Zurn Yacht Designs studio celebrate 200 MJM builds with 6 new 50z’s delivered. Zurn Yacht Design, MJM Yachts’ Bob Johnstone (of J Boats fame), and Boston Boatworks have teamed up to create a very unique line of powerboats.
Beginning with the 2003 MJM 34z debut, they set out to establish new standards in design, construction and performance. All MJM yachts are designed from the ground up to be efficient and practical; featuring easily driven, light-weight hulls, modern propulsion, and inviting accommodations. The MJM50z is the largest in the fleet by a full ten feet and comes with your choice of either twin or triple Volvo Penta IPS600s.
MJM 50z fuel efficiency is extraordinary: 0.9 nm/g at 25 knots and, at the same 8 knots a trawler would travel, one could go to Bermuda and back without refueling. The sleek profile and low center of gravity make it exceptionally safe, seaworthy and fun to drive. MJM 50z takes offshore performance to another level with Doug Zurn’s modified deep-V hulls, which allow instant response to the helm without bow steer or bury in large waves, all the while keeping guests dry. A low center of gravity and narrow beam with chine flats redirect wave and wake energy outward and downward to dampen roll in a seaway. The narrower hull shape slices through waves instead of slamming into them.
The high-tech lamination schedule that’s employed by forward-thinking builder Boston Boat Works incorporates lightweight, strength, and stiffness. Boston Boat Works builds all of the MJM models, and uses wet-preg Kevlar and E-glass fabric over a Corecell closed-cell foam core. This thermoset resin cures at a high temperature, and the chemical reaction transforms the laminate into a very durable, temperature-resistant, exceptionally stiff, and extremely lightweight structure. Vacuum-bagged wet-preg laminates avoid inconsistencies in the resin-to-fabric ratio, which creates a stronger and lighter boat, and the wet-preg construction process reduces the emission of dangerous volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
MJM Yachts gets its engineering expertise from Burke Design. Owner Steve Burke works closely with Boston Boat Works and Zurn Yacht Design, analyzing the Kevlar/e-glass composite laminates and structure to ensure that they comply with the new ISO (International Organization for Standardization) small-craft structural requirements. He also coordinates the effort to obtain CE mark certification for the boat and its systems for marketability worldwide. The MJM 40z and the 50z are the only boats of their type to have an ISO rating of A Ocean, the international standard’s toughest design category. It’s defined as the “category of boats considered suitable for seas of up to 7 meters (23 feet) significant wave height and winds of Beaufort Force 9 (41-47 knots) or less.”
