XO EXPLR 9 Review

In this review, the topRik team talks about another bestseller from XO Boats’ EXPLR series - a brutal boat made of aluminum and fiberglass. Our review, as usual, is based on our own testing experience.

The review is illustrated with a large number of photographs of the exterior and interior, and in order for you to see the EXPLR 9 in motion, we present several video reviews from the manufacturer and famous yachtsman Dan Jones, who tested it in Australian waters.

XO 270 Cabin OB, which served as the basis for the XO EXPLR 9, produced by XO Boats from 2016 to 2021. In 2020, a new all-weather bowrider was presented at Boot Düsseldorf, and after several improvements based on testing results, the first EXPLR 9 hull left the shipyard in 2021.

Fans of boats with a metal alloy hull are usually well aware of the Finnish shipyard XO Boats. It has proven itself even during the separate existence of the boat brands Aquador and Paragon Yachts, who joined forces in 2008 to create the new XO brand.

Already the first boats of this brand attracted the attention of yachtsmen. Deep-V hull design, military-grade aluminum and excellent ride quality are firmly established in the XO's DNA from the very first models. The dimensions, type of interior, location or number of engines could change, but the marine characteristics were the subject of special attention of the shipyard developers. For this purpose, some parts of the boat’s design were made of fiberglass, and some experimenting was done with volumes, length and width.

The history of the brand includes many prestigious awards and nominations. And now sailors have received the latest model in the EXPLR series, which, with almost the same dimensions as the XO 270 Cabin OB, has higher performance.

The success of the shipyard is also evidenced by the opening of a new plant in Poland - previously the boats were entirely produced in Finland. Now only the production of metal hulls is left here, which are sent to the Polish plant, where the final assembly of XO boats takes place.

Erkki Talvela, who remained CEO after the exit of XO Boats brand’s founder Sakari Mattila, says that the opening of this plant allows it not only to increase production volumes, but also to offer seafarers excellent value for money.

As you know, XO Boats produces its aluminum boats in series, which only recently got names, and not just digital designations: DSCVR, DFNDR and EXPLR. In turn, each series has size ranges that include several models that differ from each other in terms of the wheelhouse design, the presence and number of cabins, the number and location of engines.

The new 9-meter explorer at the time of writing this review is still the first representative of its size range. This is an “off-road” boat with a trawler house, which can be completely isolated, and open cockpits at the stern and bow.

There is a version that the term bowrider is associated with the hunting method of the island peoples, when a man with a bow or harpoon sat on the bow of the boat in a special “nest” spot during hunting.

Despite their brutal appearance, these are the most peaceful boats, friendly to solo sailors, groups of fishermen, explorers and large families.

One way or another, these relatively small and usually family boats certainly have a bow cockpit, the design of which provides for seats of various configurations with lockers under them, installation of a table, formation of a sunbathing lounge and even an awning. In addition to the cockpit in the bow, there is a main cockpit (aft), a platform for swimming and storing, for example, windsurfing boards or water skis. Other distinctive features of a bowrider are the hull shape with a moderate deadrise (for EXPLR 9 – 22°) and the drive: it can be an outboard motor (as in our case) or a stationary engine with an angular column. A sleeping place for two can be equipped in the wheelhouse, and you will not be disturbed by the noise of an outboard engine (or two) thanks to reliable insulation.

For fishing trips or coastal exploration, 8 people can easily accommodate here. Spend a great weekend with friends, family or alone in the sea - it's easy and safe on this boat.

The brainchild of the Finnish shipyard formally belongs to the commuter boats category, which is very common in Scandinavia – these are the boats, which primarily perform transport functions. They are most often used for trips to cottages, which in these parts are mainly located near the water, and it is by water that it is most convenient to get there, given the intricacy of the skerries and the abundance of inhabited islands and islets.

 

Features of XO EXPLR 9

 

Virtual tour

 

Maximum Speed and Fuel Consumption

Max speed	Up to 50 knots
Cruising speed	Up to 30 knots
Fuel consumption	75 l/h when planning at a speed of 30 knots

 

Review of XO EXPLR 9 by topRik Team

As you know, the topRik team tries not to miss important boat shows, especially when they take place in Europe. Boot Düsseldorf 2020 was no exception, and it was there that we got acquainted with new products from XO Boats: in addition to the EXPLR 9, a boat from the DSCVR line of the same size range was presented this year. But XO EXPLR 9 caught our attention with its stated performance of up to 50 knots, which exceeded the maximum cruising speed of the new DSCVR by 10 knots. Who could resist that!

 

First Look

EXPLR 9 looks aggressive at the first, but… well, it never actually stops looking this way. XO naval architects and designers are trying to ensure that the exterior also matches the name of the shipyard: according to XO Boats representatives, its name stands for extraordinary. This brutality is achieved mainly due to the predominance of vertical lines in the design, and the predatory military style cannot be disguised even with white fiberglass, from which the deckhouse and the interior of the boat are made.

Covering the military-grade aluminum body with white film doesn't change things either. It turns out that it’s not even a wolf in sheep’s clothing, but a real apex predator, just an albino one, and devouring not living creatures, but nautical miles and fuel. However, as we found out in practice, it absorbs fuel in fairly acceptable volumes in relation to the speed of travel. But more on that later.

From the pier, we, of course, cannot see the bottom, but we can appreciate the fully glazed pilothouse with access through two doors leading to the aft and bow cockpits. Yes, since we are dealing with a bowrider, the open bow cockpit with seats for passengers is the main distinguishing feature of this model. The aft cockpit is significantly inferior in size.

The all-round glazing of the wheelhouse promises a lot of natural light, and tightly closing doors on both sides of the wheelhouse provide the ability to isolate yourself from noise and bad weather, as well as provide a warm atmosphere with the help of a heater if you use XO EXPLR 9 in the cold climate of the northern seas.

If you plan to sail in the warmer regions of the Mediterranean, you can open doors, hatches and windows wide, letting in as much fresh air as you need.

The roof rails are not too high, since the protective function is assigned mainly to the high sides. It is very convenient to adapt the roof for trolling fishing.

 

Transom

Of course, the first thing you notice on the transom is the outboard drive. The title of this series does not contain the abbreviation OB, which usually marks models with an outboard motor.

As you can see, the transom board is powerful enough to support a 450 HP engine, although manufacturers offer motors starting at 250 HP from Mercury and Yamaha.

Only after examining the engine (in our case, a Mercury 450 HP), attention turns to the swim platform, divided into two parts by the engine. These islands are large enough to attach a folding ladder to get into the water and set up your own beach spot.

 

Aft Cockpit

The aft cockpit only gives the impression of being closed by the back of the aft sofa. As we have already said, the area is not amazing in size, but this cockpit is not intended to accommodate a large number of people.

You can install a small sofa here, but if you are going to use XO EXPLR 9 for fishing, then you won’t need it.

If you open the door to the wheelhouse, the aft cockpit simply becomes an extension of it. But watch your step when you enter the wheelhouse from the cockpit – it is elevated. It is only at first glance that the cockpit seems closed. In fact, when turning at high speeds, water can get inside, and the elevation prevents it from overflowing into the wheelhouse.

As you can see, the boat has no side decks - the deckhouse is located across the entire width of the hull.

 

In the wheelhouse

After crossing between the cockpit and the wheelhouse, do not forget that the deck of the aft cockpit and the wheelhouse are at different levels also - you will have to descend to the wheelhouse from the cockpit to the height of a fairly substantial step. Be careful.

This is a technique familiar to all sailors by naval architects to ensure that there is sufficient height in the wheelhouse so that one does not have to bend down while moving.

Despite the small size of the boat, the wheelhouse can comfortably accommodate all the stated 8 people. For this purpose there are comfortable sofas and armchairs.

The sofas are intended directly for passengers. Between them you can install a folding table. It’s very convenient: you catch a fish, clean it, fry it, and then it goes right here.

Of course, if you are going to have a freshly caught fish dinner on XO EXPLR 9, you will need to equip the boat with the optional galley with stove and sink. In addition, equipment for the toilet compartment is available as an option, including a latrine, shower and washbasin, with hot water supply if desired. That is, your stay on EXPLR 9 can be made as comfortable as possible, although without luxury.

For example, only two people have enough room for sleep. For this, the sofas on the sides and the folding table are folded out and, with the help of additional mattresses, turned into a double bed. There is no cabin on the boat.

By the way, pay attention to this electrical panel at the entrance to the wheelhouse. topRik experts also appreciated its thoughtful location (no one will lean on it even during rolling), as well as the push-button rather than touch system.

Seats for the skipper and his assistants (or simply observers of beauty all around) are located on either side of the door leading to the bow cockpit.

This is a very comfortable skipper’s chair with full suspension. You can adjust it to your needs – raise it, lower it, or move it closer to the control panel. The observer seat, by the way, is a double one, and all seats are included as standard on the XO EXPLR 9.

For leg support, which is simply necessary when maneuvering at high speed, a wide shelf is installed at the bottom in front of the chair.

Inside the sofa there are lockers for storing equipment and luggage.

On the starboard side there is a spot where an optional refrigerator with freezer can be built in. Space on the left houses the toilet compartment, which we mentioned above. Yes, every free cubic and square centimeter of volume and area is used very rationally here.

All that remains is to look at the steering wheel panel itself - and at this point the study of the wheelhouse can be considered complete.

Of course, we appreciated the adjustable steering wheel, the powerful lever for controlling the engine, and the operating panel area where you can install all the standard and optional equipment.

The manufacturer offers several options for chartplotters with a set of maps, sonar, automatic control of transom plates, a compass, an antenna, a radio station, etc.

Bow thruster is another useful option - in addition to the list of navigation instruments and devices.

XO EXPLR 9 is exposed to all winds from all sides. Just check out those huge windows, sliding doors on both sides and a sliding sunroof. Excellent panoramic view, excellent lighting and ventilation!

In northern waters you can close them all and turn on the heating. XO boats are suitable for all types of sailing in any coastal climate. By the way, the XO EXPLR 9 design is certified in category C (CE). This means that it is intended for use in coastal waters, large bays, rivers and lakes, in conditions of wind force of about 6 points and wave height of 2 meters.

So, we went through the entire wheelhouse and now we go out to the main attraction of the boat, which allows us to classify it as a bowrider.

 

At the Bow

Below is a horizontal projection of the boat's deck so you can compare the area of the aft and bow cockpits. As you can see, the area of the bow cockpit is much larger. It is equipped with seats of different configurations, where all passengers can freely accommodate if they do not want to sit in the wheelhouse.

Here you can place a folding table and then use it to equip this cockpit with a large sun lounger, as we did in the wheelhouse.

All these seating areas also serve as quite spacious lockers, and the forepeak has a chain box where the anchor chain is collected when the anchor is raised.

All surfaces of the lockers here can be covered with soft mattresses - these are listed in the optional list of items to improve comfort on board XO EXPLR 9.

A teak deck covering will give the boat a more stylish look and ensure safety of movement if the boat is going to be used not for fishing, but for family vacations.

 

At the Sea

When the boat was turned on, it sharply rushed forward, so before leaving the marina it had to be “tamed” by switching to neutral. But we found out that even when moving by inertia, the boat is confidently controlled, and maneuverability even with such a long and narrow hull is very decent; we didn’t even have to use the bow thruster.

We found out right during refueling that the fuel necks on the boat are located on both sides - very convenient.

The boat turned out to be very stable in a quiet displacement mode: at a speed of up to 20 knots, there was no need to constantly turn the steering wheel, as is usually the case with many deadrise speed boats. At XO EXPLR 9 there is no excessive yaw at low speeds.

As it turned out later, it is just as stable if you move the throttle to full speed: we somehow missed the moment of reaching planing, the transition turned out to be that soft.

Since the weather was wonderful and there was no opportunity to test the boat on a strong natural wave, we began to chase passing ships, make sharp maneuvers, etc. But all our tricks did not help to catch the moment of the “jump” when the boat overcame even a very steep wave: the hull stubbornly maintained the optimal trim.

Of course, there were some bumps when we started testing the EXPLR 9 at maximum speed: when she began to approach 50 knots, we stopped testing, since we were risking fuel reserves for returning to port.

We determined the optimal speed to be 30-35 knots per hour. Fuel consumption at this speed is up to 75 liters per hour.

 

Advantages of XO EXPLR 9

Reliable, safe, thoughtful design - these are the main advantages of bowrider XO EXPLR 9. The boat can be “docked” against the rocks - this will not spoil its appearance.

Even at high speed, the boat is faithful to the indicated course, does not yaw along the way or jump out of the water – passengers always feel comfortable. To improve this comfort, the manufacturer offers a fairly large list of options, which includes interior improvements, equipment for cooking and storing food, as well as for hygiene procedures while sailing.

This is an excellent boat for any climate: in warm regions you can open both doors and the sunroof, in cold regions you can “batten down” and turn on the heating.

EXPLR 9 quickly goes to planing, thereby reducing the wetted surface area, which has a positive effect on fuel consumption.

Construction of bowrider allows you to use a boat made of aluminum and fiberglass for any purpose in coastal waters and closed reservoirs, which we will discuss in more detail below.

We are also pleased with the price to quality ratio and the ability to adjust it depending on the choice of options.

 

Video Reviews of XO EXPLR 9

Here we have a lot of interesting footage coming from both the manufacturer and third-party testers.

First, a great walkthrough from XO Boats:

Dan Jones does a great job explaining all possible features of XO EXPLR 9:

Another video from BoatLife, this time – the test drive:

Concise review under 4 minutes with great demonstration of its capabilities near the shore:

More interior footage:

 

Conclusion

XO EXPLR 9’s sea trial shows that it is fast, safe, easy to control, spacious and quite comfortable for its price. It is precisely because of these characteristics that it can be used for different purposes and is suitable for different categories of yachtsmen:

• for a one-day family vacation and even a multi-day cruise in coastal waters, if you equip the proposed amenities on board in the form of a berth for two, a galley and a toilet room;
• for a company of fishermen, since the roof of the cabin and the aft cockpit are adapted to accommodate the appropriate equipment, and the spacious bow cockpit allows for individual spinning rods;
• for lovers of solo trips - the boat is easily controlled by one helmsman;
• for explorers of the deep sea - there is a lot of space for diving equipment, underwater hunters, and seekers of underwater objects;
• for transporting passengers along the coast with stops at piers - a kind of water taxi;
• for those who want to join the maritime community, but are not yet confident with sails;
• for those who want to take a break from the difficulties of sailing, but cannot do without the sea;
• for lovers of life on the water – XO EXPLR 9 can provide the required minimum of comfort at a relatively reasonable price.
• for lovers of towing water sports.

This is by no means a complete list of categories that may be interested in the bowrider EXPLR 9 by XO Boats. Therefore, it is also of interest to charter companies - such a boat will certainly be in demand and will quickly recoup the costs of its purchase.

 

Where to Buy XO EXPLR 9 at a Bargain Price

If you don't know where to buy XO EXPLR 9 at a competitive price, contact the experts of the topRik marketplace - and you will receive detailed advice from experienced yachtsmen, educated on all types of boats and yachts.

In addition, all these consultations at the initial stage are completely free. You also get another bonus free price calculator, developed by us specifically for this model.

Continuing cooperation with the topRik marketplace after you have decided on the choice of configuration guarantees you a full package of XO EXPLR 9 search services at a favorable price for you, registration of all documentation, delivery of the boat to your berth or any other location specified.

To save yourself from the problems that are usually associated with searching, purchasing and delivering a boat, just call topRik experts at the specified phone number, send a request to [email protected] or use the quick contact form in the Contacts section.