On the upper deck, you’ll find enough room to throw a party, and because it spans the full beam over the side decks below (providing sun and rain protection), the boat deck can carry a tender up to 12 feet, launched and retrieved via the optional Steelhead davit. The living area forward around the helm is equipped with Tracy pedestal chairs, an L-shape settee and table, plus an outdoor galley with sink, fridge, and grill. Our test boat had a soft-top with full Strataglass enclosure (a fiberglass hardtop is available), because it was designed to make the Great Loop passage under bridges. This soft top lets the electronics arch hinge forward for low bridges, eliminating long waits on many canals.
The Altima 45 is fairly beamy at 15 feet, 2 inches, and that width has permitted the design team to provide wide side decks without shrinking the saloon and galley. High bulwarks, capped by oval stainless steel rails, add to the margin of safety as guests and crew move forward and aft. I liked the oversized combination hawse pipe/cleats, which are recessed.
Inside the saloon, an L-shape settee on the port side faces the pop-up 30-inch TV. If this were my boat, I’d put the TV inside the cabinet in the after starboard corner, which would free up stowage beneath the counter. The galley has overhead lockers, lots of drawers, pantry, and separate freezer and refrigerator, which ought to stow everything a cruising family needs for a week, or two, on the water. The flush-mounted three-burner Princess ceramic cooktop doesn’t take up much space, and the convection oven is standard. Our test boat had the optional lower helm, which is a good choice for any owner/skipper who likes to be part of the activity in the saloon when the boat is underway. A sliding pilothouse door opens to the side deck for easy access.
A number of layouts are offered but, as Sciortino notes, “We’re a semi-custom builder,” so anything a customer might desire, within reason, is available. On our test boat, the layout put the master stateroom and its private head forward. The master cabin is pleasantly wrapped in African mahogany, a warm wood sometimes mistaken for teak, and features a raised queen-size berth with stowage beneath and in eye-level lockers around the cabin. The spacious head has a large shower, mirrored overhead, and a Techma quiet-flush toilet.
The second stateroom can be fitted with twin berths or a double, but it has more flexibility when it’s equipped with the settee/ berth as it was on our test boat. The settee can pull out to become a berth, or it can be used with a desk as an office. Either way, the roomy head doubles as a day-head.
Powered by the optional 425-horsepower Cummins, the Altima 45 topped out just shy of 20 knots and, at 10 knots, she sips fuel at about one nautical mile per gallon.
The standard equipment list is surprising, particularly when you consider that you’re going to get back change from $600,000 on a well-equipped Altima 45. Bow and stern thrusters from Sidepower, a Lewmar windlass and all-chain rode, a Bose entertainment system, and a Xantrex 3 kW inverter are just some of the standard items.
Good-looking, well built, and comprehensively equipped, the Altima 45 offers buyers a lot of boat. She’s an honest and straightforward yacht that doesn’t rely on gimmicks or tricks to catch your attention. She’s an exceptional value.
LOA: 45’
LWL: 40’10”
Beam: 15’2”
Draft: 3’11”
Displ.: 39,000 lb.
Fuel: 625 gal.
Water: 250 gal.
Deadrise: 12 degrees
Engine Options: 2 x 380-hp Cummins diesels; 2 x 500-hp Cummins diesels
Engines Tested: 2 x 425-hp Cummins diesels
Base Price: $550,000(approx.)
Altima Yachts, (954) 547-1011; www.altimayachts.com
