard is an additional stateroom with a queen berth and a head.

Via a hatch in the hallway sole is a mechanical room with hot water heaters, pumps and more storage space. As with all Marlows, space is not wasted. Accessible from the covered Moondust non-skid side decks, the foredeck sports a Portuguese Bridge with side access doors and a center seat with fender and line storage underneath. Even though there are aft boarding gates from the platform and sides, forward boarding gates assist in provisioning and give additional access to fixed docks.

Commanding bridge

With an enclosed command bridge, the yacht can be operated in most any weather conditions or seasons. Twin Stidd helm seats oversee the vast array of electronics, including four Garmin GPSMAP 9224 multifunction displays, MAN 7-inch engine monitor displays, Sidepower thruster controls and more.

An overhead console houses additional systems, neatly arranged, helping to keep the dash uncluttered. Motion is controlled by twin Quick MC2X gyro stabilizers. The house power is supplied by two 24kW Kohler generators.

Aft is an L-settee with an angled teak hi-low table, captain’s quarters and a day head.

Entertain on the aft flybridge deck with the large seating and twin stools flanking the starboard fiberglass table. A grill station to port allows for BBQ cooking, unimpeded custom-built railings hold the life rafts, and an Aritex 1,600-pound davit makes the upper deck a storage spot for toys.

Keep the Marlow 70E MKII on your shortlist. Customize as you wish. Make it a bold statement.