What’s more important to you in a boat: the ability to travel in comfort for long distances, or the ability to invite all of your friends and family aboard for cocktail hour without feeling cramped? Either way, there’s a brand new build on the water which might fit the bill: the Aquila 44.
The Aquila floats on a pair of powercat hulls, so it carries its full beam well forward and has much more space than the usual 44-footer. Note: that beam is a whopping 21’6”, so the boat is nearly as wide as it is long. From a cruising perspective, this means the master stateroom, which is oriented across the beam under the bowdeck and occupies both hulls plus the center section of the boat, is shockingly expansive. In the port hull you’ll find a full head with a stand-up shower, the center section has a pedestal queen berth, and the starboard hull has an extra sitting area with a small settee.
Yes, that’s right, the master in a 44-footer has a separate sitting area with a settee — something you won’t commonly see until you enter the 60-plus range. Unless, of course, the guest’s quarters are slimmed down to make the extra room. But that’s not the case here. Instead, two guest staterooms are built into the hulls, one on each side, each also with its own head and shower. That’s a ton of stateroom space for a boat of this LOA, but again, because of that wide beam carried forward, it doesn’t eat into the other areas of the boat. There’s still a saloon with seating for eight (six at the dinette and two in easy chairs) and a full galley aft.
The hull design also makes for keeping up a fairly good pace while cruising, with good efficiency. A placid seven-knot cruise nets you about three miles to the gallon, but when you need to make time, you can double the speed and get about one mile to the gallon. At wide-open throttle, the Aquila 44 breaks 17 knots while burning 22 gallons per hour. The only down-side here is handling; it’s not exactly “sporty,” and it takes a lot of wheel to get this boat turning.
At the dock, on the other hand, oppose the widely-spaced Volvo-Penta D4 diesels, and you can spin the boat in its length. Enough about cruising — it’s party time! Sure, the Aquila has a big swim platform, with steps that are designed to serve as seats. Yes, the cockpit has plenty of space and is sheltered by the flybridge overhang. Plus, there’s a built-in two-stool bar. But party central on this boat is up on the bridge, for sure. The helm seat has room for several passengers, and there’s a big, comfy U-shaped settee aft. An entertainment unit behind the helm seat houses a wet bar and a built-in grill. The best thing about this bridge is the easy access. Your guests can walk up a set of aft stairs to get here and enjoy the views, or they can walk up or down a separate set of stairs that’s built into the forward brow and leads to the foredeck. Add some tanning pads to the rail seats that are integrated into the bowrail, and virtually every outdoor surface on this boat becomes an entertainment area.
It’s pretty rare to discover an all-new build, which brings such an unusual design to the market. Whether you’re up for a long cruise or you like inviting a long list of guests aboard, the Aquila 44 has something to offer. An interesting boat, no?