Power & Motoryacht – June 2017

WWW.PMYMAG.COM JUNE 2017 / POWER & MOTORYACHT 65

MARLOW EXPLORER 78E

LOA: 82' 10 "

BEAM: 20' 4 "

DRAFT: 4' 10 "

DISPL.: 100,000 lb.

FUEL: 3,400 gal.

WATER: 550 gal.

POWER: 2/1,800-hp CAT C32 diesel

YEARS BUILT: 2002 to 2014

PRICE RANGE: $1,995,000 to $2,499,000

proper, are a C-shaped couch and custom

hi/lo coffee table to starboard. Two comfort-

able upholstered easy chairs flank the teak

entertainment console that’s to starboard,

which houses a large flatscreen TV on a lift.

Another overhead teak searail, which you

don’t see on many boats headed offshore,

adds safety. The hand-laid teak-and-holly

sole, along with the finely crafted teak furni-

ture and panels, are sure to impress.

Large teak double doors open wide for

access between the aft deck and the saloon.

Built-in seating and a custom table near the

transom are well protected from the ele-

ments by the extension of the boat deck.

“The 78 series was built from 2002 until

2014, and we have delivered them in the

Med, Australia, Mexico, Venezuela, Van-

couver, Chile and, of course, Florida,” says

Marlow, who is chairman of Marlow Marine

located in Snead Island, Florida. “The 78E

Bandolero was Hull No. 20 of the 78 series,

which also included three 72-foot models

with conventional transoms in the period.

Her designation as a 78E refers to her Euro-

pean transom, with transom boarding stairs

built at a diagonal as opposed to the vertical

stairs of the 72C. I believe she was completed

in late spring 2006 and delivered early sum-

mer of the same year in Florida.”

Marlow also told me that the tooling for

the 78 series was produced in a new factory

built by Marlow Marine in Xiamen, China,

on the southeast coast, due west across the

Taiwan (or Formosa) Strait from the island

of Taiwan. It was built in the first hall that

was completed, and was done entirely in-

house by 15 Taiwanese master toolmakers

that the company had hired in 2001. To de-

velop the 78 series, the first hall was outfit-

ted as a complete boatbuilding classroom

staffed by the masters and their apprentices;

here, they built a complete wooden 78-foot

yacht, including superstructure and details,

and taught the art of fine boatbuilding in

the process. Today, the Xiamen facility has

become a 150,000-square-foot series of halls

for tooling, lamination, metalworking, soft

goods, and production stations, all located

on 25-plus acres of pristine grounds.

“The later iterations of the 78 series have

3,400 U.S. gallons of fuel for very long range

at 9 knots,” Marlow says, “and on new boat

sea trials, these models routinely reach

speeds over 30 knots at half load with Cat-

erpillar C32 series engines. With the inline

six-cylinder C18s, a more than respectable

20-knot cruise can be maintained at Cater-

pillar’s recommended cruising speed.”

Marlow told me that resale of the 78 se-

ries has been strong as there are few boats

in the size range with comparable power,

other than a few sportfishing models that

can reach and maintain similar speeds. Yet

few boats can compare with the range of

the Marlow models built with 3,400 usable

gallons of fuel. That capacity is made pos-

sible by a trademark fiberglass tank. Located

at the front of the stand-up-height engine

room, the fuel tank is well positioned to op-

timize the balance of the yacht under way.

Its location also helps mitigate sound that

would otherwise be passed forward to the

accommodations deck.

Among the other features that owners

greatly appreciate are the Marlow’s very

modest draft (it’s made possible by large

tunnels and 9-degree shaft angles), and the

company’s proprietary Velocijet Strut Keel

technology, which offers great protection for

running gear, especially when gunkholing.

At the same time, the Strut Keels provide ex-

ceptional tracking in heavy following seas,

acting like feathers on an arrow to maintain

a straight course.

In 2015, after a 13-year model run, the 78

series was discontinued and the 80 series was

developed in response to the demand among

U.S. owners for larger crew’s quarters and the

ability to run nonstop at 22 knots for long

distances (think Florida to Chesapeake Bay)

without a fuel bladder or auxiliary fuel tank.

But the 78 series still has loyal fans. Boats like

Bandolero were meant for serious cruising,

and they have a lot to offer those who want

to go the distance in luxury and comfort. U

Bandolero idles in one of the many tropical locales she’s frequented. While this master stateroom is very traditional (right) the living spaces are custom.