Tiara Yachts is a U.S. builder that values adventure as a key piece of its DNA. I’ve done trips on board a number of their boats that were focused on fishing and diving. Those models were built for fun—small and sporty with a wind-in-your-hair vibe.

But at last year’s Miami International Boat Show, Tiara announced its intentions to make the “Yachts” in its name really count for something larger, with the debut of the flagship EX60—its first proper yacht. The fit and finish—already a point of pride for the Michigan builder—was at another level, while the versatile layout was in line with Tiara’s innovative past.

The next model down is the new EX54, which debuted at last month’s Miami show. With a length that is six feet smaller, this boat is just as creative with yacht-y accoutrements, along with attention to detail that cements Tiara’s next-generation ambitions. I had a chance to step aboard to see the similarities with the EX60.

The EX54’s’s cockpit will most likely lure many owners away from similar-sized competitors, thanks to its customizability. It comes in three setups that include a social version with two settees facing one another, an adventure configuration that loses the rear settee to make room for dive tanks and scuba gear, or a “glass-patio” design with modular ottomans.

The boat in Miami had the double settee which, coupled with mezzanine seating a few steps up and forward, gave this boat the feel of a larger motoryacht, in line with the trend of maximizing the exterior space that is currently in vogue in the superyacht world. The mezzanine seating featured a flip-down teak bar to port with a flip-up window with Australian undertones. I found it a bit odd that the bar was not adjacent to the amidships galley for easier service.

The EX54’s cabin featured two Tiara hallmarks: high-level woodwork and a focus on ergonomics. The teak across the main deck was richly grained, with snug joinery. Handholds were common as well, but discreetly embedded in structures like a dining table and a countertop so as not to dim the yacht’s aesthetic appeal.

Tiara clearly designed this boat for a seaway, a point made by the portside companion seating opposite the two-seater helm—which creates four forward-facing seats in the salon. That configuration is where you want to be sitting if the boat is in big water. The Miami model had an optional Seakeeper 9 that mitigates rocking and rolling, both at anchor or when moving at slow speeds in larger swells.

Other nods to onboard comfort can be found down in the full-beam master amidships that is remarkably roomy for a boat this size, a trait that extended to the head where the shower had 6-feet, 8-inches of headroom and enough shoulder space for just about anyone, short of NBA stature, to fit comfortably.

The boat is powered by twin Volvo Penta IPS2 950s that is paired with a glass cockpit by Garmin. The joystick control gives the driver excellent slow-speed maneuverability and high-speed handling as well as low noise. In speed tests, the boat reached a top end of 38.7 mph, with a friendly cruise of 30.6 mph that delivered a 334-mile range.

In the end, what you’re getting is a yacht with Tiara’s trademark DNA for adventure and seaworthiness in a package that is decidedly more luxe. It’s a combination that that should be appealing, both to Tiara owners looking to move up, and to owners of foreign-built vessels that may soon come around to the rising tide of American build quality.

robbreport.com