With multiple levels, this Meridian 408 motoryacht has a surprising amount of interior room that seems to contradict her 42' 2" (12.9 m) overall length. There is nothing as roomy as a tri-cabin layout. We could do without the hardtop.

Capt. Steve Says...

I thought I’d seen enough of Meridian Yachts line up to get a feel for the common thread to their layouts. You know, put the two staterooms forward and a single head between… and add space as length increases. But this boat threw me a curve. It does have two staterooms, but that’s where the similarities begin and end. Let’s get into detail about what sets this boat apart and what I would change if I had my way.



Notice in these deckplans that the staterooms are separated fore and aft and both have full heads. The bridge deck is made for gathering and entertaining while under way and the salon keeps all the guests facing each other so no one is left out of the conversation.

The Flying Bridge...

Great layout up here. For starters, I love that the helm is centered. That allows for even visibility all around as compared to a helm that is mounted off to the starboard side. I’ve always said that while underway, everyone has a natural tendency to gravitate to the helm, and on the 408 Motoryacht, the bridge seating is all around the helm.

To port is a single seat for your navigator and a second set of eyes facing forward. This is a must in my book for any boat. To starboard is a lounger that wraps around to the aft end of the bridge deck. There’s a standard entertainment center, and I’d be hard pressed to find the buyer that didn’t opt for the refrigerator option.

The helm has dual engine controls (throttles to starboard, shifters to port) which I really like, but understandably, others do not. Having a single control for each engine is just that much less confusing for some. For me it feels more natural but that’s from years of commercial operations. So thumbs up all around for the bridge deck. An added perk is that this boat comes standard with D.O.C., Docking on Command. It’s a system that links the bow and stern thrusters into a single control for ease of docking. And it works great.

Take a look at this video I made earlier this year if you are unfamiliar with DOC...



Note the center mounted helm and the ample seating for gathering while underway. The angled windshield gives the 408 a sporty look and keeps the breeze above the skipper’s head.

The Salon and Galley...

I’ll say it again. I can’t believe this is a 42’ boat. The salon is very roomy and features three recliners mounted side-by-side and a settee across the other side of the salon. The settee converts to a berth so Meridian can honestly say the boat sleeps 6. This makes for a great entertaining layout as all the guests are facing each other.

The galley down makes for added space in the salon and it works very well. The entertainment center is large and built into the aft starboard corner. There are slots that run fore and aft along the overhead for heating and A/C vents as in all Meridian yachts, a design technique that I have written about before. This is a great feature as no one person is sitting next to a vent and getting a blast of cold or hot air while everyone else gets nothing. Natural light literally pours into the salon from windows both high and low, and even sitting, guests get a clear view of the horizon which does a remarkable job of subliminally keeping mal-de-mer at bay.



A remarkable amount of room for a 42’ boat. Note the dark lines running fore and aft on each side of the overhead. Those are the heat and A/C vents. Check out the windows both above and below. The port couch has three recliners and the starboard converts to a sleeper. The table is high/low adjustable.

The galley is a step down and is fully fitted with the standard appliances. I like this design because it gets the galley out of the salon, but keeps the chef involved with the conversation.

Everything a well equipped galley needs is standard here. Did you notice the storage drawers under the stove top and refrigerator? How about the storage in the deck? And check out the headroom. The galley is connected to the salon so the chef won’t miss a word.

The Tri-Cabin Concept

Here is where Meridian departs from the norm of not only their other boats, but most others in this class because there are really very few tri-cabin yachts built these days. Once they were quite popular and were built by all of the leading powerboat builders, but over the last 20 years they seem to have been pretty much forgotten. One reason for this was that as time went on many of them got downright ugly as builders went for max interior cube and slowly went blind. That was too bad because nothing beats a tri-cabin for interior room.

Meridian designers have been quite mindful of the importance of keeping the 408 as attractive as possible by utilizing design and optical illusion tricks in order to present pleasing lines to the nautical eye. Except for the optional hardtop over the aft deck, I think they have done a very good job of it. A carefully-designed canvas top here might actually look better, and save weight and money as well.

Accommodations

There are two staterooms and two heads and they are paired off at separate ends of the yacht. Forward is the VIP stateroom and head. The VIP head doubles as a day head in that it has access not only from the stateroom but the galley as well. The VIP berth is a single island berth, and here is where I would do a little re-engineering. A family with two kids won’t care for this berth layout… the kids won’t want to sleep in the same bed. But, put two separate singles with a filler cushion in the middle for a couple, and you have a workable combination. Or, make one berth and a double the other a single.

The full beam master stateroom is aft and is accessed via a stair at the port aft end of the salon. It includes a private ensuite head with enclosed shower.



The full beam master is located aft and features a private head and enclosed shower. Note the storage all around and under the berth. The large portlight to the right faces out the stern, the head is to port (right side of photo). Note that the large portlight is also the escape hatch from this aft cabin.

Power and specs...

The Meridian Yachts 408 Motoryacht has a LOA of 42' 2" (12.9 m), a beam of 14' 4" (4.4 m), and she draws 3' 10" (1.2 m). She has a dry weight of 29,000 (13,154 kg), a fuel capacity of 330 gal (1249 L), and a water capacity of 90 gal (341 L).

Her standard engine package is a pair of 420-hp 8.1L S-HO MerCruiser gas inboards. Options are for upgrading to diesels with your choice of Cummins (CMD) 330, 380, or 425 QSBs. Meridian is owned by Brunswick, so you will only get CMD engine options since its MerCruiser division is in partnership with Cummins.

Recommendation

The tri-cabin design offers more privacy for two cruising couples than does virtually any other layout. Cabin-to-cabin, there is more privacy on the Meridian 408 than on most 80' motoryachts. The tri-cabin layout design has been used successfully for 60 years or more, so if you are into cruising this boat will serve you well.

Please note that this boat does not have a small, traditional cockpit -- that space is used for the huge aft cabin. However, the aft deck provides a great place to lounge with guests on fold-up chairs as well as providing space for dunnage boxes, coolers, or refers.

Overall, we think the Meridian 408 is a good value and suitable way to start the cruising lifestyle in a relatively stylish boat. If we had to chose between cruising in this boat and a 40-something sedan or express, we would chose the 408.