After a stifling August of dog days, muggy mornings and sticky humidity, the early September air in Newport felt refreshingly crisp. The temperature sat comfortably in the 60s, the sky was a vivid blue and sunlight scattered across the water. It was ideal weather for a quick cruise around Narragansett Bay — and the MJM 42 was the perfect boat for it.
The MJM 42, carrying ten guests invited by the builder for the boat’s launch party the previous evening, eased away from the Sail Newport dock at Fort Adams and headed upriver. We passed the 135-foot tall ship Oliver Hazard Perry, its black steel hull filling the port window, and soon the 1,601-foot main span of the Newport Bridge came into view. Familiar landmarks felt renewed from the vantage of MJM’s newest performance express cruiser, a design clearly focused on maximizing water views and on-deck enjoyment.
The pilothouse is the best spectator seat aboard, thanks to oversized windows that run the length of the space and provide panoramic sightlines. Aft, the pilothouse bulkhead can be fitted entirely in glass with a sliding door or—in our test boat—in three sections of strataglass clear vinyl. Those panels had been removed for the day, creating an open flow to the cockpit, though they can be quickly reinstalled if the breeze turns sharp. That ability to close off the elements while still feeling connected to the water is a defining strength of this all-weather cruiser.
MJM conceived the 42 with two priorities: deliver a capable platform for entertaining on day trips and offer comfortable accommodations for extended cruises. The design team consulted owners familiar with MJM liveaboard models, notably the former 40Z, a model once praised as an ideal cruising boat for couples. While the 40Z is no longer in production, the new 42 is positioned to carry forward its strengths.
Among the features that impressed current 40Z owners aboard were the single-level deck and a galley-up layout in the pilothouse, which enhances the boat’s entertaining capabilities. The accommodations below are designed for extended stays: generous hanging lockers, a roomy head with a glass-enclosed shower and an open layout that’s divided by a wide pocket door. That pocket door separates the forward master stateroom from the amidships lounge and incorporates smart glass that switches from clear to opaque for instant privacy. A secondary berth amidships provides ideal space for guests or grandchildren.
Power choices for the MJM 42 include twin 440-hp Volvo Penta D6 diesels with DPI Aquamatic sterndrives or dual 600-hp Mercury Verado outboards. Owners familiar with IPS pod drives on other MJM boats noted the DPI package’s unique benefits—particularly its trim capability that makes accessing shallower waters more feasible. Outboards typically offer higher top speeds and may be more popular, but the diesel DPI option delivers better fuel economy and cruising range, and accommodates a full transom platform capable of carrying a tender. Even with inboard diesels, the engine room design still leaves room for a lazarette for stowage.
Jeff Donahue, MJM’s vice president of sales, steered from the builder’s signature destroyer wheel as the 42 picked up speed. He pointed out that the bow remained composed during acceleration — the hull tracked relatively flat and avoided burying the stern, which would create drag. That behavior reflects the deep-V hull form and a focus on weight control in the post-cured, epoxy-infused hull built in Washington, North Carolina. At wide-open throttle (3,800 rpm) the boat reached 39.2 knots and returned roughly 1 mpg. At a comfortable cruising setting (2,800 rpm) she held about 26 knots and averaged 1.3 mpg, yielding a cruising range near 360 nautical miles. “We design every boat around performance,” Donahue said. “Yet on this 42, after you arrive at your destination, you can open up the boat and really enjoy it with your family. That sets it apart.”
MJM CEO Natascia Hatch pointed out a thoughtful interior touch: a convertible seat opposite the helm whose backrest flips forward so the passenger can face the dining table, which seats five. The table and numerous interior accents are crafted from American cherry in MJM’s wood shop, with fine details like frames, surrounds and dovetail joints in the drawers underscoring the boat’s finish quality.
Two standard items on the 42 that stood out were the generator and the gyro stabilizer, features that support comfortable cruising and onboard livability. Stylistically, this MJM exhibits increased flare, tumblehome and spring in the sheer—refinements that further the builder’s Carolina Downeast aesthetic while enhancing both looks and seakeeping.
Back at the slip, one guest, Boston insurance broker Greg Kerkorian, summarized the day succinctly after stepping off board: expectations are high for a boat like this, but the MJM 42 proved solid and exceptionally enjoyable underway. “It’s an experience like no other,” Kerkorian said. “The boat is in a class by itself, for many reasons.”
Specifications
LOA: 46’8”
Beam: 12’0”
Draft (drives up): 2’4”
Draft: (drives down) 3’6”
Displ: 19,432 lbs.
Fuel: 350 gals.
Water: 110 gals.
December 2024