Two well-known names in the marine industry—MarineMax, America’s largest boat and yacht retailer, and MasterCraft, a leading manufacturer of water ski, wakeboard and inboard performance powerboats—recently took out a clean sheet of paper and collaborated on a design that opens a new chapter for both. Responding to market research that showed many boaters are using their vessels for daytime activities rather than overnight cruising, the two companies created Aviara—a luxury dayboat series optimized for entertaining, exploring and watersports. The design brief for the line emphasized contemporary style and all-day comfort.
Aviara is being introduced as a standalone brand, separate from the MasterCraft product line, but prospective owners may be reassured that the boats are being manufactured at MasterCraft’s plant in Vonore, Tennessee. Hulls and decks are built of hand-laid fiberglass, while small parts are resin-infused. You can see the quality in the details: The anchor locker is gelcoated inside, for example, and one of the aft storage compartments holds tubes specially molded to house fenders.
The first model in the series, the Aviara 32, made its debut at the Florida boat shows in 2018. The aggressive angular design of its hardtop and windshield immediately caught my eye on the docks, along with the two rows of aft-facing “stadium style” seats at its transom. This unique arrangement, which incorporates seats with backrests and pop-up bar stools, allows parents to hang out together while watching their kids play in the water or on the beach behind the boat.
“The designers started with photos of people on boats at sandbars and looked at where they were sitting, on the gunwales, etc.,” said Vincent Martone, MarineMax sales consultant, as he showed me around the Aviara 32. He demonstrated how the flexible seating also converts to a huge sunpad. An optional Makefast sunshade extends from the hardtop to cover the area.
