Marlow Yachts, David Marlow's Fast Long-Range Explorers

A perfectionist's company

Marlow Yachts carries the stamp of one demanding personality. David Marlow had a reputation in the cruising-powerboat world for insisting on things being done his way, by his builders and by the writers who tested his yachts. He started working on what became the Explorer in the middle of the 1990s, turned sketches into full-scale drawings in 1996 and by 1998 was collaborating with Massachusetts naval architect Doug Zurn, who shares design credit for the first 57C, 61C and 65C. Marlow's ambitions reached beyond powerboats too: he later acquired Hunter Marine, run for a period as Marlow-Hunter. He died at 82, and Yachting ran its tribute in November 2025.

The company works from Palmetto, Florida, near Snead Island, where it designs, sells and supports its boats through Marlow Marine Sales. Construction happens at the Marlow and Norsemen yard at Chi Hu in Fujian, close to Xiamen, which picked up the first World Yachts Award for Environmental Consciousness in 2007.

Engineering choices that define every Marlow

Two ideas run through the whole range. The first is the Velocijet Strut Keel: rather than hanging shafts from open struts, Marlow wraps each shaft in its own foil-section keel. The company says this shields the props, smooths water flow to them and keeps the boat tracking straight down big following seas. The cost is some drag at trawler speeds, so a Marlow burns more fuel at displacement pace than a single-engine trawler, but it can open up to around 20 knots when a front is coming.

The second is construction. Marlow laminates Kevlar-glass hybrids over Core-Cell foam with vinylester and modified epoxy resins, and infuses the entire sandwich in one pass, a process it says removes the secondary bonds where fiberglass boats often fail. Large one-piece molds keep the number of seams small.

The lineup and where the 58E fits

Marlow organizes its current boats into four families: Avalon, Explorer, Voyager and Prowler. The Explorer range is the core, with models stepping up from the 53E. Our Marlow Explorer 58E review covers the mid-size Explorer that took over from the long-running 57E in 2014 and is still offered today. Its bridge choices, interior plan, range figures, engine options and price history are detailed on that page.

Reputation and buying a pre-owned Marlow

Marlow buyers are a loyal group who want offshore capability without being stuck at 8 knots forever, and the company stresses how well its yachts hold value. Admirers point to the finish quality and the protected running gear, while skeptics cite system complexity and thirst at high speed. The factory in Palmetto remains the main support channel and encourages owners to use OEM parts, and many Florida yards are familiar with the boats. Used Marlows usually trade through brokers.

Survey points for any used Marlow:

• Bearings and seals on the shafts inside each strut keel
• Which diesels were ordered and how many hours they carry
• Stabilizers, thrusters and hydraulic plumbing
• Varnish and teak condition inside and out
• Any repairs to the infused laminate, which call for a composites expert
• Generators, air conditioning and electrical systems on boats used as homes