Schaefer V44 Yacht Review

When it comes to designing and manufacturing a new yacht, getting the most return from a given investment of talent and other resources depends on being clear about what the vessel’s intended mission is at the outset. The common temptation to be all things to all potential buyers almost invariably results in failing to satisfy anyone’s needs really well. Which is a trap the new Schaefer V44 avoids by being a yacht with an obvious and well-defined mission.

The V44 is striking—in overall appearance, deck configuration, interior layout, propulsion package and performance—especially when considered against the background of her natural operational home waters of the tropics and subtropics.

Her overall appearance is thoroughly modern with a satisfyingly handsome, plumb bow and not a hint of contemporary garishness. Generous freeboard keeps her dry-running while allowing for bulwarks of reasonable height and leaving ample belowdecks headroom, all without giving into the stacked look of a wedding cake—another form of all-too-common collateral damage wrought by overzealous crowdpleasing.

Her swept-back windscreen melds into an extended hardtop that not only enhances her sleek appearance, but also provides excellent shelter from sun, showers and rough-weather spray. Her full walkaround deck layout provides a surfeit of outdoor convivial living space.

Several truly masterful touches have been worked into her above-deck arrangement by designer Marcio Schaefer, not the least of which are 8-foot sections of aft bulwark, port and starboard, that hinge down 90-degrees electro-hydraulically to form what Schaefer calls “balconies.” These add nearly 50 square feet of area to the deck platform for lounging and entertaining over the hook and at the dock.

The V44’s below-deck accommodations are more than comfortable enough for an overnight or weekend aboard with four. They are sufficiently plush to feel luxurious but understated in a way that creates a feeling of space and order.

A choice of propulsion options is available, including outboard power or inboards with either stern drives or coupled to Volvo Penta IPS. The recommended outboard propulsion package comprises three 400-horsepower Mercury Verados integrated into a joystick control system that really simplifies docking and undocking. Indeed, when the three engines on the V44 stern responded to close-quarters maneuvering commands by automatically acting independently of one another, my initial gut reaction was a whiskey-tango-foxtrot signal.

Now, you’re bound to ask whether the triple-outboard package is the best way to go. My answer is an emphatic yes. The 1,200 total horsepower appears to be a perfect match for the V44, yielding a quite respectable 50 mph WOT and cruising range of 230 nautical miles. The yacht trims nicely with a nearly level main deck at rest and a maximum one to two degrees of aft trim at speed (depending on engine trim), with a lot of hull bottom contacting the water—except when you want to “trim her out” as you push up to top speed. This means comfortable control in fast, tight turns and a total absence of porpoising at higher speeds in a chop. And she runs soft in a chop with her 20-degree deadrise bottom.

However, before you give full credence to my answer, you need to know that I am personally a convert to, and a huge fan of outboard power for mid-size motoryachts for a number of reasons. The first being that the horspower-to-weight ratio of outboards is much higher than with inboard engines, gas or diesel. Witness the fact that the O/B version of the V44 can carry 145 additional gallons (more than 1,000 pounds more payload) of fuel vs. the inboard model. Modern four-stroke outboards are also relatively quiet, dependable and robust, with a predictable life cycle.

Another reason is that the propulsive thrust is trimmable, which enables trimming out the bow to match operating conditions.

The location of the power plant outside the boat not only moves the most likely source of heavier-than-air fuel vapors to a location highly unlikely to result in ignition, but also facilitates maintenance, repair and (if necessary) replacement without having to deal with ancillary issues such as alignment and the like.

If it seems to you that Schaefer has packed a surprising amount into the V44, you’re right. But it should hardly be baffling, because that’s precisely what can and should happen when you understand from the beginning what a boat’s mission is going to be—and hold fast to fulfilling it.

Schaefer V44 Specifications:

LOA: 44’8”
Beam: 13’8”
Draft: 2’4”
Displ.: 19,200 lb.
Fuel: 435 gal.
Water: 70 gal.
Cruising speed: 34.5 knots
Top speed: 43.3 knots
Power: 3/400-hp Mercury

This article originally appeared in the November 2024 issue of Power & Motoryacht magazine.

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Source: https://www.powerandmotoryacht.com/outboard/schaefer-v44-yacht-review