Anglers ready to elevate their game to the next level need to look long and hard at the Mikelson 75 Sport- fisher. This Tom Fexas-designed beauty was built with serious multi-day fishing trips in mind. The M75 offers speed, range, and luxuriously spacious accommodations on an insanely well-thought-out fishing platform. It has a massive cockpit, optional enclosed flybridge, cavernous salon, five staterooms (three forward suites and two aft crew quarters), five heads, up to four steering stations, and enough power and range to fulfill nearly any long-range fishing fantasy.

Highly Customizable

Dick Peterson and Pat Sullivan have been building Mikelson long-range sportfishers since 1984. Now in its 10th year of production, the M75 is evidence of the duo’s commitment to ever-increasing refinement. “We learn a great deal from every boat we build,” says Sullivan. “This M75 (hull #14) is a reflection of input from thirteen other highly knowledgeable owners who came before.”

The salon features a teak and holly sole, bird’s eye maple veneer, and American cherry trim. Countertops are red and black granite with honeycombed backing – a weight-saving trick borrowed from corporate jet builders–and the M75 tested was upholstered with leather throughout, according to interior designer, Jill Peterson. “The owner does a lot of fishing with the boys, but his wife wanted a look that was a little more formal,” she said.

Borrowing from mega yachts, the M75’s master suite sprawls from beam to beam. This elegant master suite also has two important safety features that show extraordinary depth of planning and design. Four oversize portholes can function as escape portals should an emergency arise, and in the rear of the portside walk-in clothes closet, a small fireproof door leads directly to the engine room. Were the main stairway leading to the master suite ever to become impassable, that doorway acts as a means to escape.

Above and forward of the master suite on the port side, the VIP suited is a bright and airy affair with its own en suite head, and the forward V-berth also has an en suite head, built-in TV, and plenty of storage.

Jaw-Dropping

Angler’s WalkthroughThat this M75’s owner was being custom outfitted for a fishing fanatic became evident immediately upon stepping aboard. Three built-in tuna tubes share space in the transom with a side-by-side oval 65-gallon live bait tanks. Nice!

Below the cockpit deck rest two large refrigerated fish holds and a pair of Eskimo-brand freezers  nestled into the bait prep and tackle station.

On the forward port side of the cockpit resides a device guaranteed to make any serious angler drool – a Fire Magic stainless steel gas barbeque! Hey, when you’re trolling for marlin all day and a dorado jumps one of your lures, a deck barbeque makes even more sense!

Standard features include molded steps on either side of the cockpit leading to a second-level, 90-square-foot Lanai deck that serves as an extension to the main salon. An eight-foot-long cushioned bench lays athwartships; the backrest can be swung forward to offer stadium seat-like views of the fishing action–or swung backward so guests can be part of Lanai deck activities. Situated on the starboard side of the Lanai deck, a day head makes it convenient for anglers who may not want to enter the salon.

Third Level, Flybridge

A popular option is the fully enclosed flybridge. Not only does the pilothouse-like enclosure give you the ability to avoid the elements, but when you close the door – even at cruising speeds – it’s so quiet it’s hard to imagine you’re underway.

Directional control of the 110,000-pound vessel is aided with a Hynautic hydraulic power steering system. Power is brought to bear via electronic controls, ZF twin disk transmissions, and trolling valves. As a point of interest, the M75 tested had four engine control stations: one in the cockpit, one forward on the flybridge, a tournament station outside the flybridge on the starboard side, and one on the marlin tower.

Although the Fexas-designed hull seldom needs trimming, fine adjustments can be made with a pair of Bennett trim tabs. A German-made Side-Power bow thruster helps squeeze the 75-footer into the tightest parking spaces. Stidd-brand captain’s chairs offer a wide range of adjustments to reduce fatigue on long runs. The list of other owner-specified features that can be integrated into the M75’s flybridge is nearly infinite.

When equipped with a fully enclosed flybridge, the M75 is a natural for a marlin tower with its own hardtop. Standing 22 feet above the waterline, the fourth level tower is a perfect platform from which to glass billfish, terns, kelp paddies, and breaking fish. This M75 was in the process of receiving a cushioned lounge forward of the marlin tower controls.

Revving Up!

After clearing America’s Cup Harbor, we brought the M75 up to 9.2 knots to simulate fast trolling speed. Total fuel consumption registered a trawler-like one mile per gallon. What makes this all the more incredible is that hull #14 is outfitted with an optional pair of Caterpillar C32s capable of pumping out 1,825 horsepower per side!

We urged the Cat C32s on, and they immediately responded. Especially with the flybridge door closed, it was hard to get a sense of speed, even while whisking across the harbor at 25 knots, consuming 60 percent of the power available. Heck, when you combine power steering, low noise, and a smooth ride, you almost get the feeling you’re at the controls of a video game.

At a cruising speed of 28 knots, we were pulling 68 percent load and drawing 60 gallons per hour per side. We slowed to 22 knots and threw her into a series of hard turns. She leaned into the turns like a motorcycle and effortlessly completed 180-degree sweeps. Crossing our own wake was completely uneventful and produced no spray whatsoever. “Everybody hates it when you’re out on a flat day and you come back to the berth with salt spray on your windows. This spray rail helps keep the water low and your topsides dry,” Sullivan says.

On the way back to the barn, we opened her up. Wide-open throttle with 1,000 gallons of fuel on board produced a top speed of just above 31 knots. With a lighter load and some propeller tweaking, 32.5 knots is completely feasible, said Sullivan.

An amazing thing happened when we slowed back down and held her at 15 knots. The M75 did not enter into a bow-high position that many sportfishers do at just under planing speeds. Fexas designed the M75 with what he called a penetrating-planing hull; the upshot of this design is that the bow tends not to rise, and trim tabs are generally used only for minor adjustments.

Dockside, a below-decks engine room inspection began

by stepping down into an amidships companionway from the cockpit. Immediately on the port side is the crew’s head. Across from that, an over/under washer/drier stack. Just forward on either side are crew quarters. The yacht’s main electrical panel is immediately outside the engine room door on the starboard side. Inside the engine room rest two massive Cat 32s. Six feet of headroom ensure easy access. Outboard of engines on the starboard side sit a pair of water makers, and outboard on port side are four chilled-water air conditioning compressors that provide a whopping 117,000

BTUs of cooling power.

Underwater exhaust systems loop up and terminate through the hull behind the engines. Compared to through-transom exhausts, underwater systems run quieter, save space, and better disperse exhaust fumes.

“The owner is buying this boat for multi-day trips through- out the Gulf of Mexico,” said Captain Graham Pederson says. “He bought the M75 for its power, range, and accommodations. He’s made it clear; this will not be a day boat.” Now that’s taking angling to the next level!

For more details on the M75, contact Pat Sullivan at (619) 222-5007x12, or go to www.MikelsonYachts.com.