Yachting USA — January 2018

using their electric controls, enjoying some soft

sea breezes and reminding myself why I’d come

out on the water in the fi rst place.

Teak pieces with rounded corners line those

aforementioned windows, much like you’d see

on some sailing yachts or on a Palm Beach Motor

Yacht. The aesthetic detail is a reminder that Mark

Richards, the much-heralded competitive sailor

and founder of Palm Beach, is now at the helm of

Grand Banks Yachts.

But that day on the Tasman Sea, I was the one

at the helm, and I have to say, the Eastbay 44 was

a lot of fun to drive. We hit a respectable top speed

of 32 knots and cruised easily at 29 knots, gliding

over the plump, rolling 4- and 5-foot humps with

panache, landing softly and soundly in even the

deepest troughs thanks to the sturdy, hand-laid

hull. Her steering was smooth and responsive as we

darted through the swells, carving joyous S-turns

under the crisp, blue skies of an Australian winter.

And joyous is exactly the right word to describe

my experience with the Grand Banks Eastbay 44.

It’s the kind of feeling you get when a thing fulfi lls

its purpose expertly — and then some.

Take the next step: grandbanks.com

the starboard-side head goes bye-bye. The galley-
down arrangement gives you a bit more space for
preparing meals and may be a better choice for
more serious cruisers. The galley-up arrangement,
which places the cooking station aft and to star-
board, allows for a more convivial environment
when entertaining. (With fi ve people aboard, this
owner’s galley-up, two-head choice makes sense
— nobody likes waiting in line for the bathroom.)
The 44 comes in a two- or three-stateroom
layout. The two-stateroom version essentially
combines the two smaller staterooms to create an
amidships VIP with an athwartships berth, with
the galley-down option. There’s standing room in
the forward section of this stateroom, though get-
ting into the berth requires some crawling. The
amount of layout customization available on a
boat this size is rare and speaks to Grand Banks’
customer dedication and design and construction
skill sets, as well as to the boat’s interior volume.
Up in the salon, the same teak that is down be-
low imbues the space with an inviting, old-school
nautical feel. You fi nd yourself just kind of want-
ing to slump down on the U-shaped settee for fi ve
that’s to port and admire the craftsmanship put
into the teak table with tightly seamed holly in-
sets. I imagined lowering the aft and side windows

BRIGHTIDEA

The teak bright-

work on my test

boat extends all

the way forward to

the tip of the bow,

creating a nautical

fl air and good

looks. It may be a

labor of love, but

it’s worth it.

PITT STOP

Every time I’m in Sydney, Australia, the locals say I need

to cruise to Pittwater, an estuary approximately

25 miles north of the heart of the city. Despite being so

near the metropolis, it’s a world apart. Much of

Pittwater is still pristine and looks almost the same as

most of the New South Wales coast did when British

sailors first laid eyes upon it in the late 1700s — it was the

first place in Australia to be named formally for the crown.

Today, Pittwater is a popular destination for Sydney

boaters, thanks to its beaches and plentiful

opportunities for sailing, kayaking and fishing.

“YES, SHE

HAS QUITE A FEW

CABINETS.”

OWNER OF OUR TEST EASTBAY 44, ABOUT

HIS MASTER STATEROOM

JANUARY 2018 YACHTING 61

REVIEWED GRAND BANKS EASTBAY 44