The Tiara 48 LS is sugar and spice. And everything nice? Oh yes, very nice indeed.
You’ve seen sport boats, you’ve seen day boats, and you’ve seen yachts, but have you ever seen a sport-day-yacht? You have if you’ve been aboard the Tiara 48 LS.
The moment we hit the throttles on the triple 600-hp 48 LS we knew it made the grade as a sport boat. The GPS showed 60.1 mph at top end, and we made the run from Annapolis to Thomas Point so quickly that it seemed as if we were in some kind of nautical time warp. Yet the ride was still quite yacht-like. Sure, the seats on this boat ensconce you in luxury and air conditioning vents at the helm bathe you with a cool breeze. But despite having 1800 raging horses galloping along at full tilt, the scene at the helm is shockingly serene. In fact, we measured a mere 67 dB-A sound level at cruise, which isn’t much more than normal conversational levels.
What gives? Although this boat has an open helm, Tiara provides it with sliding side doors and an aft bulkhead that rolls up into the hard top. Push a button to electrically slide those doors closed and pull down the clear aft bulkhead, and sound levels that were already low thanks to the design of the four-stroke V-12 Verados suddenly drops off a cliff.
You want more proof that the 48 LS qualifies as a yacht? Just enter the console cabin. It has an architectural teak and driftwood interior with solid teak steps and a solid teak sole, a queen-size pedestal berth forward, a mid-cabin with twin berths aft, and a stand-up head with a separate shower stall. There’s also a mini galley with a microwave and countertop.
Wait a sec—how can you call it a yacht if the galley is a mini? Normally we’d say you can’t, but in this case the real galley is located above decks. Behind the helm seating there’s a U-shaped mid-cockpit food prep area with everything you need to put together a gourmet-at-sea meal: a sink, 120-V electric grill, refrigerator and freezer, solid-surface countertops, and stowage cabinets.
Along with the pep, the luxury, and the cabin, the 48 LS also offers the best in a day boat. The bow is designed a-la bowrider with a forward cockpit featuring triple-wide forward-facing seating, which transitions into a chaise lounge to port and wrap-around seating along the front and a portion of the starboard side. A pop-up table rises up from the deck at the press of a button. But the button that’s even better to press is the electrically actuated footrest that turns those forward-facing seats into loungers in their own right. Comfy? Youbetcha.
In the aft cockpit Tiara employs some of the same tricks they’ve introduced on several models in recent years to turn the aft end of the boat into a multifunction social area. One is the rotating lounge, which spins around and locks in place to face forward or aft as you please. The adjustable backrests move electrically, and you can swing them down all the way until flat to turn the unit into a huge sunpad. Another is the “hullside terrace.” Press yet another button, and the entire portside cockpit gunwale swings down to become a huge swim platform, complete with synthetic teak decking and a telescopic boarding ladder.
So, is the Tiara 48 LS really a sport boat, is it really a day boat, or is it really a yacht? Yes. But considering that it also has sleeping quarters for four in the cabin, a full head and a galley, we’re afraid we’re being unfair if we don’t also add cruiser to the list. So: meet the world’s first bona fide sport-day-yacht-cruiser.
By Lenny Rudow
Tiara 48 LS Specifications:
LOA: 48’4”
Beam: 14’2”
Draft (max.): 2’5”
Displacement: 25,000 lbs.
Max HP: 1800
Fuel Capacity: 660 gal.
Water Capacity: 100 gal.
Local Dealer: North Point Yacht Sales in Annapolis: (410) 280-2038 and Gloucester Point, VA: (804) 885-4090