Riviera 46 sports motor yacht boat test

Mark Rothfield:
Hi, Mark Rothfield here for Club Marine TV at Runaway Bay on the Gold Coast. I was up here just a few months ago testing the Riviera 465 SUV, and not surprisingly, that boat has now inspired the 46 Sports Motor Yacht, which adds a flybridge to that proven SUV hull. Is it a marriage made in heaven? Well, there's some fantastic old ideas, lots of new things, something borrowed and definitely something blue when it comes to cruising ability. Settle in as we go for a spin.
I thought we'd start up here on the flybridge, because it's a major difference and probably the deciding factor when you're choosing between the two 46-foot models. Both styles have their supporters of course. This is the only sports motor yacht that has an open bridge. The others are semi or fully enclosed. It's also a rarity in the Riviera lineup these days, only the 39 and the 43 fly the flag, if you don't count the Belize Daybridge. Of course on a 46-foot boat, a fully enclosed bridge would've impacted the center of gravity, so it's a very sensible option. Rivieras are nothing if not sea boats. Looking around, you're immediately greeted with this beautiful eight-seater setting. It wraps around, so U-shaped and you've also got a smaller two-seater setting. Really nice sociable arrangement, so the skipper is going to have lots of company when they're up here. This table can actually lower and you create a giant daybed and you get some protection from an angled wind deflector.
Not so long ago, the convertible Open Flybridge was Riviera's sweet spot. The 45 Riviera from about 2007 was one of my personal favorites for many years and it's really nice to see that they've rekindled some of those ideas from the past, such as an aft helm. Now have a look at this arrangement. Fantastic two-seaters, beautiful quality helm seats for the skipper and the passenger really nicely molded as well. It's functional being outdoors, somewhat exposed to the elements. You can't have all the bells and whistles, so for example, stainless steel steering wheel, but really nice high quality Edson.
Twin 12-inch Garmin screen so you get all the information you're going to need up here. Really nice to see a sea zone. That means you don't have to go downstairs to adjust all the electrical components on the boat. The skipper can do everything up here. You can anchor, you can adjust everything you need, just enough switches to operate and of course you've also got a panel overhead with your engine information and also your sea keeper gauge. Really like the way the hard top is suspended on these stainless steel posts all round, really strong. Also, signs of manufacturing quality in the worlds. It creates the perfect foundation for strata glass clears.
The benefits of having an upper helm resonate downstairs in the saloon where you get lots of extra living space and entertaining space. How's this for a great feature on a 46-footer, a full internal staircase, the old-fashioned cockpit ladders there for painters, firemen and circus performers. This is much safer when you're at sea Here you get nice big timber steps, well-placed, well angled, good non-skid on them as well. Solid handrail and a really good hatch up above. Also, none of the spaces wasted beneath.
This CS shaped galley worked really well on the 465 SUV, so I'm not surprised to see it back here on the 46. Plenty of Corian bench space for the gourmet chef. Really high quality appliances, two burner single sink, great fridge space, plenty of storage both overhead and under bench, microwave oven and being situated aft. It's perfect for feeding meals straight out to the cockpit. A great feature for fishermen is a ceiling rod locker, opens up and you can put those expensive rods up and out of the way. You can option this boat with a lower helm station, which might be popular with European buyers. Here you get an L-shaped lounge so at least three people can sit and join the party because it's right opposite this U-shaped dinette.
The accommodation plan has three state rooms and two very large bathrooms. Prior to place goes to the V cabin, which is the master suite and that makes sense. Whole windows give you that great view. You get a really large queen size bed, nice access either side, plenty of storage down here as well and you get a spacious en suite.
The timber work down here is high gloss cherry wood, which really pops. You can also choose oak, or walnut, and you can have a satin finish, but I really love the way this reflects the light, also goes beautifully with the muted cream tones. Tell you what, I wouldn't mind being a guest on the 46, because you get a fantastic port side cabin. Huge amount of headroom in here, full standing headroom above this bed. Check out the view out this huge top side window. You really low down almost at water level so you feel really engaged with the environment. Sit back, read a book all day. In this case the owner's gone for the twin singles. You can specify a double bed and that makes it really easy to get in and out of because you have so much headroom.
Again, really good storage in here as well. I'd be more than happy aboard. There's worse places to be lying down on the job than the starboard guest cabin. Again, it comes with the twin singles. You're spoiled with this fantastic view out, this huge top side window. There's additional room in this cabin for your front loader washer dryer combo. In this case, the owner has opted to use that space for a deep freezer.
The sports motor yachts have this fantastic seamless connectivity between the saloon and what they call the alfresco mezzanine deck, via a large awning window and also this substantial sliding door. All again, all beautifully finished. The 465 SUV has the same arrangement but it returns to its natural home in the 46. You get the benefits of fresh air but also all weather protection. If you can enclose this area with breezeway or clears, it actually represents a 30% extension to the saloon space.
The sports motor yachts really offer the best of both worlds. So as well as that alfresco mezzanine area, which is for socializing, you get this sports cockpit, which is the perfect size for launching the water toys for bottom fishing. When you're out blue water cruising, great flow through, so all one level out to your boarding platform. Nice easy transition, clever ideas, the gate opens right out, so again, no intrusion, really good storage everywhere you look. Under floor also in this transom. Then you get the really nice big boat stuff, large fridge out here, ice maker. Moving across the port, you have an electric barbecue plate and also a sink. Everything you're going to need.
Accessing the bow feels really safe, nice wide side decks and also this sort of thigh high rails so you feel really supported all the way up, which again you want on a sea boat. Now blue water folk are going to carry their tenders up here, so you get this davit so it makes easy job of launching. Once that's done, you can put sun pad cushions down here, angle back, rest, glass of wine, a bit of music. It's a perfect place to enjoy this boat and another entertainment zone on a 46-footer. Moving forward, I love the way the anchoring is integrated into the gunner line. There's no split. It's all just beautiful flowing lines. Now the anchor does sit proud of the stem, chain leads back to this new windless, and you get these really large lockers to handle all the chain.
You can tell a lot about a boat from its engine room and you would have to go a long way to find a more world-class setup than what's in the 46. To start with it's access from the mezzanine, but a nice big hatch, which is going to encourage owners to go downstairs and do those daily visual inspections. Now with me is Dean, who's the quality control and C trial manager at Riviera. He knows more about that engine room than anyone else. So Dean, would you mind showing us around?
Dean Brickell:
Yes, definitely love to.
This particular model has two Volvo D11, 725 horsepower engines. We've got our raw water cooling system that runs through between both engines, which gives us great access to our sea strainers. All underwater fittings are all double hose clamps. Forward pot side of the engine room is our 13 kilowatt generator for this boat. Up on the bulkhead forward we've got two fuel filters for both engines and the generator filter is over to port. Along on the port hull side we've got our air con units and below that we've got a 45 liter hot water system, which supplies hot water to the entire boat. Aft port side is our toilet tank, 150 liter black tank. As you can see, this is a very spacious and well-thought-out engine room.
Mark Rothfield:
Joining me for a hard day out of the office is Stephen Milne, the brand and communications director at Riviera. Stephen, I've been testing Rivieras about as long as you've been building them and I've really grown to love the Open Flybridge format over the years and I'm very excited to see it back here on the 46. Tell us a little bit about the heritage and also how this boat came about.
Stephen Milne :
Riviera has a heritage of building open flybridge boats. We have built thousands of open flybridge boats over our 42 year history and our reputation internationally is for blue water boats. So when you create a brand new Open Flybridge boat in 2022, '23, that is the sum total of all of that thinking from 42 years of evolution. But with the very latest technology, design styles, and refinements that Riviera offers, it's a fantastic package and here we are today sitting up here, and this is the Open Flybridge where this owner is putting their strata glass on when the boat gets to the Pacific Northwest, but when the clears are enclosing here, you can open it all up with windows on the side and four and aft. So you still get all this beautiful breeze, but you also have this incredible indoor outdoor living feeling and that's the beauty of this boat.
It's really the best of both worlds. This is 46 feet and when you think we have three cabins, two bathrooms and alfresco deck, this huge living area here with the aft elm four deck sporting cockpit and a large boarding platform. There's a lot of boats for 46 feet.
Mark Rothfield:
This is always the part of a test I really look forward to. You've been cocooned in absolute luxury downstairs, but you can come up. Nature provides that fresh air, really great view. One thing about the aft helm is I have a terrific view of stern, so you can see that boarding platform. Your view forward is actually, I can see right down to the bow as well, so it's really well located.
Now these boats and with the IPS power is extremely fuel efficient. At six knots, which is just 600 rpm, you get 2,890 kilometers of range. Bump that up to nine knots, which is a good coastal cruising speed and your range jumps to 465 nautical miles, which I think most people will be wanting to do. The other interesting thing with this hull is as you get into the planing stages, your fuel economy virtually flat lines right through, that's the liter per nautical mile figure, so when you're going flat out wide open throttle at 34 and a half knots, you can have that trip without the guilt trip.
Just back it off for a moment to reflect on that performance. Really impressive this. You can get 34 and a half knots top speed with great fuel efficiency. I really like that 80% range closer to 30 knots. That's a speed you can maintain all day without stressing the engines really comfortable. The way the hull ran, I have driven the 465 SUV at sea and I can attest to its blue water performance as well. It's also great at displacement speeds, really fuel efficient, bump it into gear and those propellers just give you that instant bite. You also get fantastic acceleration.
Here we go, just instant so you can maneuver the boat anywhere you want to go, which is really important on a cruising boat that may only have a couple of boards. Just gives you that extra confidence. Theoretically, with the extra weight, the hard top and so on, it may have been working a little bit harder, but the hole can more than handle this extra weight upstairs. Really impressive performance all around.
I honestly thought the 465 SUV was going to be a hard boat to top, but by marrying an Open Flybridge, Riviera has created a very attractive, practical, and spacious cruising boat and it gives them two excellent options in that sub 50 foot marketplace. Right throughout, there's examples of clever design thinking. New technology blended with some remnants of classic models from past years reflecting that 43 year boat building heritage. Now history is written by winners and this boat has everything it takes to chart a course well into the future. Pricing starts at $1.673 million, and you can talk to your dealer about the rest and it will depend on when you place your order. Now, make sure you subscribe to Club Marine Magazine and read my full review in the April-May 2023 issue. Until then, I'm Mark Rothfield for Club Marine TV. Catch you next time.