ARTNAUTICA 60

The Artnautica 60 (Matuku) design called for a cruising speed in the mid-20 knot range and long-range capabilities in displacement mode. Along with the open flybridge, an important design criterion was a dry ride at both planing and displacement speeds.

“The way to achieve easy planning is to minimise weight and to maximise the planning surface area. The long waterline one gets with the plumb bow is essential for high displacement speeds, and keeping the waterline entry sharp smooths out pitching motion. The high chine, in combination with the pronounced topsides knuckle line and rub rail, all work together to knock down spray’” explains Dennis.

FIJI, NO WORRIES

One of the owner’s requests from the first brief was he wanted to be able to cruise the 1500nm to Fiji at around 10 knots without adding extra tankage. Matuku will do that and more with a range of about 2000 nm at 10-11 knots. Power is a pair of Volvo Penta D11 IPS 800, producing 625hp each. Maximum speed is just over 30 knots @ 2450 rpm, which returns a fuel burn of around 7.4 l/Nm. However, that’s not where Matuku will spend most of its running time. The optimal cruise speed is around 23 knots, using 6.5litres per nautical mile, giving an approximate range of 830 nautical miles. At a trolling speed of 8 knots, consumption is only 20 lph or 2.35 l/Nm and a range of around 2400nm.

Matuku is the result of a collaboration of not only the owner and designer but also a group of like-minded experienced boating friends who enjoy their fishing and cruising and know what they want in a boat this size. Many elements of the boat have come from a vast pool of people. The owner reflects on their many discussions to achieve what he feels is a near-perfect boat that has fulfilled every criterion he wished for.

GREAT VISIBILITY

The design brief for the saloon has certainly been meet with high profile side windows with narrow mullions giving everyone in the saloon almost unbroken views outside. The raised fore and aft lounging spaces are at a perfect height. With weight still a consideration, all the interior cabinetry is foam with a blonded oak veneer finish, with Flexiteek used on the cabin sole, cockpit and coamings.

The aft galley has Miele appliances, Hi-MACS surfaces, an Isotherm fridge and freezer drawers. Opposite is the L shape settee that converts to another berth when required. The layout of Matuku is very much what the owners wanted, and the designer is quick to add that you can have just about anything you want.

Two large leather Llebroc seats dominate the helm, which features a trio of 16” Furuno glass screens. There’s a pair of Black Box VHF radios and controls for all the onboard equipment, such as Humphrees interceptors, Fusion head deck, Flir camera and HP watermaker. Four large wipers are tucked out of sight under the eyebrow above the screen.

The entire main deck becomes a glorious indoor/outdoor living space with the rear door and window open. An external staircase provides access to and from the open flybridge, with the raised upper deck offering coverage from the weather. A perfect area to enjoy a drink, have a meal or watch the action in the cockpit.

The rest of the self-draining cockpit is all about fishing. The owner is into his stand-up game fishing, so there’s no chair. This is serious stuff, so the cockpit reflects that. Tuna tubes and live bait tank, naturally. There is no boarding platform and a single transom gate. Deck fittings are all recessed or flush, and anything to do with fishing tackle, bait or wet storage is handy and easy to access. The cockpit has been designed to have two people hooked up with plenty of room to move around.

A deck hatch aft gives access to the twin Volvo Penta D11 IPS 800s, with another forward leading down to a large utility space. This comes with a watermaker, gensets, a diesel heater, a freezer, dive bottle racks, and a dive compressor, and a pair of Njord fuel polishers. Had the owner gone for the full beam aft master option, this space would not have been available.