Maxum-3500-SCR
Whether you're cruising still waters or fighting the rough stuff, the Maxum 3500 SCR keeps you on course.
By Dave Kelley
March 1, 2001
Most of us have an ongoing soundtrack to our lives that runs quietly in
our heads. Sometimes, though, we get to actually play that soundtrack, like when we drive up the
Jersey shore with Springsteen in the tape deck, or we manage to pick up a station playing a Jimmy
Dale Gilmore track while we lie under the stars in the mountains of west Texas. On this night, we
find ourselves and our boat, a brand-new Maxum 3500 SCR, being pulled and twisted by the currents
of the real-life Deception Pass, made famous by the early grunge rockers Mudhoney, and we smile.
Even if we're going through a patch of water that we've been warned can be pretty tricky,
such as Deception Pass ' a 200-yard wide gap between Whidbey and Fidalgo Islands where the Strait
of Juan de Fuca connects with Skagit Bay ' we can still smile. With currents that can run more than
eight knots, plus whirlpools and strong winds, it can wreak havoc on boats and boaters alike.
However, strong currents, wind and whirlpools aren't as scary when you're at the helm of a
boat like the 3500 SCR. It's not a full-on yacht, and there are people who'll argue that at 35 feet
in length, it's really not even a sport yacht, but so what? There's something about it that just
inspires confidence and security. So you head for Deception Pass, concerned only with enjoying the
day.
Truth be told ' considering the sunshine, blue skies and Skagit Bay's unusually calm waters
' there's no need to worry about what lies ahead. The doublewide helm seat has a 50-50 split so you
can flip up your bolster and stand comfortably at the controls. Taking advantage of the smooth
water and putting the 3500 SCR through its paces shows you that even though the boat may be a
35-footer, it handles much more like a runabout than a yacht. And while you can't exactly whip it
around to pick up a downed skier, it does pivot pretty tightly at speed, and it responds very
quickly to even the slightest wheel turn.
Most likely, however, your passengers aren't exactly begging for hardcore turns. Instead,
they're probably relaxing on deck, enjoying the day and the luxuries that are standard features on
the 3500 SCR. There's a large L-lounge seat right next to the helm, and back in the cockpit,
there's room for a party. In fact, just about everything you need to throw a party is back there.
The 'entertainment cabinet' includes an ice maker, a sink with a lift-out cutting board and a
freshwater faucet. The big U-lounge seat can accommodate more people than you probably want to
bring along, and can be turned into a sunlounge if you add the filler cushions.
If we listen too much, we hear a lot of warnings these days. 'It always rains in Seattle,
you don't want to do much cruising around there.' 'You don't want to get caught out after dark, it
gets cold.' 'If you have another (coffee, cocktail, cigar) you'll be sorry.' The real danger is
that we won't have any fun because somebody told us we'd probably better not. So every now and
then, we need to throw caution to the wind and grab whatever pleasure's within our reach. That's
why it's perfectly acceptable, even encouraged, to pull the throttles all the way back and drift to
a stop so we can just sit there, danger be damned, and enjoy.
Maxum, of course, would really like it if you were to head on out, all
the way to the Pacific, and really test the MaxuPlane hull's limits. You could see how well the bow
slices through the rough, while the 15-degree deadrise at the transom works with the hull to
provide optimal lift at every speed. However, the Pacific is pretty far away, and does anybody
really want to get beat up after going to all the trouble of prepping the galley for lunch and
plugging in the blender? No. Besides, the MaxuPlane hull is doing a yeoman's job right here in the
calm, and your CD would probably skip if the boat were hammering through eight-foot seas.
There's also the fact that while the 3500 SCR is designed to handle the rough stuff, it's
also designed to let you kick back in high style, whether it's overnight or just for a long mid-day
break. A decent-sized cabin is expected on a boat in this class, and the 3500 SCR doesn't
disappoint, but where it really shines is in the attention to detail. The cabin has a full 6 feet 4
inches of headroom, so anyone this side of the NBA can stand up and move about comfortably, even in
the head/shower.
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The cream-colored upholstery complements the blonde
wood cabinets and accents, while the black Corian countertops in the galley offer a bold contrast.
The galley has everything you need to whip up anything from a quick snack to a full dinner,
including a 3.3-cubic foot Norcold refrigerator with separate freezer, a two-burner electric stove
with a Ceran top, a microwave and a grounded 110V outlet to run a food processor or coffee maker.
There's excellent storage in the galley, and it's roomy enough to allow even a big guy to move
around without feeling claustrophobic or constantly knocking things off the counters.
The salon has a U-lounge for dining or hanging out that can convert to a berth if needed, as well as all the creature comforts of a well-appointed home. These include a 13-inch TV/VCR combo (that you can see quite well from the forward berth) with remote control, an antenna for the television so you can pick up broadcast channels wherever you go, and a multi-disc CD player (with a remote at the helm). And just in case the urge to live aboard is too overpowering, or if you just feel like spending your whole vacation on board, the boat is pre-wired for both cable and telephone. The forward berth is large enough for two adults, with a padded headboard, reading lights, a pair of speakers, a 12V power point and a grounded 110V outlet. The under-berth drawer is an example of the attention to detail. It's oddly shaped, and at first glance it looks like there won't be room for much more than a pair of socks. But Maxum's design team put the drawer in at an angle so that it maximizes the drawer capacity without compromising the interior space. The mid or aft berth also sleeps two, featuring twin bunks that convert to a full-size bed. A pair of hanging lockers gives you room to stow a good percentage of your wardrobe, while the lights (overhead and reading) and portlights give enough illumination and ventilation to make this berth seem larger than it really is. Light and air are two things that you really can't get enough of in a boat's interior, and designers often seem to forget that little tidbit, but not in this case. The 3500 SCR has no fewer than three hatches and six portlights in the cabin, as well as the large doorway leading to the helm. Add the overhead and reading lights at each berth, plus the galley and salon lights, and this boat is about as bright and airy as you could possibly expect. It's something you don't think about too much when you're at the helm or kicking back in the cockpit, but if you spend much time at all on board, you'll soon find out just how important cabin illumination and ventilation are. Happily, Maxum's designers realize this. Obviously, the 3500 SCR is a boat that one could, if he so desired, spend several days on without actually going anywhere. And after a big lunch, staying anchored in Skagit Bay may not seem like such a bad idea at all. But then the twin 310-hp, 7.4L MPI MerCruiser inboards with V-drive that make up the standard power package wouldn't really be worked to their full potential, and Deception Pass might go unpassed. The approach to Deception Pass is spectacular. Since the whole area was created by glaciers, there are cliffs rising hundreds of feet from the water. It's easy to see how the wind, when it's up, is funneled through the pass and intensified. The Pass itself is framed by a two-part bridge ' one of the biggest tourist attractions in the area, with auto turnouts all around so motorists can stop and take in the view. Approximately 4 million people visit Deception Pass State Park each year ' almost all by car ' and while the view from the bridge is definitely breathtaking, the view from the water is arguably even better, with the bridges arcing from island to island. The only thing missing is the treacherous water. Despite irrefutable evidence that these waters can be rough, today the currents are fairly slow ' at idle, the whirlpools are barely strong enough to deflect the 3500 SCR's path. But considering this boat's size and weight, it's easy to see how even on a calm day, canoes and kayaks might find themselves in trouble, and on a bad day, smaller boats would be at the water's mercy. But when everything's aligned just right and you're at the helm of a 3500 SCR, Deception Pass isn't anything to fear. |
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