Cruisers Yachts 50 Cantius

Welcoming. Airy. Accommodating. These were the first words that went through my mind as I stepped aboard the new 50 Cantius built by Cruisers Yachts in Oconto, Wisconsin.

The idea of a 40-foot or larger sport cruiser may still be somewhat new to the boating industry, but it’s a design that has quickly found acceptance with the help of industry-leading innovations from boatbuilders like Cruisers.

When Cruisers Yachts released the 48 Cantius in 2011, they had an immediate hit. Instead of a bulky, lumbering giant slowly making its way across the water, Cruisers presented a modern combination of comfort, space and performance all wrapped into nearly 50 feet of boat with beautiful lines and a long list of accommodations. It also had enough get-up-and-go to put new destinations within easy reach.

For Cruisers Yachts, the 50 Cantius represents the next step up the evolutionary ladder for their coupe family. Intended to fill the gap between the 45- and 54-foot models, the 50 Cantius sports a fluid exterior aesthetic and a luxurious, comfortable floorplan that feels like it was built for entertaining.

Welcoming

The cockpit, with its wide, wraparound seating and height-adjustable table, greets guests with open arms. Options are available to provide open-air cockpit seating for 10 or more, and the table converts the space into a roomy sunlounge. A retractable sunshade stands ready to provide cover from the afternoon sun or an unexpected sprinkle.

Stairways on both sides lead to a huge swim platform where it’s easy to picture friends waiting for hot dogs to cook on the standard molded-in transom grill. Up front, sun-seekers will find padded seating that converts into a pair of lounges, complete with a table for snacks and drinks. The bow seating can also hide an optional Mediterranean sun top.

The salon entry opens into the galley-aft floorplan of the main deck. The design, with its aft placement of cooking and cold storage appliances, allows much more of the space to be used for seating. The dining and entertainment layout is comfortable and elegant, and the back of the salon feels like an extension of the cockpit, offering more space for guests to interact.

Forward, an open stairway leads to the lower deck where three staterooms and two heads provide luxurious overnight accommodations. The VIP stateroom is so spacious that is may be mistaken for the master quarters. A couple of guests will find the space to be roomy and bright, with a queen-sized berth, large windows and plenty of storage.

A generous head, complete with a separate, fully enclosed shower, is accessible to both the VIP stateroom and the third, bunk bed-equipped guest quarters. The head is accessible through dual entry doors, providing privacy to the occupants of both spaces.

Just aft of the VIP berth is the master stateroom. Master suite might be a more appropriate label for the huge space, which spreads out across the boat’s full 15-foot beam. Again, the word “welcoming” comes to mind. The hull windows feel more like patio doors and provide abundant natural lighting and an unmatched view. The portside lounge seat is perfect for stretching out with a book in the beautifully appointed living space.

A separate entertainment system and TV, generous storage, and extra touches like built-in nightstands finish out the sizable stateroom. The master head is large, well designed and stylish. Complete with a spacious shower, the brightly lit space includes designer fixtures and beautiful wood accents.

Get dressed and ready for a night in port or find some quiet time to read; the airy, generous staterooms were designed with both in mind.

Airy

Ample, well-placed windows, especially notable in the master stateroom and main deck, make the 50 Cantius feel extremely bright and open. The windows in the main salon provide 360 degrees of nearly unbroken visibility, while a huge sunroof floods the space with sunlight.

A retractable glass panel between the salon and cockpit eliminates the division between the two spaces, sliding out of sight with the touch of a button.

With the rear window open, serving guests from the galley is a breeze. The U-shaped counters and three cold storage drawers make food preparation and cleanup easy, and keep the cook or bartender in the middle of the conversation.  Of all the features throughout the 50 Cantius, the sliding rear window was my personal favorite.  

Headroom is a consistent feature throughout the 50 Cantius, even in the forward stairwell. Cruisers Yachts is well known for comfort, but it felt like more of a priority than usual on the Cantius. The main deck allows guests to easily move from space to space without ever feeling crowded. 

Accommodating

The 50 Cantius includes well designed, carefully placed features that add comfort and convenience throughout the boat. Polk Audio provides full, rich sound for the salon TV and entertainment system, where controls are sensibly placed alongside 12V and 110V outlets for accessories.

The Cantius offers zoned heat and air conditioning, separate TV and audio systems for each living space, a Dirt Devil central vacuum, washer and dryer, and plenty of storage in the two main staterooms.

Other welcome features include wide outboard walkways, which allow safe, comfortable access to the bow. A mechanical lift raises the aft seat to expose lots of space for fenders and extra dock lines. A freshwater washdown and shore power cord reel are also accessible from the swim platform.

Regular fluid checks for the engine systems are simple and painless, thanks to the large engine room. There’s enough room to easily reach dipsticks and reservoirs, or to perform routine tasks without contortions. Equipment installed anywhere in the boat is painlessly accessible to the owner or a marine technician, which is a nice and unexpected touch.

The 50 Cantius feels nimble but handles rough water like its bigger cousins. The helm’s twin touch-screens can be configured to provide the captain with customized navigation options and feedback from the Volvo IPS 600 drive systems. The 435-hp engines will put the boat on plane in just 10 seconds, reaching a top-speed of 32 mph, and maintaining a comfortable 24 mph cruising speed. However, the IPS 600s are easy on fuel and provide a surprising range.

The 50 Cantius also feels accessible instead of intimidating, as some larger vessels can be. The Volvo IPS systems make docking and close-quarter handling intuitive, but Cruisers Yachts took that one step further. An optional set of joystick controls are available at the aft, port side of the boat, helping to overcome visibility restrictions and make single-handed operation possible.

Welcoming. Airy. Accommodating. These were the first words that went through my mind as I stepped aboard the new 50 Cantius. They were also the last words I thought of when I stepped back onto the dock. Big enough to fill with friends and family and yet easy to handle by a couple on an overnight getaway, the 50 Cantius is an impressive part of the Cruisers Yachts family.