Capt. Steve Says…

For the last 10 to 12 years or so express cruisers have been evolving. The tempo of that evolution has picked up the last five years with hardtops becoming pretty standard on express cruisers that before only had Bimini tops, if even that. Since I have very fair skin and must use sunscreen rated R 98 I have been very happy to see this sensible movement to permanent hardtops. They keep people out of the sun and rain. Formula, incidentally, with its designer John Adams, has been a leader in pushing this trend.

Having said that, we must realize that these express cruisers when they were first conceived 20 years ago or so, did not envision a hardtop. As a result their proportions, styling and in some cases, just the size of things don’t always work together harmoniously when a hardtop is added to an existing express cruiser. So, when out shopping for a cruiser this size, please keep this subtle design evolution in mind as you consider different models.

Designer Adams is well aware of this problem, and because he is a veteran boater he also knows that some of the solutions that some builders are using – particularly in Europe – are not ideal. For example, curving the hardtop down to meet the windshield often means you can only drive the boat sitting down. In order to stand up you must open the sunroof and stick your head out, sort of like a military tank driver. Formula, Adams, and the staff at BoatTEST.com uniformly agree, that kind of styling over function is not desirable.

Formula’s solution is to have a large gap between the top of the windshield and the hardtop. In this way one can stand and see over the windshield frame, or sit and look through the windshield. For people who live north of Charleston, isinglass will probably be fitted between the window frame and the hardtop. Be sure you get the kind that is rigid and folds up to the overhead as opposed to rolling up.

Welcome aboard…

I stepped aboard from the transom walkthrough, and everywhere I look, I see stainless steel fittings. While that is to be expected on all well-built yachts, it reminded me of the fact that Formula goes first class on all of its fittings whether you can see them or not. I look down at a cleat and it’s stainless with a “Formula” logo cast into it. It’s not hardware off the shelf, it was custom cast for Formula. These little details set Formula apart.

The cockpit doesn’t have anything that hasn’t been seen before. The U-shaped settee has twin pedestal tables that give a good array of options of how you want them set up… single table, double, short pedestals for adding a filler cushion, tall for dining etc…

There was an optional LCD TV installed at the wetbar. While I like that the TV is offered as an option, I always cringe when I actually see it. (I think boating is something one should do to get away from TV. But then, I’m from New England.) The entertainment center is to port and a stainless steel grab rail is positioned right at waist level for traversing the two steps to the bridge deck.

The Bridge Deck…



The man at the helm is Scott Porter, President of Formula, and the reason his guests are so happy is because he has invited them to the Bahamas for a 5-day photo shoot. Note that the cockpit table has two separate table tops with two separate stainless steel pedestals.

To port of the helm is a lounger that seats two, or one person with her (his) feet up. Just to port of the helm, are the integrated steps leading to the bow. One of the hardtop supports doubles as a handhold while heading to the bow. There is a narrow sidedeck for traversing to the bow as well, and while that is a welcome feature, even with its multiple handholds, it’s just for seasoned boaters in a seaway.



The bow walk-through is a convenient feature, but duck as you pass through. Notice the grab rail outside the windshield frame to port. And everything is stainless.

The Helm…

The helm is functional enough with the optional E-120 Chartplotter front and center. Just to the left of the panel is a SS handrail for assisting with getting to the bow. Lighted rocker switches are all in a row and grouped properly. Circuit breakers are below and to starboard. The engine controls are mounted on a 45 deg plane -- I’d rather see them level -- but the Axius joystick is level and just forward of the twin controls. I like the double wide seat, so a companion can sit with me while operating, but there needs to me more room for stuff. Drop a cell phone in a drink holder and it’s suddenly full.

The burlwood accents all over the helm add to its good looks. And thank you Formula for installing the stereo at the helm instead of just a remote. Other builders… take note. It can be done. This one even has the now required MP3 jack.

Going Below…

Stepping into the cabin, again yielded few surprises from a layout perspective, cabin forward, salon and galley center, convertible cabin aft, but the quality of the fit and finish was evident wherever I looked. There were no gaps between panels that usually drive my obsessive compulsive personality over the edge. Fittings were all stainless here as well, even in the protected environment of the cabin, and they are sturdy.

The forward cabin is accessed by a pair of pocket doors which is unusual. I like this idea because it really opens up the space both of the forward cabin and of the salon..



The space itself is not surprising but the fit and finish were first class. Note the double pocket doors leading to the forward cabin and the hardwood cabin sole.

As I looked at the storage doors to starboard above the settee, I noticed (as I do) that they were all spaced perfectly and aligned evenly. Pulling out the galley drawers, I saw that they were all dovetailed and not just facades attached to stock drawers. This is almost a Formula exclusive in the boating industry these days.

Performance…

The test Formula 37PC was powered by a pair of 425-hp 8.1L Mercury gas engines with Bravo III stern drives and the Axius system controlling the outdrives. She had less than ½ fuel and empty water tanks, so with three people onboard she was almost the average weight of a boat in real cruising conditions. I like the idea of carrying a half tank of fuel instead of hauling around a lot of weight not needed for a short trip. So add a body or two and a full tank of water, some gear, and we’d be at cruising weight.

Offsetting the slight weight discrepancy, there was a 3’ chop running when we tested. The 37 PC sliced right through with an “I don’t care” attitude that I find to be typical of Formula’s boats. She had a flat-out top-end speed at 4950 RPMs of 46.9 MPH. Hauled back to her best cruise of 3500 RPMs and she ran at 30.7 MPH burning 34.4 gph giving her a range to 190 miles.

The Formula 37 PC has a LOA of 38' 5'' / 11.7 m and a beam of 12' 0'' / 3.66 m. Depending on your engine choice, her dry weight will be approximately 17,500 lbs / 7,937 kg and you can expect a draft of 34'' / .86 m.

Summary

All in all, I was very impressed with the Formula 37 PC, not so much from a new and different approach, but from the quality of build that I’ve come to expect from Formula. Her size and features make her an attractive weekender, and for dock appeal, she’s hard to beat. This is a boat that you owe it to yourself to check out, but only if you’re looking for a quality functional boat. If price is your only driving factor, you’re wasting your time. Don’t go to the steakhouse to buy a hamburger.

Speeds measured with Stalker ProSports radar gun. Fuel consumption (gallons per hour) measured with Floscan digital fuel-flow meter on gas inboards, sterndrives, and outboards, TechMate electronic scan tool on gas EFI inboards, Caterpillar digital fuel-flow meter on diesel engines, or permanently installed fuel-monitoring equipment. Range is based on 90% of published fuel capacity. Sound levels determined using Radio Shack digital decibel meter on A scale. 68 dBA is the level of normal conversation.

Performance Chart

Test Conditions