Review: Belize 54 Daybridge

Boating evolution is truly inspiring. While there are always fads, trends and chic styling it is often at the expense of comfort and practicality. Thankfully, some premium manufacturers offer timeless beauty such as the Belize 54. They say that quality never goes out of style, and I’ll guarantee you the Belize won’t be old fashioned in my lifetime.

Practicality and technology are also advancing into brave new worlds. The marine sector has warmly embraced modern innovations such as the Volvo Penta IPS drive systems with the ease of joystick manoeuvrability. Then there’s CZone digital control and monitoring; heavily refined high-performance hulls with the latest construction techniques and material innovations, state of the art electrical componentry – including compact navigation and depth-sounding instrumentation – new-era information, entertainment and communication options, and beautifully refined design, materials, workmanship and finishes. All of these elements combine to create the beautiful Belize 54.

DAY ON THE BRIDGE

Belize Motor Yachts offer individual designs that are simply nautical eye candy from first to last. The 54-foot hull comes in both Daybridge and Sedan options for differing tastes, and perhaps individual mooring and travelling lifestyles. We took the Daybridge for a performance test (and fun cruise) into the Gold Coast Seaway from Runaway Bay Marina on another drop-dead gorgeous day in South East Queensland.

From first glance I knew we were in for a treat. She has captivating outward appeal with stunning lines from bow to stern. The hull installs seafaring confidence from its 16.5-metre overall length and 5-metre wide beam. It has a solid sheer around the coaming, with terrific freeboard combining with the space efficiencies offered by the IPS power to create immense internal volume. Make no mistake; the Belize 54 is a fun boat with tremendous flow for easy living. 

Belize says, “The Belize designers have struck a keen-eyed balance between European panache and Australian practicality and have delivered greater elegance and space – in all the living areas.”

They have certainly delivered in all sectors with a terrific emphasis on liveability. Boarding from the stern we find a very sensibly sized teak-laid hydraulic transom platform that can be the launching pad for a swim party or the three-metre tender in the transom garage. The smart design also supplies an electric grill with sink thoughtfully enclosed above the garage entry.

Take just a couple of steps up through the gates into the aft cockpit and you are invited to a celebration of alfresco living, with single-level flow all the way through to the lower helm. The upholstered rear lounge is just the thing for comfortable relaxation and the accompanying solid timber table has a wonderful adjustable height mechanism that allows it to drop to form a rear lounge, all with the protection of a full-length soft awning. 

COCKTAIL BAR

The old song You’ll Always Find Me In The Kitchen At Parties doesn’t really seem appropriate for the Belize, as you’ll be more likely to find me on one of the twin adjustable stools at the cocktail bar on the port side of the rear deck. It sits just outside the curved, sliding, glass doorway leading into the saloon. Opposite is the rear access to the extended flybridge with refrigerated cabinets integrated into the supports. There are easily traversed side walkways both sides and you don’t need to be a contortionist to get there with easy teak-lined steps. 

Take a moment as you enter the saloon to respect the magnificent presentation that unfolds, beckoning you to relax and enjoy. The finishes, textures, design and layout are superb. Belize showcase predominantly beige Italian leather upholstery combined with solid teak flooring throughout the saloon and helm. The stainless steel fittings display beautiful workmanship as does all of the hand-polished satin finished American walnut cabinetry, solid-surface benchtops, upholstered and moulded ceiling liners, ebony, two-pack white and flecked linen accents.

There’s a large and beautifully upholstered leather dinette to the starboard with an extendable table that could seat six guests in comfort, plus a pair of pull-out ottomans that double as seats. If you just want to laze back in front of the silly box, a concealed 40-inch TV rises from the aft cabinetry at the touch of a button combining with the Yamaha Advantage 2050 AV system, including Blu-ray and iPod dock with flush-mount surround-sound speakers. The side windows open for natural ventilation and there are electric blinds for privacy and insulation from the glaring sun. When the going gets hot you will be most thankful for the 18,000 BTU air-conditioning. 

The open galley runs north to south on the port side, with a café-style window to the cockpit bar. The galley combines a Miele three burner cooktop, dishwasher and combination microwave/convection oven plus a Grohe Euro single faucet tap and twin stainless steel sinks, garbage receptacle, two Vitrifrigo AC/DC pull-out drawer fridges and one AC/DC drawer-type freezer. There are overhead cabinets over both sides of the saloon, with an exhaust fan built-in over the cooktop plus a selection of LED lighting options throughout, including downlights. There is an electrical panel in the aft corner with lighting switchgear, a host of electrical monitors and the BEP CZone digitally networked full boat control and monitoring system with 10-inch screen, and independent power supplied by a 17.5kVa Onan generator.

SPORTY SPICE

Up front, the helm is exceptionally sporty. The electric Treban leather skipper seat is mated side-by-side with a dual bench on the same platform keeping the helmsman as a central point in the social aspect of the boat. Under the helm is a large mirror-lined bar and storage drawer that also accommodates bottles and glasses. All of the instrumentation is beautifully recessed into an exquisite leather-stitched dashboard. This is a driver’s boat.

The helm controls and accessories feature a pair of Garmin 16-inch multifunction navigation screens including 48 nautical mile radar, in-house monitoring cameras, autopilot, Muir windlass control, compass, switch panels, communications (VHF), alarms, Volvo Penta electronic controls, display and joystick, all finished off by one of the nicest sports steering wheels. 

Stairwells can be quite a challenge in many cruisers, but not the Belize. It runs downstairs to the port side of the helm, with the three-panel windscreen flooding natural light overhead. It flows conveniently into the guest/day head access where you find a very large shower, marble top vanity with large, well-lit dressing mirrors, plenty of storage, opening porthole with blind, alarm and flyscreen, an extraction fan, and the Tecma Silence DC toilet.

Opposite the guest bathroom is a bunkroom with two large singles and plenty of room before leading forward to the VIP berth with its island double bed and 8-inch innerspring mattress. The natural timber and leather trims continue throughout the accommodation levels, as do the plush carpets. The VIP cabin has two cedar-lined wardrobes, plus plenty of storage under the bed with a further array of mood and reading lights, a make-up dresser with mirror, TV, oval portholes and a deck hatch with screens and blind.

As we head back toward the master stateroom amidships, a Miele washer and dryer are cleverly enclosed behind a hallway panel. The convenience of utilising the Volvo Penta IPS pod drives is that it also allows so much room for the master cabin in the most stable position available in the beamy hull. I must add that I reckon you can often rate the quality of a fitout by its doorways and the Belize takes full points with its solid timber doors that have light-grey gloss painted accents. When you close them you will hear and feel the quality.

The master cabin is treated to a centrally located queen-size island bed with storage underneath and Euro-design bed heads that combine alluringly with mirror backing and beige ceiling trims. The ceiling height reduces somewhat over the bed due to the saloon and helm above but is entirely inviting and comfortable. There is plenty of flooding light either side and a combination lounge and dresser to port complete with a small make-up table. The master en-suite is on the starboard side with all of the convenience and features reflecting the day head, but with more bench and cabinet space. The beautifully inviting master features plenty of lighting options, lovely rounded timber bed surrounds, linen and gloss-painted feature panel accents, bedside tables, wardrobes, commodes and, like all of the accommodation, individually controlled air-conditioning.  Entertainment is provided by a fixed 24-inch TV/DVD.

DAYBRIDGE FREEDOM

Who can deny that “top of the world” feeling of cruising a magnificent waterway on a lovely day in the comfort of an extended flybridge (Daybridge). Now that is living!

This one’s not too big and not too small, and has the comfortable facilities to host its own little upstairs party. The helm itself boasts twin Stidd helmsman’s chairs overseeing a dashboard array mimicking the downstairs controls, including twin 16-inch Garmin multifunction screens, IPS joystick control and a CZone digital switching control panel. To keep the cruising comfortable for the rest of the party there’s a large L-shaped lounge with teak high-low table that can drop to create a sunpad. Opposite is a wet bar with sink and drawer fridge. Overhead is a collapsible bimini and behind a navigation tower including the radar module.

THE BUILD

Belize utilises the latest in modern fibreglass construction methods to produce a technically advanced hull. It incorporates resin-infused composite construction with a double vinylester outer skin, isophthalic gelcoat exterior (white), foam cored and GRP sheathed longitudinal and transverse stringers, a watertight stepped collision bulkhead, independent foam-filled hull compartments, and solid GRP keel, chines and engine penetration area.

The combination of construction technique, advanced hull design, weight distribution and Volvo Penta IPS with three-station joystick docking makes this beautiful motor cruiser an absolute dream to drive and exceptionally easy for low-speed manoeuvrability. 

Our test unit was fitted with twin IPS950 533kW / 725 horse power 10.8-litre D11 six-cylinder diesel engines with pod drives. There is no doubt of the advanced engineering and ultimate performance of the forward-facing, counter-rotating propellers and pod drives, and the extreme manoeuvrability offered by the three-station joystick controls. 

At wide open throttle and a full load you can expect an exhilarating 34.2 knots at 2510rpm where you will be consuming a total of 284 litres per hour, but still allowing a wide 325 nautical miles range from the 3000 litres  fuel capacity with 10 per cent reserve.

While it’s fun to blow the cobwebs out occasionally, you will more than likely cruise at a more stately 19 to 23 knots at 1800 to 2000rpm with its combined fuel consumption of 140 to 174 litres per hour. Consumption only varies around 10 to 15 per cent from cruise to top end.  

Overall the Belize 54 is soft and smooth, elegant yet sporty, supremely responsive and a magnificent entertainer – just as you would expect from its prime DNA. Bellissimo, Belize.

Facts and Figures

BELIZE 54 DAYBRIDGE

PRICED FROM 

$2,095,000

GENERAL 

TYPE Monohull

MATERIAL GRP

LENGTH 16.52m 

BEAM 5.02m

DRAFT 1.25m (max)

WEIGHT 3.2t (dry)

CAPACITIES

PEOPLE 6 (night) 

FUEL 3000L

WATER 700L

ENGINE

MAKE/MODEL 2 x Volvo Penta 

IPS950 D11 

TYPE Inline six-cylinder 10.8L turbo diesel w/ IPS drives

RATED HP 725 (each) 

DISPLACEMENT 10.8lt (each)

PROPELLER Duoprop

SUPPLIED BY

Riviera Australia 

www.rivieraaustralia.com.