The collaboration between a major Australian luxury boat manufacturer, a long-time Kiwi boatie and a support company for motor yacht owners has resulted in a stunning Maritimo M75 that is virtually as easy to control as a 6-metre runabout!
Talisman’s owner is a Kiwi who has literally been boating all his life. From powerboating with his parents as a child, to having his own trailer boats as a young man, before first moving into launches in his 30s, he has always been one who loved the boating lifestyle. Now in his late ‘50s and keen to get into a larger, motoryacht-style of cruiser, he became aware of Maritimo’s latest flagship and was immediately impressed.
“Maritimo’s new styling is much more European, more modern,” he says. In particular, he liked the far beamier flybridge, the open plan galley, the upper-cockpit area for outdoor dining and the expansive adventure deck. Also attractive were the way the big opening panoramic windows in both the saloon area and flybridge complemented the feeling of open space. He was also fortunate in having a good, long-term relationship with Dean and Glynis Ryder from Motor Yacht Services. “I can’t speak highly enough of them,” he says. “Dean not only really knows his stuff, he has also been a long-time warranty and service agent for Maritimo, knows the boats inside out and has great relationships with all the key people at the factory. “Glynis took ownership of our boat from the start so it’s been a real partnership.” Talisman’s owner not only liked the new look of the latest M75, he was also impressed by the company’s opportunity for customisation.
“I wanted a boat that was really leading edge in terms of design. However, it also had to be ultra-reliable and easy and enjoyable to operate. I didn’t want to need a crew to go somewhere. My wife and I wanted a boat that we could take out, enjoy and bring home with just the two of us.” The key to help make that a reality was the installation of a comprehensive CZone digital switching system, and Fathom e-Power System (see the sidebar on this system, at the end of this article). A first for Maritimo and one of the most all-encompassing digital monitoring and control systems available. Thanks to the owner’s vision, Dean’s input and knowledge and the hard work of some pretty clever people at Maritimo as well as input from Navico Group application engineering team and integration specialist, Talisman now proudly boasts a system that, with literally a single touch of a screen, controls every single aspect of every on-board system, including the entire AC and DC electrical circuits, from anywhere on board or around the world. And, while it did require quite a lot of effort to set up at the factory, it is now super-easy to adjust. For example, after noticing that the few 240v plugs that were running off the inverter allowed power at all times, as opposed to those requiring the generator, the owner simply made a few adjustments made on his control screen.
Talisman is fitted solely with lithium batteries (with the exception of the starting batteries). This clearly requires a pretty sophisticated set up and BMS (battery management system) and the boat has just that, with a Mastervolt lithium battery bank and a 6th generation Mastervolt BMS.
With the owner liking to run a quiet boat (when stationary) most, if not all, of the time, efficient use of the ship’s power was also an absolute must. With full air conditioning and two Mitsubishi ARG gyro stabilisers on board, there was no getting away from the dual generator set-up but, thanks to the focus on efficiency and the Fathom e-Power System that allows CZone integration with the battery bank and inverters, these are rarely employed. Another clearly worthwhile customisation has been the installation of the Humphrees dynamic Interceptor trim tabs. Automatic, a metre deep and fitted with their own gyros, they are, says the owner, so good “you almost don’t need the stabilisers”. He should know. After picking up Talisman from Maritimo’s Gold Coast yard, he and Dean ran down to Newcastle (to meet the ship taking her across the Tasman). Despite some less than ideal weather, the 75 performed flawlessly, running, at 24 knots, flat and along its waterline the whole way. Since its arrival in New Zealand, Talisman has also completed a couple of reasonably-sized trips around the Gulf. In an incredible endorsement of both Maritimo’s pre-delivery process and Dean Ryder’s guidance, there have been no (repeat, no) significant problems at all. As the owner, who has taken delivery of several other straight-from-the-factory vessels in the past, notes: that’s almost completely unheard of.
MORE ONBOARD CUSTOMISATION:
Maritimo also allows their owners some customisation in their galleys and on-board layouts and Talisman’s owners’ love of good food is obvious from the amount of effort they have put into the design of their aft-positioned galley. Most noticeable is the island bench. Perfectly positioned midway between the work spaces and utilities on each side, it not only provides a large surface on which to work, it also houses an extra wide dishwasher and a custom spice rack. Situated to service both the saloon further forward and the large outdoor dining area, easily accessed through wide-opening sliding glass doors, the galley and adjacent saloon are finished with an attractive satin walnut veneer. In the saloon, this is complemented by L- and U-shaped settees and three ottomans, all covered in olive green leather, exceptionally large opening side windows and the obligatory pop-up TV. Given Talisman’s size, it is no surprise that there is a wide range of cabins (and berths) to accommodate friends and family. In addition to the main cabin (full width athwartships), there is a full-size VIP guest cabin in the bow, and a twin berth (the two can slide together to make a double) and Pullman cabin (two single berths, one above the other) at the foot of the stairs. Clever touches down here include the easy-to access huge stowage space under the VIP cabin’s island queen berth; a day head that, depending on which door is in use, can be an ensuite for the twin cabin; and, in the master cabin, a full-length office area (so the owner can work while at sea); Maritimo opening portholes in the large side windows and a giant, delightfully spacious ensuite with everything one would expect on a vessel of this class.
MASSIVE ADVENTURE DECK
Talisman’s “adventure deck” is a massive two-tiered affair. On the top level, flowing seamlessly into the galley, is the large outdoor entertainment area. A large dining table, painstakingly designed to maximise the available space, is serviced by settees on all four sides and the entire area is completely shielded from above by a combination of the flybridge overhang and a custom canvas awning. The lower area is for the more adventurous activities. Big enough to accommodate large numbers at the same time, it has been left wonderfully uncluttered. In fact, apart from the forward console (housing a freezer, barbecue and companionway down to the engine room) and, on the full width rise-and fall bracket, the 2.8m Takacat (for ferrying the owners and their rather large dog to the beach), there is nothing to interfere with the important businesses of fishing, gearing up for a dive, swimming and generally enjoying oneself. Virtually the entire lower section of the adventure deck hinges hydraulically open to reveal a giant lazarette. Despite this being home to Talisman’s 1400-litre water supply (there is also a watermaker if needed), one of the two stabiliser gyros and the electric outboard for the dinghy, there is still a huge amount of room to house paddleboards, fishing gear and anything else one might need for a fun day on the water.
Although one can access the engine room via a large hatch further forward, the simplest way to do it is via the companionway in the console. At its base is an area Maritimo originally had designated for crew quarters. However, as the owner had no intention of carrying crew, this has been repurposed as the ship’s utility room with a side-by-side washer and drier and space left over for an owner’s workshop (fed with natural light thanks to a window into the cockpit) and a handy tackle locker. Talisman is powered by twin V10 MTU 1625s, engines the owner describes as “the most beautiful motors”, in part because there is almost no servicing required for the first 5 years and because of how quiet they are. They are not small yet, despite being accompanied by the second gyro, a watermaker, two generators, an air conditioning system, a significant percentage of the ship’s 10,400 litres of diesel (the main tank is under the master berth amidships) and all the other systems needed to run such a very sophisticated vessel, there is plenty of space to move around and to make any adjustments that might be needed.
SUPERWIDE FLYBRIDGE
Even after seeing from the dock just how beamy Talisman’s flybridge is, especially when compared with similar-sized vessels nearby, it is not until one is actually on it that one can truly appreciate just how spacious this area is. With the twin-chair helm station on starboard, there is space alongside for a comfortable settee so guests can be close by while underway. Further aft is another large settee. This faces a pop-up swivelling TV “for watching sport” (and which can be seen from the spacious deck out the back). Should additional berthage be required, this settee converts into a double. In addition to the large opening side windows, there are twin skylights above the station and settee and a huge sunroof further aft.
What would have once been called a poop deck (and now is referred to as the aft balcony) is yet another wonderful feature of this design. Large, completely covered (and able to be enclosed), it features a wet bar, complete with bar stools, large settees and bean bags and is a great place on which to relax or watch the activities taking place below. The station is, as one would imagine, impressive. Three matching Simrad MFD screens seamlessly connect to Talisman’s numerous inputs (radar, GPS chartplotting, sonar, autopilot, various cameras: reversing, engine room, cockpit anchor and FLIR night vision) and the CZone system. Although Talisman sports the traditional steering wheel and gear/throttle controls, it is actually mainly controlled at slow speeds by a joystick. Set up to simultaneously control both the engines and the bow and stern thrusters, it ensures that manoeuvring Talisman is a simple, one-hand operation, even in the tight quarters of the strongly affected by current Bayswater Marina on a blustery day. A similar level of easy control is available through the owner’s Remote Yacht Controller or a second joystick in the cockpit. Getting Talisman ready for departure is also an easy, one-touch operation. On the CZone screen, the owner simply chooses the Daytime Cruising mode and the system ensures everything is ready to go. All that needs to be done is to cast off the lines. If having to move anchorages at night, the CZone night mode ensures the Simrad displays are muted and only red lights are on near the station. Again, all that is required is to raise the anchor.
PERFORMANCE
Even though Talisman, with all its extras, weighs in at an impressive 70 tonnes, it is definitely no slouch. With its 3200-odd horsepower at full strength, it can hit a ground-swallowing 30 knots. Even at normal cruise speeds, this large beast can quickly get to its destination at a comfortable 24 knots. However, as relaxation rather than speed is more the aim, the owner chooses instead to get along at a relatively sedate, but by no means sluggish, 10-11 knots, using just 58 litres per hour.
SUMMARY
Not all manufacturers of luxury motor yachts are willing to allow such a large degree of customisation as Maritimo has with Talisman. On the other, not as many owners have as a clear a vision (and the experience to back it up) and the knowledgeable support (“almost a partnership”) as Talisman’s owner enjoys with Dean Ryder. The result is an incredible blend of some of the most sophisticated systems alongside an almost astonishing ease of use. There would be very few vessels of this size where the owners would feel comfortable heading to sea (and returning home to their marina berth) with just the two of them on board. One can only applaud the collaboration that has made this possible.
SPECIFICATIONS
- Designer Maritimo
- LOA 24.5 (incl hydraulic swim platform)
- LOH 22.4
- Beam 6.0
- Displ (Dry) 55,200
- Max Speed 30
- Construction Fibreglass
- Fuel Cap 10,000
- Water Cap 1,400
- Engines Make MTU
- HP 1625 x 2
- Drive Train ZF
- Thrusters Side-Power hydraulic
- Trim Tabs Humphree Dynamic
- Gyro ARG x 2
- Lighting LED extensive
- Batteries Mastervolt Lithium
- Management CZone
- Windlass Muir Thor hydraulic
- Ent System JL Audio, Starlink, Sat TV
- Underwater Lights Aqualuma Blue, 8
- Flooring Teak outside, Cavalier Bremworth inside
