HENRIQUES 42 EXPRESS

By Captain John B. Wenz

I have to admit a certain bias toward what we in the Northeast US call “Jersey boats.” You see, I cut my teeth on sportfisherman in the NY Bight. Whether fishing the canyon, running a tricky inlet, or outrunning a squall, the guys who taught me were experienced offshore fisherman. They respected boats which were “battle ready”; rugged enough to get you out and back with total confidence. At the dock, these boats also were the subject of scrutiny by owners and old salts who expected things to be kept “shipshape and Bristol fashion.” It was a treat to see boats that looked “shippy” and pretty at the same time; the kind of a boat that reminds me of a cowgirl I once dated- real pretty and real tough. I recently had a close-up look at one of these boats, the Henriques 42 Express. This is the new flagship of the Henriques fleet and I hadn’t yet seen her but I knew the Henriques reputation from my fisherman friends on the Jersey Shore.

Out on Deck

As you approach the 42, you get the impression that you’re looking at a much bigger boat. In fact, when you step into the cockpit you get the feeling that you’re boarding a fifty or sixty footer; there’s that much space. There’s some serious non-skid underfoot, covering a deck which is fitted with three big fish boxes under rugged hatches, and a bait well at the center of the transom. To starboard is a transom door, and all around the coamings are nice bolsters with rod holders under the gunwales. There’s a tackle cabinet, fresh and saltwater washdown bibbs, a sink and a cooler. Hefty mooring cleats are tucked out of the way, below the deck so they’re out of the way when you’re fishing. There seems to be acres of deck space back here, so mounting a fighting chair won’t involve a great compromise as it does on some boats in this size range. And, by the way, the builder has laminated an aluminum plate right into the deck, so the installation of your chair will be done right.

There’s enough space to walk forward around the windshield, and once you’re up on the foredeck you’re surrounded by a welded aluminum handrail and husky mooring cleats, bow roller and fiberglass pulpit.

As you move forward from the fishing cockpit you access the walk-in engine room through a door on the centerline. The layout is clean and efficient and all systems are within easy reach. To port of the engine room door are a couple of steps leading to an expansive bridge. There’s seating for a big party of fisherman here- a cushioned seat to port and an L-shaped settee to starboard. A Pompanette helm seat and two companion seats are laid out across the deck with the companionway to starboard of the centerline. A couple of husky handrails are mounted to the overhead, and everything around you looks and feels sturdy enough for the biggest of fishermen to hold on to in a seaway. In fact, every fitting and piece of hardware I saw on the Henriques 42 is proven stuff, time tested at sea by professionals; the kind of stuff that won’t start rattling around after a few hours at sea.

Down Below

The accommodations are consistent with what I see around the rest of the boat. Good looking, functional, and executed with fittings and hardware of the kind that do their job dependably for a long time. The standard layout is pretty basic, yet not what I’d call Spartan. An island berth on the centerline, a functional galley and a convertible dinette are finished in a style reminiscent of a luxury sport cruiser; details like Corian countertops are standard. The head is roomy and equipped with a stall shower with a glass door. Overall, there’s not a huge amount of space down here for a big family, but Henriques is willing to customize the interior with a number of sleeping options so you can sleep a few more. By the way, they build a flybridge convertible on this hull, which can be customized in a variety of ways to suit your needs.

Our Test

Henriques Yachts are sold through Integrity Marine in Margate, New Jersey. The system works well -- the guys at Integrity function as the sales and service departments so the factory can build boats without interruption. We recently paid a visit to the Margate waterfront to put the 42 through her paces. We were impressed from the moment we arrived. This is obviously fishing country and everyone here “walks the walk and talks the talk” of deep-sea, bluewater sportfishing. The Henriques 42 Express is 42 feet long, 14’9” beam, has a draft of 45”. Our test boat was fitted with a pair of 800-hp MAN diesels, but since this is a semi-custom boat you’ve got some options in the engine room. Standard tankage provides 600 gallons of fuel, which we found would provide a range of almost 350 miles at just under 31 knots. Unfortunately, the weather didn’t cooperate and allow us to bash through some thick, onshore wind-driven seas. However you can’t help but feel the legendary “Jersey Boat” seakeeping qualities, even when you cross the mush in the inlet. The layout of the helm, the placement of fittings and deck furniture, the rugged feel of everything all indicate the experience of both the builder and designer. It’s clear that the Henriques 42 is bred from a no-nonsense fishing heritage.

When you read through the standard equipment list, what you find is nothing less than a complete package. They’ve thought of everything, including the little but important details like safety gear and dock lines. But don’t be fooled- Henriques is not out to razzle-dazzle the boat show crowd with a bunch of distractions.

On the contrary. If you take a real good look at the Henriques 42 Express, you’ll see a well-built, nicely finished sportfisherman that will get you out to where the fish are and safely home in comfort, but also in a certain style that could only be born out of a long tradition of serious, day-in and day-out offshore fishing. If you’re looking at boats in this category, it would be a mistake not to consider the Henriques 42 Express.

• Top speed for the Henriques 42 Express is 42.1 mph (67.8 kph), burning 82.0 gallons per hour (gph) or 310.37 liters per hour (lph).


• Best cruise for the Henriques 42 Express is 36.0 mph (57.9 kph), and the boat gets 0.65 miles per gallon (mpg) or 0.28 kilometers per liter (kpl), giving the boat a cruising range of 388 miles (624.43 kilometers).


• Tested power is 2 x 800-hp MAN 800 CRM - Diesel.