Captain's Report

Tiara has dealers in 19 countries. Years ago one of its biggest dealers was in Manaus, Brazil on the mighty Amazon River. That was until the Brazilian government imposed an import duty on boats that effectively stopped their import, much as Argentina has done. Nevertheless, 10 of the countries Tiara has dealers in are Latin American countries where the sun shines and the water is big. It also has dealers in the northern climes of Canada and Sweden, to say nothing about all across the northern tier of the U.S. So people are using the Tiaras from the equator to the arctic, and the builder has to come up with a boat that can be modified for everyone’s individual purposes.

Essentially what Tiara has done is to create a hull, deck, and exterior style that are all world-class. That means the construction of the boat can take most anything the sea can dish out and the style of the boat will appeal to most any nautical eye around the world. We think that Tiara has done an exceptional job of creating a boat that looks contemporary, yet does not look like an Italian stallion. Moreover, there is enough of a traditional look in her topsides, that old moss-backed veterans who like the Downeast look also find something here to like. There is no other brand on the market that looks quite like a Tiara, yet they fit in most anywhere. We think that is one of the reasons the brand has been so successful.The other thing that Tiara has done is to offer a basic boat, then provide all of the options imaginable to permit customers to sort of custom build a boat to their own individual mission, be that big game fishing in blue water, coastal cruising in shallow water, or just entertaining in style at the dock.

Specs and Performance...

First, let’s look at the bones of the boat. The Tiara 3600 Open has a LOA of 38’11” (11.9 m), a beam of 13’3” (4.04 m), and a draft of 3' 5'’ (1.04 m). She has a dry weight of 19,100 lbs. (8,664 kg), carries 350 gallons (1,325 L) of fuel, and 70 gallons (265 L) of water. The base, MSRP price for the D4 powered version is $496,750. While we haven’t tested this model, Tiara tells us that the 3600 Open, powered by a pair of 300-hp Volvo Penta D4 IPS400s will top out at 36.2 MPH and have a best cruise at 3000 rpms of 27.3 MPH. At that speed she can keep going for 415 miles, with a 10% fuel reserve. That’s very good range for this type of boat – and that is largely thanks to the pod drives. But why walk when you can run... drop in a pair of 370 hp D6 IPS500s and you’ll top out at 41 MPH and have a best cruise at 32.5 MPH and a range of 392 miles. Is that a good investment? Only you can answer that, but look at it this way: For an extra $44,400, you can cruise 23 miles less, but 5.2 MPH faster, and have a 4.8 MPH higher top end. Either way you have enough power to get the job done. And because you have pod drives you know that you are picking up about 30% more fuel efficiency than you would have with conventional inboard drives.

Cruisability...

The Tiara 3600 Open has been around for years and has been time-tested giving her a reputation for taking good care of her passengers. As the first Tiara 3600 owners got more experience, and got to know what their boats could handle, it was natural that they took them out in snotty conditions knowing that the boat could handle it. Trouble is that snotty can turn into nasty pretty easily and then it is no fun being in an open boat of any size. Depending on how high and short the seas are, open boats of any brand can be very wet and the Tiara 3600 is no exception. It is essentially for this reason that some time ago Tiara started building boats with hardtops, coupes, and fully enclosed cabins. Then no matter how rough it got, no matter how much water swept across the foredeck and onto the windshield, skipper and passengers could stay dry.

That’s why hardtops, coupes and fully enclosed cabins are so popular these days. Also, we are much more aware of the importance of having Safe Sun, than we generally were 10 years ago. Our recommendation is to go with the hardtop (add $22,440 for the cruise version with two hatches, or $27,180 for the Tournament version with two hatches and rod holders).The swim platform (add $4,020) tells us that this customer is more of a family cruiser than a hard core fisherman. The swim platform also makes an ideal place for friends to board your boat from their tenders when they come over to visit. They also may make the boat easier to board from a low floating dock. We recommend the swim platform option unless you are going to use the boat for serious fishing.

The Helm...

The helm is over to starboard and Tiara sticks to what works and others would be well advised to pay attention. On the other hand, if you are interested in the hardtop option you are advised that the windshield does not reach all the way to the hardtop. Regular readers know that this is one of my pet peeves, because so often when standing at the helm one’s line of vision goes right into the isinglass, which I don’t like looking through, or it goes right to the windshield frame and the canvas holding the isinglass. Either way it is a major annoyance, in my book.My colleague here at BoatTEST.com, Jeff Hammond, has a slightly different take on this which is simply, if you can see through the windshield when standing, then unzipping the isinglass can provide welcome fresh air. So, it all depends on your height of eye when standing. ABYC standards require that there be unrestricted visibility when standing from 4’8” above the deck to 5’8” above the deck. (Typically, peoples’ eyes are from 4” to 5” below the top of their head so we are not talking overhead height here , but rather “height-of-eye.”)

Controls and Screens...

We love the dual engine controls... always have, and the open real estate can hold twin 12” E120’s and a host of other dash-worthy toys... ST 70 Graphic display, 6002 auto pilot...etc. (add $39,280). We’re also big fans of the 20” destroyer wheel, but if you like the more yacht-like look, a 17.5” mahogany wheel is offered (add $450). The entire helm panel is hinged for easy access to the back for servicing and electronics installation.

The Accommodations Factor...

Moving down below, you have luxury accommodations for a couple, and adequate accommodations for two more. The owners, or the client they’re trying to impress, will be comfortable in the forward island berth. There is storage underneath, and more importantly, storage overhead along the hull. This is a space that gets wasted on many boats, but here, it’s put to good use.

If you’re in need of more sleeping space, the dinette converts to a berth by two means. Raise the backrest up and attach straps and you have a Pullman berth (read two singles). Use the backrest as a filler cushion and you have a double berth. The U-shaped settee is large enough to seat 4 comfortably, five if people are kids or skinny.

The Fishability Factor...

Starting with the most obvious, the wide open cockpit offers up just over 70 square feet of fighting room. The deck has a backing plate of 2’ x 2’ aluminum for those intending to add a fighting chair to the mix. The rest of the area can be customized, depending on your level of dedication to the sport, and perhaps whether or not you are making income from your fishing. The two deck boxes can be made to serve the purpose of your choice, whether it be bait wells, coolers, or macerated fish boxes (add $760 ea). Underneath both port and starboard gunwales, is space for optional rod holders (add $280 ea) or rod storage lockers (add $1,080 ea). There are two aft facing seats, and by removing the port one, you have the ability to add a bait prep center (add $5,620). There are no rod holders in the gunwales themselves, but an additional $580 will get you four. Rupp outriggers, which will add 26’ to your reach on either side, will run an additional $7,890. For some it’s a no-brainer... for others, not so much. But for either customer, you’ll get a boat that combines style, performance, and that trademark Tiara good looks. Some would say that’s a factor that you just can’t put a price on.

Standard and Optional Features