Knot Yurs is used primarily for cruising.  Although I also use it for salmon fishing.  I have downriggers on it that I can take on and off.  Other than that we use it primarily for cruising around the Green Bay area. We have a second home on Ellison Bay on the Green Bay side of Lake Michigan.  I keep the boat just a couple of blocks away, and I can walk right to the boat.

Someday, I’d love to take the boat down the Tennessee Authority chain that provides access to the Mississippi River.  It would be a great trip.

The cockpit is very good, it’s very friendly.  I would say the only thing I could suggest is that the passenger seat on the lounge could be a little higher up so passengers can see, similar to the captain’s helm.  From the captain’s helm you can see very well. The lounge is a little lower, and when the boat is cruising, you can’t see as well as I can driving the boat.

The cabin is very nice. I like the 35. The countertops provide room for a large refrigerator, and the counter top goes up and down.  On the new 36, the new counter top is one surface, but they had to give up space in the refrigerator.  I like my configuration better than the ’06 model. But, they are both excellent boats. Storage is excellent

First of all, Tiara is known for their design and the quality of construction.  Their reputation is that they overbuild the boat, and I agree with that 100 percent. The ride is phenomenal even when you get into rough seas.  For example, the ride across our lake is terrific.  Where we are you can get 4 to 6 chop, no problem at all. It is a heavier boat for its class, and everything Tiara puts on the boat is first class. It is just how it is designed and how everything is quality on out.

The key benefit is at low speeds, at close quarters, when docking the boat, handling conditions like that. I believe it is a result of the way the engines are set in the boat and the drive shafts come down to the propellers and the design of the width, etc. Controlling the boat even in wind is just incredible when compared to other inboards.  It’s a very easy boat to drive and maneuver.

 

The engines are set up higher and you do loose a little space in the cabin, but it makes the ride and the balance in the boat so much better having the engines forward. A lot of boats have their engines farther back so they can get more cabin space. But, the fact that the engines are up more forward in the Open, is a lot better.

 

The boat is very seaworthy. Like any boat when seas are short you’re going to get some chop (pounding). But the boat handles very well, and you can trim the boat easily and compensate when the seas are shorter. When you are out in the open water, it’s even better because the waves are farther apart.  Of course, this is what the boat is about:  How well it handles.  Also, I should point out that it just does not rattle. When that boat hits a  wave, it’s just solid. That’s the way it is. That is unusual in a boat.

Power plants are 385 hp Crusaders gasoline engines.  A lot of people would think you were crazy not getting diesel in a boat that large. They think that the boat would run with a little more power and better fuel economy.

 

Well, the reality is the gas engines are not as smoky, and you don’t get that diesel smell.  They are also quieter.  Another thing I like about gas engines is that as fuel prices have gone up, gasoline has become a lot cheaper than diesel. It incredible in that (around here) it’s 30 to 40-cents cheaper for gas versus diesel.  Diesel prices have just gone crazy. 

 

Diesels will give you more power, and they will last longer.  And, of course the diesel engine is safer given that gasoline can explode. But, the reality is that when you weigh the amount of time you use the boat in the great lakes for a typical season and what you are doing with it, … to me gasoline is a better way to go.  Also, gasoline does not require as much general maintenance as a diesel.

 

This is the second boat that I’ve had.  I had a Pursuit 30 express, and I had gasoline engines in that. There was no problem. As far as power goes, my Tiara 35 definitely has enough power. The Crusaders push the boat with no problem. Maybe my cruising speed would be a little faster with a diesel, but it would be negligible compared to the big picture over the long run. I don’t think it really matters. If you run it at 2900 to 3200 rpm (less on a diesel) but it doesn’t really matter at this size.  I think if the boat were bigger than a 35 I would go with a diesel over gasoline just because of the weight of the boat. Some people think a 35 foot boat can’t be handled by a gasoline engine but they are wrong.

Wife’s Comments:

From a woman’s point of view, it’s a beautiful boat. It’s a sleek boat, the lines are graceful.  It’s a comfortable boat and the amenities on it are comfortable.  There is no problem with overnights, and it is very comfortable.  I’ve been driving the boat a fair amount lately, and I am amazed at how well it handles and how easily it handles. I was a little intimidated at first by the size. But it really drives very, very easily.

The lines of the boat are really sharp. From my point of view they are even better than the express Sovran. The Sovran is a wonderful, great boat as well. I just think the lines on the Open are better looking. On the Sovran you get more underneath and a bigger living quarters.  But, the lines on the Open are really sharp.