Even after managing research, development and overall production for Edenton, North Carolina-based Albemarle Boats for 20 years, Carlton Layton never dreamed of building boats on his own. However, soon after opening his own fiberglass repair shop, a client infatuated with his astute attention to detail convinced him to build his first boat. Now, with the launch of its third hull, Layton Boatworks continues to offer a unique, fully customized, Carolina-style, jig-built boat with a solid fiberglass hull designed by David Sintes of Sintes Fiberglass Designs in New Orleans.

Performance
We tossed the lines to the dock and pulled away from the slip in Pirate's Cove on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, and the 705 hp Cummins QSM11s quietly pushed us out of the marina. As the Layton effortlessly climbed onto plane, I noticed little bow rise and a relatively flat running attitude throughout a range of rpm. Snaking our way towards Oregon Inlet, we cruised at 32 knots, turning 2,000 rpm. Full throttle yields a healthy 37.1 knots. Once outside the inlet I put the Layton 45 through a series of turns, spins and generally fishy maneuvers. It responded in a predictable and satisfactory fashion to every test.

Helm Deck / Interior
A pair of well-cushioned settees with drawer storage underneath lies just aft of the dual Stidd helm chairs.
 
Belowdecks you'll find a large cushioned settee to port. To starboard, Corian counters, abundant
cabinet storage, a sink, cooktop, microwave and refrigerator round out the attractive galley. The enclosed head features a shower/toilet combination that thankfully leaves room to shower without having to huddle over the toilet. The forward stateroom's island berth rises on an electric ram to reveal plenty of tackle storage. A pair of cabinets along the overhead holds the rods and reels that don't fit under the bed — another four each.

Engine Room
A single ram-driven hatch between the cockpit and helm deck affords access to the engine room. Layton situates all filters, the oil change pump, battery switches and a crash pump near the access hatch. Both 110- and 12-volt lighting (in case the generator fails) light the compartment. Forced air ventilation intakes in the cockpit rather than on the hull sides eliminate salt spray in the engine room.

Cockpit
A full-sized fighting chair leaves plenty of working room in the cockpit. The refrigerated port bin easily holds four cases of frozen bait, while the starboard bin's partitions keep a frat-party's worth of soda and beer chilly. Cushions with slanted backs atop the bins provide comfortable aft-facing, mezzanine-style seating. And the transom sports a fish box big enough to sleep in.  

Design and Construction
Most custom boatbuilders rely on the process of cold-molding: using consecutive layers of high-quality wood laminate formed around a jig, glued in place by super-strong epoxy resins and encased in fiberglass. Builders who diverge from this method often start with some sort of coring material sandwiched between layers of fiberglass. Layton figured out how to build truly custom, solid-glass hulls without the huge expense of tooling female molds. The secret is C-Flex — a semi-rigid fiberglass mat reminiscent of a Venetian blind. With its hard-but-flexible longitudinal rods of hardened resin, C-Flex can be formed around a male jig, wetted with resin and used as a substrate upon which to laminate layers of fiberglass. The result? A strong yet affordable custom hull.
 

LOA......45'
BEAM......14'2"
DRAFT......3'9"
WEIGHT......35,250 pounds
FUEL......515 gallons
WATER......80 gallons
POWER......T 700 hp Cummins QSM11
BASE PRICE......Price on request

Layton Boatworks / Edenton, North Carolina / 252-482-1504 / www.laytonsboatworks.com