Forty feet is long enough for both a big cockpit and a substantial cuddy: The hullside window amidships serves the mid-cabin with its queen berth. Intrepid custom-builds each 400 Cuddy to match her owner's needs; there are many options to pick from.

The Hull Truth

If you want to be successful you have to start at the bottom, and the same is true of the Intrepid 400 Cuddy: She rides on a stepped bottom that promotes a slightly bow-high riding angle, making her both safer and dryer than many similar hulls. Rather than simply cutting a step in a straight V-hull, a technique that makes a boat ride very flat, Intrepid designers altered the bottom angles both forward and aft of the step to induce natural bow lift. The higher running angle kicks spray away from the hull, but, more important, it also keeps the bow sections from digging in on turns, which can upset the balance of the boat and cause her to spin out. The result is a boat that doesn't require the skills of a raceboat driver to operate safely.



Intrepid offers a variety of hard and soft tops, or an arch; we like this fiberglass hardtop with a sliding sunroof and rocket launcher. Twin or quad OBs are also available.

Thermal Inspection

Intrepid combines knitted uni- and multi-axial fiberglass fabrics and PVC foam cores, vacuum-bagged and resin-infused, to create a light-but-strong laminate. The hulls are supported by a composite stringer system and a full liner, with extra reinforcement in high-stress areas. If you want extra strength, Intrepid will build the hull with Kevlar.



There's room at the helm for more electronics than most people need, like the two large multifunction displays here. Intrepid will equip your 400 C with any of a number of helm seat configurations. The aft-facing seat to starboard is standard.

Many high-end builders use similar technology, but Intrepid also inspects each hull with thermal imaging to ensure there are no resin-starved areas, voids or incomplete lamination. Inconsistency in the laminate shows up on the thermal image as a color shift, a clear warning signal to quality control inspectors. NASA uses thermal imaging to test laminates, too, as do highly skilled yacht surveyors. It's a costly and time-consuming extra step in building a boat, but one that can pay off for the end user in potential problems averted before they occur. And yes, it's another reason why Intrepid boats are at the top of the price range, too.



The L-lounge and a bench forward of the console remind us of the flying-bridge on a convertible; the lounge can convert to a sunpad. Intrepid calls this "social seating." The cushions are made with dry foam that won't soak up water.

Split Personality

In the cockpit, the 400 Cuddy is two boats in one: Aft of the console, she's like a center-console, with an unobstructed area for fishing, diving or other activities. She has two insulated, macerated fishboxes in the sole, with room between them for an optional recirculating bait well. Smaller bait wells in the transom are also optional, as is most of her fishing equipment. Intrepid custom-builds each boat, and many buyers of the 400 C never wet a line – they use the boats as megayacht tenders, watersports platforms or just cool day cruisers, and don't want rod holders and racks and other angling gear.

The 400 C's cabin is not only roomy, but also well-appointed, with a separate head compartment, a galley that can be fitted with a cooktop and microwave oven, and an optional hi/lo table that converts the U-shaped seating forward to a second berth. An athwartships queen-sized berth is in a mid-cabin.



Forward seating will convert to a berth with the optional hi/lo table. The wooden cabin sole is also optional, as are the hullside windows – but the overhead hatches and skylights are standard.



The standard galley has a sink, refrigerator and stowage. An electric stove top is optional; a microwave oven comes as part of the shore power package.



The head compartment has a stall shower, vanity and sink; a manual head is standard, electric optional. A water heater is also optional.

Prices

As you'd expect, a top-quality, custom-built boat like the 400 Cuddy doesn't come cheap – Intrepids live near the top of the price range, and this boat is no exception. But the upside is, there are enough options that anyone can have just the boat he wanted. Figure on spending about $400,000 for a well-equipped boat; we found one 400 Cuddy listed for $409,000, with triple Mercury 300-hp Verado four strokes and lots of options, including a bow thruster, A/C, half-tower with fiberglass top, dive door and electronics.