430 sports coupe
With excellent performance, a good cockpit layout and
suitable extras, the Cruisers Yachts 430 Sports Coupe is a good competitor in
the 40-something-foot yacht market. Its equipment largely parallels that of
other vessels in that group, but with some interesting differences. It manages
a very respectable speed, economy and handling profile, while offering many of
the options found in other boats of this size as standard equipment. One option,
dynamic positioning, has long been a staple in offshore oilfield operations. When
you stop your boat, the DP system’s computer uses a GPS interface and your boat’s
thrusters to keep your boat within a few yards of the location at which you stopped.
It’s as if you parked it and it will remain parked there for as long as you
please, without anchoring.
<h3>Seaworthiness</h3>
With a 43-foot length overall and a 13.5 foot beam, the 430 Sports Coupe
weighs in a 22,000 pounds before you add people, baggage, supplies and fuel. It
can carry up to 300 gallons of fuel. The 430 Sport Coupe has both gas and
diesel engine options. You can choose from Mercruiser’s 425-horse 8.2L gas with
a V-drive, or Volvo’s 400-horsepower gas engine with IPS 550 pods. The available diesels are two versions of Volvo’s D6: a 370-horsepower model with Volvo IPS500 pods or the 435-horsepower D6 with IPS600 pods. Cruise control and dynamic positioning are available on the diesel engines only. In a live test using the 370-horse Volvo, the 430 Sports Coupe can reach 32 knots at full throttle, 3,550 rpm, while consuming 41 gph. That equates to 0.9 mpg and a total range of about 240 miles.
At a more conservative 3,000 rpm, you move along at a respectable 24 knots while achieving a little over 1 mile per gallon with a range of about 305 miles. In spite of its 6-foot, five-inch headroom in its interior, it has a low exterior profile. In the 430 Sport Coupe’s standard configuration, you’ll slide under bridges without incident, as long as you have at least 11 feet, 6nches of clearance between the water’s surface and the bottom of the bridge’s lowest structures.
<h3> From the Captain’s Chair</h3>
The captain’s chair on the 430 Sports Coupe has a double seat with a flip up bolster at the command position. You’re two steps above the aft cockpit, facing a sports wheel, with the dual throttles at your right hand. The molded control console comes with full engine instrumentation plus a Raymarine E127 multifunction display that includes a GPS receiver, a digital chartplotter and digital sonar. A full 360-degree view comes with the captain’s chair, along with a set of HVAC vents on both sides of the helm ensure your tour at the wheel remains comfortable.
The sunroof and the center of the windshield open to allow access between the cockpit and the foredeck. The optional instrument packages include a 4kW radar and an integrated autopilot, both pricey options at $21,185 for the Mercruiser and V-drive, or $23,660 for the IPS drive. You can add a VHF radio to either package for $810, or purchase and install a VHF marine radio yourself for $100 or less. You can heave to and remain in an exact position, within 0.002 degree of latitude and longitude by turning on the optional dynamic positioning, controlled by switches and a joystick at the helm. A lounge seat that’s just a few feet to the left of the command chair has a stereo and MP3 port close at hand. The 430 Sports Coupe is quiet enough that conversation between the helm and the lounge seat is possible.
<h3>Creature Comforts</h3>
The 430 Sports Coupe’s cockpit, aft of the captain’s chair, isn’t
open to the elements as it is in other, similar boats. Instead, it shares the
glass enclosed space with the helm. Climate controlled, like the rest of the
boat, the cockpit showcases a wet bar with built-in sink. A 20-inch LCD TV is
standard. With the optional gas grill and refrigerator, the lounge seat around
the back and sides of the cockpit form a well-designed entertainment area. You’ll
also find a practical feature, the electrically activated engine-room hatch, in
the cockpit’s floor.
Go below decks and the first things you’ll notice are the
7-foot, 3-inch overhead and a built-in liquor cabinet at the bottom of the
steps. The salon features a leather-covered, crescent-shaped dining area that
comfortably seats three and, in a pinch, can seat more. The dining area and
galley are flooded with light from vertically aligned port holes on the sides
of the boat and skylights in the deck above. Across from the dining area, the
galley is equipped with a two-burner electric stove, wine storage, a
microwave-convection oven and ample storage and faux granite countertops. At
the forward end of the settee and the galley, privacy bulkheads a modicum of
additional privacy for the master suite, normally separated from the salon by a
privacy curtain.
Quarters aboard the 430 Sports Coupe include the master cabin,
with a forward ventilation hatch that includes both a screen and translucent panel
that admits light. The master cabin includes cedar lined storage lockers on
both sides of the queen-size island-type berth that has additional drawer-storage
beneath the bed. The primary head and shower are on the port side, aft of the
dining area and features a large, full-height shower. Oddly, the master cabin
lacks a private, en-suite head, shower or vanity, while the guest cabin, on the
starboard side, aft of the galley, has its own vanity and water closet, but no
shower. The guest cabin has a double berth that you can convert to a queen-size
berth, as well as closet space.
<h3>The Good, the Bad and the Ugly</h3>
·
The base model Cruisers Yachts 430 Sports Coupe costs
between 757,680 and $803,690, depending
on the engine, drive and other options selected, meaning a well-equipped 430
Sports Coupe costs between $834,855 and $890,545.
·
The visibility from the helm is excellent.
·
The standard 430 Sports Coupe doesn’t include a
VHF marine radio or radar.
·
The 430 Sports Coupe is surprisingly economical
at the very reasonable cruising speed of 28 knots; about 0.9 mpg.
·
The master cabin has only a curtain for privacy
and lacks a head, vanity or shower
·
The guest cabin, located amidships, has a head
and vanity.
·
The cabin and cockpit are arrange so as to
prevent, or at least delay catastrophic downflooding.
