Tiara 4300 Open
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Tiara 4300 Open Posted: July 1, 2012 | Boat Type: Express Cruiser Multipurpose cruiser does triple duty By: Zuzana Prochazka The new flagship of the Tiara Open Series, the 4300 Open, highlights the company’s strength of delivering multipurpose boats that can fish, cruise and entertain in style. The new model replaces the 4200 Open and offers a larger cockpit, a foot of extra length overall, 5 more inches on the beam and a new guest cabin — all of which adds up to a surprisingly bigger-feeling vessel with new lines and enhanced functionality. The profile of the Tiara 4300 Open has changed. Gone is the tumblehome of the transom. It’s been replaced by squared-off corners that accentuate the sportfisher look. The straight sheer and swept-back, curved composite windshield give the Tiara 4300 a get-up-’n-go look. The sharp entry and generous bow flare make for a controlled and dry ride, and the 17.5-degree deadrise at the transom keeps it tracking. The sleek lines belie the premium sportfisher it is, and the posh interior ensures comfort on the hook in any cruising anchorage. On Board Like a sportfisher, the 4300 Open features upper and lower cockpits. Unlike a hard-core sportfisher, the Tiara also has a stylish sportboat-like helm area complete with a lounge and a wet bar on the bridge level. The 98-square-foot upper cockpit has an aft-facing mezzanine seat that provides spectators a comfortable place from which to watch the fishing action while staying out of the way of the mayhem. Just ahead on port is a curved companion lounge with a forward or side-facing swiveling seat and an optional table. Directly across on starboard is the wet bar, which is immediately aft of the oversized Stidd helm seat. Here you’ll find a sink and drawer storage or an optional ice-maker. The helm layout is clean, and everything, from the dual multifunction displays to the shifters and joystick, is within easy reach. A nice added bonus is the opening ports built into the hardtop that cool the helmsman without the need for fans. The lower cockpit now features 95 square feet of fighting area (compared to the 4200’s 87 feet), a 50gallon livewell built into the transom and an aluminum backing plate beneath the sole for a chair installation. But since 75 percent of Tiara’s potential buyers are expected to be fair-weather fishermen, there are options to remove the livewell and install a seat or even build an L-shaped seating area on port with a dining table attached to the cockpit sole. The newly squared-off corners and vertical transom create extra room as well as give the boat more of a sportfisher profile. A 30-inch (or optional 42-inch) swim platform and a through-transom door make for easy boarding. All hardware, such as hinges and latches, is either hidden or recessed, so fishing lines have nothing to catch on, and there’s a rigging station with a sink and cutting board

Our test boat has pod drives, and access to them is under the cockpit sole. The engines, on the other hand, are far forward under the upper cockpit, which makes for an unusually long run but does allow for the optional installation of pod-drive technology, which makes maneuvering a boat easy and fun. Engine access for quick fluid checks is via a hatch, but for more involved engine work, the entire bridge lifts electrically, exposing an engine room with great access to both diesels as well as the Onan genset, which comes standard. Two molded steps on either side of the lower cockpit lead up...

At a cruising speed of 25 knots at 2400 rpm, the Tiara burned 36.4 gph. If you can tolerate traveling at a sweet spot of 12 knots at 1600 rpm, the burn rate drops to 15.2 gph and the range increases to well over 400 miles, so distant fishing grounds suddenly become a reality, and you won’t need to visit the pump nearly as often. I noticed how much better our performance numbers were than models tested with the standard 715 hp diesels with straight shafts. That’s a real argument for the option of smaller engines and pods with the bonus of the dynamic positioning feature called Skyhook. Pod...

dynamic positioning system (w/pod drives), teak deck in upper cockpit, cockpit wet bar w/refrigerator, fold-down transom seat, transom baitwell, Ultraleather upholstery, Garmin 7215 multifunction displays, central vacuum system, saltwater washdown fore and aft, ice-maker and more. BUILDER Tiara Yachts, Holland, Mich.; (616) 392-7163; tiarayachts.com WEST COAST DEALER Tiara Yachts of Newport Beach; (949) 515-7700; tiarayachtsnewportbeach.com Tiara Yachts of Seattle; (206) 344-8566; tiarayachtsofseattle.com