Boat Review: 70 Sunseeker Manhattan 2009

Boat Review: 70 Sunseeker Manhattan 2009

Source: Capt. Grant Rafter, Power&Motoryacht.com

The border between a boat you’re comfortable handling yourself and one that requires a captain is a delicate one. The Manhattan 70 sits right on the cusp, filling a gap between the Manhattan 60 and the 86 Yacht. As the largest of the Manhattans, the 70 bridges the void by incorporating accommodation elements from the 86 while attempting to keep the at-sea agility of a boat that’s ten feet shorter.

The interior requirements for this boat are derived from the 86 and were determined well before the design phase began: She had to have four staterooms and one crew cabin, and her interior had to exhibit an open feeling while having eight percent less volume in which to do it. And so the design team set to work, tweaking the layout to make the accommodations fit the parameters.

The most obvious departure from the 86 was to set the berths in both the VIP and the master at an angle, instead of aligned fore and aft, effectively creating more carpeted floor area in both. Windows in the master also increase the feeling of spaciousness, with four stainless steel ports—two of which open—built into each side of the hull. Mirrors are a trick that builders often enlist to create the effect of more room and are available on the 70. But the owner of my test boat decided that his quarters felt voluminous enough, and instead went with the standard knit fabric wall covering, giving the stateroom a warmer tone.

In the guest cabin to starboard, Sunseeker again addressed the interior requirements by readjusting the berths. Two twins—wider than those in the 86—push together on a wooden track to form a double. The builder did this two smart ways: First, it constructed the track from timber instead of stainless steel, so it’s not only virtually invisible among the brown and beige décor but it also doesn’t feel strange underfoot. The second was to extend the cabinetry inboard, so even when the berths are pushed together, you can still access the stowage space. The guest cabin also has one more hidden feature: a Pullman berth that drops down from the transverse bulwark. This quick-release design, which includes beefy stainless steel hinges, means owners have a third place to sleep guests that only takes 30 seconds to deploy or to put away.

Teardrop-shape side windows, inspired by those on the 86, also help bring a megayacht ambiance to the vessel. The resulting profusion of light, increased by the lack of structural bulkheads, lets the space breathe. Aiding this is the layout, including a large C-shape settee in the sitting area. The only partition is an optional one on the starboard side between the galley and the helm station. Although it provides more cupboard space—a feature the owner’s wife requested—it eliminates sightlines aft from the helm. While this may not be an issue for long nighttime passages where radar is the predominate source of information on other vessels, daytrips steered from here could be challenging. If you need to make a turn or see who is approaching, you’ll have to open the door to starboard and stick your head out. The black-and-white security cameras aboard my boat were too grainy to effectively monitor other vessels; for that you’d need higher-resolution equipment with full-color capability.

But the point may be moot as I suspect that most wheel time will be taken from the upper helm, and that’s exactly where I went to evaluate the 70’s maneuverability.

Biscayne Bay offered superb protection from the offshore waves that had been building over the past week, whooped up by a steady 15-mph easterly wind. Inshore, the smooth sea began to ripple as the 70 accelerated. It took about two seconds for the boat to respond to the flattened MAN electronic controls and about five more before the turbos kicked in. Once they did, she accelerated briskly and without hesitation to a top speed of 41 mph, about the level of performance that we’ve come to expect from this builder.

Sunseeker also achieved exactly what it had set out to do as far as high-speed handling is concerned: she leaned into hard turns and reacted quickly to wheel adjustments, which on a 70-foot boat was impressive. Steering is a quick four turns lock-to-lock and at her cruise speed of 36 mph, turned us end for end in about four boat lengths. At slow speeds she was just as predictable, spinning on her axis at a controlled and even pace and stopping the rotation within a few seconds of the inverse controls being applied. One slight disappointment was the underpowered bow thruster. At only 10 hp, it could barely move the boat on its own, and would be overmatched in a strong blow or current. Fortunately, the owner had opted for the stern thruster as well, and in tandem, they supplied enough juice to let me put her where I wanted. (Still, I’d recommend a more powerful bow thruster.)

So could an owner handle this boat on his or her own? Well, as I said earlier, the 70 is right on the line. Unfortunately, the overhang obscures the flying-bridge’s aft sightlines, although taller folks can see down to the starboard quarter through the stairwell while manipulating the controls (I, at 5’10”, could not and had to lean over the side). Fortunately an optional remote is available, and short-handed owners should be able to dock her with ease this way.

Boat Specifications: 70 Sunseeker Manhattan 2009

Boat Type: Cruiser

Base Price: upon request

Standard Power: 2/1,550-hp MAN V12s

Optional Power: None

Length Overall (LOA): 73’0″

Beam: 18’7″

Draft: 5’4″

Weight: (1/2 load) 135,170 lbs.

Fuel Capacity: 1,229 gallons

Water Capacity: 317 gallons

Standard Equipment: Hynautic hydraulic steering w/ power assist; MAN electronic controls; s/s opening ports in master; Lewmar electric warping winches and 24-v electric windlass; Delta plow anchor; hydraulic teak swim platform; 10-hp Side Power bow thruster; teak bathing platform and steps; Furuno electronics package with 10″ monitors and NavNet 3D; eight-person dinning room table; Halyard exhaust system w/ silencers; Sea-Fire fire suppression system; chlorine water-purifying system; Gaggenau electric grill; Hansgrohe shower fixtures w/ jets; grain-matched mahogany veneer

Props: 2/1,550-hp MAN V12 diesel inboards; ZF/2.47:1 gears; 35×52 6-blade nibral props

Optional Equipment On Test Boat: brushed s/s LED light bezels; Alpine speakers in cabins; 92,000-Btu zone-controlled Dometic A/C; 27- and 19-kW Kohler gensets; 10-hp Side Power stern thruster; Sea Recovery Aquamatic watermaker; Dolphin Marine security system; bimini for flying bridge

Conditions: Temperature: 72˚F; humidity: 51%; wind: 10-15 mph; seas: 0′-1′; load: 1,075 gal. fuel, 300 gal. water, 3 people, 600 lbs. gear. Speeds are two-way averages measured w/ Stalker radar gun. GPH taken from MAN electronic displays. Range: 90% of advertised fuel capacity. Decibels measured on A scale. 65 dB is the level of normal conversation.

Cabins: 4 guest, 1 crew