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Horizon 73 Motoryacht
by By Matt Gurnsey
Over-the-top attention to detail leaves no surface unfinished
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You might be familiar with the idea that success is all in the details. Such is the case on board Horizon’s new 73 Motoryacht, which we were among the first to test when she finally arrived in the Seattle area.
From the deck of the new Horizon 73 Motoryacht, it’s obvious that the boat doesn’t lack for style. The lines are proportional and pleasing. Conservative styling is freshened with only a hint of European design in the curve of the windows. The lines of the boat accentuate her length. Well proportioned, she has windows that are somewhat elliptical in shape, but still maintain good visibility from inside. A small detail that adds to the overall look of the boat is the running light recesses on each side of the bridge, shaped to mimic the line of the window below it.
New on this model from previous Horizon incarnations is the enlarged hardtop that covers the majority of the flybridge. More proportional than the older style hardtop, it also covers the front portion of the bridge from sun and — in the Northwest — rain.
Passengers board from gates at either side on the aft-deck level, or via the swim platform from a floating dock. The swim platform is massive, with stout stainless sections that are removable for boarding a dinghy. Teak is installed on the deck, with excellent detail, including a half-circle that accentuates the curvature of the transom and the dual spiral stairways to the aft deck.
Bonus Features
A watertight door in the transom leads to the crew’s quarters/second VIP stateroom, workspace and the engine room. East Coast boats may have this area set up as crew’s quarters, but West Coast boats are more likely to have it nicely finished as a second salon, as was the case on our test boat.
Abundant teak cabinetry and a small but well-laid-out “guest galley” with granite counters are of a quality equal to the main areas of the boat. There is a queen-size berth with a flat-screen TV at the foot of it, plus a DVD player with an AM/FM receiver and a CD player. A large head with a stall shower completes this area. For guests on board, this might be the most ideal stateroom to have.
Engine Space
Ahead of this galley area and on the starboard side is a workspace with plenty of bench space and room for tools. A door on the centerline leads to the engine room, and a window in the bulkhead above the workbench looks into the engine room.
Two Caterpillar C-18 engines live here, each producing 1,000 hp, giving the Horizon 73 a top speed of 23 knots.
Fine Handiwork
Heading back outside to the swim platform, step up either stairway to the main aft deck. You’ll find a high-low table here detailed with teak inlay, plus overhead lighting in the full hardtop that covers this area. Many Northwest boaters will probably enclose this area with side curtains to create an outdoor space that can be used in winter.
Forward on each side of the cabin ahead of the windshield are two storage cabinets. These are the perfect location for fenders, line and maybe some bottles of sunscreen for passengers enjoying the forward lounge. The lounge pad itself is held in place with stainless steel bars; it’s not going to fly off in any kind of wind or wave.
At the bow are two locking anchor locker hatches, with flush-mounted hinges. These are ahead of the collision bulkhead, which separates the locker from the rest of the boat. A Maxwell 3500 windlass is here, as well as an anchor washdown.
This part of the boat seems like a meeting of the minds: Italian-made hinges, German-made Speich wipers, an English-made Trend sliding glass door — all of the finest hardware, no “lookalike” or “just-as-good-as” items here. Fiberglass finish work is outstanding, right down to the inside of the lockers themselves.
Big Top
A large curved stairwell from the aft deck leads to the flybridge. There is a hatch at the top of the stairway to keep rainwater from getting to the lower deck.
Aft and at the end of the hardtop are the barbecue and a food prep center. Hinged fiberglass covers open to reveal a stainless sink with a fold-down faucet, and a Siemens 240V electric grill.
A dinghy davit and storage are at the aft end of the bridge deck, and the helm is forward with a unique roll-up instrument cover that offers protection and easy access. More storage (abundant on the boat overall) is forward of the helm console, under the larger cabinet to port and ahead of the portside companion seat.
These two areas are the only ones that had less-than-flawless fiberglass work. Where every other hatch we opened exposed gelcoat-finished interiors, these two cabinets, while certainly functional, did not have the glass-smooth mirror finish we had come to expect from the other lockers. A minor quibble, and the only area where the boat only met expectations instead of exceeding them.
Straight Shot
From the sliding glass door on the aft deck, it’s possible to see all the way to the pilothouse. This is a result of the revised deck plan, which eliminates the upright refrigerator in the galley, along with the bulkhead that separated it from the salon. The boat feels huge because of this open layout, in addition to the airy, well-lit salon. The furnishings are upholstered in warm fabrics — a nice change from the sea of Ultraleather found aboard many competitors. Also unique is the webbed support in the settee and love seat, most often found in popular Italian furniture and which provides greater comfort than the foam or plywood seen in similar furnishings.
A flush-mount flat-screen TV sits in an aft corner, and ribbon-cut mahogany woodwork is abundant throughout. Rounded cabinet ends feature detail lighting that gives a nice “signature” look to the boat.
Good Galley
The U-shaped galley is on the pilothouse level and features more granite and mahogany. Stainless steel appliances are full-size with the exception of the refrigerator mentioned previously. In fact, at first glance, there appears to be no fridge at all — but a total of six Sub Zero under-cabinet drawer units (plus two freezer drawers) match the cabinetry and provide plenty of food storage. Bar cabinetry is situated to port and includes a Sub Zero wine chiller.
Watch Your Step?
Ahead of the galley is the pilothouse. A large dinette is located here with another beautiful table. This is raised so guests have the same view as the skipper. With the fantastic views from the pilothouse, most owners will probably not bother with a canvas enclosure on the flybridge, opting instead simply to use the flybridge when weather permits.
Looking around the pilothouse area, though, you might notice there is no inside route to the bridge. Surprised? So were we, at first — but the addition of the portside bar area where the stairs would be (and could be, if you requested them) is a good use of space, and the aft stairway is so well proportioned that getting to and from the bridge is easy.
Staterooms are located forward and below, with the master amidships under the pilothouse. Large vertical windows are cut into the hull for natural light and great views. Detail work is superb, with woodwork accents overhead and the repeated rounded cabinet lights. The heads all feature granite countertops, oversized stall showers and mirror-finish fiberglass.
Flat-screen TVs and stereos with DVD players allow passengers in each guest room to enjoy their entertainment of choice.
Workmanship
The standard equipment list is long, including Glendinning power cord retractors (port and starboard), electronic engine controls, a 38 hp hydraulic bow thruster, reverse-cycle heat and air, a custom electronics entertainment system and on and on.
Everything you would expect on a nearly $3 million boat is here. The workmanship is worthy of this vessel, from fiberglass to woodwork and joinery. Systems installations are well thought out, and whether the air conditioning is running or the genset is on away from the dock, the boat runs stealth-silently.
Ultimately, it’s the Horizon 73’s open layout attention to detail that makes her work so well on so many levels.
Contact: Horizon Yachts, Seattle, WA; (206) 587-0660; www.horizonyacht.com
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This article first appeared in the February 2007 issue of Sea Magazine. All or parts of the information contained in this article might be outdated. |
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