70 Motor Yacht

The Johnson 70 is a Taiwan-built pilothouse yacht whose streamlined styling was first popularized in this country during the 1990s by several European manufacturers. Critical to her success, however, was a very competitive price that allowed buyers to own this European look-alike for thousands less than the real thing. Built on a modified-V hull with a wide 19-foot beam, the lower-level floorplan of the Johnson 70 is unusual in that the master suite is forward rather than amidships. The area usually called the salon is divided into two levels with the lower aft section housing a big U-shaped lounge with a coffee table, and the upper level containing the dining area to port and the galley and lower helm to starboard. Each of the four staterooms has a private head, and the owner’s suite is a lavish display of luxury and comfort. Additional features include wide side decks, spacious aft deck with dual swim platform staircases, bow thruster, foredeck sun pad, and high-gloss interior woodwork and trim. On the downside, the engine room is a tight fit. Twin 1,150hp MTUs cruise at 20 knots, and later models with 1,400 Cat diesels cruise in the high 20s.