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" Now, for baby boomers who have enough bucks, the Brunswick Boat Group has launched a new line of yachts. Named Meridian, the new line will consist of seven vessels, ranging in length from 35 to 60 ft., and will be introduced in the 2003 model year. We took a close look at two of the new boats--the 411 Sedan and the company&amp;#039;s flagship, the 580 Pilothouse--when we had the opportunity to motor in them around the island of Manhattan. Overall, both the 411 and the 580 delivered pleasing acceleration and rode smoothly through the choppy water in the Hudson River. The 60-ft. Meridian 580 delivered a smoother ride, which is to be expected since it&amp;#039;s 14 ft. longer and has more than twice the dry weight of the 411.  Meridian 411 Sedan Soon after we arrived at Pier 59 in Manhattan, we found ourselves on board the midrange Meridian 411 Sedan. Meridian senior manager, and our skipper, Bill Stannard, quickly maneuvered the 46-ft. Sedan away from the pier and out into the Hudson River for some speed tests. We sank into the couch on the bridge and watched the water spray up over the bow as Stannard put the yacht through its paces. Despite the water traffic and the debris, Stannard was able to get the twin 370 Cummins MerCruiser Diesel engines up to 30.7 mph with a full load. Our cruising speed was 24.2 mph. The 411 is rated at a maximum speed of 31 mph under these conditions. Smoothness was the boat&amp;#039;s forte. There was no noticeable engine vibration in either the cabin or up on the 411&amp;#039;s bridge. The standard engines on the Meridian 411 are twin MerCruiser 8.1 Horizon gas inboards, each delivering 370 hp. The 370 Cummins MerCruiser Diesel engines on the model we tested are optional, as are twin 330 Cummins MerCruiser Diesel inboards. Strength And Durability The 411, as well as the rest of the Meridian line, was designed with an emphasis on strength and superior water resistance, explained Rob Anderson, Meridian project manager. This is achieved with an emphasis on &amp;quot;unitized&amp;quot; construction. The fiberglass construction process uses alternating layers of heavy-grade 24-ounce fiberglass and resin. The woven fiberglass is laid down in layers, in a pattern that resembles basket weave, for added strength. The fiberglass hull is molded as one continuous piece from gunwale to gunwale. Both the deck and the bridge also are molded as separate, continuous pieces. The hull, deck and bridge are then sealed together with polyurethane and bolted every 6 in. with 1/2-in. anchor bolts to form a single unit. The result is a smooth, almost seamless construction. Scored closed-cell foam coring is used in between the fiberglass parts. Meridian has confidence in its hull and deck designs, as evidenced by the 10-year structural hull-and-deck limited warranty on all seven Meridian models.  411 Interior All Meridian engine beds have aluminum transverse crossbeams to add strength and reduce vibration. These structural engine mountings transfer the weight, torque and thrust of the propulsion system to the structural components of the hull, according to the manufacturer. Meridian models also have longitudinal hull stiffeners. Load-bearing bulkheads are bonded to the hull. Docking On Command On the 411, we got a close look at the Docking On Command (D.O.C.) technology that is unique to the Meridian line. D.O.C., which is an option on the 411, uses a single boat-shaped switch on the dash to control the electric bow and stern thrusters that move the boat from side to side, or move the bow or stern in or out. Using a combination of throttle and Reverse, Stannard demonstrated how the boat can turn in its own length. &amp;quot;If you have a little time, almost anybody can maneuver it into the dock,&amp;quot; said Stannard. The Meridian line is designed for the 50-plus crowd, with a household income of $150,000 to $200,000, said Anderson. Many of the details that make these cruisers comfortable for boomers are evident in the 411 Sedan, which has a spacious, open bridge with wraparound L-shaped seating behind the 2-person helm seat bench. The living quarters have large cabins with an open seating plan, an entertainment center, a galley and plenty of storage. From the bridge, there is excellent visibility. A molded fiberglass staircase provides easy access from the deck to the bridge. The wide side-deck walkways have toe railings and antiskid surfaces molded into the deck, and a continuous stainless steel deck rail that runs from the bow to the aft deck gives passengers something solid to hold onto. The swim deck, which has an extended transom platform with a telescoping recessed ladder, is accessed by a sturdy transom door. For security, the cockpit storage is accessible only from the inside deck, not from the swimstep. We particularly liked the easy engine room access--the staircase from the deck to the bridge is hinged so you can pull it up with one hand to get to the engine room. The engine room itself has almost enough room for an adult to stand upright. The 580 also has the hinged-staircase access. The 411&amp;#039;s helm has standard instrumentation. Meridian yachts use Raymarine navigation systems. Our 411 was equipped with the company&amp;#039;s premium bridge package, which costs $11,050 and includes a GPS/10.4-in. color chart plotter, radar with chart overlay, 4-kw Radome antenna, VHF radio and digital depth sounder. To demonstrate the system Stannard overlaid the radar onto the chart display. The monitor clearly showed our course as well as what was in our path, even in the bright sunlight. Optional on the 411 is a second helm, down in the cabin. Down below, details like cherry wood, soft leather lounge seating, dual incliners, Karadon countertops and holly/teak flooring in the galley make the 411 a luxurious ride. The sliding glass entry doors from the aft deck to the salon, along with wide, safety-glass deck windows and 6 ft. 7 in. of headroom, give the cabin a sense of space and openness. To keep guests amused, there is an entertainment center with a 24-in. TV, a VCR with 4-speaker surround sound, and an AM/FM/CD player with a 6-disc changer. The full galley kitchen comes equipped with a 2-burner cooktop, convection/microwave oven, double stainless steel sink and coffeemaker. Unfortunately, our 411 was surprisingly devoid of provisions, much to the consternation of hungry, foraging journalists. Each of the two staterooms has spacious private heads equipped with a molded shower and two cedar-lined hanging closets. In the master stateroom, natural light streams in through a hatch. The queen-size sleeping berth has an innerspring mattress with storage space underneath. The 411 sleeps four comfortably, six in a pinch. If necessary, you can convert the dinette area into a sleeping area with a 7.5 x 5-ft. foldout bed. The base price for the 411 will be around $320,000, said Anderson. The model we were on cost about $420,000, loaded with options. Those extras really add up.  Meridian 580 Pilothouse At nearly $1 million, the top of the line Meridian 580 Pilothouse, with its standard dual helms, is nearly triple the price of the 411--and it shows. But you get a lot for the extra money. The 580 is 14 ft. longer, comes with twin 635 Cummins MerCruiser Diesel inboard engines and a 12-kw Onan generator with an enclosed sound shield to dampen any noise. It has upgraded instrumentation, higher-capacity generators, and its dual engines are controlled by electronic shifters and have electronic fuel management by Smartcraft. The top speed is rated at 28 mph, with a cruising speed of 23 to 24 mph. There is a small dinette in the pilothouse, as well as easy access to the bridge and side decks. In the galley, there is a 4-burner electric cooktop, an electric oven, a microwave and an 18.2-cu.-ft. refrigerator with separate freezer. And, don&amp;#039;t forget the coffeemaker. A trash compactor is optional. The salon has a large seating area, a dinette with U-shaped seating and a wet bar. The 580 also has a more robust home entertainment center that includes a Sony home theater system with 32-in. TV with a DVD player, as well as a Clarion stereo system with a 3-disc changer. The 580 sleeps eight--six in its three staterooms and two in the salon. A circular set of stairs leads to the master stateroom, which has a queen-size island berth with an innerspring mattress, and five drawers underneath the berth. There are also two nightstands, a vanity with six drawers underneath, and big, illuminated closets. The forward stateroom has a double island berth and a hanging locker with shelves. Each of these two larger staterooms has its own translucent hatch. The mid stateroom has double bunks with three drawers underneath, and a hanging closet. The two heads on the 580 are larger than on the 411, and the master head has an enclosed shower/tub stall. While the base price for the 580 will be about $1 million, the model we were on cost about $1.2 million, loaded with options. It included a $39,760 Raymarine premium navigation package with two 10-in. screens that display depth, chart and plotter information. The autopilot costs $9420 for the 580. In addition to offering a wide range of models and options in the Meridian line, the Brunswick Boat Group has also made it easy to find and buy Meridian yachts by updating its distribution network, Anderson said. Brunswick is building a &amp;quot;best-in-class network&amp;quot; of dealers across the United States and backing it with warranty programs such as the structural hull-and-deck limited warranty. As we sat on the sun deck of the 580, we watched the waves spray up over the bow and waved to the families visiting the Statue of Liberty. It struck us that Meridian&amp;#039;s launch comes at the perfect moment for cash-flush baby boomers in the throes of their midlife crises. It&amp;#039;s better than a red Corvette.  for specifications on the full line of Meridian Yachts.  580 Upper Deck  580 Lower Deck   SPECIFICATIONS AND DIMENSIONS   Model LOA Beam Draft Bridge Clearance Fuel Capacity Water Capacity Holding Tank Capacity Weight (dry) Sleeping Capacity Cabin Headroom    341Sedan  35&amp;#039;3&amp;quot; 11&amp;#039;8&amp;quot; 38&amp;quot; 13&amp;#039;6&amp;quot; 224 gal. 92 gal. 30 gal. 17,000 lb. 4, 6 optional 6&amp;#039;5&amp;quot;   381 Sedan 38&amp;#039;6&amp;quot; 13&amp;#039;7&amp;quot; 40&amp;quot; 14&amp;#039;1&amp;quot; 300 gal. 125 gal. 37 gal. 22,275 lb. 4, 6 optional 6&amp;#039;4&amp;quot;   411 Sedan 46&amp;#039;0&amp;quot; 14&amp;#039;2&amp;quot; 3&amp;#039;9&amp;quot; 15&amp;#039;0&amp;quot; 400 gal. 150 gal. 55 gal. 25,000 lb. 4, 6 optional 6&amp;#039;7&amp;quot;   408 Motoryacht 42&amp;#039;2&amp;quot; 14&amp;#039;4&amp;quot; 3&amp;#039;10&amp;quot; 14&amp;#039;4&amp;quot; 330 gal. 90 gal. 55 gal. 29,000 lb. 4, 6 optional 6&amp;#039;7&amp;quot;   490 Pilothouse 54&amp;#039; 15&amp;#039;1&amp;quot; 3&amp;#039;4&amp;quot; 18&amp;#039;2&amp;quot; 444 gal. 200 gal. 48 gal. 29,990 lb. 6, 8 optional 6&amp;#039;5&amp;quot;   540 Pilothouse 56&amp;#039;9&amp;quot; 16&amp;#039;3&amp;quot; 58&amp;quot; 19&amp;#039;3&amp;quot; 700 gal. 200 gal. 76 gal. 50,554 lb. 6, 8 optional 6&amp;#039;7&amp;quot;   580 Pilothouse 59&amp;#039;5&amp;quot; 17&amp;#039;4&amp;quot; 59&amp;quot; 19&amp;#039;7&amp;quot; 800 gal. 218 gal. 74 gal. 59,920 lb. 6, 8 optional 6&amp;#039;10&amp;quot;   341 Sedan  381 Sedan  411 Sedan  408 Motoryacht  490 Pilothouse  540 Pilothouse  580 Pilothouse "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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