Innholdsfortegnelse for August 2017 i Motor Boat & Yachting

The steel work is carried out by Tyler Wilson before the boat is moved to Broom for fit-out Two established names in British boatbuilding have joined forces to create a new range of narrowboat. Tyler Wilson, based in Sheffield, and Broom Boats, based in Norfolk, are creating a range of Tyler Broom boats designed specifically for inland waterway and canal cruising. The boats will be marketed and sold by Tingdene Marinas and Boat Sales. The very first product of this joint partnership is a 58ft narrow beam semi-traditional stern model. The steel work is carried out by Tyler Wilson before the boat is then moved to Broom’s Brundall base for fit-out, with the yard designing the interiors as well as handling the engineering. The idea is to give them a…

The conditions that we are testing the SLX 310 in are a world away from what it is designed for. We’re off Porto Cristo on the east coast of Majorca and the Med is in a horrible mood, throwing up a confused, pointy chop that doesn’t allow for any sort of rhythm from the helm seat. It’s about being on and off the throttle to keep impact to a minimum and spotting a small gap in the onslaught to make some decent progress. The standing driving position is comfortable for rough-weather work. The 310 may be a watersports-orientated family dayboat, but it’s tackling these conditions admirably. The ride is dry and assured and the pair of 6.2-litre 300hp MerCruiser V8s are delivering a delicious soundtrack to proceedings. At times, in…

The mere mention of home-built boats makes thoughts turn to moth-eaten amateur fit-outs of 1970s Colvic hulls, interiors a square-cut plywood testimony to the jigsaw-wielding builder’s triumph of enthusiasm over ability. But every so often you discover a gem – a boat built with real talent, unerring love and phenomenal dedication. Thea is the latter, and that home-built status goes far deeper than a hull and deck fit-out. Tom and Lorraine Owen built this boat completely from scratch. They even built the shed at Premier Marina’s Noss facility in which to begin construction. Entirely self taught, Tom’s history of boatbuilding goes right back to his childhood. At the age of 12, he built himself a punt out of hardboard and at 16, he converted a small clinker-built boat, adding a…

Don’t miss puffin arrival day! the website had screamed at me when planning this trip. “On April 14, 200,000 puffins descend to nest on this small grasscovered island.” It now being April 29, Lovund became another essential stopover on our route north on board my Princess V39 Cecienne. It was late in the evening when we tied up to the visitors’ pontoon, so at dawn the next morning we started hiking, following the signposts towards the puffins. About a mile or so along the road we checked with a passing islander that we were going in the right direction. Yes we were – but there was nothing to see. The puffins hadn’t arrived. Whether it was because they simply didn’t know they were expected on April 14 or the stocks…

Years ago, the only way to carry a dinghy fully inflated was to string it from a pair of davits. Nowadays, there are cranes, tender garages, hydraulic bathing platforms, Hurley davits (cradles that swivel to launch) and all manner of other tender handling systems. The simplest and amongst the lowest in cost are Weaver Snap Davits, which clip your dinghy to the edge of your bathing platform and tilt it vertically against the transom. Until recently, Weaver has had this entry-level market sewn up. But now there is another solution, and it comes from Sweden. It’s called Dinghy Rings, and the name pretty accurately sums up the product. It’ comprises two stainless-steel rings linked by a rotating bar. To use it, you simply slot the pointed ends of your inflatable…

Emissions reduction, as ever, feature heavily in the press release of the latest Yamaha F2.5 outboard. Finetuning of the piston, cylinder, cylinder head and manifold are responsible for an improvement in engine efficiency which, by eking out more from every drop of unleaded, simultaneously improves not only the emission levels but also the performance and fuel economy. More obvious improvements for the end user start with the adoption of a large twist-grip throttle, greatly improving convenience and bringing the motor in line with larger portable Yamaha outboards. You still need to spin the engine through 180° to go backwards, but a neutral gear facility is a very worthwhile improvement. Practicality has been augmented with the facility to lie the engine down flat in three positions without oil leaks from the…

NautiBuoy 800 inflatable platform €4,950 (ex VAT) We had a lot of fun testing the NautiBuoy 800 inflatable platform. First impressions were that this is a very high-quality product – the materials and construction matched what you would find on an expensive RIB. In addition, ours had the optional teak deck which provided great grip and looked fantastic. After inflation, the platform was pretty rigid and didn’t deflect much when people stood on it. Once launched, the platform did exactly what the manufacturers claim, with plenty of style. Children loved playing on it, and it is more stable than you might think, especially with the ballast bags deployed. Adults loved just lounging and sunbathing on it, and it made an appreciable addition to the overall sunbathing space on a boat.…

The hull of my Jeanneau Cap Camarat 6.5 WA, Kipper, has a hard life. Living on a swing mooring with a tonneau cover for protection, the topsides are exposed to sun, wind, rain and spray during the season with no way of giving them a proper wash on a regular basis. Mix in the odd scrape from the viciously spiky pier where I often collect guests, and it’s safe to say the offer from 3M to send someone down to treat the hull with its new range of polish and wax couldn’t have come at a better time. The new products are part of 3M’s Gelcoat Finishing System and include a boat wash, two compounds for medium or heavy oxidisation, a polish for less major degradation, and a wax. All…

The image that really rocked our boat this month What better way to celebrate the British brand’s 50 years of boatbuilding than a mass cruise in company? Fairline owners from all over Europe flocked to Port de Sóller in Majorca for a birthday bash like no other. With over 300 guests and 50 Fairline boats in attendance, including an original Fairline 19, the first model ever produced by the yard, the event capped a golden year for the revitalised brand. And judging from the wakes of the lead boats in the photograph, there might have been a few sore heads in the morning! Fifty shades of blue Fairline owners celebrate the yard’s 50th anniversary…

The British Motor Yacht Show, Poole, Brundall and London On-Water all came out strong All four pre-season boat shows proved a success this year, with strong attendance and sales being made across the board. At the British Motor Yacht Show in Swanwick, the big news was the debut of the Princess 62 and the recently launched S60. Almost identical in length and price with similar threecabin layouts and a flybridge up top, this was the first chance for buyers to compare the two. At the other end of the spectrum, Charlotte, the exquisitely restored Project 31, also put in a guest appearance. Roger Lipman of Princess Motor Yacht Sales reported visitors from as far away as Belgium, and sales exceeding £5 million. Sunseeker Southampton also reported strong sales. James Lumley…

Never underestimate the importance of mid-20ft sportscruisers. This is the absolute heartland of first ‘proper boat’ ownership, the place people gravitate to when, with the onset of a family and the need for a separate loo and space for the kids to kip, the cuddy cabin can no longer cut it. Even for those that have outgrown this sector, the success of boats like this brand new 25ft Glastron might be what stands between a future buyer of your used Princess V39 signing on the dotted, or choosing to take up golf instead. It’s a sector that absolutely has to work in order to springboard its owner and family into a lifelong boating addiction, yet paradoxically it’s also potentially the most compromised arena in the motor boat market because it…

Anybody who doesn’t believe the powercat market (and catamaran market in general) is on the up needs to take a closer look at what is currently going on in the industry. Bavaria has bought the Nautitech brand and is building power and sailing catamarans at a facility in Rochefort. Just last month, Aurelius Group (owner of Hanse, Sealine and Fjord among others) acquired a majority stake in another French catamaran builder, Privilege Marine, to expand its impressive portfolio of yachts and motor boats. Meanwhile, Bénéteau Group’s popular catamaran brand, Lagoon, is building the largest powercat it has ever made, the monstrous Seventy 8. From stopping production of the 43/44 a few years ago, Lagoon is now producing two of the largest production powercats on the market. How times change. Why…

These are the tangible benefits of a tall superstructure and the effect is superb The policemen are getting younger. So, I find, are the politicians. And boats are getting bigger too. This last is not a subjective judgement caused by the onset of age but a quantifiable fact, and there is no better example than Sunseeker’s Manhattan 66. Introduced to replace the Manhattan 65, which is still a popular model, and which is only the shorter boat on paper, the Poole shipyard’s latest motor yacht is both taller and wider, and clearly more voluminous. Indeed, viewing the two boats moored next to each other, stern to the quay, you could easily form the impression that the new boat must be a good ten feet longer than the old. It’s an…

BEARING MEL BARTLETT: Phone a friend Have you heard the one about the man who dialled 999 and demanded the police arrest his girlfriend’s cat because it had eaten his bacon? The one whose snowman melted? Or the one who complained a prostitute he’d booked wasn’t pretty enough? Just in case you think I’m being sexist by singling out men, of course women can be just as daft. Domestic pets still feature, like the hamster that prompted one lady to call for an ambulance because it had bitten her finger, or the goldfish that “might be drowning.” What set me off on my trawl through the shallow waters of human stupidity was enduring a day of VHF chatter on the Solent. The Coastguard handled the endless succession of “radio checks” with…

Do we need to justify our spending? Must we account for every chunk of money? Sadly, for those of us of limited means, the answer has to be yes. It’s a responsible attitude to finances that helps put us in a position to buy boats in the first place after all. But of course, there’s always room for a little man-maths in the spreadsheet. For me, several reasons came into play to justify this move to a (much) larger and more expensive boat. On a practical level, after three very successful years with my Skibsplast 660D, a 21-year-old 21ft cuddy cabin boat fitted with a single TAMD 22P 106hp diesel engine, we were just starting to butt up against its limitations a little too often. Something bigger, faster and newer…

KEY CRITERIA • Good value for money • Enduring style and quality • Strong resale potential 1993 £49,995 Sunseeker 31 Hawk Sunseeker has the reputation of being the ‘sporty’ one of the big three, and it is boats like the Hawk 31, built between 1993 and 1996, that cemented that reputation. Like all Hawks, this one looks fantastic, and has the show to match the go with its new Silvertex cockpit upholstery, Flexiteek flooring, new canopies and carbon-fibre dash. INTERIOR Don’t expect typical 30ft levels of interior space – this is a lean, mean performance machine. Headroom is sitting only, there’s a single dinette that converts to a double berth, and no mid cabin. However the standard of finish is exemplary, there’s a neat little galley unit, and the heads…

THE MONTH IN NUMBERS 100 Number of boats sold by Fairline since its relaunch in 2016. The 100th, a Targa 48GT, was sold by dealers Great Lakes in the US. 5th Consecutive year of growth for UK marine industry, according to the British Marine Federation. They quote the current value of the industry at over £3 billion. 36 Number of waterskiing records broken at the Evinrude Chain of Records. The 36th was ‘most records broken at a single event’. The Royal Yachting Association (RYA) is urging boaters who have become entangled in fishing gear to report it. Data on entanglements is poor and lacks detail, says the RYA. At a recent meeting of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency UK Safety of Navigation committee, it became apparent that new data is…

All boat owners must have their new forms in place by September 26 or fines will be imposed New regulations affecting boat owners cruising in Greek waters have been put into place. All craft must have the new paperwork in place by September or risk being fined, according to the Cruising Association (CA). The current DEPKA document, which all boat owners had to have stamped annually and carry with the ship’s papers to allow them to cruise in Greek waters, has been replaced by a new form with a different payment process that ensures the money goes directly to the relevant authorities. To obtain the new DEKPA, boat owners need to present the following original papers to the nearest Port Police office: the boat’s registration document; insurance certificate (in Greek);…

How will next year’s London show differ from previous ones? The two main differences are the timing and the format. Instead of opening on a Friday and running for ten days, it will run for five days from Wednesday January 10 to Sunday 14. The format is changing to include three different shows under one roof: the Boat Show still takes centre stage but the Boating & Watersports Holiday Show will occupy one end of the hall and Bespoke London the other. Whose idea was it? “All of the changes are based on feedback from our exhibitors, visitors and sponsors, with the ultimate decisions being made by the British Marine Board which consists of both members and exhibitors. The show is ultimately owned by the industry for the industry. All…

HIGHLIGHTS ● Three ensuite cabins ● Vast flybridge and hardtop ● Proper twin crew cabin You’d expect the full-length flybridge boat to feel bigger, and it does. This isn’t simply a different deck attached to the same hull as the S60, it’s a whole new boat. The hull may only be 6in longer and wider but it looks far taller and more voluminous. Some of that may be due to the substantial hardtop providing shade to the vast flybridge but there’s no disguising the size of the saloon’s side windows and the slash of white GRP that separates the two halves. On deck, the sheltered aft cockpit is a bit shorter than the S60’s in order to free up more room inside the saloon. This is hardly a sacrifice as…

HigHligHts Updated styling Performance Seakeeping Tipped for a UK launch at this year’s Southampton Boat Show, the Windy 27 Solano is a an all-new model with a hull penned by Windy design legend Hans Jørgen Johnsen. It replaces the ageing 26 Kharma with styling that falls into line with its larger stable mates the 29 Coho and 31 Zonda. The cockpit is sociably arranged around a central dinette with the choice of either a wet bar or extra seating space to port. The generous aft sunpad has a sliding backrest to increase lounging space and Windy’s neat bimini system stows neatly beneath the aft bench to be put in place quickly and provide shelter. Forward, two bolstering bucket seats offer the best protection from the windscreen for when you really…

NEWTECH TRIED&TESTED OURBOATS HOWTO USEDBOAT FINDME A USED SUBSCRIBE NOW & SAVE SEE PAGE 88 GONE WITH THE WINDLASS Last time I was out on the boat – a Fairline Phantom 50 – it struck me whether I should be concerned about the strain on my electric windlass when retrieving the anchor. Is it okay to haul the whole lot in one go or does that put too much strain on the motor and risk damage? Michael Crowley It depends on the age of the windlass but a modern one should be able to handle hauling the anchor and chain up in one go, especially if you’re anchoring in shallows and don’t need to retrieve a couple of hundred feet of chain and run the motor for an extended period of…

Lowrance has introduced its biggest ever MFD – a 16in addition to its premier-league Carbon range – which offers the equivalent of four 7in MFDs in a single unit. The new unit boasts a bright, high-definition 1,920x1,080-pixel SolarMAX display, which promises wide viewing angles and good visibility, even in bright sunlight or when wearing polarised sunglasses. It almost goes without saying, nowadays, that a flagship model boasts a multitouch (pinch-to-zoom) touchscreen control system, but it’s backed up with a small but adequate push-button panel. Pushbutton control may be slightly more cumbersome than touchscreen, but offers far more precise control and far fewer accidental keystrokes than trying to operate a touchscreen on a moving boat. Behind the screen, there’s a builtin GPS, a dual-core processor that provides the computing power required…

Is it me, or is that boat flying? It’s flying! There are two versions of the 40 Open Sunreef Power. The H version runs on hydrofoils that lift it clear of the water at high speed. Nifty! What sort of speed? At up to 25 knots, the boat runs conventionally. But up above that speed, the hydrofoils are deployed and the hull lifts clear. How fast does it go? With the biggest engines, Sunreef Yachts is projecting a maximum speed of up to 60 knots! What are the biggest engines? The non-hydrofoil version runs twin inboard engines of up to 1,100hp. But if you want the hydrofoil version (and you do), then there are a variety of outboard engine choices from twin 627hp upwards. The largest option is four 400hp…

Every so often, I come across an invention or new idea for New Tech that has me thinking, ‘I need this in my life.’ This is just such an occasion – luminous decking. Dutch company Esthec has been making fully recyclable composite decking for years. Offering 13 different colours with a variety of caulking shades, it’s an environmentally friendly and maintenance-free alternative to teak decks. Arguably safer too, it doesn’t get as slippery when wet. It looks great, and you can even have the name or make of your boat worked in. Solar Glow takes the concept, and adds a twist. Basically, the caulking is luminous. It looks perfectly normal by day, but absorbs light in order to emit a gentle glow at night. The safety benefits are obvious, gently…