Pearl Yachts 63 Reviewed

The Pearl Yachts 63 is an evolution of the builder’s most popular model, the Pearl 62. It saw 24 hulls delivered since its debut in 2020, an impressive statistic for a boutique yachtbuilder.

For the Pearl 63, British studio Dixon Yacht Design reworked the transom and cockpit to make the most of new, optional fold-down balconies on both quarters. The yacht’s full-length flybridge, sizable foredeck terrace and hydraulic platform remain similar to its predecessor. In the transom area, Pearl 63 owners can choose between an en suite single crew cabin or a transverse garage, which elevates the relaxation area when empty. With the door open, it forms a beach club near the hydraulic swim platform, which is big enough for a 9-foot RIB. (The 62’s garage option only accommodated a PWC.)

The Pearl 63’s outside spaces are not only generous, but now they also receive the same attention to detail that all Pearl models get from interior designer Kelly Hoppen and her London-based team. All the exterior upholstery, for instance, has an extra touch of class.

There are measurable differences inside too. The galley is aft and to port with an adjacent full-size dining table, whereas the 62 had a smaller one. The 63 also has a bar that connects to the cockpit via a drop-down window. A full overhang from the deck above protects the 63’s cockpit, so it feels like part of the interior when the aft-deck door and that drop-down window are open.

There’s also a lounge amidships with a C-shaped booth sofa to port and a chaise with pull-out poofs to starboard. That’s all abaft the two-seat helm console, which is once again located to starboard and includes an optional side-deck door. I can’t believe any owner would dream of going without that feature.

As for decor, there’s a choice of three contemporary schemes: Modern, Luxury and Indulgence. That last one is by far the most popular choice to date and will be on the first six 63s. A fourth option, Monochrome, majors on blacks, whites and grays. In all cases, picture windows along both sides of the yacht provide Mother Nature’s contribution.

The Pearl 63’s layout, with four staterooms and three showers, is unusual in the lower-60-foot range. The owner’s stateroom is accessed via a private dogleg staircase in the salon’s starboard after quarter. This stateroom spans the full beam amidships aft. It has a centerline, aft-facing king berth, as well as hanging lockers and a breakfast booth for two or a short sofa to starboard. A vanity/desk and stowage are to port.

Three guest staterooms are forward, all accessed from a central staircase that descends beneath the windshield to a centerline lower lobby. The windshield above serves as a skylight.

The VIP, in the bow, has an aft-facing queen berth. The twin-berth staterooms amidships convert to queens. The third head is en suite with the portside twin, and has Jack-and-Jill doors for the fourth stateroom’s guests and for use as the day head.

Standard propulsion is twin 800 hp Volvo Penta IPS1050s, with a projected top speed around 27 knots. The 62 had that same base option, but every owner went with the 900 hp IPS1200s, which delivered a top speed around 31 knots. Those powerplants are still available for the 63, which also has the even punchier 1,000 hp IPS1350s as an option. The next five hulls will have the bigger motors.

With those engines on the hull that I got aboard, I measured a top hop of 34 knots. That was with 60 percent fuel, 70 percent water, and no tender or stores. The sea state was close to calm, and only a few crew were aboard. Performance runs were recorded without trim and without the yacht’s Seakeeper engaged.

The most efficient fast cruise speed with those IPS1350s was no less than 28 knots, at which the range was around 230 nautical miles, or roughly 3 gallons per mile. Take things down to a 10-knot chug, and range becomes about 400 nm, or 1.5 gallons per mile. Ergonomics at the lower and upper helms was about as good as it can be, and handling was generally nimble.

Past performance can never guarantee future success, but with the Pearl 63, the builder kept what made the 62 a market hit and then leveled up the design, function and luxury everywhere it counts.

Busy Neighborhood

We got on board near Southampton Water, the shipping channel that connects the UK’s busiest cruise terminal and second-largest container port with the Solent, the English Channel and all oceans beyond. Our destination was Swanwick Marina, just 4 short land miles away as the crow flies, but a 7-sea-mile dogleg. This marina lies at the head of the River Hamble, home to a variety of marinas and boatyards, and several thousand piled moorings.

Boutique But Global

Pearl Yachts has grown slowly but surely during the past 20-plus years. It now delivers around 10 boats between 63 and 95 feet long per year. The boats are built in China and delivered worldwide. The first Pearl 63 will be used as a company display boat. The second 63 will go to Palma de Mallorca, Spain, and the third will head to Croatia. The fourth is bound for Florida, with the fifth headed to Dubai and the sixth bound for Palma.

Take the next step: pearlyachts.com

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