lot of'"boa!!>l.tildt:r~_strugg e ! o find their

~ove. TheYJust can2 settle on exactly whom

tller. wankto appeal to. In fact, they s~m to

want t6 be all iliings to all boaters.

Meridian--appears to be one of tlle few ~uilders iliat

r.eally knows its target=,.1lverag.e cntising coupl~s-~d families. Not gold-Chainers, 'roun -the:.world dream­

ers, or YAH-ting ~abes With blue., blazers an<~ khaki

pants. N'o, M~ridi<W. designs and builds its boat fox­

well, folks.

Th e newest and la rgest Seda n , th e LI4 I , continues th a t

traditi o n. T he first thing I no ti ced a bout hCT was not hn

stylin g (a ltho ugh I bc li eve she's th e best-pro po rti o ned

Me ridi an to da te, espec ia ll y with th e o pti o na l ha rdtop ),

but how easy it is to ge t a round her. Ge ttin g a boa rd is

un cha ll eng in g, whe th e r fro m th e side o r via the threc­

IClOt-dee p swim pla tfo rm . So is entCl"ing th c sa loon from

th e scve ll-fi)u t-I ong cove red cockp it, through an easy-slid­

ing door a nd ove r a low thres ho ld. I leaded up lO the

bridge? The tri p 'S a sna p , th a nks to an e nclosed , moldcd­

FRP stairway. And th e passage to th e f(JlT d ec k will be a

low-dram a eve n t cvc n fo r la ndlubbe rs and littl e o nes,

th anks to nine-inch-wide side d ecks, 2R-in ch-high ra ils th a t

• •• 114 Power & Motoryacht April 2008

com e a ll th e way back to th e cockpit , a nd g rab ra ils tha t

J"l1l1 th e length o f"th e hOllse. As f"o r th e f"o redeck , it 's Il t'a rl y

fl a t and cove red in aggressil'e nOll sk id (a nd o ptio na l sun­

pads) , and th e bowra il rises to 1lt"ll"Iy ches t he ig ht to p ro­

tec t yo u whe n a ncho rill g . (Th e a ncho r and rod e a rc a lso

o ptio naL)

Inside, yo u ' ll lind a layo llt no t o nl y CdSY to move aroulld

in , but CJuitc simila r to that or th e LIII , th e boa t the ·1,11 re­

places. Only a single ste p di vidcs th e sa loo ll from th e ga i­

ley-din e tt e d ec k, e leva ted to prol'ide 1'00 111 li lr th e ll1ic\ca b­

in be nea th a nd to e nha nce I' i .~ ibilit }' fro lll th e optio na l sta r­

boa rd-side lolVCI" he lm. With ~(-i()-d egre l" glass (a window

o n e ithe r side tilts o pe n abo ut fillir inches) and G'.')" head-

www.powerandmoloryacht.com

C » Port and starboard windows make the midcabin feel larger than it is.

D » Only a single step separates the saloon from the galley-dinette deck.

A & B » Master or VIP? With an en suite head, this space could be either.

April 2008 Power & Motoryacht 115 •••

2.17 (1.881 1.70 (1.481 1.19 (1.04) 0.78 (0.68) 0.51 (0.44) 0.71 (0.62) 0.76 (0.66) 0.76 (0.66) 0.76 (0.66)

room, the a rea rccls qllite (·xp' lIl,i\'( ·.

,\ s fi) r the ga ll n ', it \ ,illlpl( ' .llId dll< It II I "l lh "'.lI.lclon

CO llnl ('l'IOpS, Iwo iJig .111(1 (kq) ,1 .111111 " , tl (1 ,, "1.., . .l IHI ,I

thrcc-bllrlll'l' 01 igo ,lOll '. nOlh ' 1111.. , ,llld (CII I~ tllp 11.1\1' I\.a­

radoll cO\'crs 10 Illa:-,.illli/l· "01 k' p.H (', Ihe II II( 10 1 IIH' 1.11 -

• •• 116 Power & Motoryacht April 2008

ter is big, heavy, and hardLO stow. It 'd be

easier to handl e ir divided into two.

The three steps down to th e accom­

modation leve l arc in c lin ed to m a ke

them easy to navigate and lead you back

to th e aforeme ntioned midcabin , which,

unlike the 4 11 's, has port and starboard

windows that reall y open up the a rea. At

th e rOOI o r the sta irs is a head with doors

to the ha ll\\'ay andmidcabin , making it a

good day h ead. There's no e nclosed

shower herc, .i ust a com bi nat io n [;ulcet­

shower h ead. The large r rorepeak e n

suite head is about a third bigger and

has an e nclosed shower.

One way to make sure a boat 's inl erior

IS easy to get a ro und is to make sure there's plenty or

stowagc to keep things unclullered . The 441 has a b ig area

iJcllcath thc sa loon that 's a lso easy to get to , than ks to a

hlrgc hat ch , stairs, and a tilt-up handl-a il, A divicie nd or th e

V-c1ri,'(' co nfiguratio n (th e engines are unde r the cockpit),

tile space yie lds two 31 "x28" a reas ror

anything yo u don't need to gc t to

quickly.

T h ere's reall y o nl y one space a­

board the "14 1 th a t's not cas)' 10 get

arou nd , and th a I's where the e ll g in es

li,·e. Cl imbing clown into the lInder­

cockp it area is easy, a nd so is check­

ing o il and coo lant. But the outboard

sides or the engin es arc esse miall ), in­

accessible, and IVorse , so arc thc Ra­

COl'S, wh ich arc buried in a rorwarci

A,'t>o\Je: The e\ec1'ic.o.\ c:listn't>utioVl po.V\e\ is o.t e'le

\e\Je\ to r--0.Y..e \I:HVI~ SvJitC.~ eo.Sie(. Lett: ~ec.(: ~ ThiS is 0. \J-c:lri\Je bo.t, The eVl~iVleS o.(e uV\Oe

=c.'4>it, o.Vlc:I 'Iou ~et ThiS "u~e uVlc:le( -So.\OOVl Spo.c.e·

www.powerandmotoryacht.com

::c­o. S o UJ UJ a.. V1

TIME (Seconds)

• •• 11 8 Power & Motoryacht April 2008 www.powerandmotoryacht.com

~ is ii' w ::; rii

5 I n.

-The I-\I-\\'S \"elt<- vJo,S spe~i'\=k,oJI,/ <leSi'JV\e<l -To

o,uD"""o<lo.1'e 0. pair of lor¥ t<-ullI<liSplo.'(S, We

~ oV\eS frot<- ~-Tor 1\-.o,-T ore $eeV\ \.,ere,

corner, I r),ou wanllO ch eck for water or

secl imcnt in the flle l or change the c1e­

menls, you will n eed to unscrew port

and starhoard panels from the under­

sa loo ll stowage space , The standard

Ollall gCllset, aft of the engin es, is eas il y

sen'iced , hllt I ' m not surc it could be rc-

1ll00'cd \\,ilhoulm<uor surgery.

There arc n o access pmhl('IIlS 0 11 111('

hi idge, \\'l1ich is ",hcre Ihe III \ 1.110111 dill('\'\ Illml Irolll alld rc'I 'lllillg 111(' (,lI g IlH '''' , Bill \\11(,11 il \WI k('d il illl -

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lI'OIII1 ",hik I( 'allll\ ' il lOll d011'1 old( '1 ii I\' Il anllop, ()IIH 'I IOll ld IJlII liH ' III jll'l ailolll ,111\11'11<'1\ ' I 11';1111('(1. d(" pil('

,('alillg illl IlIdl " a lilll'I'-PC"OII h(,111 11 10 pori 01 III\' 11('1111 111( ' 1.-)-kIlOI I I 0,,11 illci, ;\1\ Oil" I I ilil i\lll lid' II1\' jO',li( k \

alI(I a Sillglc 111 ' 1111 CIl ,lil , <I (O lliigll l 'a li ol l 111<11 (,lIl1all(,(" locaiio ll liglll 11<'llil1<1 111 l' 111111sl(' 1 (O lllJ()1 pacb , \\'11('11

(olllili .dill lIil l\( )\1i illlilidillg Oil 11('11l1 ngI1l101lIil', Said I(H.d ( :Ollllll.lIHI 11( ' 111 omill(" I had l10llhk 1l1.lIlip"lalillg

11('1111 lI'a, Il'dl',igll('d 10 an ()I 11 11 \(H 1.111' III() I<lrgl' cii'pl .II' iiI(' pad, .111<1 101lg('d 101 good o ld Ihnl\ll' l jOI'li( b 01 , IH'I

,id(' 1)1 ,idl ' , Thi, pl ;IC( " 111 (' ;I1I<1 log g<lugc, al ('iiiH'I 11 '111'1, IIH ' old l)ockillg Oil COlllllland Ihnl\ler cOIII IOI.

1" I1(,IIH ', IIhi( h 111.1(1( ' il dillil lilt 10 (Oillpar(' 111(' 1.lell" ()IHl ' Ih(' I( H.d C01l1ll1anci is dciJllggcd, hoatlT\ lIilllilld

Sl<llIdald (' IC '(IIOllil "1I(11 10Ili/ ;lIioll Illak('s Ih.1I poilll Ih(' III (' lIjo),ahlclooperaleillall),s illlatioll, Il lTIH)IIPOII'-

'0111( '11 ilal aca(kllli c. (' I-ao;S isl cd steerill g is <I hil Ill'''''), al ('ilh('\' elld 01 il\ 1'0111 -

11 \ IH 'I( ' al lil(' 1ll'I111 1011 ' 11 lilld 111(' he" nidl ' lIcl ' 01 ' 1IId-a-hall ~llIrn rallgl' , hili Illal alo;o 11 1('<111\ lill' ho.1I Irad"

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Oil a IIlis,io ll 10 si lilplil )' I l ll' 1110,1 dilliclI ll .1\1)( '1 I 0 1 hoal - hoal lellglh" sill' '''' a l,o ('a" 10111.111\'11\( '1, ,lIld ,dlhollg ll , II<'

ill g: doc kill g alld ( 1(I'('-(I'lanl' l\ 11l '1I11'II\'crillg , I II II1\' pa'i il

lill('ci ( ' \( ' 1\ IIlod('1 lIil ll I)o\\' ;!lId SI(TII lilrll,I( 'I' ,IIHI .111 ill ­

Illilill ' «(1I111()1 ,"1( '111 lor Ihclll cal led Dockill g Oil ( :Olll -

11I.IIHI. 1'1ll' III I<lk( ', Illal a ,I('P rllnl1('r wi lll 1()I.d C()llI

111.111<1. 11l1ilil al\l) (0111101, (,lI g iIlC' and geal' (" '(' " (;( '.11

OllhO;lId : 1()I .d (:011 11 I 1.11 HI. " Illi, 'lory), 011 0111 1( ,,1 hO.!I ,

Illdl i'\o , ,-" Ii\(' ",1('111 l1adll'l 11<'('11 lota ll y dl'hllggl'd ; I

kl'j)( Ilippillg a laldl lilnlil Ih.1I Il 'qllircd shUllill g d()1I1I

~jJufl JiJJJJ 0JJ J Cockpit Light Switch »

dOl'\ h ,I\I ' " hil ()I " h(IIIIP «(lillill g 01110 JlI.IIH' ~ ((lIIlI("1 01

III(' (' lI g ill( " lH'ill g '() 1.11 .111 \I,ihilill 11.1' 1" '\( '1 .III i'\I" ' ,

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I II i ' .I11 ( '(11 \ ho,1I 1011111.

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111( ';1111 () I Cil(llIllIl.tlig.llillg lil(' g lo lw 01 cOllldll'1 1,11( ' 1( '"

,lh()111 hl( '"kill g 1\1 '('11.11 "p( 'cd lilllih ()II IIII' 11 ,11( '1 il lOll

jll'l 11'<1111 I() I.lk( ' il ('.I" ,11Ie!

cnjOl '"III ,( ,II , I hI' I II .... ,I

h ;\I d il(),11 1101 10 li k( " ® MCl'idian Yachts ~ (8M ))

6 ()(, ) i I 1. 7/17 (/7(1-/1111(1( '1 (1I1d 1110 /01

)'(I( II/ JWII / I/11'1 ,,//(/ II /.

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Aprit 2008 Power & Motoryacht 119 •••