M48 Far Niente: the first motorized Baltic, an exceptional Classic Boat (14.8 m)

The world of motor boating is constantly growing, new is always the big news, and innovation does not stop. At this juncture, there are many major “sailing” brands facing the transition to the motor, not to mention the brands that are now established and, in expanding their fronts, have created immediately excellent hulls, instant-cults. But, even looking back, we find goodies spawned by non-native “brands” of the engine. One among them, a
Classic Boat
not indifferent. It’s 1997, and we’re talking about a 14.8-meter 1250-horsepower boat with elegance to spare: it’s the Baltic M48 Far Niente, the first powerboat signed by the Finnish
Baltic Yachts
, a sailing giant.

Baltic M48 Far Nothing

An extremely classic look for a yacht with traditional styling, red cherry interior, and blue and white livery. An elegant boat, looking yes classy, but not particularly innovative. A deceiving glance, because in reality the M48 is a deeply high-tech hull in its historical context. Indeed, behind the surface is a small technical marvel, a hull that is not only marine and elegant, but profoundly innovative, a deep V designed by C. Raymond Hunt & Associates and built with the highest technology of the time: a sandwich of resin, balsa and Kevlar vacuum-laminated to ensure maximum comfort and performance.

Baltic M48 Far Nothing – Exterior

High bow, deep V, and upright transom, with a hint of a swim platform, to facilitate access to the water or aboard. The whole, strictly navy blue, highlighted by a thin white band. The body of the main white cabin structure stands on a windowed deckhouse running the length of the deck, complete with both aft access and a platform for tender storage. The central body, on the other hand, is elevated, windowed on its 360 degrees, and offers full visibility, with the wheelhouse well bowed to improve visibility even beyond the pulpit.

Served by a small mast with davit, the aft section provides access to the small flybridge, complete with ergonomic seating and wheelhouse, while, forward, the deckhouse is also usable as a sunbathing area. Overall, a look that looks to the past, to the great yachting classics of the 1960s and 1970s, combining timeless lines with technologies and solutions, on the other hand, at the cutting edge of the late 1990s.

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 Interior

Shifting the focus to the interior volumes, the rooms feature cherry wood finishes and are furnished in traditional styles: woods everywhere, beveled corners, and seafaring arrangements, to always offer a foothold, always a support-even in the roughest seas. In terms of layout, daytime living takes place in the main hall, made in the deck-house. Here, the wheelhouse engages the left-hand spaces, complete with all the instrumentation dedicated to navigation. On the starboard side, however, space is carved out for a chart and communication equipment. Between the two, a walkway leads to the forward rooms, further down, where one of the two ship’s cabins is located.

Behind the wheelhouse, however, is the living area, consisting of an L-shaped sofa with a central table and kitchen facing, on the opposite walls. All this, surrounded by glass windows and bathed in the warm colors of wood, in an environment made with extreme care, including that devoted to soundproofing, a prerogative of the project.

It is by continuing aft that, finally, the second cabin finds its place, under the deckhouse that engages the spaces usually devoted to the cockpit. Here, two bunks engage the spaces, in a cabin complete with closets, toilet and direct access to the outside.

Motorization

Coming, finally, to the engine room, the M48 demonstrates, on this front, another peculiarity, later to become standard in this kind of construction. First, each component here is isolated from the hull. A very specific choice defined by one key element: the desire to minimize the transmission of sound and vibration, otherwise easily transmitted through vibrations distributed along the hull. From pumps to transmission, then, as well as from motors to generators, from air conditioning to hydraulics, every element is carefully isolated.

Finally, in terms of components, the propulsion apparatuses were composed as follows: to provide thrust, from the original 1997 design turn out installi a pair of MTU 6R183 TE93 of 625 horsepower each, for 460kW generated at 2300 rpm. Providing assistance in maneuvering instead, two Lewmar 8-horsepower thrusters handled the bow and stern thrusters while, power, was provided eventually by a 6kW diesel auxiliary generator. Finally, the overall fuel capacity offered a total load of 2700 liters embarkable.

Baltic M48 Far Niente – Data Sheet