We Say: The Judge 37 Oxford sports a classic look, a spacious 12-foot beam and cruising freedom thanks to its 28-inch draft. Better yet, composite fabrics and coring keep its weight down to 12,500 pounds. Add a single 480 hp Cummins QSB 5.9 electronic diesel, and beauty accompanies speed and efficiency. Topping 34 mph, the 37 Oxford shows its transom to most boats in its class, and burns less fuel doing it. Take note of these cruising performance standards: trawler-like efficiency at 8 mph (1.3 gph at 900 rpm) and quiet, semidisplacement cruising at 12 to 19 mph (3.8 to 8.7 gph at 1,500 to 2,100 rpm). The boat’s wake at the latter speeds is no higher than that of a skiff. Bow and stern thrusters make dockside maneuvering a snap.
Classic and modern mix belowdecks. The separate head and shower are decidedly modern. But the weather-tight window and door frames are salty as clams. The bright salon offers helm chairs with excellent sight lines, plus a long Ultraleather settee with teak table and full galley. A 3.5 kW generator powers the 16,000 Btu air-conditioning/heating unit for all-season comfort.
The semicustom boat offers buyers some choice in cabin appointments. The base price includes a Furuno 3D NavNet radar, sonar and GPS, a VHF radio and a stereo. And what better mix of tried and new than a standard gimbal-mounted flat-screen TV/DVD?
Who’d Want One: A cruising couple looking for a lovely, comfortable boat that combines efficiency with speed.
Another Choice: The Back Cove 37 Salon Express is a foot longer, a foot beamier and 9,500 pounds heavier. With a 540 hp Yanmar, it’s $440,500.
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Bottom Line**: $495,000; www.judgeyachts.com
