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Cruisers Yachts 50 GLS Reviewed

• By Chris Caswell
• September 28, 2023

When I reviewed the Cruisers Yachts 42 GLS two years ago, I decided that GLS must mean “great little ship.” With the 50 GLS flagship, I know it means “greater little ship.”

It actually means Grand Luxury Sport, which is also an apt description of the Cruisers GLS “adventuring” series. Cruisers, now owned by MarineMax, has paid attention to how we use our boats. The 50 GLS is a bowrider on steroids, an express cruiser with entertaining ambitions, an overnighter with comfort and a performance boat (49.6 knots) with the oomph to yank skiers or tubers with aplomb.

The 50 GLS is powered by three 600 hp Mercury Verado V-12 outboards . When I put the hammer down from idle, I was literally shoved back into the comfy, Ultraleather helm seat. And the yacht has fold-down terraces (Cruisers calls them beach doors) on each side of the cockpit, whose beam expands from 14 feet, 6 inches to more than 21 feet. That’s about the beam of many 95-foot yachts. The combination—with the outboard engines being out of the way on the transom—creates a cockpit that feels like a ballroom filled with dining and seating options.

This is also a good-looking yacht, with a black slash on the topsides to conceal the windows, and a windshield that rakes steeply into the sleek hardtop with a sunroof. For passengers boarding from dockside, the transom platform is wide and one level to the cockpit. That transom on the 50 GLS that I got aboard had a pair of Kenyon grills (one is standard). This positioning means smoke from charred steak won’t intrude into the cockpit. Just forward of the barbecue is a forward-facing settee with twin removable tables for dining or cocktails.

In the forward corner of the cockpit are an L-shaped counter, dual Isotherm fridges, an ice maker and a sink. Opposite this space—on an 8-inch raised platform—is another dining table, this one facing a 55-inch pop-up TV.

A secure walkway to port leads to the bow, which has three seats with headrests and an electric table that rises for cocktails or meals on the hook. This cockpit is deep (40 inches) and safe for kids. A cooler with a chiller plate (read no ice needed) is tucked under a seat.

At the helm is an intuitive dashboard with three 19-inch Simrad monitors and a joystick linked to the Side-Power bow thruster. We used that Mercury JPO joystick to make painless work of a normally tough situation: a fierce side wind, a strong current and a skinny dock. Dock-watchers hoping for a Sunday afternoon show will be disappointed.

And the 50 GLS is about more than alfresco living. A sliding hatch (with a screen) leads into a bright cabin with overhead and side windows. A counter holds a microwave and a fridge for morning coffee and warm croissants without having to leave the cabin.

Forward is a stateroom, with a wider-than-queen berth, hanging lockers and privacy from French doors. Headroom is a surprising 6 feet, 8 inches, which adds to the airy feeling. Just aft and to starboard is the head, with a separate stall shower that is also oversize: 4 feet by nearly 3 feet.

Another stateroom is tucked under the cockpit with a pair of berths that can be configured as seats or as a “playpen,” with a TV on the bulkhead. This space is perfect for an afternoon nap for kids, and it’s comfortable (I stretched out with no problem) for adult overnighters, though it won’t encourage them to linger.

Underway, the 50 GLS is simply great fun. Hammer down, it came up fast and flat, regardless of whether we were using no tabs or letting the auto-tab system think for us. The boat topped out at 49.6 knots. For a 50-footer weighing some 19 tons, going 85 feet per second is impressive.

Even better, the 50 GLS felt solid, and I had a chance to check out the bottom before it hit the water. There are two full-length strakes below the waterline. Our result was a soft ride through a 2-to-3-foot wake when we circled back at full throttle. The spray was thrown far to the side, thanks to wide chine flats. This yacht begged to be treated like a 20-foot bowrider. We carved some swoops just for fun.

Those swoops were accomplished in silence too. My decibel meter read just 58 at idle (65 dBs is the level of normal conversation), and it got no higher than 85 at full throttle. The federal government’s safety agency says that’s the noise level of a vacuum cleaner.

The 50 GLS I got aboard had a Seakeeper 6 gyrostabilizer (we didn’t need it) and a 16 kW Kohler genset to provide air conditioning all day at anchor or at the sandbar. This equipage was under a hatch in the cockpit. Access via a ladder was outstanding, with room left to stow all the gear, from fenders to inflatable toys.

Everything said and done, the Cruisers Yachts 50 GLS is an on-the-water delight: fast and fun with varied entertaining spaces, thoughtful luxuries and the facilities for comfortable overnighting. This yacht truly is a greater little ship.

Major Power

Mercury’s V-12, 7.6-liter engine is revolutionary because the lower-unit gear case is steerable. A two-speed transmission provides torque in first gear and efficiency in second, and the dual-prop design provides solid bite, even in hard turns.

Catching Air

The 50 GLS has power-operated “vent windows” like those on older cars, providing a steady flow of controllable air. Electric side windows add to the breeze, as does the opening sunroof in the hardtop. Opening ports in the staterooms are another fresh-air plus.

Built Right

Cruisers Yachts uses a mix of modern and traditional methods in the 50 GLS, including hand-laid and resin-infused fiberglass for specific areas. The stringer grid that supports the interior components is wood-free with all-foam coring for a long-life, no-rot hull.

Take the next step: cruisersyachts.com

• More: August 2023 , Cruisers Yachts , Express Cruisers , Reviewed , Yacht Reviews , Yachts
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2022 Cruisers 42GLS Outboard

• By Capt. Chris Caswell
• February 26, 2022

Some builders enter the outboard market timidly, with one toe in the water at a time. Cruisers, however, jumped into the deep end with a full cannonball, first with its 38GLS and now with the triple-engine 42GLS. If you don’t fall in love with this fun boat at first glance, well, check your pulse.

For starters, Cruisers decided that if one foldout beach on the 38 was good, then two on the 42 would be more than twice as good. And the builder is right. Having hullsides that morph into extended deck areas doesn’t just recapture space lost to outboards on the transom platform, but it also creates an entirely new fun area to explore. Suddenly, you don’t just have a boat with 13-foot beam, but one with nearly 19 feet of deck for entertaining and playing in the water.

Aside from the 4 feet in length and two beaches, why opt for the 42? There’s a lot of reasons. The 42GLS is a true express cruiser with a full hardtop running far enough aft from the windshield to give sun protection to the wraparound dinette, and it has a big electric sunroof (standard) for when you want some breeze. The 38GLS had a T-top but is really a big bowrider, while the 42GLS has not only the hardtop but also a full glass enclosure on the sides, an express-cruiser feature we appreciated in a lumpy inlet leading to the Gulf Stream.

Interior and Accessories

That 4 feet also translates into a civilized cabin (6 feet, 7 inches of headroom) that would encourage overnighting, with a full queen berth tucked in a private playpen aft, a dinette that converts to a tapered queen for kids (or in-laws), and a mini galley with a fridge and microwave to heat the coffee when you don’t want to tiptoe out to the cockpit galley in your jammies. 

There’s a rinse-off shower on the transom, but the big enclosed head in the cabin has a stand-up shower to get you squeaky clean, plus a vanity with toiletry stowage.

The cockpit galley is impressive, with the available Kenyon grill, and even a TV (think alfresco movie nights) that moves from the salon to the cockpit. Stools turn the raised galley counter into a bar, and I settled in there quite comfortably for our outing.   

The skipper has the best seat in the house: a bolstered double-wide helm chair overlooking an impeccably arranged dash with twin Simrad monitors and clearly labeled buttons for systems. The joystick for the triple outboards is exactly where I wanted it, just in front of the throttle and shifters. The skipper gets air-conditioning vents, and with the addition of a zippered back door to the cockpit, this entertaining area can be cooled or heated for all-season comfort just like the cabin. 

Safe access to the bow is through a clever windshield door that flips away. There’s also a recessed gate for spray or breeze protection, and parents will delight in the high coamings forward for kid security.  

There’s nothing unusual about the wraparound seating in the bow until you lift a cushion, where you’ll find nicely finished storage bins. In fact, Cruisers has gone to lengths to make every possible dead space into a stowage nook, cranny or locker. The bow seating has a table that converts to a sun pad, multiple cup holders (even in the fold-down armrest), and an optional sunshade. A Genius anchor windlass is hidden out of sight under a foredeck hatch, with controls by foot buttons or at the helm. 

This hull is a development of the well-proven 38GLS, and we had a chance to give the 42GLS a serious test in some square-edged Atlantic seas. On a couple of waves, we got to play astronaut—you know, we went weightless. But the hull, with its 21-degree transom deadrise, brought us down softly. 

Cruisers does an excellent job with construction, using a mix of infused resin and hand-laid glass (but no wood) to create a tough hull and superstructure. I was impressed that the builder makes all its own wiring harnesses in-house, with every wire labeled for future tracing, and it does its own woodwork and upholstery to a luxurious level. The weld work on stanchions and rails is polished and jewellike. 

I also liked the outstanding access to the various underdeck systems, with filters, batteries and seacocks in well-finished bilges and compartments. Our test boat had the optional 5.5 kW diesel genset to keep the margaritas flowing and the air conditioner blowing, and it was readily accessible along with its separate 20-gallon fuel tank. A Seakeeper gyrostabilizer is an option, and Cruisers has allotted ample room for it in the machinery area aft.

Shopping around? Check out the Sea Ray 400 SLX ($718,078), which is a bit shorter, and comes with a T-top and no beaches.

So, what’ll the 42 do? Our test boat had a trio of 400 hp Mercury Verados, giving us a solid 52 mph in the smooth spots. You can opt for 350 or 450 hp Verados, but I thought this triple outboard package was perfect.

I loved the 42GLS for its flexibility, fun, performance, and solid design and construction. Small enough and fast enough for water toys, elegant enough for cocktail cruises, and comfortable enough that overnighting will be a plan, not an afterthought. What’s not to like with this cannonball into the deep end?

How We Tested

• Engine: Triple 400 hp Mercury Verado
• Drive/Prop: Outboard/14.5″ x 15″ Merc 4-blade XP
• Gear Ratio: 1.75:1 Fuel Load: 350 gal. Water On Board: 0 gal. Crew Weight: 600 lb.

High Points

• No-wood construction uses fiberglass infusion and hand layup for strength and durability.
• Deep gutters on deck hatches prevent water intrusion.  
• Oversize and sturdy hinges on all lockers and hatches.
• Not enough handrails or sissy bars.
• Bar stools might not be a suitable substitute for a companion seat.

Pricing and Specs

Speed, Operation, Efficiency

Cruisers Yachts – Oconto, Wisconsin; 800-743-3478; cruisersyachts.com

• More: 2022 , 40-50ft , boat tests , Boats , Cruisers Yachts , March 2022 , outboards , Runabouts

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Cruisers Yachts FLY Series

Elevating to further horizons..

Cruisers Yachts, a premier American manufacturer of luxury yachts, is proud to announce the upcoming launch of their all-new groundbreaking FLY series. 

These yachts will have a sleek, futuristic exterior reminiscent of a spaceship gliding on the water and boast clean styling lines inspired by marine predators.  This extraordinary vessel, designed from the keel up, features an interior created in collaboration with renowned superyacht designer Luiz Debasto of Debasto Designs. The design theme, "Back to Nature in a Tech World," blends organic shapes in earth and ocean tones, complemented with natural fibers. The result is a serene, inviting living space flooded with natural light. This FLY series promises to be more than a yacht; it's a modern marine engineering masterpiece designed for yachting enthusiasts who demand the very best. With its combination of sleek, innovative design and unmatched features, it promises to be a game-changer in the luxury yachting world.

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