Boat Review: DeSanti 40 XPS

The DeSanti 40 comes from the design tables of Steve French at Applied Concepts Unleashed, known for other exceptional sportfishing designs such as Garlington and Sculley, to name just two. But admittedly, this boat doesn’t resemble anything French has drawn before. The good people at DeSanti Dolomiti Marine Group looked everywhere for exactly what they wanted in a boat, but they couldn’t find a production builder that could meet their requirements. Those requisites stemmed from a desire for a more secure boat for family fishing and cruising. Hence, the DeSanti 40 XPS was born.
DeSanti builds its boats in central Florida, about 30 miles east of Tampa on the Gulf of Mexico. As with many custom yachts today, construction consists of cold-molded wood, fiberglass and quality resin. True to its dedication to custom building, the company will make each open fisherman a one of a kind within the boundaries of the 40-foot hull.

**Design and Construction
** For good looks DeSanti combines Palm Beach styling in the cockpit, deck, helm and bridge deck with refined Carolina-style lines, incorporating a modest bow flare, beautiful compound curves in the tumblehome and, of course, a dramatic broken sheer line.
Built with a cold-molded system utilizing West System epoxies, the hull and deck consist of Douglas fir and marine-grade plywood formed on a jig. The resulting shell is then completely glassed inside and out. After many hours of fairing, the entire hull gets coated with Awlgrip.

**Engine Room
** That same Awlgrip finish makes the bilges and bulkheads in the engine compartment a breeze to keep clean. Hull No. 1 included an 8-kW diesel generator, a fuel transfer system with crossover valves and large-volume air vents. DeSanti also goes the extra mile in assuring a quiet ride by affixing advanced sound-deadening material to the engine room overhead, building in rock-solid aluminum engine beds and attaching the engines with special mounts made to reduce vibration.
The bridgedeck lifts over the engines, affording you complete access to all points of maintenance and compartment bulkheads. Several engine packages come with the Desanti 40 XPS ranging from 420 to 700 hp.

**Cockpit
** You may find the covering boards slightly wider or larger than what you’re used to, but that’s all part of DeSanti’s overall philosophy of greater safety and security on board. Another aspect of this concept makes a really comfortable cockpit. While a beam wider than 15 feet might seem somewhat unusual on a 40-foot express, this enlarged work space in the cockpit results in a more stable fishing platform. Standard equipment in the pit includes fresh- and saltwater washdowns, undergunwale lighting, nonskip Awlgrip deck, insulated icebox, oversize scuppers and a walk-through transom door.

**Interior
** It’s amazing how much space builders squeeze out of boats these days. Hull No. 1 features a private double-bed cabin in the bow with storage underneath. A head with shower, the galley and the salon fill the rest of the space.
The galley boasts a two-burner cooktop, built-in microwave, Corian counters, and refrigerator and freezer units. The salon offers a spacious settee/lounge area, and the settee converts into a double berth. The interior decor on this boat is a custom job, and future owners will choose their own interior as well. DeSanti always aims to please, and the 40 XPS is no exception.

|