THE CRUISERS 46 CANTIUS MAY NOT BE THE BIGGEST CANTIUS MODEL THAT THE WISCONSIN SHIPYARD PRODUCES, but she's full of surprises, sharing enough attributes with her bigger sisters-including the 60-foot Cantius flagship -that she's able to deliver relaxation on multiple levels, ¶ All the way aft, there's a hydraulic swim platform with integrated steps that extend as the platform descends, creating a beach (or tender stowage). The transom has an electric grill and fridge, making it easy for the cook to dish freshly grilled fish up to the cockpit, which has seating for six to eight people on an L-shaped settee around a wooden table. The forward corners of the cockpit have flattop cabinets, with a Vitrifrigo fridge in one and an ice maker in the other. Stowage and cup holders fill out the cabinets, ¶ The cockpit door has three glass panels, and the center panel opens to the salon. Or slide the center and starboard panels to port, and the aft deck and salon blend with an opening measuring 5 feet, 5 inches wide, ¶ Step inside, and the galley is ready to serve those fore and aft. To port is an L-shaped countertop with a recessed two-burner Kenyon cooktop, a circular sink, a built-in Muave microwave, and drawers and cabinets. To starboard is an undercounter Nova Kool fridge/freezer. Keeping the appliances at counter height helps the salon to feel open with unobstructed sightlines from stem to stern, ¶ The salon's 32-inch TV is mounted on a swivel, turning 180 degrees and making it viewable from the salon or the aft deck seating. Mood-setting and other controls are near the TV, including light switches, a stereo, air conditioning, and 110-volt and USB outlets. Amidships, a double settee is to starboard and a dinette is to port on a raised platform, making it a great spot for outdoor views (while adding headroom to the belowdecks accommodations). The dinette's settee measures almost 6 feet long and converts to a berth. ¶ There's 6-foot-7-inch headroom throughout the main deck, along with opening side windows that bring the outdoors indoors. The helm is to starboard with twin 12-inch Garmin multifunction displays. Low-profile rocker switches are on the console, with throttles, ajoystick, tab controls and a Garmin display controller in the arm console. There's a Rockford Fosgate wired-remote digital-media receiver for audio inputs. A cellphone charging pad is to port. Cruisers mounts the compass right in front of the leather-wrapped tilt steering wheel, as opposed to atop the dash. The helm seat is double wide with abolster and footrest. A 9-foot-wide single-pane windshield means wide-open visibility forward, and a retractable sunroof is overhead. ¶ For machinery checks, owner-operators can enter the engine room through an insulated in-deck hatch. A pair of 435 hp Volvo Penta IPS600 diesels with pod drives are easily accessible, as are the fuel and oil filters, generator, and ancillary systems. General maintenance should be completed without the need for chiropractic work, thanks to 54 inches of headroom and 42 inches of space between the motors. Access to the fuel and oil filters is on centerline. ¶ Getting the 32,200-pound (dry weight) vessel up and charging felt effortless. Running with three crew, 130 gallons of fuel, and empty water and waste tanks, we putted around at 6.2 knots with the Volvo Pentas burning 2.3 gallons at 1,200 rpm. At 2,500 rpm, we saw 16 knots and a 22-gph burn rate. Jumping to 23.2 knots at 3,000 rpm had the diesels burning 30 gph. ¶ Operating the 46 Cantius at about 23 knots, the hull ran true. The boat has a 16-degree transom deadrise, and there was no wavering or chine hopping. Going wide-open throttle at 3,550 rpm, the 46 delivered 31.1 knots at a fuel burn of 44 gph. ¶ For cruisingfamilies or couples who want performance and fuel economy, along with an open layout for sharing the salt life with friends, the Cruisers Yachts 46 Cantius is worth a look.
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