2023 Back Cove 39' _{(11.89 m)} 39o

Here is what Passagemaker has to say about the wildly popular Back Cove 39 O:

A crisp breeze sweeps through Old Saybrook, Connecticut, as I stand on the dock at my homeport of Saybrook Point, watching the Back Cove 39O approach. Coated in salt from its trip down the coast, the Down East hull looks right at home on the Connecticut River. 

The 39O is the second outboard model from Back Cove, following the 34O, which debuted in 2018. With hull number 47 of the 34O about to splash, Back Cove has gathered customer feedback to incorporate into the larger model. While both the 34- and 39-footers have new hull designs specific to outboard propulsion, the 39O is truly a new build.

“On the 34O, we utilized a lot of the same tooling from our Back Cove 32, which is an inboard model, in order to accelerate bringing that boat to market,” says Jamie Bloomquist, national sales manager at Back Cove Yachts. “But with the 39O, everything from the keel to the hardtop is brand-new.” 

Perhaps the most significant change is the sheer increase in space. With only 5 feet of additional length, the 39O adds a second stateroom with twin berths, as well as a lower salon safe from prying eyes. A family of four should have no trouble spending a weekend aboard.

The cockpit also feels spacious, with fore- and aft-facing bench seats making it ideal for entertaining. Among the new design elements is a fully enclosable, climate-controlled salon helm with lounge seating, a dinette and a galley. 

Rolling through no-wake zones at 5 knots, the 39O was near silent, allowing us to appreciate the scenery as we headed toward nearby Hamburg Cove. We cruised beneath the I-95 bridge and passed downtown Essex before allowing the boat to demonstrate its performance capability, quickly accelerating into the 40-knot range. Even at speed, she was quiet.

“It’s the fastest and the quietest Back Cove we’ve ever built because of how we have the outboards so far aft, and the enclosed helm,” Bloomquist says. 

From inside the helm station, it was easy to tune out the roar from the triple 400-hp Mercury Verados. The hull felt stable, and combined with the sound mitigation, I’d nearly have forgotten I was on a boat if not for the ‘rapidly’ passing scenery!