There are center-consoles, and then there are center-consoles built to serve as superyacht tenders. That’s the goal of the Halo 470 from Ocean 1 Yachts: to impress the biggest of the big boys. The builder calls the Halo 470 a super console.

Ocean 1 Yachts, formed in 2016, is the brainchild of nearly 30-year Capt. Dean Maggio. He saw that discerning owners and charter guests expected a high level of comfort and safety on board their tenders. Maggio set out to create an improved platform, especially after a fellow captain relayed his displeasure with the current market offerings. “He was frustrated with what was out there,” Maggio says.

Maggio didn’t use just his own sailing knowledge and big-boat experience. He also collaborated with others, including another superyacht captain, to understand what vessel he could—and should—create. Not seeing a RIB design as the answer, Maggio stepped into the world of center-consoles that could serve as luxe tenders as well as stand-alone boats.

The Halo 470 is the result. It’s a boat that, first and foremost, has a great deal of flexibility. For instance, it can come with an open transom, which is great for fishing, kiteboarding, launching water toys or retrieving swimmers. It also can be ordered with a closed transom, making it better suited for ship-to-shore transports.

Styling is also notable, thanks to the high freeboard forward and the unbroken, graceful sheerline that flows aft. And this boat is very functional. Boarding is easy, courtesy of side gates and a large platform aft. There is plush seating from bow to stern.

Maggio says Ocean 1 is a semicustom builder that creates stable platforms while managing costs. He builds his boats in Sarasota, Florida, with resin-infused E-glass and Corecell foam hulls. Carbon-composite hull options are available.

The Halo 470 adds to these construction elements with a single-pane windshield and side corner windows made of polycarbonate, which is durable and lighter than fiberglass. The helm has three well-protected 16-inch Garmin multifunction displays. (Two 22-inch displays are an option.) Most every electrical function on the boat can be controlled by the touchscreens. There’s an overhead console for additional electronics and displays, keeping them within view without cluttering the dash.

Three pedestal-mounted, high-back helm seats with armrests and bolsters should keep the skipper and guests in comfortable control. A two-tiered footrest allows for people of all heights to find a good fit underway. Grab rails ring the boat, and the hardtop framing is beefy as well as powder-coated.

Guest seating at the open bow includes a U-shaped settee with a backrest coaming and a high-low table. Drop-in backrests convert these seats to forward-facing loungers.

Amidships, under the hardtop and protected from the sun, is a U-shaped settee with a removable center cushion for walk-through access. Sunshades that connect to carbon-fiber poles are available.

Aft is a center station with access to a livewell, cutting board and sink. Tackle drawers should keep the lures and tools in close reach, although anglers can fish from anywhere on board because there are full walk-around decks and doors to haul in the catch.

Nestled under the foredeck is a cabin accessible via a door next to the helm. For overnights, there’s a dinette table that drops to create a V-berth, along with a sink and a microwave. There is also an enclosed head.

Power on the Halo 470 that I got aboard was a trio of Yanmar inboard diesels staggered in the engine room, with the center engine lower than the outboard ones. This setup not only facilitates easier maintenance, but also lowers the center outdrive deeper in the water.

The ride is nothing short of exhilarating. Maggio showed off the boat’s maneuverability at speed and its ability to slice through waves and wakes. The hull design keeps the ride dry with minimal bow rise when hitting the sticks. A joystick controller and bow thruster allow this boat to go anywhere, especially in tight quarters.

Additional features and options include a generator, Seakeeper 2 or 5, air conditioning, dive-tank racks, an underbow anchor and windlass, a stainless-steel towing eye, teak decking, lighting choices and rod holders. Owners can also match the boat’s colors to their superyacht.

The Ocean 1 Yachts Halo 470 might have been designed by superyacht captains, but you don’t have to be one to enjoy the high-end fun.  

Pep in the Step

Powered by triple 370 hp Yanmar 8LV diesels, the Halo 470 produced 40 knots with the throttles on the pins, tracking true thanks to the 22-degree transom deadrise, 14-foot beam, and twin-stepped, advanced-composite hull construction. Power options include 600 hp Mercury Verado V-12 outboards, up to 2,400 total horsepower, which can reportedly produce speeds of about 60 knots.

Focus on Function

A cool feature aboard the Halo 470 is the installation of several multifunction displays by molding them into the midsection of the hardtop. This setup offers a quick glance at the fish finder or radar. 

Covering Up

The integrated hardtop not only protects guests from the elements, but it is also oversize to cover the helm and midship seating. Up top, there’s plenty of room for mounting carbon-fiber outriggers, a radar array, solar panels, cameras, antennas, light bars and pretty much anything else an owner might want.

Take the next step: ocean1yachts.com       

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The Colombo 25 Super Indios E is an electrified version of the builder’s elegant 25-foot offering. It has a protected cockpit, a C-shaped settee and a sun-worshiping deck. The boat is propelled by two 35-kilowatt electric motors powered by a 72-kilowatt-hour battery; this combination yields 20 to 90 miles of range, depending on the skipper’s throttle-control habits.

Whom It’s For: Anyone who values near-silent and emissions-free boating.

Picture This: You’re entertaining friends at your summer place in Bar Harbor, Maine, and they’ve never seen Mount Desert Island. So, you load up your Colombo 25 Super Indios E and quietly cruise Somes Sound, stopping at Beal’s Lobster Pier in Southwest Harbor for lobstah rolls. You show off Otter Cliffs on the way home before delivering a safe and memorable view of Thunder Hole.    

Take the next step: colomboboats.it

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Compass Tenders’ 10.1m Open Tender is designed to transport guests safely and comfortably while still offering performance- and fun-minded amenities. The tender is powered by dual 320 hp Yanmar engines and sterndrives to deliver speeds up to 36 knots, and it carries multifunction displays to simplify navigation. Business aside, the 10.1m Open Tender has multiple lounging options, a swim platform and steps, and a hydraulic bow door, which simplifies sandy landings.

Whom It’s For: Boaters who want speed, comfort and the ability to take 12 people almost anywhere.

Picture This: The main ride is berthed at the Bitter End Yacht Club on Virgin Gorda, but everyone wants to go exploring. So, you load up your 10.1m Open Tender and zip over to Devil’s Bay National Park to check out the massive granite boulders.  

Take the next step: compasstenders.com

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Wooden boats’ LimoTender BLU 8.3m has classic lines crafted from composite materials. The vessel’s layout includes a forward-situated wheelhouse that can seat two crewmembers, a salon that can accommodate 12 people, and a cockpit with generous amounts of seating and lounging space. The salon’s deckhouse lowers to gunwale level for stowage, and the boat’s stern-driven 270 hp Mercury turbo-diesel inboard reportedly yields a 35-knot top speed.

Whom It’s For: Owners looking for curvy good looks and an enclosed ride with contemporary technologies.

Picture This: The main ride is berthed at the marina in Nassau, the Bahamas, but dinner reservations for 10 are at Sapodilla Estate. So, you enjoy cocktails in your Wooden Boats LimoTender BLU 8.3m while the captain drives.  

Take the next step: woodenboats.it

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The reality-bending spy film Argylle has a star-studded cast that includes Bryce Dallas Howard, John Cena, Bryan Cranston, Ariana DeBose, Catherine O’Hara and Samuel L. Jackson. Making its debut alongside them in a supporting role is the Williams SportJet 520, which the filmmakers used for a chase scene along the River Thames in England.

The SportJet 520’s nearly 42-knot top speed adds to the thrills of the film, which centers on a reclusive author whose quiet life takes an exciting turn as the espionage plots from her novels mirror real-life spy activities.

A red carpet, the River Thames is not, but the gray-blue color is fine by Tom Dowdell, head of marketing at Williams Jet Tenders: “We are thrilled about Argylle and the debut of our SportJet on the big screen in such an exciting new film.”

SportJet Series Flagship

The 17-foot-long 520 is the flagship vessel in Williams’ SportJet line, which includes five models. The 520 has seating for seven people. It’s designed for use as a tender to yachts about 98 feet and larger. Note the aft platform for easier boarding and disembarking, along with the rear-facing seats for a great view when it’s time for watersports fun.

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The Lomac GranTurismo 14 is a superyacht tender that can double as a capable day cruiser. Federico Fiorentino penned this flagship RIB, and the design team used computer modeling to yield a high-performance hull form that’s efficient at all speeds. The twin-shell hull is built from aramid fibers and vinylester resin using a vacuum-infusion process, and it’s finished with neopentyl gelcoat. The RIB carries generous bow and stern sun pads and a cockpit table, as well as a belowdecks space that includes a dinette and an enclosed head.

Whom It’s For: Maxi and superyacht owners who seek a fast, comfortable and fashionable tender that can accommodate 16 people.

Picture This: It’s late April, and you’re cruising the Leeward Islands. Your main ride is berthed on St. Maarten, but the kids want to watch the fast race boats at Les Voiles de St. Barth. You load up your Lomac GranTurismo 14 and punch across the 15 or so bluewater miles separating St. Maarten from St. Barthélemy. The RIB has zero issue with the open-ocean swell, and its triple 450 hp outboards make short work of keeping pace with the gunboats.    

Take the next step: lomac.it

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Compass Tenders’ 11.1 Limo Tender offers the best of both worlds: Its enclosed hardtop provides privacy, and weather and sun protection, while its dual forward-facing cameras deliver video imagery to its twin cabin screens. The tender’s rooftop glass panels articulate open in multiple directions, the integrated audiovisual system keeps the mood lively, and twin 320 hp Yanmar engines and paired sterndrives provide speed to burn.

Whom It’s For: Owners seeking a comfortable, discreet and climate-controlled way of commuting to and from the dockside tie-up.

Picture This: Your yacht is berthed at the Yacht Haven Grande Miami marina, but you and your friends want to head up to Fort Lauderdale for the evening. The Compass Tenders 11.1 Limo Tender gets you there and back again in high-end style, and traffic-free too.    

Take the next step: compasstenders.com

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Christian Grande has been busy of late. The designer’s fingerprints were all over the stylish Invictus TT420 Vogue White Edition that made its debut at the recent Cannes Yachting Festival—the same boat show where the SACS Tecnorib Rebel 50 G that Grande designed also made its premiere.

SACS Tecnorib is the official licensee of Pirelli inflatable boats (Pirelli Design is involved with everything from boats and watches to high-end audio systems and luggage). SACS Tecnorib offers two lines: the Strider, whose models can be open or have a hardtop, and Rebel, which the builder calls a blend of classic RIBs and open boats. The Rebel line includes 40-, 47- and 55-footers in addition to the new Rebel 50 G.

The “G” in the moniker Rebel 50 G stands for nothing more than the letter “G.” The idea is that it’s a “closed, collected and powerful shape with soft curves,” which the builder compares to having a closed space on board that’s in “total continuity with the external environment.” The boat has a window that Grande says “seems deliberately suspended to suggest an enthralling sensation of floating,” with the closed space distinguishing this model from other Rebel designs.

In addition to the two side windows that come standard, owners can add a sliding rear window that separates the interior and exterior. When it’s open, the boat feels like an open boat; with it closed, everyone on board is protected from bad weather.

Creature comforts include a TV abaft the helm, a fridge and ice maker, and an L-shaped sofa with a high-low table that can be used for dining if chairs are added. More shade is possible with an extendable electric-roller blind, or owners can insert carbon poles around the beach area to create a space that’s sheltered from the sun. A roof is optional.

Forward, the bow has a corner chaise that the builder describes as “romantic” for sunset views. Grande says: “This area is intended to be an invitation to see motoring as a relaxed flight over water.”

The stern platform can handle an 8-foot tender, with the aft space available in four layouts. The one called Garage Sunpad has a long sofa for relaxation. The Forward Lounge version comes with a C-shaped sofa and extendable table for dining or for conversion as a sun bed. Stern Lounge has opposing sofas that can join together with a table for dining. Free Standing has three armchairs and two small tables for informal conversation.

Interiors are finished with Ceppo di Gre marble, which has a gray-blue hue that the builder says creates an ambience of “unostentatious elegance.”

Let’s talk power: Hull No. 1 of the SACS Tecnorib Rebel 50 G has a pair of 950-horsepower Volvo Penta IPS power plants with a reported top speed of 36 knots, and a cruising speed of 28 knots.

Take the next step: go to sacsrebel.com

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Wooden Boats’ Limo Tender 27 is aimed at owners who want to create a versatile side ride that’s customizable and that can stand double duty as both a tender and a can-do day cruiser. Wooden Boats relied extensively on carbon fiber to create a strong and lightweight hull form that can carry up to 12 passengers—plus two crewmembers—while still attaining speeds of up to 37 knots when powered by a 270 hp Mercury diesel engine with a stern drive.

Whom It’s For: Boating enthusiasts seeking a tender that can accommodate people, pets and provisions while also delivering get-there-quick speeds and the kind of fun that encourages stand-alone adventures.

Picture This: You’re cruising Sardinia, and the internationally famous Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup is unfurling off of Porto Cervo. Your kids and their friends want to watch the massive sailboats racing, so you load up your Wooden Boats Limo Tender 27 and cruise out to the starting line. The guns fire, and, with speed to spare, you easily chase the racing sleds through the Maddalena Archipelago and home through Bomb Alley. Afterward, the boat’s fold-out swim platform proves universally popular.

Take the next step: woodenboats.it

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The Capoforte SQ240i is a silent, electrically powered dayboat that provides a lot of lounging space and a sizable swim platform. The boat’s plumb bow flares widely as it rises to meet the deck, and these lines carry aft to create additional beam. The center-console’s open layout includes a V-shaped settee that converts to a dining area once the table is slipped into place. There’s walk-around space from the console to the stern, and the boat can accommodate up to 10 people.

Whom It’s For: Boaters who want a silent, DC-powered dayboat that doubles as a swimming, lounging and socializing platform.

Picture This: It’s a perfect day in Miami. You load up your Capoforte SQ240i, silently spin your family over to Nixon Sandbar, and throw the hook for an afternoon of swimming, reading, picnicking and unapologetic sun-worshiping.  

Take the next step: capoforteboats.com

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