Over the years Buizen yachts have carved out an enviable reputation for building exceedingly high quality blue water cruising yachts. The Buizen 48 has become an iconic Australian built cruising yacht with a global reputation.
The Buizen 48 was conceived by two Australian boat builders, Eddy and Frits Buizen. Designed in collaboration with Australian naval architect Paul Stanyon whose brief was to design a luxurious blue water pilot house yacht. A yacht that despite its size, could easily be handled by a couple and was capable of circumnavigating the globe in safety and comfort.
Every Buizen yacht is custom built and optioned to the owner’s specific requirements. A Buizen yacht is a far cry from a mass-produced production boat. Craftsmanship at this level cannot be rushed and Mastercraft Marine take around 12 months to produce each yacht. With meticulous attention to detail, a staggering 10,000 man hours is invested into every Buizen yacht built.
‘Elevation’ is an exceptional example of the Buizen 48 and is presented to the market as a turnkey global cruising yacht. To say the inventory is extensive, would be an absolute understatement.
The pilot house saloon is the centre piece of the design and delivers 360 degree panoramic ocean views. Everywhere you look you are surrounded by rich warm teak and the craftsmanship is breath taking. The L-shaped settee at the dining table is upholstered in luxurious leather and the table can be folded and reduced in size. To starboard is mission control and the navigation table is awash with electronics. From here you can keep watch from the comfort and safety of the leather upholstered captains’ chair. And if you are sailing through the tropics and the heat is getting to you, then you can always switch on the Cruise Air air conditioning.
The Buzien 48 was designed to be easily sailed by a couple and Elevation has been optioned with in boom furling to make the job even easier. Naturally there are electric winches and the bow thruster makes handing in close quarters a breeze. The cockpit is large and spacious and there is plenty of shade at the helm curtesy of a custom-made hard dodger. The hard dodger also houses a large array of solar panels on top, has built in lighting with its own switchboard, and some very practical grab rails on the underside. At the helm is Raymarine Hybrid touchscreen chartplotter and an Echopilot forward looking sonar.
The owners cabin forward features a large double pullman berth, a settee with luxurious leather upholstery and a desk with a swing out chair. Again, there is an abundance of rich warm teak that gives you the feeling of being surrounded in luxurious comfort. Storage is very well catered for with large hanging wardrobes and numerous cupboards on all sides. The private ensuite has a separate shower stall with a curtain and the benchtop is Corian. The guest cabin is in the port aft quarter and features a double bed and some nice storage options with draws and cupboards. There is an additional single bunk in the aft starboard cabin that also houses the washing machine.
The galley is superb and has been thoughtfully designed to maximise usable bench space for preparing meals. The bench tops are Corian and have moulded fiddles the whole way around. There is a large fridge and separate freezer that have both 24v and 240v compressors. The owners have added some additional LED lighting under the cabinets that ads a classy and practical touch to the galley. There is a good quality Broadwater two burner stove with oven and grill and a microwave to complete the cooking package. There are twin stainless sinks with a fitted chopping board and draining rack, and a saltwater tap to preserve fresh water. Having said that, there is no real reason to preserve fresh water on Elevation, as the Sea Recovery water maker is capable of producing 150 litres of fresh water per hour.
The engine room is huge and easily accessible directly below the saloon floor. There is very good access to all of the onboard systems, and everything is clearly labelled. The 110hp Yanmar diesel had a complete rebuild in Feb 2019. With a marine engineering background, the owner has maintained the boat to an outstanding level. He has also designed and custom made a considerable amount of additional equipment with a strong focus on being self-sufficient in remote parts of the world. Examples of this are a propeller puller, gearbox coupling puller and a cutlass bearing puller that are constructed of heavy-duty stainless steel and all have their own mounting brackets in the engine room. Indeed, the list of spare parts is extensive.
The power generation systems onboard are impressive and have been designed for extended cruising in remote locations. There is a total of 1040W of solar panels and two Eclectic Energy D400 wind generators. An Onan 7KVA generator and twin alternators on the engine. And with the ability to produce an endless supply (150 l/hr) of fresh drinking water, the possibilities are endless. Battery monitoring and charging systems are all taken care of by top quality Mastervolt electronics.
Elevation was commissioned by the current owners and she was launched in 2007. The owners have spent the past 10 years circumnavigating the globe on her. They have done an exceptional job of fitting the yacht out for extended live aboard cruising and regularly updated the inventory to the point where there is nothing left on the wish list. They have also done an exceptional job of maintaining her, and the way she currently presents is an absolute credit to both of them. Elevation is ready to provision and sail off into the sunset tomorrow.
