"Huckleberry" is a low hours, well kept MJM 35Z with all the bells and whistles. Available to be seen at Gibson Island.

The MJM 35Z is a collaboration between Johnstone, Doug Zurn, the Marblehead, Mass., designer (and the “z” in the boat’s name), and Mark Lindsay of Boston BoatWorks in Charlestown, Mass., which has specialized in building high-tech racing sailboats. The builder lays up MJMs with wet, pre-preg, post-cure epoxy composite construction for a stronger and lighter hull. The 35Z is a classic long, low, slender Zurn design, with a 3.5-1 waterline length to beam ratio, and 19.5 degrees of deadrise at the transom. The gentle tumblehome is a nice Down East touch. The 35Z comes with an ISO Certified B “Offshore” rating for stability and seaworthiness.

The boat’s air height is only 9 feet, which makes it appealing to anyone contemplating sliding under all the bridges on the ICW or the Great Loop. And the outboards, aside from their performance, mean you can take the boat into skinny water anywhere or tilt them up if you’ve run into lobster pots in the Northeast. Outboards also open up a lot of space in what used to be the engine room inside the boat; it’s also a whole lot easier, when the time comes, to replace an outboard than to replace an inboard.

The MJM 35Z is a user-friendly boat. You don’t climb aboard. You simply walk through a side door (one on each side pf the hull) that is floating-dock height and leads directly to the cockpit. Johnstone says this has tremendous appeal to those who are tired of climbing over a gunnel or grabbing onto a handrail to steady themselves going over a step. Keeping to the same theme, the bridgedeck is all one level, from the outboards all the way forward to the companionway going down to the cabin below. You won’t turn an ankle or stub a toe here. Combined with the joystick control, the design makes it easy to single-hand the boat; you can get around quickly and easily, nothing gets in the way.

In the cockpit, the rear bench seat, where three adults would fit comfortably, is on a pod that lifts up, revealing a lazarette or storage area for fenders or water toys. A varnished-teak, double-leaf cockpit table opens to a full 24×36 inches for dining or enjoying a glass of wine at sunset back here. A pair of doors flank the seat, opening up to swim platforms on either side of the outboards; the teak-and-holly sole here runs all the way forward to the helm.

For socializing, there’s a bar and fridge on the port side of the cockpit, with glass storage, and an aft-facing seat to starboard. Going forward, the bridgedeck has matching settees on each side that can convert to full-length berths at night. The bridgedeck is protected by a hardtop. For sleeping there, a privacy curtain can surround the berths.

All the way forward are matching Stidd Admiral helm seats on swivel bases so they can be turned to face aft for socializing at the dock or at anchor. Visibility from the helm is simply excellent all around, even when the boat comes up on plane, when there’s almost no bow rise. The two large front windows open fully for ventilation, the windows on either side slide back, and two overhead hatches also open. Even with the boat all buttoned up for the performance and sound tests, Johnstone left the overhead hatches open and fresh air circulated in and then went out aft via an inch or so of open space below the rolled-down Strataglass door aft. The three of us were comfortable on a hot day, and we could talk easily until the very top of the speed curve; the boat registered only 77 dB(A) at the helm at 23 knots in a two-foot chop.

Below, the interior is in the classic Herreshoff style, with cherry-trimmed, off-white side panels and a teak-and-holly sole. The Ultraleather V-berth/lounge is forward, with an optional filler. Even with Zurn’s low profile, the cabin has standing headroom, with a few inches to spare for me and I’m more than 6’1” tall. And the V-berth was long enough for me to lie on it without having my feet hang off the end. The galley is to port, with a long Corian countertop, deep sink, drawers, a fridge (the icemaker is up on deck), a Princess single ceramic cooktop and a microwave. The head (with standing headroom and an opening port) is across to starboard.

• Mercury Verado 350's
• Mercury JPO Joystick control
• Seakeeper 3 gyro stabilizer
• Side Power Bow Thruster
• Zipwake interceptor trim tabs
• Fusion Stereo - indoor and outdoor speakers
• Wired Remote Search Light
• Lewmar electric windlass with helm control
• Chain and rope anchor rode
• Windshield wipers with washers
• Water heater
• 2x Bilge Pumps AUTO-OFF-ON
• MarineAir Air Cond
• Sincle Burner Cooktop
• Microwave Oven
• Dometic Electric Fresh water flush toilet
• Wet head with shower sump

• Raymarine165 plotter / radar
• Raymarine multi display (depth)
• Raymarine Autopilot
• Mercury Vessel View display
• Victron Energy Charger
• Victron Energy Phoenix Inverter
• 12V DC Distribution with breaker switches
• 120V AC Distribution with breaker switches
• 30A Shore cord
• Remote Battery Switches at Distribution Panel (House, Gen, Eng Start, Eng Start)
• Battery Parallel Switch
• 2x House batteries, 2x Enging Start batteries, 1x Generator Start battery
• 110v household outlets ( for shore, inverter, gen)
• 12v DC outlets

• Double sliding glass side windows with sun / privacy curtains
• Electric opening windshields
• Esthec synthetic teak decking
• Stainless steel bowrail with search light and burgee staff socket

MJM 35 Distinctions

Low noise, low maintenance outboard power

Light, strong, high-tech composite construction

Best in class stability and handling

All-weather pilothouse comfort

Innovative flush deck layout

Joystick docking

Opening electric windshields

Fully opening side glass windows

Side boarding doors

Seakeeper 3 Gyrostabilizer

ISO Certified Category "B" Offshore

Simple preflight check and low maintenance