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The Riviera 58 gives you what you need in a big convertible, for less.

Riviera 58 Flybridge

            Looking for a monster convertible that costs significantly less than the competition? Riviera was known for building convertibles that were surprisingly inexpensive, but one of the ways they accomplished this feat was by using powerplants that were relatively puny. As a result, Rivieras were also slow. But not so, with the 58—it has a pair of standard 1015-hp MTU diesel inboards, which can be upgraded to optional twin 1,550-hp V-12 Caterpillar C 30 diesels. So rigged, the boat I tested hit 46-mph. Underpowered? Not by a long shot. Yet the boat costs about 1.5 mil with the MTUs and 1.75 mil with the CATs—compared to two million plus, for other sportfishers of this size.

     Running with the big iron does, however, also mean you’ll be burning a heck of a lot of fuel. At WOT we chugged 160 gallons per hour. At a more reasonable 1800 rpm cruising speed, the test boat clipped along at 34.5-mph while burning about half the fuel. And we did it in style, too. Sure, you expect a plush interior in a convertible, but this was another area in which Riviera traditionally saved a buck. They were nice, of course, but not over-the-top nice. The 58, however, has multi-coat varnished woodwork that gleams as if it were fluorescent. There’s a pop-up flat-screen TV that rises out of the cabinetry, more flat-screens live in each stateroom, and under-counter refrigerators and freezers with aircraft-style locking latches add a touch of class to the galley. A/V is also top-notch, provided courtesy of a Bose Lifestyle surround-sound system.

     Belowdecks, top honors goes to the master stateroom for the built-in rod locker, which keeps your gold-platers safely stowed away. The aft stateroom also has an unusual touch, with extra space carved out from under the companionway stairs—smart. And you’ll find more brainy design features on the flybridge. The port side has an aft-facing seat for anglers who want to watch the baits from up top, and there’s a wet bar with a refrigerator. One beef: The helm and passenger’s chairs don’t have much space between them and the bridgedeck railing, and in order for someone to get into the passenger’s chair, the captain has to move out of the way. This is fairly common on smaller convertibles, but over 55, there’s usually enough room that each seat can be accessed without disturbing the other.

     The engineroom, on the other hand, befits boats of twice this cost and size. It has an intercom to the bridge, so you and your crew won’t have to yell back and forth even when the iron horses are running. It has a neat, slick look to it, thanks to a pair of removable deck panels which hide the shafts, which make accessing 360-degrees around the powerplants easy. And a fuel manifold concentrates all of the filters and access points in one spot, centered in the boat.

     Fishing features, of course, are another thing you’ll want to check out. There’s a lighted, rounded livewell with a clear viewing port and an overflow valve in the transom; twin insulated fishboxes with hatches on gas-assist struts are in the deck (these could be improved by replacing the plastic liners with fiberglass, though); a rigging station with four big tackle boxes sits over a sink on the starboard side of the cockpit; the port module houses a bait freezer; and there’s a drink box under the step. If you ever wreck fish or chunk, you’ll also be thrilled to discover an actual bowrail (imagine that!) ringing the foredeck. Why so many big sportfishers do without this simple safety feature is beyond me—but it’s not a problem on the Riviera. That’s just another piece of evidence that this boat’s mantra is “more for less.” And when you add up all the features, the quality level, performance, and design, a mere glance at the price tag proves the point—the Riviera 58 really is more, for less.

LOA – 59’8”

Beam – 17’4”

Draft – 5’0”

Dry weight – 66,300

Fuel capacity – 1,000

Max. HP – 3,100

Price – A mil and a half to two million.

Observed performance notes w/2 people and 1/2 load fuel, twin CAT C30 diesel inboards swinging 36” x 45” five bladed Nibral props: