Albemarle 45 Carolinian Fisharound Express

The deep-V hull of the 45 Carolinian slices smoothly through snotty seas. Courtesy Albemarle Visit Albemarle Build Your Albemarle Find an Albemarle Dealer

Is “beautifunctional” a word? Maybe not, but it’s a great way to describe Albemarle’s new entry into the outboard-powered mid-40-foot-size sport fishing market. The Carolinian 45  Fisharound Express is just as functional as it is beautiful, or is it as beautiful as is it functional? Read on, and you decide. Better yet, arrange a test ride. It’s that kind of boat. 

Even at rest, the 45 exudes a tough and fast aura. Albemarle is clearly on the fast track, as this is its seventh new model in just eight years.  

We tested on a hot and very busy late June day with a soupy mix of 4-foot wind-driven rollers mixed with boat wakes coming from every direction. The triple Mercury Verado 600 V-12 outboards churned the water at 55 mph-plus with six crew and 400 gallons of fuel aboard. Acceleration from an in-gear idle to 30 mph came up in just six seconds. The burst of power initiated very little, if any, bow rise. The Carolinian just moves forward, with quiet but insistent thrust and direction. The hull stays on plane even down to 19 mph and 2,700 rpm.

The clear acrylic wraparound enclosure offers great visibility for safely navigating and searching for weedlines, flocks of seabirds and feeding fish. Courtesy Albemarle

The 45 achieved best fuel mileage at a fast clip. At 4,000 rpm and just under 36 mph, we saw 0.7 miles per gallon, burning 54 gallons per hour. That’s 414 miles of range, leaving 10 percent in reserve. 

With 22 degrees of transom deadrise, the hull is designed to slice through rollers and chop with little drama. The highly pronounced Carolina flare—a clear, unmistakable Albemarle signature feature—keeps the crew dry. The hull turns smoothly with no awkward chine-dives or transom slide-outs. While it’s a big hull to change direction quickly, it handles nimbly.  

The Carolinian’s state-of-the-art hull is built with vacuum-infused, hand-laid fiberglass with vinylester resin. It sports a stringer grid built from Corecell closed-cell foam, encapsulated in fiberglass, set and tabbed into the hull, then fully glassed in. Combined with the core, this provides the structure, rigidity and flexibility needed to bridge large water. The hull and deck are completely fiberglassed together to form a uni-body, one-piece craft. The transom is Coosa cored. There’s no wood in the boat to rot. The hull and deck’s white gelcoat is blemish- and ripple-free; Albemarle’s molds are clearly well built and maintained. 

The hull bottom is epoxy-primed and coated twice with anti-fouling paint. Under and behind the decks, under the gunwhales, and in the equipment room belowdecks, rigging is clean and well-executed. The wiring, plumbing and attachments are all run, supported and installed expertly, as expected at this level. All hardware aboard is high-corrosion resistant 316 stainless steel.  

Triple Mercury 600 hp V-12 outboards with contra-rotating propellers and joystick control enhance manueverability at speed and while docking. Courtesy Albemarle

At the bow, a large and highly functional anchor locker with it’s own freshwater washdown feature is a handy touch, making it easy to keep the anchor and it’s storage spot clean. A 20-gallon livewell is located under the forward seat in the bow, under the wraparound upholstery. Centrally positioned is a forward-facing double loveseat, and just up and aft of that is a large sun pad with ample cushioning. 

The 45’s helm area features Albemarle’s signature rigid acrylic wraparound windshield enclosure. At 80 gauge in the front and sides, and with a 60 gauge polycarbonate backdrop, it allows for a 180-degree unobstructed view while presenting a sleek and seamless “moving-while-standing-still” appearance. The result is no windshield structure to block the captain’s view or detract from the boat’s captivating lines. Of course, with that much acrylic enclosure surrounding the crew, the Carolinian’s zoned air conditioning system (with reverse cycle heating) is mandatory to keep things cool (and warm, in cold climes). We tested this extensively, as  temperatures exceeded 90 degrees F on  test day, yet we remained comfortable whether on deck or in the cabin. An Onan 13.5 kw diesel generator keeps everything powered up at rest or underway. 

Belowdecks, the cabin is laid out in traditional fashion, with a V-berth forward and optional filler panel/cushion (or dinette table) to convert to a double bunk. Aft, filler cushions quickly convert the U-shaped lounge into a queen bed. The cabinets are black walnut and accented with solid surface countertops. The galley on the port side features a single burner stovetop with sink and microwave. A fully enclosed head includes a separate enclosed shower.  

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The clean and elegant style of the 45 Carolinian’s cabin offers superb overnighting comfort when crew need to sleep aboard on extended trips. Courtesy Albemarle

Hull No. 1 featured a custom Palm Beach half-tower. The layout offered a center-mounted helm, three-across helm seating with flip-up bolsters behind a fully featured dash with twin 24-inch Garmin displays. The Mercury outboards use the functional JPO joystick controls for ease of docking and anchoring. The cockpit deck measures more than 98 square feet and features a pair of in-deck fish boxes, a tuna door to starboard, and a 70-gallon transom livewell. 

At the forward end of the deck, a step-up houses insulated boxes, which on this first hull are configured with an Eskimo ice machine and bait freezer. The mezzanine seating opens wide to provide excellent access to the mechanical space below and the generator, Seakeeper 6 gyrostabilizer, Spot Zero water maker, and plumbing and wiring.   

Albemarle has been well known for decades as an East Coast high-quality builder of ocean-capable fishing craft that last a lifetime. In the past, Albemarle’s boats could be characterized as no-frills and no-nonsense. While it has retained that purpose-built bedrock, Albemarle has very ably added a high comfort and convenience level to ensure that its  boats are also just as purposeful for family cruising. The Mercury outboard power just enhances the smooth performance, and adds better balance, ease of serviceability and interior room, making larger hulls like this Carolinian even more enjoyable. While the 45 Carolinian follows Albemarle’s time-tested recipe for hard-core fishing function, families will enjoy it too, and its striking beauty will always turn heads. 

Specifications Length:45’0”Beam:13’6”Draft:2’10”Fuel:700 gal.Weight:28,000Max HP:1,800Price:$1,725,000 (base), $2,165,000 (as tested) Contact Albemarle

Albemarle Boats – Edenton, North Carolina; albemarleboats.com

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