Cruisers 48 Cantius

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In regions like the Great Lakes, the Northwest and the subtropics of the Southeast, time on the water can be curtailed by either the short summer season of the north or the sometimes unbearable heat of the south. This is especially true if you have an express model with just one helm open to the sky. The designers at Cruisers didn’t waste time scratching their heads before they developed a gorgeous solution for comfortable cruising in the sweltering heat or withering cold. And it’s available in their latest, the 48 Cantius express cruiser.

It was spitting rain under a blanket of fog as I stepped aboard the 48 at its Oconto, Wisconsin, berth on Lake Michigan. Instead of having to unzip curtains and fumble through them, my host tucked his fingers into a notch on the aft sliding door and slipped it aside, opening the salon to the teak-rich cockpit. When I walked inside, instead of being shrouded in murky eisenglass, I was invited into a bright and open salon with a short step to the bridge deck to starboard and a comparable step to the dinette to port. A portside lounge and a starboard wet bar made this the central gathering place on board, whether the salon was opened or closed to the aft deck.

John Viestenz, my host, clicked the door shut behind us with a fingertip, and, though the uncomfortable weather was shut out, our crew was enveloped by the majesty of the waterway, with a 360-degree view so inviting it was like we were still participating in the outdoor experience, not escaping it. Heat was not needed but it was available, as was air conditioning, for perfect climate control. Ducts at the helm and console, along with those strategically arranged around the salon, allowed for tuning the indoor temperature to perfection.