Jefferson’s 45 Rivanna SE proves that ride quality can trump speed, by providing a more pleasant experience than boats that gallop over waves. The semi-displacement 45 Rivanna SE crests over swells with torquey authority, exhibiting a performance that can’t be mimicked by throttling back a boat with a full planing hull. Why? The small, pocketed props and reduced buoyancy of most planing boats can make them clumsy at slow speeds. In short, the 45 Rivanna SE allows you to enjoy your ride without beating you up so much that you can’t enjoy your destination.
The 45 Rivanna SE can handle many cruising scenarios. Inshore and inland, bridges are an obstacle. But the 45 Rivanna SE’s light mast folds down to decrease clearance. Other smart details include extended rudder posts and an emergency tiller, sight tubes on the fuel tanks so you can see how much fuel is left, a manual backup bilge pump, and escape hatches fore and aft. Dual inlet shorepower lets you choose whether to plug in at the bow or stern. Wide sidedecks and high bowrails with safety lines make going to the foredeck safe even when it’s choppy.
The 45 Rivanna SE’s massive aft master stateroom includes a tub in its private head. The forward stateroom provides access to the head to port and the separate shower compartment to starboard. Full-length mirrored doors privatize the head and shower, and each features a scrim laminated to the mirror to prevent shattering-per ABYC recommendations. The dinette converts to a double berth.
The decor is fine, but it isn’t super deluxe-there’s no marquetry gracing stateroom doors, no etched-glass wine cooler with multicolor backlighting, no fabrics taken from the hides of near-extinct species. Air-conditioning vents are integrated. The teak interior is book-matched. Counters are solid-surface and fiddled to keep things in place and provide a handhold. Of course, with the smooth and steady running qualities the 45 Rivanna SE delivers, the water has to be pretty rough before you’ll need something to hold onto.
