Riviera Yachts?

Hi,

Given the OP gives his Occupation as Private Investor, one has to wonder if some of that Investment might be in this company which is still technically in receivership AFAIK.

If this is the new boat, I miss the "great lines"...?

I also wonder how it will be up there with IPS drives?

AMG, you took the words right out of my mouth... keyboard

Chilli Bella, sorry, but I find the comments very misleading to the public.

K1W1, I thought it was a bit dicey.

Far

OP's location is Sandringham Yacht Club, home of R Marine Jacksons Pty Ltd, a Riviera dealer...coincidence?

Chila Bella's membership has been removed. As well, his IP and addy have been added to our banned list. Thanks to K1W1 for tracking down this scoundrel and exposing him. It's truly pathetic and sure sign of questionable intelligence when a dealer or manufacturer engages an educated community and expects them to 'buy' their crap.

AMG:

The rendering in your post reminded me of something. Many years ago, Tom Fexas (bless his soul) used to pen a monthly article in a popular boating magazine. Many of the whimsical sketches that accompanied these articles made me laugh in stitches. I recall a few that looked like overstuffed plastic bath-tub toys - made to look like their going 100 miles an hour while standing still at the dock - hair slicked back and with total disregard for seamanship. I really miss those articles.

You said crap, not me

Far

I miss them too, I think his header was "The Spectator". Perhaps I should take it up again at YachtForums..

Blend of both

I am on my second Riv. 34’ & 39’. I think the Riv is a very good blend of battle wagon and cruiser. They have a good solid build with a nice refined interior. Ya, they are not a dry boat, but they are a soft comfortable ride. The happy part is when you get there, they have a nice refined living area. I think they are a nice blend of battle wagon and cruiser. If you want a full on battle wagon, then no. If you want a luxurious cruiser, then no. But if you want both, then yes.

I traveled to and spent 2 full days last month at possibly the largest boat/yacht show in the world in Ft. Lauderdale Florida diligently looking at 45-50 foot vessels and Riviera was absolutely at the top in terms of quality and functionality given the price range.

My wife wanted something we could entertain on, fish on, and that was offshore worthy. There were other noteworthy manufacturers such as Tiara but Riviera was a notch above. Viking was exceptional but only geared for fishing and insanely expensive. And other manufacturers were too euro, lacked functionality, and a little flimsy with construction. We subsequently ordered the Riviera SUV 445 with the open cockpit which has the hull of the 43 flybridge. I met several Riv owners with newer models including one that owns one for one location and received his second last month for another location. Looking forward to the new vessel.

A Riviera is strong enough, but a battlewagon it is clearly not and it clearly is not on par with Vikings build quality.

The older model Riviera might be termed battle wagons, though not in comparison to the older Hatteras or Bertram’s, in fact that would be a poor comparison.

Best to say, the two best examples of Australian Production made boats up to the 90's and early 2000's were Riviera and Caribbean (basically the old US Bertram molds built in Australia).


I think in using the term "a very good blend of battle wagon and cruiser" you are quoting the sales pitch, not the fact. Having said that, the Riv is a better boat today than it was after the buyout which left Barry-Cotter with a few hundred million and allowed him to create Maritimo.

Today the brand has a very wealthy investors backing and a good team, plus a loyal following.

Would be nice to see a break away design that does not imitate the "Euro Style" with the Cleopatra eye style windows and heavy set look with lumps of white gel coat hanging over the water. Seems every other boat brand is doing similar looking designs.


Enjoy your boat.

My only experience of Rivs is having fished for a few weeks on a 1998, 36 foot model. It seemed a reasonable choice for the more casual recreational fisherman that does not need to make long runs to the fish. US buyers may likely have better options.

Since taking delivery of the brand new Riv 445 in May 2015, we have put on about 240 engine hours, traveled ~ 1200 NM, fished for tuna countless days offshore, and taken 5 trips to an island that is 140 NM round trip. She has handled surprisingly well in snotty conditions and is a joy to run most all of the time. I'm definitely not claiming anything similar to a battle wagon but we are quite pleased with the overall utility and practicality of this vessel.

Having owned two Rivieras (33 & 3850), here's my take. Rivs are built first and foremost with practicality and affordability in mind. (before the company was acquired) They are not hardcore game boats but can be fished. Rivieras are also not heavily built but are still strong enough to endure years of use in rough seas. Hull and superstructure integrity is never an issue. You won't be facing problems such as cracks, leaks, rattle, etc. Plus they are not fuel guzzlers being able to get away with lower HP engines. Great for markets where diesel are very expensive, like Australia. The compromise of this "light weight" construction however can be uncomfortably felt during choppy seas. You get pushed around a bit more than you would in an equivalent size Hatteras, Bertram, or Viking which is easily 10,000 lbs heavier. As for the interior, Riviera has very sensible layouts and decent proportions. The 3850 (sold Stateside as Wellcraft Coastal 400) even comes with a separate dinette, rare for a boat under 40 ft. The head with a shower stall is very cramped. (The 3850 hull came from the Riviera 4000 sports cruiser with a flybridge added.) Would I consider another Riviera? Yes, but not the current generation. They have become way too fancy and are now truly floating lounges that happens to look like a sports fisherman. Modern Rivs are also fitted with IPS which are horrendously expensive to maintain compared to straight shafts. IPS boats tend to be stern heavy screwing up the handling. Relocating engines forward means turning to jackshaft - creating more complexity - so why not just stick with normal shaft drive with bow/stern thrusters.

You answered your own question. IPS boats are a lot more fuel efficient in a twin engine configuration. 30-40% more fuel efficient than shafts, generally.