63-65 Motor Yacht

The Johnson 65 (called the Johnson 63 until 1993) is a Euro-style pilothouse yacht from Taiwan whose versatile layout, distinctive styling, and impressive inventory of standard features represented a good yachting value in the 1990s. Built on a modified-V hull with cored hull sides and a wide 19-foot beam, the accommodations of the 65 are spacious indeed. The well-appointed salon is divided into two levels with the lower aft section housing a big U-shaped lounge with a coffee table, and the forward, upper level containing a dining area to port and the galley and lower helm to starboard. Two of the Johnson’s four staterooms contain queen berths, and the Med-style crew quarters at the bow are accessed from the foredeck. Additional features include a stainless-steel-and-glass salon bulkhead, very roomy aft deck with a protective bridge overhang, light ash (or teak) interior woodwork, and a spacious, low-profile flybridge. On the downside, the side decks are narrow. A popular yacht, the Johnson 65 will cruise at 17–18 knots with 735hp 8V92 diesels and reach a top speed of around 22 knots. Later models with 1,150hp MANs cruise in the mid 20s and reach close to 30 knots.