You love cruising, but you’re not interested in having gobs of power on a fuel-chugging monstrosity that gets half a mile to the gallon? Nor are you interested in being at the mercy of the wind? Modern recreational tugs can deliver the efficiency of a trawler and the comfort of a yacht, and when it comes to enjoying the journey when you embark upon serious coastal cruising, few will prove as versatile as the American Tug 362.
First, consider performance. With a single 320-hp Volvo Penta D4 under the deck the 362 gives you lots and lots of options as to how you cruise. Set the throttle at a mellow 1100 idle and you’ll make around five knots while burning a miserly 0.6 gph. That shakes out to over 8.5 nmpg, a mark that’s hard to beat in any type of modern powerboat. That also delivers over 1700 nautical miles of range (including a 10-percent reserve), so you could take your time exploring every inch of the Bay’s shorelines—on just 10 tanks of fuel—or cruise from Baltimore to the Bahamas without ever having to stop and fill up.
At the opposite end of the cruising spectrum, you could crank the engine up to 2700 rpm and hop along at twice the speed, while still getting 1.3 nmpg. Or, push the throttle down and take the boat up to its top-end of just over 16 knots.
The wide range of flexibility extends to aspects of this boat well beyond its performance. The American Tug 362 has a two-stateroom layout, so it will work well for cruising as a couple, cruising as a family, or cruising with a second couple. The forward master stateroom features a queen pedestal berth, two hanging lockers, and two opening ports along with an overhead hatch to let in a cross-breeze. The guest stateroom has a double berth, hanging locker, two-drawer dresser, and an opening port. Both also feature USB ports, 110v outlets, and reading lights. And if you need even more berths after the sun’s gone down, the settee in the saloon converts into a double.
The main cabin features an open design with the saloon three steps down from the pilothouse. A full galley is to port, and there’s a settee and dinette to starboard. The most striking thing about the saloon is its traditional nautical look and feel, delivered by an extensive use of sapele mahogany and maple woods. Also note that the galley is a real one, not like the toy kitchens found on many boats, and this gives you the option to chef it up in a big way when the mood strikes. The refrigerator is a 7.3-cubic-foot upright, the stove top sports three burners, and there’s an actual oven as well as a microwave.
Sidedecks ring the cabin and doors on either side of the pilothouse to allow for easy access, while the saloon door opens out to the aft cockpit. It’s shaded by an overhang, and you can walk through to the swim platform via a transom door. On the bow you’ll find a Lofrans windlass with 50 feet of chain and a 200-foot rode along with a raw water washdown, all ringed by a stout bowrail. The flybridge is optional for those who want the ability to run the boat with the wind in their hair and the sun on their skin.
Just in case you might explore the idea of all-weather cruising, note that the American Tug 362 also offers a mix of electric and diesel furnace heat or air conditioning with reverse-cycle heat. And if visiting new and unfamiliar ports will be on the list, you’ll be happy to hear that the boat’s equipped with both bow and stern thrusters for easy close-quarters maneuverability. In fact, this boat is rigged and ready with just about all of the equipment you’d want for serious cruising: a 300-watt solar panel, a 2000-watt inverter/charger, a Northern Lights generator, 600-amp-hours of house battery power, a spare parts kits for the generator and engine, and sight-gauges on the fuel tanks. Let the journey begin—and enjoy the experience.
American Tug 362 Specifications:
LOA: 36’6”
Beam: 13’3”
Draft (min.): 3’5”
Displacement (approx., dry): 18,700 lbs.
Fuel Capacity: 230 gal.
Water Capacity: 120 gal.
Max HP: 320
Learn more: americantug.com
By Lenny Rudow