However, if you have reservations about being in a sensory deprivation chamber, have no fear. In addition to the large sunroof, the after bulkhead between the salon/galley and aft deck opens almost completely, creating an area that’s hard to beat while entertaining or relaxing on the hook. The cockpit is deep, offering additional security for the kids, and features a straight settee with folding table across the transom and a small L-shaped settee against the bulkhead.
The large hydraulic swim platform drops down to allow for an easy retrieval of the tender, which fits snugly under the cockpit. (Our test boat held a 3.1-meter RIB.) Riviera also took advantage of the volume in the transom, and installed the barbecue grill here. The location works, since the grill will almost always be downwind at anchor, carrying the smoke away from guests on the aft deck.
Walking forward to grab the spring line, I instantly noticed the wide side decks, with high safety rails, lined by a substantial bulwark. A Muir windlass handles the ground tackle, while a double sunpad on the forward coach roof handles the sun worshippers.
Below, Riviera offers two accommodation plans. Our test boat featured the standard three-stateroom, two-head plan, but there is an option for a two-stateroom layout which has a settee in lieu of the starboard stateroom. On our test boat, which was hull number one of the 5000 Sport Yacht, an amidships stateroom will keep guests comfortable for a long cruise. The double berth is tucked between two bulkheads and takes a little bit of stretching to get into, but the space, in my opinion, is more than sufficient for a 50-foot express-style boat.
A twin-bunk stateroom is to starboard, with the master tucked into the forward section where it benefits from natural light, tons of stowage — including space under the berth — and an en suite head with a huge shower stall. There is a washer and dryer combination unit in the passageway, sitting atop another freezer.
On the salon level a settee runs most of the length of the port side. You’ll need a few stools to accommodate six people, assuming your staterooms are full up. Otherwise, it will seat four comfortably as is, and flanks the fully equipped galley. Features include one drawerstyle refrigerator and one freezer, a microwave, a dishwasher and a two-burner cook-top under the counter.
The 5000 debuts at the Ft. Lauderdale International Boat Show, along with the Riviera 5800 Sport Yacht and the new 43 Open Flybridge. Make sure you take a look if you’re in the market, but trust me, the 5000 Sport Yacht will really pull at your heartstrings once you spend some extended time aboard and put her through her paces offshore. Idle dockside candy, she certainly is not.
LOA: 54’9”
Beam: 15’7”
Draft: 3’7”
Displ.: 40,800 lb.
Fuel: 608 gal.
Water: 198 gal.
Holding: 40 gal.
Engines Tested: 2 x 593-bhp Cummins QSC8.3 600 diesels w/ Zeus drives
Price: Upon Request
The Riviera Group, 772-872-7260; Riviera.com.au
