Courtesy Marex Boats
Chris Gray has always felt drawn to the water and to the boats that make exploration possible.
“Boating wasn’t something my family did when I was growing up in New Jersey—my mom got seasick—yet my dad’s business partner ran a tuna boat out 100 miles on weekends,” Gray remembers. “That always fascinated me and planted the idea that someday I’d do the same.”
He left home to study at Roger Williams University in Bristol, Rhode Island, where views of Narragansett Bay fueled his interest. There he met Anne, who shared his love of the water. The pair moved to Boston to build careers—Anne in medicine and Chris in tech—and when their savings allowed, they began looking for a boat of their own.
Their first purchase was a Ranger Tug R 25 with a single diesel, kept in Bristol. It took them along the Rhode Island coast to spots such as Newport and Providence and confirmed what they had long suspected: the water was central to their lives.
After three seasons aboard the R 25 they began eyeing something larger. “We loved that boat, but we wanted twin engines for finer control and better maneuverability, plus an all-weather design we could use beyond summer,” Gray explains.
Their search moved online to video reviews, where they discovered Marex. The family-owned Norwegian company, founded in 1973, has a reputation for well-built, cleverly designed family cruisers. Marex’s line ranges from about 31 to 45 feet, and the Grays were immediately attracted to the 330 Scandinavia. The issue: there were no nearby demo boats to try.
At the time Marex’s U.S. distribution was still growing, so buying without stepping aboard was a real possibility. Fortunately, Chris Hughes, president of Marex Boats USA, connected them with a Michigan couple who owned a 330 and agreed to take the Grays for a sea trial.
Last June Anne and Chris flew to Traverse City expecting only to look—but the owners took them out on Lake Michigan for a full day. “It was an excellent test run,” Gray says. “We called Marex soon after and said, ‘We’ll take it.’ ”
They took delivery of their 330 last fall and named her Tessie. “We used Tessie into November,” Gray says. “With the roomy cabin and enclosed pilothouse we could run the heater and be comfortable. Our season was shorter, but incredibly satisfying.”
At 6 feet 2 inches, Gray appreciates the spacious forward master cabin compared with the tighter quarters on their previous boat. The master offers a generous berth and an en-suite head with a separate shower. “On the Marex I can stand and shower like a normal person, not a contortionist,” he laughs. The guest cabin accommodates two and often hosts visiting friends who enjoy seeing Bristol from the water.
For the Grays the Marex 330 Scandinavia strikes the perfect balance. Its accommodations—a full galley, convertible dinette, two heads and exceptionally roomy cockpit lounge seating—fit their plans for extended weekends and summer getaways. The convertible cockpit enclosure system gives them flexibility to boat year-round: sealed up for foul weather or open with the manual sunroofs and stowed enclosure on fine days. “We commute more than 60 miles from Boston, so when we arrive we want to use the boat right away, regardless of whether the weather is perfect,” Chris says.
Thoughtful details stand out: wide sidedecks, a helm door, smart stowage, well-positioned safety rails, a deep cockpit with healthy freeboard and quality Scandinavian joinery. The helm door allows the skipper to step directly onto the sidedeck—especially useful when docking alone. Overall, the 330 is a compact but highly versatile family cruiser.
A standout on their boat is the Axius joystick piloting system for sterndrives. “It changed how we handle tight spots,” Gray says. Combined with a bow thruster, docking and close-quarters maneuvering become far less stressful in the constant wind and current of their home waters.
Tessie is powered by twin 270-hp diesels, capable of 37 knots at wide-open throttle. At a cruise speed of 27.5 knots and 3,200 rpm she burns about 19.4 gallons per hour, giving a range of roughly 262 nautical miles—enough to reach destinations that felt out of reach before. “With our old boat we stuck to protected spots. On Tessie we can easily run out to Block Island and Martha’s Vineyard,” Chris notes.
Tessie’s lines and layout stand out in her Bristol slip, where she often sits beside outboard-powered center consoles and Downeast-style cruisers. The Marex’s Scandinavian design—conceived in Norway, built in Lithuania and recognized across Europe—remains uncommon in the U.S., and her interior volume and layout regularly surprise fellow boaters.
“Neighbors at the marina come by asking, ‘What’s this?’” Gray says. “They’re surprised by how spacious she is inside, the clean lines and how enjoyable she is to be on. We enjoy showing Tessie off and sharing our experience with a brand that’s been building boats in Europe for decades.”
