Barton & Gray’s New Daychaser: A 48-Foot Luxury Dayboat Built for Social Cruising

Barton & Gray Mariners Club, a membership yacht club founded in Nantucket in 2006, operates a fleet of approximately 70 captained yachts positioned across more than 30 harbors and islands. With a current base membership fee of $39,500, the club has expanded rapidly and is reporting record activity levels — forecasting some 12,000 outings this year alone. In response to member demand for more sociable on-water experiences, Barton & Gray has commissioned a new purpose-built dayboat: the Daychaser.

The Daychaser is a 48-foot luxury dayboat designed by Doug Zurn of Marblehead, Massachusetts. While the Barton & Gray fleet is largely made up of nearly 70 Hinckley yachts, the club recognized a growing need for a boat with more generous above-deck social spaces and fewer below-deck staterooms. Zurn’s Daychaser answers that brief with a clean Downeast aesthetic and an interior layout optimized for entertaining small groups on short cruises.

Built by Boston Boatworks, the Daychaser features classic Downeast styling with rich teak and mahogany finishes that evoke traditional craftsmanship while supporting contemporary comfort. The open-plan layout centers on a walk-through windshield that creates a seamless flow between helm, cockpit and bow seating. Forward lounge seating and versatile cockpit arrangements provide multiple conversation areas, while dedicated dining tables, a compact bar and lounge seating cater to relaxed entertaining and casual dining.

Recognizing that many club outings are catered, the Daychaser’s galley and cold-storage systems are oversized for a boat of its length. Generous refrigeration and freezer capacity ensure that food and beverage service for groups is handled efficiently, allowing guests to focus on cruising and socializing rather than provisioning constraints. The cockpit itself is large enough to accommodate dining setups and lounge arrangements, and a wide swim platform provides easy water access for swimming and tender boarding.

The boat’s lower accommodations are intentionally minimalist because Barton & Gray members typically take short cruises lasting one to four hours and do not require multiple full staterooms. Below deck the Daychaser offers a single berth for resting or a quick nap, a head with a shower, and a compact worktable that doubles as a place to catch up on business while underway. The layout emphasizes daytime comfort and utility rather than extended-cruise living.

Power comes from twin 550-hp Cummins diesel engines driving Hamilton water jets, a combination that provides responsive acceleration, excellent maneuverability and a top speed of approximately 35 knots. While the Daychaser is not built as a high-performance craft — Zurn notes the priority was entertaining and a comfortable ride — the jet drives give the boat a shallow 2-foot, 6-inch draft, making beaching and access to shallow anchorages simple and stress-free.

Boston Boatworks delivered the first hull to Barton & Gray, and the yard planned a further build run with nine additional Daychasers scheduled for delivery in spring 2023. The type reflects the club’s strategy of offering captained, turnkey boating experiences that prioritize social connection, ease of use and regional access across a wide network of member locations.

Designed to serve as a day-focused luxury platform rather than an overnight cruiser, the Daychaser positions Barton & Gray to accommodate members who favor short, sociable outings with full-service catering and attentive crew. The combination of classic aesthetics, practical entertaining spaces, ample cold storage and shallow-draft capability makes the Daychaser well suited to coastal cruising, island hopping and group daycharters in a variety of harbors.

Key specifications:

LOA: 48’9″

Beam: 14’11”

Draft: 2’6″

Displacement: 29,098 lbs.

Fuel capacity: 584 gals.

Water capacity: 173 gals.

Power: (2) 550-hp Cummins diesel engines paired to Hamilton jet drives; top speed approximately 35 knots.