When deciding on what luxury motor yacht to purchase there are many factors owners must consider before putting pen to paper. One of our most recent owners of an all-new M55 Flybridge Motor Yacht gave us insight into this unique journey.
Perth based David Crothers had more reason than most to feel proud at the launch of the M55 at the recent Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show as he is the owner of the second M55 to roll out of the Australian based manufacturing plant.
David and wife Glenda are long term Maritimo owners, having enjoyed their M52 motor yacht for more than 14 years, but he says when he first saw the virtual reveal of the stunning new M55 in mid-2020 he didn’t hesitate to put his hand up.
In fact, David had already lodged a holding deposit for an M54 motor yacht some years back, but held off because he was not sure if it was exactly right for their purposes. His deposit had sat waiting for a decision on which way to go, and the new M55 was the perfect answer.
“I had been looking for quite a while and had my sights set on another model, but that changed when I saw the virtual reveal of the M55 last year,” said David.
David and his wife Glenda and their adult children Samantha and Amy, along with their families, can’t wait to get the M55 back home to WA and to start enjoying life on the water again.
“I wanted to totally de-stress the boat so I have spent a lot of time with the Maritimo people adding innovative optional extras to the vessel which will make it extremely easy to handle,” he said.
“This will in all likelihood be our last boat so I wanted to make sure we could use it in a relaxed and safe manner, no matter the conditions.”
Some of the innovative additions David has had Maritimo include, are a bow mounted camera which will enable him to motor up to his swing mooring at Rottnest Island, engage the hold position function and then walk forward to secure the boat to the mooring without any stress.
In addition, powerful stern and bow thrusters, a 360-degree FLIR night vision camera, providing around-the-clock visibility, as well as underwater sonar and a wet head on the flybridge are just some of the additional options Maritimo have catered for in the new purchase.
The flybridge head located towards the rear of the bridge on the port side means on extended passage making the skipper does not have to go far from the helm and it also creates a totally independent and self-contained additional accommodation cabin with the fold-out bed available as an option.
Most of David’s boating will centre around the Abrolhos Islands approximately 200 nautical miles north of Perth and he anticipates the family will clock up approximately 100 hours of cruising a year aboard the new M55.
“I have a very good relationship with the Maritimo team and we thoroughly enjoyed all our years on the M52, but when I saw this new model, I knew it would be perfect for us,” he said.
“The three-cabin layout is perfect for our family and the cockpit and adventure deck space is ideal for our lifestyle.”
David is Managing Director of WA based construction company, Crothers Constructions, and is also President of the WA Master Builders Association.
Maritimo’s M55 Flybridge Motor Yacht has been the brand’s most successful model on debut in company history for Maritimo.