14
SVN Solovelanet Global
B
oasting almost 100 years of history (it was
founded in 1928), the Hinckley shipyard of Man-
set, Maine, in the northern United States, is one of
the best known American boat builders. Hinckley
has launched the Sou'wester 53, a new model desi-
gned by Bill Tripp design.
A hull based on the Bermuda 50, the only other sail-
boat made by this shipyard that produces several
hundred units a year, all of which are powerboats.
Compared to the the Bermuda 50, the hull of the
Sou'wester 53 is slightly longer and has the same
features, but the coachroof is remarkably different
and recalls that of modern Moody yachts manufac-
tured by the Hanse group.
This is an intriguing experiment featuring a fast cru-
iser in a pilot house version.
A boat that was conceived as a fast cruiser and has
been adapted to meet the needs of those who want
a proper cruiser, where the dinette is reachable wi-
thout the inconvenience of descending a stair.
As well as in Moody yachts, the dinette of the
Sou'wester 53 is level with the decking of the
cockpit which is lowered, only to rise again at the
stern to create a platform for the helmsman.
Despite the cutting-edge open stern, the hull fea-
Sou'wester
53
Hinckley
tures very voluminous and wetted areas in order
to provide smooth passage on waves, and maybe
this is why it has been possible to develop this
hull in two concepts that are so distant from each
other.
Even if the outside of this boat is very up-to-da-
te, below deck we find very classic spaces that
closely resemble those of the Lobsters (luxury
powerboats derived from the lobster fishing bo-
ats that operated on the Grand Banks of New-
foundland) built by this shipyard.
At the beginning, the Sou'wester 53 un-
derway. In this picture you can clearly see
the lowered cockpit and the helmsman's
platform. Here above, a picture of the dinette
