CW Hood Yachts Review

This small, semi-custom sailing and powerboat builder in Marblehead, Mass., is rooted in the maritime industry and seems to make the most of its size as well as the space within its vessels. Chris Hood and friend Chris Stirling founded the company after Hood designed an Ocean 1 tender of injection molded construction and with self-bailing cockpit and roller-reefing rig not seen on other boats, the CW Hood Web site states. The men launched operations a Little Harbor marine complex owned by his America’s Cup-winning uncle Ted Hood, a naval architect, sail maker and boat builder, according to the Web site.

By the mid-1990s, CW Hood had reportedly launched a Wasque 26 powerboat of advanced composite manufacturing. The company was also the American builder for the International One Design (IOD) class of racing sailboats, its Web site suggests. CW Hood later moved out of Little Harbor, introducing 30- and 32-foot powerboats based on Jarvis Newman Downeast hulls; Hood’s company ultimately bought out the Maine boat builder, according to its Web site. CW Hood over the years reportedly built more than 200 vessels.

As a Power & Motoryacht magazine reviewer tells it, the company became known for sleek, high-end dayboats. That same reviewer in 2006 extolled favorable aspects of a spacious Hood 50 motor vessel completed in Gdansk, Poland. A Hood 43, fabricated in Rhode Island and assembled and finished at the CW Hood yard, in 2009 was named "Best New Powerboat" for the coming model year at the Newport International Boat Show. And Sailing World magazine’s 2010 Sailboat Showcase featured the slender C.W. Hood 32.

Sailors with an appreciation for classics might welcome the One Design Hood 32 daysailer, according to writer Dave Reed, who made note of the vessel’s overhangs, classic lines and gelcoat enveloped vacuum-bagged E-glass, vinylester, and CoreCell. The Hood 43 boasts features that Newport Boat Show judges said are " usually found in a much larger boat," according to Boating Industry magazine. And Capt. Patrick Sciacca in Power & Motoryacht described the Hood 50 as a nimble vessel with innovative space planning and interior styling. “When you follow the steps winding down to the galley/dinette, it's easy to think you're on a boat ten to 15 feet larger,” Sciacca reported.

The Hood 50’s planing hull, reinforced with a gelcoated grid system, was designed by Doug Zurn, according to Sciacca. The reviewer commented on the vessel’s soft-touch maneuverability at speed and optional 730-hp MAN diesel V-drive engines that allow for cruising at 28-mph or taking off at the 34 mph Wide Open Throttle, or maximum speed. Sciacca also seemed impressed with the Hood 50’s panoramic bridge deck, abundant stowage space and generous applications of teak, cherrywood and mahogany.

Buyers can have CW Hood vessels customized and can purchase built to order original 30- to 46-foot Newman models.

Pricing

The Hood 32 is priced at around $98,000, while a customized Hood 50, according to Power & Motoryacht, can cost more than $1.5 million. Used Hood 50s from 2006 to 2009 have asking prices of $1.2 million to $1.3 million, and used Wasque models from different years have asking prices in the $80,000 to $90,000 range.

Pros

• The Hood 50 test vessel burned about 52 gallons per hour at a 30-mph cruise for 363 miles of nonstop motoring and at wide open throttle burned 70 gallons per hour for a 306-mile range that Power & Motoryacht reviewer Patrick Sciacca felt could improve once props were adjusted.
• CW Hood has reportedly made the most of space within its Hood 43 and Hood 50.
• Buyers have a variety of options, including having CW Hood vessels customized and Newman vessels built to order.

Cons

• The Hood 50 is the largest vessel that CW Hood has produced, and its innovation as far as the test boat went involved what Power & Motoryacht reviewer Patrick Sciacca called growing pains, such as improper electric fuel-switch system wiring that reportedly caused stalling but was easily rectified.
• The Hood 50 test boat's optional twin 730 MAN diesel V-drive engines turned 93 rpm more than their rated speed, indicating a need for more pitch, Sciacca reported.
• Sciacca noted rough spots in joinerwork behind cabinet doors on the Hood 50 test boat.

Featured Models

Powerboats: Wasque 26 Classic; Wasque 22 center console with walk-through transom; Wasque 26, similar to the classic, according to the company, but with advanced design and a new drive system; Katama 30, offering 30+ knot performance and available with jet drive, according to CW Hood; Hood 43, and Hood 50; build to order 30- to 46-foot Jarvis Newman Yachts. Concept boats include a Wasque 32 featuring what the company calls advanced engineering, modern systems and a smartly redesigned layout; and a Hood 52 with what the company describes as extended aft deck and larger swim platform. Daysailers: Hood 32.

Conclusion

Bigger for some yachtsmen might not always be better. CW Hood’s 43- and 50-foot motor vessels seem to provide for spacious, comfortable cruising, with even the Hood 50, built for a yachtsman who didn’t want to have to hire a crew, easily handled by one or two people, Power & Motoryacht reviewer Patrick Sciacca noted. CW Hood vessels can be customized. Sailors more interested in showing off their skills might appreciate the company’s One Design Hood 32. And fans of classic and sturdy Downeast vessels have the opportunity to order Jarvis Newman designs.