The Power

It's not every day an ordinary citizen gets to witness the genesis of a new boat line, but I did just that two years ago in Annapolis. I was driving to a golf game with Oyster Marine chairman Richard Matthews in my front seat and longtime Oyster sailboat owner David Hughes in back. I've been friends with both men for years and know them to be decisive, no-bull characters with clear vision and low stroke handicaps. Hughes was preparing to embark on his second circumnavigation aboard an Oyster and Matthews was in town for the annual boat show to do what he does best: sell boats.

On the short ride between Matthews's rental house and the clubhouse the two engaged in a rapid-fire conversation about an idea both had been mulling for a while. Our individual recollections of the exchange vary slightly, but it went something like this: "Richard: Would you consider building me a powerboat?" Hughes said out of the blue. "I want a yachtsman's powerboat. I don't want a Picnic Boat. They're nice, but I've got some ideas I think would make a better boat. I want an Oyster powerboat."

"We're already thinking about building a powerboat," said Matthews. "I'll tell you what: You write me a check and you can have the finished boat at cost."

"Done," said Hughes.

"Done," echoed Matthews.

Sailors are notorious for sometimes taking years to close a deal on a new boat. This likely was the quickest and easiest sale Matthews would make all weekend at the boat show?Įperhaps during his entire three decades in business. In any case, the deal was done and this past fall, the waterjet-driven Oyster LD 43 (for those who haven't yet heard, the "LD" stands for Lunch/Dinner-a not-so-subtle swipe at Hinckley's Picnic Boat) landed on American shores at the United States Powerboat Show, just two years after that fateful conversation in my car racing for a tee time. The boat borrows some styling elements from its Downeast-influenced U.S. competitors?ĮHinckley, Alden, Little Harbor, and others-but it brings to the table a look all its own, terrific functionality, top-grade construction and performance befitting its pedigree.

To the quirky British, a "yachtsman" is a sailor, and the LD 43's sub-designation, "The Yachtsman's Powerboat," certainly has appeal to sailors in many of the same less-tangible ways the Picnic Boats and WhisperJets of the world do, but its appeal doesn't stop with aesthetics. It brings to the table a level of performance and functionality that would appeal to any boating enthusiast, whether they are aging sailors weary of gathering crew and pulling lines, or lifelong motorboaters.

"It's stunning," says Hughes with his typical enthusiasm. "I think it's a great piece of kit-a real boy's toy."

After that round of golf in Annapolis, Hughes went back to his hotel and created a 27-point brief outlining his requirements for the boat. He emailed it to Matthews the next morning and the project was a go.

The LD 43 is actually Oyster's second foray into the powerboat world. The company experimented briefly with a powerboat line in the early '90s, but abandoned the project after a short while, preferring to concentrate on its burgeoning sailboat business. Oyster has been in the sailboat business for 30 years with more than 1,200 launches to its credit. Customer service is a cornerstone of the company's business philosophy, both during the construction process and after delivery. Hughes has owned two Oyster sailboats, both named Miss Molly, and, as he did with his other Oysters, he worked closely with the design team on the powerboat, which he calls Tiffin (Indian for lunch another well intended shot at the Picnic Boat). Given his role in the genesis of the project, he had even more input on the powerboat than he did with his previous efforts.

Among Hughes's requirements for the LD 43 were that it have a spacious, enclosed master stateroom, comfortable seating for six in both the saloon and the cockpit, state-of-the-art controls and systems and a retro look that evoked the motor-torpedo boats of the 1930s. He also wanted to make the boat as open to the elements as possible for light-duty, fair-weather local cruising, but be able to have the heated saloon fully enclosed in winter in keeping with his plans to use it as a city apartment in London this year and other places later. The ability to take the rough conditions of a Channel crossing or a romp in the Atlantic off his home in Cornwall was a given. Conditions not unlike those experienced by our Great Lakes readers.

The boat met Hughes's goals in spades. Its styling taps the spirit of the modern American Downeast offerings from Hinckley et al, but with its more-plumb stem, minimal tumblehome and broken, flatter-forward sheer line, it feels more like a vintage Huckins. The boats are built under contract by McDell Marine of New Zealand and the fit and finish are superb. The stateroom is spacious and comfortable with a 6-foot-wide berth that would easily accommodate inner-city apartment living for a couple or a pack of rowdy grandchildren fighting over the PlayStation console. The fully equipped galley is well suited for preparing meals and nibbles for party guests or an extended family.

Hughes enjoys few things more than sharing great meals and good wine with friends and family and the saloon and cockpit arrangements on the 43 are prime for that. The saloon features raised, facing settees, each with a table section suitable for cocktails, or when folded together, dinner for six.The settees raise electrically for exceptional engineroom access. The cockpit has equivalent dining space, but with a table with dropping leaves. A unique stainless steel and glass enclosure separating the two spaces opens for full integration in summer or cozy warmth in winter.

The power package-twin Yanmar 440s coupled to Hamilton waterjet drives-easily pushed the boat to a top speed of nearly 30 knots with a comfortable cruise of about 25.Its ride is soft and a hard chine that runs from stem to stern keeps the deck dry. The boat is equipped with Hamilton's new blue Arrow joystick control system for close-quarters maneuvering.

I put hull number two through its paces on a misty afternoon in Annapolis just before the boat show last fall.

At first, I found it disconcerting to toss such a big boat around lock to lock through tight turns, but after scaring the local fishermen out of their bassboats, I quickly came to love the experience.The boat moves onto plane with the subtlety of a dragster and can be stopped from full-speed almost in its own length simply by yanking the throttles into reverse-a transmission-busting maneuver on any prop-driven craft. Slipping and sliding around the bay, the boat began to feel more like a Jet Ski than a 20,000-pound cruising boat. It was nimble in tight quarters and surprisingly quiet at the helm. In the end, the Oyster representatives on board practically had to pry my fingers from the wheel. Hughes, a lifelong sailor, has faced some bias issues with some of his old pals, but so far, he's having fun with his new toy.

"I've gotten used to the idea of owning a powerboat," he says. "And I've gotten used to my pals sniggering behind their palms at me. But we've done Cape Horn, we've done Antarctica and we've done the Pacific. We've done the round the world thing twice. Let them snigger."

Whether it's a "yachtsman" converting to power or a lifelong motorboater looking for an alternative to the standard fare for lunch, dinner or otherwise, the Oyster LD 43 brings enough new to the genre to warrant a close look.

For more information contact: Oyster Marine USA, (401) 846-7400; www.oystermarine.com.