C 44
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TIARA 44 COUPE NOT YOUR GRANDFATHER’S TIARA - OR EVEN YOUR FATHER’S The family that owns Tiara, the Slikkers, has been building boats since the early 1950s — more than six decades. The builder started experimenting with fiberglass in 1955, making it one of the first U.S. builders to tinker in that medium as a possible boat-building material, and by 1963, the family had ceased building in wood. The family also built, at various times during its history, under the Slickcraft, S2 (sailboats) and Pursuit marques. The Michigan-based company has a full order book for its 44 Coupe — our test boat. In fact, the 44 was awarded the AIM Editor’s Choice award as the best powerboat in the 40- to 50-foot category at the 2014 Ft. Lauderdale International Boat Show. DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION The new 44 hull is based on Tiara’s 39 Open series, which has earned a well-deserved reputation among fishermen and other boaters who want to spend a day on the water while enjoy ing a stable, high-speed, comfortable ride. The 44 has a sharp entry, ideal for plowing into a sloppy chop, traditional bottom strakes and a hull modified slightly to accept the Volvo pod drives. The Coupe is hand-laid glass, with a solid bottom and balsa-cored hull sides, deck and upper works. Hull stringers are wood-skinned foam cores that are bonded into the hull bottom. The interior is built as a single unit, outside the hull assembly, and then installed and glassed into the hull. The construction method makes for a more solid build than the traditional stick build method and adds structural strength and rigidity without adding extra weight. FANTASTIC FEATURES The 44 Coupe follows the design path of many others in the current crop of new recreational vessels — an almost seamless transition from the deckhouse onto the aft deck or into the cockpit. Sliding glass doors present a wall of glass that, when stowed during good weather, will enable at least a dozen people to comfortably gather for drinks or a buffet. The glass wall, which replaces the traditional type of deckhouse aft bulkhead, allows the deckhouse to be flooded with natural light that makes the interior seem warm and cozy, even on dreary days. A substantial swim platform, featuring a built-in grill, creates even more entertaining space. The 44 Coupe’s foredeck has a comfortable, secure space for sunpads, to cater to sun

The inferior of the Tiara 44 COupe features a solid teak sole throughout, which contrasts nicely with the muted gray and beige tones of the furniture, headers and counters. A large su nroof and windows allaroundensurea bright interior. worshipers. Getting forward to the sunpads is quick and easy along fairly wide sidedecks using solid hand- and guardrails. The anchor and its windlass are neatly tucked away under a covered anchor hatch. The anchor and roller are secured in a hawsepipe in the bow. The hull is protected against anchor contact by a large stainless plate, and the bow roller is...

tones lend themselves nicely to colorful throw cushions, photos and other wall art. SLEEP WELL The accommodations and both heads are below, with the master in the bow and the guest stateroom aft, under the salon. The master boasts an island queen bed, an overhead hatch and opening portholes to port and starboard. There’s plenty of storage, including a good-sized hanging locker. The dedicated head contains a vanity, a sink, a VacuFlush toilet and a separate glass-door shower stall. The guest stateroom, partially under the salon with good headroom at its entrance, includes a skylight to the...