BATTLE READY

It was a fine morning at Old Port Cove Marina, a spiffy little enclave of prosperity in North Palm Beach. I’d arrived early, beating Maverick-Saunders Yachts rep Jim Bronstien to the slip. So, as the sun came up, I had a few minutes to give the Maverick 39 Walkaround, or at least her exterior, a solitary, arm’s-length appraisal. I dropped my bag on the dock and walked out onto the finger pier alongside, where I almost immediately picked up on a couple of things.

First of all, the boat’s finish—an amalgam of Awlgrip paint; wide, varnished mahogany toerails; raw Burma teak covering boards and cockpit planking; and beefy chrome-plated bronze hardware—was top-shelf. I had no doubt it could easily hold its own against competing walkarounds from other custom builders