441 Meridian Sedan Bridge

Source: Capt. Tom Serio, Sea Magazine

Owner-friendly and ready to cruise

On the surface, the new Meridian 441 Sedan Bridge is a stylish cruiser with nice accommodations and easy handling. Look a little deeper, and you’ll see that the folks at Meridian Yachts did their homework and produced a functional cruiser through foresight and learning from earlier models.

Note: This vessel is not for the stereotypical speed-demon, gold-chain-wearing, go-fast yachtsman, although it does offer a smooth, fast ride thanks in part to a little more deadrise. It’s a bit more refined for the individual or couple who wants to cruise and enjoy the journey – and the destination.

At the Helm
You’ll spot the standard Total Command joystick next to the shifter controls. Through Total Command’s black box technology, Meridian has integrated the yacht’s mechanics (inboard propulsion plus bow and stern thrusters) in a simple joystick controller for low-speed operations. Having experienced several joystick-driven vessel installations, it’s a bit liberating that close-quarters maneuvering can be so easy while also making you feel a bit youthful. Hopefully, this new innovation won’t put captains like me out of business!

The helm is starboard-side to, with excellent visibility all around, even through the stairwell hatch. Smartly laid out and uncluttered by extraneous buttons or gauges, the dashboard on our test yacht had two Northstar N2 multifunction displays, multifunction analog gauges, the Smartcraft engine control display and a few other amenities. If you need access to the wiring or black boxes that run the helm, just unfasten and lift the dash for full access. No squeezing under a helm station here.

On the Bridge
Tyson Schey, an engineer for Meridian Yachts and one of the team that designed this model, told me that the focus of the 441 is livability, cruisability and function. And evidence of those accomplished goals is all around this yacht.

Inviting, spacious and large enough for a small party, the bridge sports a forward-facing port-side bench with a handrail along the dash, an L-shaped seating area aft complete with a table, cabinet storage, sink, refrigerator and an optional grill and flat-screen TV.

The fully integrated nonskid molded stairway complete with lighting and handrails is wide enough for safe passage to the cockpit. An optional hardtop will help keep you from cooking in the sun.

Power
Power for the Meridian 441 comes from a pair of Cummins Marine Electronic Diesels-QSB. Base models have the 380 hp package, while our test boat had the 425 hp blocks (also optional are the 480 hp engines). For space savings, the engines are attached to V-drive gears enabling placement of the engines under the cockpit. This boat is whisper quiet when running, and barely noticeable when idling at the dock. The underwater exhaust system is also a noise-reducer.

You may think that in the rare event you need to change an engine, generator or other major component, you will have to cut out the cockpit deck for access. Not so here. The Meridian engineers have made the cockpit deck a bolt-on piece, a much better option than cutting fiberglass.

Engine room access is via a hatch in the deck floor. Climb down a four-step ladder (that can be removed for additional room) and you’re between the Cummins blocks, with the Cummins Onan generator situated aft of the engines (generator size varies with AC needs).

New Ideas
The 441 Sedan takes Meridian’s 411 model to the next level. The styling is brought over from the prior version, but there are some new ideas too.

Entering the salon through the large sliding door, the electrical/breaker panel is on the port side and at eye level. No hunching over to reach breakers near the floor; this panel is simple and encased in its own cherry wood-finished cabinet.

An Ultra-flow AC distribution system has the motor units mounted on the bridge, making the units closer to the salon and minimizing cooling loss through ducting. The air-handling registers are stylishly designed in the overhead, also allowing for improved air distribution.

The salon is fitted with port-side chairs flanking an end-table and a starboard side L-shaped settee, with a coffee-table the length of the settee. A bar with a mini-fridge and cabinet storage are on the aft starboard corner. Split pane side-windows along with the broad forward windows allow for copious amounts of exterior light to come in.Headroom is an impressive 6 feet, 5 inches or more, so unless you’re the Jolly Green Giant, there should be no head-banging here.

Forward of the settee is the 4-to-6 person dinette, up a step from the salon. To port is the mahogany-soled galley, with a Norcold 3?4-height refrigerator/freezer, three-burner recessed stovetop, dual sinks, microwave and under-counter cabinets and drawers. One cabinet contains a “lazy Susan” along with slotted storage to secure the covers from the stove and sink.

Down forward are the staterooms, a forward master and mid-section VIP. The forward has a center queen-size island bed (spring mattress, not foam), two cedar-lined hanging lockers and two portholes for light. Ample storage can be found under the bed and under the floor panels.

The full-beam VIP stateroom has a queen berth, a dresser with drawers and a vanity tray, and several elongated portholes for more outside lighting. The optional washer/dryer is located behind one of the cabinets here, which, if just a couple is running the yacht, is probably used infrequently. This may be a better place than taking up room on the main deck or in a hall space.

Both staterooms have en suite heads, with the forward having a separate shower stall and the mid-cabin doubling as a day head via a hall door.

Several other features need to be mentioned. The integrated swim platform contains a narrow centerline trap door. This allows the electrical cable to be run from the transom locker (which also houses other connection boxes and hot/cold faucets, keeping all of them protected) and across the platform recessed beneath the trap door, thereby eliminating any tripping incidents.

Transiting forward along the sidedecks, there is sufficient nonskid built into the surface to keep your feet where they belong, under you. Unobstructed sidedecks (cleats are on the outer edge) and high, sturdy rails keep safety a high priority. The foredeck is nonskid all around and can fit large sunpads that fit around the master stateroom hatch.

Anchor windlass and control buttons are in a covered recessed hatch, keeping toe stubbing to a minimum while maintaining a clean look.

Meridian’s goal is to target seasoned boaters – those who definitely have the ability to enjoy cruising to the fullest, as opposed to racing toward the finish line. The stylish and functional Meridian 441 Sedan can take you there.