58 Grand Banks Eastbay FB

Source: Eston Ellis, Sea Magazine

A Downeast-style production boat that feels like a custom yacht

For those who have long appreciated Grand Banks Eastbay line of classic-looking Downeast-style cruisers, there is much more for you to love in the new 58 Eastbay — the largest Eastbay to date. And if you’ve never been aboard an Eastbay before, this is the one you’ll want to see first.

This elegant three-stateroom production cruiser made its West Coast debut at this year’s Newport Boat Show at Newport Beach, California’s Lido Marina Village. It made quite a splash, garnering rave reviews from the scores of show-goers who got a chance to tour and closely inspect the new vessel.

“The reaction was unbelievable,” explained Linda McCrossan, a broker with Stan Miller Yachts, the Grand Banks dealer in Long Beach, California. “This boat looks and feels like a custom yacht — and people kept telling us ‘Omigod, this boat is so beautiful.’”

Seemingly no detail was overlooked in creating the new 58 Eastbay. From its sea kindly C. Raymond Hunt Associates hull design to its sophisticated Patrick Knowles interior design, the 58 Eastbay is cunningly crafted to please experienced boaters who have seen a lot of other boats in this size range.

The 58 Eastbay doesn’t look quite like any other boat of its size. Its classic design features a prominent central pilothouse, which is outfitted to include both a roomy saloon and an inside helm station.

Large windows bathe this area with abundant natural light, as well as providing a near-360-degree view for the skipper (a complete 360-degree view is available on the hardtop-protected flybridge, easily accessible via a protected stairway from the cockpit).

Generous use of traditional teak throughout the interior gives the 58 all the nautical flair of boats from a bygone era — however, you’ll also find the latest in helm seating, computerized engine display systems, controls, thrusters, entertainment electronics, galley appliances and lighting systems on board. This is definitely not your father’s cruiser.

While more “price point” boats seem to be appearing every year, this is not one of them. No detail was spared — and the 58 actually seems overbuilt. Fit and finish are excellent, hardware is of the highest quality, wood is expertly crafted and fiberglass is nicely finished — even in out-of-the-way areas that wouldn’t ordinarily get a regular inspection.

The engine room is a prime example of how things are done right aboard this boat. You enter through a submarine-style Freeman watertight door in the cockpit, then step down into a compartment that makes excellent use of the available space.

There is plenty of room to walk between the engines (on skid-resistant stainless steel decking), and banks of analog gauges are thoughtfully mounted alongside each powerplant, for easy monitoring. Good access is provided to all mechanical gear, making for easier regular maintenance and engine room checks.

If you need to check anything related to the boat’s plumbing, all plumbing runs, the boat’s two water heaters and both graywater and blackwater tanks are conveniently accessible in a centrally located compartment. Lift two hatches in the sole of the passageway next to the staterooms, and you’ll have full access.

An in-case-of-emergency mechanical bilge pump is provided, too — concealed beneath the steps that lead to the galley and staterooms.

This is one boat that is not only attractively designed, it is also extremely well planned.

A Gray Day
We tested the 58 Eastbay off Long Beach, California on a drizzly, gray spring morning. Our test boat was provided by Stan Miller Yachts, and we had three people aboard — including Linda McCrossan and Doug Kerr from the Grand Banks dealer.

Once we left the breakwater behind, we experienced confused seas — wind waves, combined with a westerly swell — yet the 58 gave us a rock-solid, stable and comfortable ride at all speeds. We were impressed with the responsive handling of our test boat, and how it smoothly carved its way into high-speed turns like a sports car.

We were also impressed with the quietness of this boat. Conversation was easy on the flybridge and at the inside helm station, no matter how fast we were running — thanks, in part, to extensive use of soundproofing materials around the engine room.

Our test boat reached a top speed of 34.5 knots at 2,168 rpm. Cruising speed was at around 27 knots, at 2,000 rpm.

We ran the 58 from both the inside helm station and the Venturi windshield-protected flybridge.

The inside helm is ideal in inclement weather, thanks to its three windshield wipers and washers. The view here is excellent.

Our test boat was equipped with Caterpillar electronic engine instrumentation, Twin Disc controls, an American bow thruster and Bennett trim tabs. Stidd helm seats were provided at both helm stations and ample space was provided for optional electronics.

The bridge offers a roomy entertainment area abaft the helm, with an L-shaped Ultraleather-trimmed settee, a high-low table and a wet bar with an ice-maker.

Inside Comforts
Our test boat’s saloon, adjacent to the inside helm, provided a comfortable convertible settee to starboard, a second settee to port and an inlaid teak table that folds out for dining.

An entertainment center is aft, to port. An optional flat-screen television rises from this teak cabinet at the push of a button, then swivels for easy view from any position in the saloon. Controls for the Bose Lifestyle 35 surround sound system are concealed beneath a teak counter, adjacent to the starboard settee.

Above the entertainment center, concealed behind a pair of teak doors, is a master electrical panel that is a work of art in itself. It is nicely arranged, with all AC and DC circuits well labeled, along with controls for the boat’s chilled-water air conditioning/reverse-cycle heating.

Forward, down a few steps, a U-shaped galley is to starboard. It is adjacent to the saloon, yet out of immediate view — however, light pours into this area from both the forward windows and a side portlight.

Our test boat offered granite countertops, a four-burner Miele smooth-top electric range, a stainless-steel lined refrigerator and freezer, with traditional “icebox-style” teak doors, a stainless steel Kitchen Aid trash compactor and an advanced GE Advantium oven that combines halogen and microwave cooking technologies.

To starboard, separated by a pair of sliding teak doors, is an onboard office. It provides a settee that converts to a double berth and a computer desk that folds out of the way at bedtime. Asko washer and dryer units are concealed behind a door adjacent to the settee.

To port, the guest stateroom offers a pair of single berths and a hanging locker. It is opposite a guest head with granite counters and a marble sole in the shower.

The master stateroom, forward, offers a queen-size island berth with an innerspring mattress, abundant cabinetry, a cedar-lined hanging locker and an en suite head with shower.

Outside Practicality
Some of the best features of the 58 Eastbay are found along its well-designed exterior. The cockpit is spacious enough for fishing and is nicely appointed, with a wet bar (with an ice-maker) and teak deck. A transom door opens to the boat’s oversized teak swim step.

On our test boat, a T & T hydraulic lift had been installed here, turning the platform into an ideal dinghy storage and launching system. After spending the afternoon in the dinghy, you can get the step/lift ready to retrieve it by simply pushing a button on a remote control you wear on your wrist.

Actual-person-width sidedecks are accessible from each side of the cockpit — and a watertight door leads directly from the helm station onto the starboard sidedeck. Protected by beefy stainless steel rails and skid-resistant deck surfaces, these sidedecks make it easy to reach the boat’s spacious foredeck. Here, our test boat provided a Maxwell 3500 windlass and a pair of anchor chain lockers.

As both a classic design element and a practical feature, the 58 Eastbay’s foredeck is accented by four stainless steel dorades — those horn-shaped vents reminiscent of 1920s cruise ships.

With classic styling, a luxurious (yet practical) interior and excellent seakeeping ability, Grand Banks’ latest Eastbay would be a standout if it were a custom yacht. Fortunately, it is available at a production price tag.