2008 Cruisers Yachts 330 Express

   The express yacht design,with a cockpit-level helm station and accommodations within the hull under the forward cabin trunk, has dominated the North American sportyacht market for at least the last three decades. In terms of design, express cruisers have plenty going for them, offering sporty performance and layouts that usually provide a good compromise between entertainment and overnight accommodation.

   Today’s express cruisers boast sleek good looks with innovative hull and deck architecture that create maximum outdoor and indoor living room in relatively compact cockpit and cabin spaces. Still, express cruiser builders struggle with two big challenges: quick, safe and easy access to the foredeck, and natural light and ventilation below decks.

   As an express-cruiser specialist, Wisconsin-based CruisersYachts works hard to stay on top of its design and construction game. So it shouldn’t be surprising that Cruisers has successfully addressed both these challenges in its new 2008 330 Express.

   For starters, instead of providing the narrow side decks found on many express yachts,Cruisers eliminates them entirely in favour of improved access to the foredeck through an opening windscreen. Moulded-in steps up to the dashboard, a stainless-steel handrail (low enough to be out of the way but high enough to provide a good handhold), good non-skid flooring and a single-handle latch make the trip forward safe and easy.

   Eliminating the side decks adds extra space in the cockpit, greatly increasing convenience and comfort.A wide, clear pathway leading from the port-side transom door to the stairs leading forward (at the base of the dashboard) means crew will always be able to get forward when needed.Amidships docking cleats can be reached from the cockpit.

   CruisersYachts attacks the below decks air-and-light challenge with a multipronged approach.At dockside, the standard 16,000-BTU air conditioner provides plenty of fresh, cool air.No matter where the boat is located, overhead hatches bathe the interior with natural light. Cruisers sticks with a more traditional ventilation approach in the fore cabin with a pair of elliptical port lights. In the salon, the designers adopt a design already used with great success in Cruisers’ larger express yachts – a distinctive array of three diagonal windows that together form a distinctive design signature.

   The diagonal ports don’t just bring in light, but also give cabin dwellers a fairly clear eye-level view of their surroundings – generally unusual in express cruisers and even rarer in express cruisers of this size. For ventilation purposes, Cruisers provides screens for all its opening hatches and port lights plus the fully screened cockpit door. In an anchorage, away from a dockside power source, boaters can open up the windows for great cross-ventilation that will keep the cabin cool and comfortable.

   The 330 has much more to offer than just better foredeck access and improved light and ventilation, but addressing those issues as well as the usual marine design challenges gives the new Cruisers an edge.

   At 35 feet, 6 inches, the 330 is in a size range often favoured by couples or families who are beginning to take cruising seriously and want more performance, convenience and comfort in order to spend extended periods of time on the water. I believe the boat’s added space and convenient layout will also attract some experienced cruisers who are looking for “the right boat” rather than just “a bigger boat.”

   The 330 is much more than an answer to a couple of vexing express design questions. It’s also a high-performance sport yacht, available with gasoline or diesel engines linked to sterndrives orV-drives.The Boats&Places test boat is equipped with twinVolvo Penta 8.1 Gi DuoProp sterndrives.With a hefty speed advantage over a similarly powered boat withV-drives, the DuoProps have twin counter-rotating props on each drive leg.The drives contribute to torque-free handling in close quarters, plus provide great acceleration and tight, confident turns out in open water.

   The twin 375-hpV8s push the 16,500-lb boat to 20 mph in 5.25 seconds and 30 mph in 8.5 seconds.Top speed is 50.5 mph at 4900 rpm,with a test load of about half a tank of fuel, two adults, and no water or provisions.The boat will likely give up a few mph when loaded for cruising, but still promises peppy performance.Electronic fuel injection provides reasonable fuel consumption while electronic controls mean more accurate instrumentation and more flexibility.

   Cruising speeds are 26.9 mph at 3000 rpm, 30 mph at 3200 rpm and 32.3 mph at 3500 rpm.With the engine running at 2500 rpm (thanks to good hull design and the DuoProps, I believe) the boat is still semi-planing at 17.5 mph.The test boat looks as well as it performs,with taupe-coloured hull accents.The 330 is also available with black or blue accents or in basic white.

   Test day brings fairly calm sea conditions, but wake-jumping and figure-eight manoeuvres show the hull (with 16- degrees of deadrise at the transom) provides a comfortable ride in rough weather. The helm will be a comfortable control station during short or long cruises, with a generously proportioned doublewide seat and seat-bottom bolsters that flip up to accommodate stand-up operation. Controls are readily at hand and instruments clearly visible.The sport steering wheel works nicely in concert with the DuoProps’ power steering. Analog engine gauges are laid out on either side of a central helm area with a GPS chartplotter front and centre.

   The cockpit is spacious,with plenty of room to move around. There’s a curving lounge in the companion position forward of a wet bar. In the aft starboard corner of the cockpit, there’s a J-shaped bench with a sturdy table, creating a pleasant lounging and conversation area aft.A convertible top, rigged to the radar arch, has plenty of isinglass and screens that help make the cockpit an all-weather space. Floors are fibreglass non-skid with removable carpets.

   The cabin, like the cockpit,makes the most of available space by leaving both the forward berth and the convertible mid-cabin lounge open; privacy curtains can be pulled as needed to provide more privacy for sleeping.

   The forward island-style berth is huge, with a cushioned headboard for comfortable lounging.To port, the galley is gleaming with easy-clean surfaces,with a two-burner stove, fridge, deep stainlesssteel sink and combination microwave/coffee maker. Further aft, the moulded fibreglass enclosed head is also low-maintenance.

   Across from the galley, the salon settee is comfortable. Further aft, there’s a dinette in the mid-cabin alcove that will convert easily to a berth.With cruisers firmly in mind, the designers have put storage everywhere – under the forward bed, under the settee, in the mid-cabin area and (this locker is huge) in the transom. A hinged flat-screen television built into the galley area will serve the salon as well as the fore cabin.

   When you and your family or friends are ready to go cruising, the Cruisers Yachts 330 Express is ready to take you in style and in comfort with plenty of space, light and fresh air.

Test boat engines: Twin Volvo Penta
8.1 L Gi DP, 496 ci/ 8.1 L, V8 gasoline
inboards with 375 hp, driving twin
counter-rotating props through
DuoProp drives.

ACCELERATION (mph/sec)
0-20 / 5.25 ; 0-30 / 8.51

TOP SPEED (rpm/mph)
4900 / 50.4

CRUISING SPEED (rpm/mph)
3000 / 26.9 ; 3500 / 32.3 ;
4000 / 39.5

SOUND LEVEL AT CRUISE (3500 rpm)
Helm – 82 dbA ; Aft cockpit – 84 dbA