Innholdsfortegnelse for November 2016 i Motor Boat & Yachting

Engine fumes kill two Warnings follow death of couple and their dog, poisoned by fumes from their own boat The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) rushed out a safety bulletin after the tragic deaths of two people and their dog from carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning on the Norfolk Broads. A spate of recent CO deaths meant that the MAIB felt obliged to react now rather than waiting for the results of its full investigation to be made public. Unlike other recent incidents of CO poisoning, the source of the deadly gas appears to have been the boat’s own engine rather than an auxiliary generator or heater. The Doral 250 SE motor cruiser, Love for Lydia, was moored at a quiet river island location when engine fumes seeped into the cuddy…

HIGHLIGHTS ● Well-designed main deck ● Three good cabins ● Impressive performance Princess V58 When we tested the open version of the Princess V58 earlier this year (MBY, February 2016) we said that as good as it was, it will be the deck saloon version that proves more popular. Though the cockpit of the open is absolutely superb in flawless weather, it’s hard to argue with the original verdict. The deck saloon version adds the sort of versatility that makes it a year-round cruiser where you can heat or cool the upper saloon depending on conditions. Also, because of the V58’s size, there’s still a very comfortable cockpit with a good mix of seating space and sunpads (on top of the tender garage) plus a wet-bar to compensate…

The cockpit and galley combine to form a single, seamless entertaining space that helps make the Manhattan feel even larger than it really is The phone rings on a Friday evening. On the other end is Sunseeker’s marketing manager. “The Manhattan 52 is leaving Poole at 9am on Monday bound for Southampton so it can be lifted on to the boat show stand,” he says. “Do you want to join it?” Without hesitation, I say yes, not considering logistics or whether there will be a photographer available. We have been pestering Sunseeker to let us on board for weeks and if this is the only opportunity, we’ll have to grab it with both hands. We’re not usually in the business of rushing a test out as the boat cruises from…

Takacat Lite 3.4m & 9.9hp Lehr engine £1,699 & £1,999 (package price £3,649) Last year, I spent a couple of weeks testing a brilliant little catamaran tender that ran off a gas-powered 5hp Lehr engine. The only criticism I had was that the 5hp engine chewed through the little camping-style gas canisters in no time at all and with no way of telling how much was left in them, they often ran dry without warning. Determined to redress my findings, the UK dealer insisted I try the new-improved Takacat Lite with a clever open transom and a 10hp Lehr engine fitted with a much bigger remote gas tank similar to those used for small gas BBQs. In fairness, the bigger gas tank lasted the whole week with plenty left over,…

Something old, something new Princess celebrates its golden anniversary in style As 50th birthday presents go, this beautifully restored example of the very first boat Princess Yachts ever built is rather better than the usual trinkets companies use to mark the occasion. Recently returned to the UK after a year spent touring the global boat show circuit, we hopped on board with founder David King to rediscover the charms of the boat that launched a thousand successors. One of the most recent of those is the 75 Motor Yacht, and when our man Nick Burnham saw one undergoing sea trials during our photo shoot of Project 31, he hailed it across and took this evocative shot of two Princesses past and present. For the full story, turn to p64.…

Team Britannia record bid Gibraltar provides start and finish line for 80ft boat’s 12-strong crew Team Britannia is due to set off from Gibraltar on 23 October to try and set a new world record for circumnavigating the globe. Veteran adventurer Alan Priddy hopes to smash the current 60-day record, set by New Zealander Pete Bethune in Earthrace. The team is using a new semi-wave-slicing 80ft monohull designed by Professor Bob Cripps, the naval architect behind many of the RNLI’s current fleet of lifeboats. It will be powered by a revolutionary fuel emulsion, a mixture of 90% diesel and 10% desalinated water bonded together by an emulsifying agent. The new fuel has been developed by Clean Fuel Ltd to reduce harmful emissions such as particulate matter and nitrogen…

Just a morning’s cruise takes us from peaceful, underdeveloped Kea to lively, cosmopolitan Mykonos, one of the busiest of the Greek islands. We have a berth reserved in the old port, but I’m disappointed that it is some distance from Mykonos Town and rather isolated. It does, however, offer good shelter and as the wind has already risen and is expected to rise still further, security is more important than picturesque surroundings. Frank drops the anchor opposite our appointed space and brings Zaffina back, but with a crosswind blasting the berth, it’s a tricky manoeuvre. Even when tied on, we’re worried about stability if the wind reaches the strength forecast, and when a diver suggests attaching a rope to weights on the seabed, we gladly accept his offer. This is…

When Bénéteau, along with Dan Lenard and Carlo Nuvolari, designed the Gran Tursimo 46, they probably weren’t picturing lumpy, grey seas and leaden skies complete with a brisk wind tinged with a winter chill. This boat, like most sportscruisers, is made to be enjoyed with the sun beating down on deck, though as anyone who’s spent time on a boat knows, you can’t control the weather. So we had to make do as we edged out the port of Palma de Mallorca in conditions that were more Blackpool than Balearics. Though we didn’t have the weather to allow the GT46 to really shine (the photos were taken on another day) it would prove a good test for the second generation of Bénéteau’s Air Step hull, which channels air down to…

I am not a pessimist, but if the last two winters are a guide, then we could well be battered by upcoming winter storms. I intend to continue cruising until at least the end of November, but action to meet the anticipated changes in the weather is now my priority. Our Jeanneau NC14, Diana, is staying in the water for the winter with a lift-out next February/March for the IPS pods to be serviced and antifouled, and the hull waxed. The plan is not to winterise the boat completely and fully lay her up, so that I can head out at short notice. Diana is berthed near the lock in Port Solent, but she gets the full force of westerlies beam on, gusting through the large unprotected gap in the…

KEY CRITERIA • Easy to handle • Good value • Fun 2015 £29,950 Bayliner 642 Bayliner churned out its Capri range of cuddy cabin boats by the thousand in the 1980s and early 90s. Piled high and sold cheap, the quality wouldn’t have worried Windy, but they did the job for many people. Then, supply dried up – Bayliner just stopped building them. But in a dramatic return to form, the 642 was launched as an affordable fun cuddy cabin in 2012, the first and smallest of a three-strong range of cuddy cabins. This time, the fit-out, while still basic, was a quantum leap in terms of quality. INTERIOR The cabin is sparse, but has the essentials: a vee berth that converts to a double, a chemical loo that pulls…

What is a marine mortgage? A loan secured against a boat. Buyers spread repayments over an extended time period and must be registered in accordance with the Merchant Shipping Act 1993. Just like a house, a marine mortgage requires a survey, valuation and proof of ability to repay. What’s the big deal? Before the 2008 economic crisis, marine mortgages were readily available from a number of sources, allowing ordinary families with healthy incomes but modest reserves of capital to get into boating without having to save up for years. This meant boats could be bought relatively simply and swiftly, often at boat shows where deals were there to be done and lenders were competing for buyers’ business. In the fallout from the 2008 crisis, both buyers and lenders got their…

Our summer cruise with Ytene this year was distinctly laid-back and highly enjoyable, despite some dodgy weather. For holiday boating we like to dispense with schedules as far as possible and potter from one haven to another as the mood dictates. I never mind how far we get or don’t get, so we opted for a leisurely circuit of the Channel Islands, with time for visiting relatives and friends along the way. Savouring old haunts is always attractive and these rocky, tideswept cruising grounds take some beating for interest and variety. Our perambulation started conveniently from the Brittany coast near Saint-Malo, avoiding the uncertainty of Channel crossings at either end. We took in all the islands except Alderney, anchoring in beautiful bays and swimming off white sandy beaches in clear…

What impressed me most was how well it seemed to have stood up. The hull looked sound and I couldn’t believe the condition of the deck  You don’t expect “One of our first expenses as a newly formed company was a firkin of ale,” to come out of the mouth of one of Europe’s largest and most successful boatbuilders, but David King is no ordinary businessman, and the vessel under discussion is no ordinary boat. We’re having lunch at The Dock, the restaurant at King Point Marina in Plymouth, and the boat in question is visible below us through huge floor-to-ceiling windows. Moored against the pontoon is an absolutely immaculate Project 31 – the embodiment of where the Princess story first began. Princess Yachts International celebrated 50 years of boat…

PRESTIGE OR PRINCESS? I found your review of the Princess 75 in the last issue (MBY, October 2016) very interesting as I’ve been looking at boats around that size. I noticed that the Prestige 750 in the Rivals section, one of the boats I am also looking at, has a lower starting price than the Princess 75. Is this because the Prestige comes with less equipment or is it just a lower standard of boat? From an expert’s view, what do you think would be a better buy? George, via email Princess and Prestige build their boats in very different ways. Prestige is a high-volume builder, using a production-line model and far more automation in the construction process, which cuts down on material and staffing costs. Princess is a medium-volume…

Diesel bug is the colloquial name for the microbial growth that lives and feeds on diesel contaminated with water. In small quantities it’s relatively harmless, but a serious case will clog up your boat’s fuel filters faster than you can replace them. Diesel bug has become more prevalent since an EU directive was introduced, encouraging suppliers to add up to 7% biodiesel to their standard diesel. This is because biodiesel is hygroscopic, meaning it holds and attracts water. How you treat diesel bug depends on the level of contamination. If it’s relatively minor, you may get away with dosing your fuel tanks with a proprietary diesel bug biocide. This kills the bug but does not remove it, so you’re relying on your existing filters to trap the residue without blocking…