Maritimo M50 Flybridge boat test

When a brand like Maritimo promises you all-new innovation, you know that you’ll be wooed as soon as you step aboard. Its M50 Flybridge sports a host of goodies, including a patent-pending swim platform that flips vertically when no tender is in use to reduce overall length by more than a metre (16.82 to 15.7m).

When lowered back down, the platform creates a more spacious zone for lounging, deploying water toys, or to enjoy the aft entertaining area with built-in barbecue and refrigerator.

The cockpit also hosts a raft of innovations, including a transformed lazarette that solves the problem of storing bulky water toys. With nearly 6ft of headroom at its highest point, the lazarette stores stand-up paddleboards and kayaks with ease.

There is both hatch and door access to the storage compartment below, and hatches are rubber sealed to thwart water ingress.

Something not found in previous models is the raised cockpit floor that lines up with the galley and saloon to create a seamless transition inside. Twin sliding doors can remain open in most conditions to enhance the indoor-outdoor feel. Built-in cockpit drains direct water flow aft through scuppers, negating the need for through-hull fittings and creating a clean aesthetic.

Maximising the space, the galley is designed around an island workbench. There are separate fridge and freezer drawers, a pull-out pantry with full-extension slides, an ice-maker, dishwasher, and a Fusion stereo system controlled via iPhone. 

Stepping up from the galley, the dining area is on the port side, and a lounge to starboard uses a nifty slide-out bed to transform the social area into sleeping quarters when needed.

The forward cabin offers flexible sleeping arrangements with twin beds positioned hard against the port side, again to maximise space. Keep them separated or slide them together to create a double berth.

The guest cabin provides pigeonhole lockers and under-mattress compartments, and the en suite doubles as a day head. A separate washer and dryer provide the convenience of a home laundry.

From the saloon, three stairs switchback down to the stateroom, which boasts a king-size bed with ample walk-around space. There’s a portside daybed, which can be replaced with an extra drawer unit to mirror the starboard side.

An internal stairwell leads up to the flybridge – a big space with large couches, and doors leading out to a balcony. On the starboard side, two Garmin 22in screens dominate the dashboard, with stand-alone autopilot and engine display, and the controls all laid out under the steering.

Yacht Controller compatibility gives you everything you need for long-range cruising, and one controller adjusts both bow and stern Vetus variable thrusters. The fully electric helm seats are near the starboard wall.

Maritimo’s philosophy of offering optimisation over endless choice means that twin 800hp Volvo D13 diesel are the one and only engine configuration.

The engineroom access follows conventional Maritimo practice, and the layout incorporates lessons learned across their entire range. The engineroom liner extends from the aft bulkhead all the way to the forward cabin, creating a unified structural approach that significantly enhances the vessel’s integrity.

Loaded up to full capacity with fuel (3700lt) and water (800lt), we hit the Gold Coast Broadwater on test day. Maritimo has changed the chines and strakes on the M50 Flybridge, using a bigger radius and angling them to throw the water farther down with a cleaner flow.

Despite pushing a tide of between two and five knots, the boat set out doing 6.5 knots (12km/h) at 600rpm, burning just 8.7lt/h for a 2890nm (5352.28km) range. Accelerating to 1900rpm gave 18.7 knots (34.6km/h) and raised consumption to around 209lt/h.

Maritimo’s innovations aboard the M50 reflect real-world experience and its willingness to heed customer feedback. The technical changes are one thing, but it’s the philosophy behind them that customers trust.

• LOA: 15.7m
• Beam: 5.22m
• Draft: 1.39m
• Dry Weight: 26,500kg
• Fuel capacity: 3700lt
• Water capacity: 750lt
• Power: 2 x 57hp Yanmar diesels
• Engines: 2 x Volvo D13 800MHP ZF325

A FULL REVIEW OF THE MARITIMO M50 RAN IN THE OCT-NOV (40.5) ISSUE OF CLUB MARINE MAGAZINE. VISIT MARITIMO FOR MORE INFORMATION.