Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2025 i Motor Boat & Yachting

Sometimes it takes a fresh set of eyes to appreciate the things we locals take for granted. That’s why I took such pleasure from reading Ian Furby’s article about cruising the Solent (p39). Being a proud ‘Northener’, Ian doesn’t come to this neck of the woods very often – presumably in case repeated exposure to sunlight sears his retinas! In fact, the last time he came here by boat, he covered the whole of the South Coast from Folkestone to the Scilly Isles in just two days. Admittedly, he was (successfully) attempting to circumnavigate the UK in his 18ft outboard powered Nordkapp in less than 12 days – still one of the maddest but most entertaining boating adventures we’ve ever published – but you get the idea, he didn’t have…

SALT SHACK CAFÉ NORTHNEY MARINA Once in a while you come across a restaurant that’s a bit different. On rare occasions you find one that’s really different; step up the Salt Shack Café. Small but unquestionably perfectly formed, this gem of a café is located in MDL’s Northney Marina in Chichester Harbour. Tucked away out of sight of almost everybody but the marina’s boaters, the café enjoys a prime location on the waterfront. That said, it’s not exactly a well kept secret as there’s a large sign pointing to it at the marina’s entrance and word has doubtless got around as the day we rocked up the place was bustling. It was not hard to see why this café is so popular; everything about it is cool, super-cool in fact.…

LOA: 27ft 0in (8.24m) BEAM: 8ft 7in (2.62m) ENGINES: 2 x 50hp outboard TOP SPEED: 20 knots PRICE: From £250,000 ex VAT CONTACT: info@tradeship.co.uk Cockwells wasn’t the only bespoke British boatbuilder exhibiting something rather special at the show, Westons Point Boatyard also brought along an example of its eponymous 27-footer. Handcrafted from strip-plank cedar and sheathed in epoxy for a more durable watertight finish, it’s a thing of beauty as well as a testament to traditional boat-building skills. Like the Duchy, it uses outboard power but in this case it’s a pair of compact 50hp Yamahas cleverly concealed under a lifting aft deck/sunpad. This gives its planing hull a top speed of around 20 knots, while a deep-keel skeg aids tracking at lower speeds and provides protection for the propellers…

LOA: 49ft 0in (14.9m) BEAM: 13ft 6in (4.1m) ENGINES: twin Volvo Penta IPS-650s SPEED: 36 knots PRICE: from £1M inc VAT CONTACT: www.nordstaruk.com Being one of the best established builders of offshore pilothouse cruisers in Finland, Nord Star is well equipped to adapt its boats in line with custom requests – and that was eminently clear at the Southampton Boat Show. This latest cruiser-tuned version of the flagship 49+ came with the usual three cabins (including a full-beam ensuite owner’s cabin) to sleep up to seven people, plus a reduced aft galley to help generate extra space for an expanded dinette in the forward saloon. But it also had a whole range of very specific custom options, including a glass balustrade and inward-facing benches in the cockpit, like those you…

LOA: 33ft 4in (10.17m) BEAM: 12ft 7in (3.83m) ENGINES: twin 300hp outboards TOP SPEED: 36 knots (est) PRICE: from €354,000 ex VAT CONTACT: www.fourwinns.com Hot on the heels of last year’s TH36 is a pair of new Four Winns powercats – the TH38, which is an update on the 36, and the TH33, which seems to adopt much the same approach as the larger boats. At the aft end, a substantial swim platform occupies the space between the 300hp outboards, creating a very natural passerelle for easy embarkation stern-to. It also comes with removable grab rails that can be relocated at the transom when underway, which is great for keeping your kids safe and sound in the cockpit. As for the cockpit itself, a pair of L-shaped seating units face…

Ever since its inception, British adventure company, Arksen, has felt different. Yes, there are now all kinds of trawler yachts, pilothouse boats and RIBs that adopt “adventure” as a key part of their marketing profiles but here was a company that backed up its hardware with a proven infrastructure of adventurers from all kinds of disciplines that enabled you to use your boat in a more ambitious and rewarding way than you might ever have thought possible. But even if you disregard that critical element of the package, the boats themselves have been impressive. At the top of the Arksen tree is the Explorer series of serious long-distance expedition platforms – not least the all-aluminium flagship 85 with its extraordinary 7,000-mile range; in the middle are the Adventure sportsboats, which…

What’s your worst fear as a boater? Colliding with another boat? Hitting a semi-submerged log? Failing to spot an open-water swimmer? Getting entangled in a lobster pot? All of them could be catastrophic, yet it’s easy to imagine it happening. However attentive we are, it only takes a momentary distraction or visibility compromised by low light, glare or rolling seas and before you know it, the unthinkable has happened. The solution, according to SEA.AI, is a virtual watchkeeper that never sleeps, can’t be distracted and uses artificial intelligence to recognise and alert you to any potential collision threats. It works by using a combination of super sensitive low light and thermal vision cameras to spot things in your path which even radar and AIS might miss. It then compares any…

Every boater needs at least one waterproof jacket for year-round use but with prices ranging from as little as £150 for a high street brand to more than £700 for a premium marine manufacturer, it’s not always obvious what your money buys you or whether it’s worth the extra cost. To help decide we called in six jackets from right across the spectrum. Broadly speaking, most sailing jackets fall into one of three categories; Coastal (or Inshore), Offshore and Ocean. All of them should be waterproof, windproof and breathable but as the names suggests, Coastal jackets are intended for relatively light use closer to shore with limited exposure to rain and spray. Offshore jackets are for more extended trips where you need to stay warm and dry for days at a…

Our new boat Iolar arrived at the end of October, just as the last glimpses of summer were fading. However, before she became ours, as part of Dale’s handover process, we had enjoyed two weekends of sea trials on the stunning Pembrokeshire coast, and a confidence-inspiring “rough-water tuition” session with Mike Reynolds in early October. Over the winter and spring, we made numerous short trips, but we were itching to be away for longer, to explore somewhere new and to experience life on board Iolar. DEALING WITH BETTY Our summer holiday began with a week of sailing in Greece, but the second half was reserved for Iolar. The plan was to head west and explore the Fal and Helford rivers for ten days, but as we boarded our flight home,…

SUNSEEKER XS2000 COOL RATING BRILLIANTLY BONKERS In the 1990s, Audi built perfectly pleasant but fairly nondescript German saloon cars and hatchbacks. In 1995 the company showed a mad concept sportscar that looked like a cross between a turtle and a bar of soap. It’s lovely, everyone said, but obviously it will never enter production. Then in 1998, it entered production almost unchanged as the TT, confounding everyone because it was just so completely alien to anything the marque had done before. It was a similarly left-field move when Sunseeker launched the XS2000 the following year – it was just so un-Sunseeker! Yes, the company had previously developed high-performance boats with powerboat racer, Don Shead, but those were the fast, elegant weekenders of the Hawk range – the 27 Hawk, 29…

1 NEW FAIRLINE TARGA 55 Fairline has revealed details of its first new boat since it was bought by new investors earlier this year. The Targa 55 GTO is based on the hull and engineering platform of the award-winning Squadron 58 but boasts a stylish new superstructure in keeping with its sportscruiser heritage. The most distinctive design elements are the big new windows that stretch along both sides of the saloon and the adjoining glass buttress extensions which jut out into the cockpit. These overlap with the folding balconies, providing shelter from the breeze while still allowing clear views out from the cockpit. Combined with an elegant swooping hardtop, it makes for a very clean, sleek profile that gives it a lighter, leaner look than the Squadron 58 flybridge. It’s…

LOA: 60ft 5in (18.41m) BEAM: 17ft 7im (5.4m) ENGINES: Twin 600-900hp Volvo Penta D11, D13 or IPS800 TOP SPEED: 25-32 knots PRICE FROM: €3.92m CONTACT: www.grandbanks.com It’s been a while since we’ve seen a Grand Banks at a UK boat show and in that time a lot has changed. For starters, this is now the smallest boat in the Grand Banks Cruiser range, but don’t be fooled by its 54 moniker. This is actually a 60ft boat and, in many ways, it feels even larger. It’s also quick with a top speed of up to 32 knots thanks to a planing V-warp hull and a light carbon-fibre reinforced build process. Even the glossy teak transom and handrails aren’t quite what they seem, being painted GRP mouldings rather than the real…

LOA: 27ft 7in (8.40m) BEAM: 9ft 10in (3.00m) ENGINES: 2 x 200hp Mercury outboard TOP SPEED: 48 knots PRICE: £209,000 inc VAT as shown CONTACT: www.finnmaster.fi Finnmaster dealer Idealboat showed off this updated version of its flagship Pilothouse model. Equipped with a pair of 200hp Mercury V6 engines for near 50-knot performance and a raft of new features such as solar panels and a lithium ion battery pack, it’s a real Swiss Army knife of a boat. Multiple folding benches in the cockpit make it suitable for fishing and or cruising while roof racks and a built-in inflator enable you to carry paddleboards, kayaks and the like. The offset wheelhouse gives easy access to the starboard side deck and foredeck sunpad, while multiple grab rails allow safe movement around it.…

LOA: 45ft 11in (14.0m) BEAM: 13ft 9in (4.2m) ENGINES: twin Volvo IPS-500s-650s SPEED: 36 knots PRICE: TBC CONTACT: www.pardoyachts.com Very few boat-building formulas feel as clear and recognisable as Pardo’s. The reverse bow, the clean lines, the walkaround decks, the central dinette, the aft sunbed, the transverse galley, the T-top and the open-plan overnighting space are just some of the essential design traits. We’ve seen it all before from Pardo and from other brands, keen to emulate its success. So you would be forgiven for thinking that this all-new Pardo 43 is much the same as the old one. But look a bit more closely and the differences begin to emerge. The sheerline has been subtly revised, providing greater elevation at the bow. There’s a new digital boat management system and…

LOA: 21ft 0in (6.39m) BEAM: 8ft 4in (2.54m) ENGINES: 115-225hp outboard engine TOP SPEED: 45 knots PRICE: from £47,980 inc VAT CONTACT: www.bayliner.com While a great many of the world’s builders seem to be distancing themselves from the affordable end of the market, it’s great to see Bayliner living up to its reputation as the people’s champion. Because here, in the form of the new C21, we have a sporting outboard-powered cuddy that comes in (albeit in base form) at less than £50,000 on the water, including tax. So what do you get for that? You get a purpose-built boat with the windows built into the hull rather than stuffed into the topside mouldings. You get seating for nine people, thanks to a reversing backrest and a rotating helm seat.…

MISSING FEET Forgive my pedantry but when reading your brief overview of the new Beneteau Swift Trawler 37, which I am very excited about, you mention the extra length over the ST35. According to Beneteau’s figures both boats are exactly the same length. In fact the 37 is a couple of inches thinner! Stuart Palmer You are quite correct. I fell for the oldest trick in the book by assuming that a Swift Trawler 37 must be 2ft longer than a Swift Trawler 35. As you point out, they both have an LOA of 37ft. However, having now seen the new ST37 in the flesh, it definitely feels a couple of feet bigger thanks to better packaging, a longer saloon (due to that forward raked windscreen) and the addition of…

Living approximately two miles from the geographical centre of England was, and still is to a lesser degree, not the ideal location to start a passion for boating. However, back in 1973, my dad bought a Mirror 10 sailing dinghy kit and so it began. I was 10 years old at the time and enthusiastically helped with the build. Around 12 months later we had a fully functioning sailing dinghy. I signed up for sailing lessons through my school and along with my brother enjoyed many happy weekends messing about on the water. My big break came in 1979 when I left school having passed only one O-Level. My parents decided that although I was never going to be an academic, a few more qualifications could be useful so enrolled…

VOLVO PENTA D6-480 DPI While the world continues its love affair with outboard engines, Volvo Penta has expanded the appeal of its Aquamatic DPI line-up with its most powerful diesel sterndrive package yet. Designed for single, twin, triple or even quadruple configurations, the arrival of the Volvo Penta D6-480 DPI adds 40hp to the previous 440hp range-topper. As well as giving existing D6-powered models an extra burst of speed, the new engine will be suitable for use on larger boats too. Features like Joystick Helming, Assisted Docking and Autopilot can also be accessed through Volvo Penta’s Glass Cockpit System. The 5.5L in-line six-cylinder diesel comes with counter-rotating Duoprops to help transfer all of that supercharged torque to the water as efficiently as possible, as well as a hydraulic clutch for…

Trimming your vessel correctly is vital for comfort, economy, seakeeping and ultimately safety. Good hull design usually requires very little trim from the helm to keep the ride comfortable. However, having the ability to affect the trim both fore and aft as well as side to side is great for altering the attitude of your boat to the sea. In a perfect world as you accelerate your well designed, perfectly balanced boat to its planing speed, the shape of the hull will naturally lift it onto the plane, allowing it to skim over the top of the water with the boat’s weight supported evenly on the surface. However, a boat’s weight doesn’t always remain constant; adding passengers, fuel, supplies and kit all change that perfect balance. Additionally, sea conditions also…

While a significant number of armchair experts insist the name “Trawler Yacht” has been adopted from the fishing industry to reflect the traditional trawler’s range, stability and durability, others (like me) disagree. Stability? Don’t make me laugh. I once spent a long winter’s day on a commercial trawler fishing out of Brixham, which tottered and rolled like a Friday-night drunk. The fact the engine packed up in the pitch black, somewhere between Berry Head and Portland Bill, would lead me to question the durability element too. In the absence of a consensus then, it’s probably best to sidestep my own unfortunate experiences and go with Beneteau’s take on what its trawler boats are all about… They say it boils down to safety, reliability and something they call ‘autonomy’ – which…

Last year my good friend Greg and I took our boats on an adventure. We both put on our brave trousers and headed west one fine day from our home port of Dartmouth to Falmouth! We then coast-hopped back, and immortalised the trips in a series of videos for Aquaholic called ‘The Big Adventure’. They were very well received, so we had an idea that this year we should head east with our video cameras, maybe to The Solent. However, a mechanical malady with Greg’s boat put long-distance running into the ‘inadvisable’ category, so a fresh plan was needed. After a few calls and emails I had a Grand Plan and booked a couple of rooms at the Harbour Hotel, Ocean Village. We were game on! Tuesday morning saw us…

LOA: 25ft 0in (7.62m) BEAM: 9ft 1in (2.76m) ENGINE: 30-220hp single outboard TOP SPEED: 28 knots PRICE: From £189,000 ex VAT. CONTACT: cockwells.co.uk The Southampton show was awash with mass market sportsboats offering plenty of pace and space but none of them could match the charm of this compact British-built compact cruiser. Based on the hull of the popular Duchy 27 but modified to take an outboard engine and reconfigured as a more open day boat/weekender, it has much the same appeal as its larger siblings but in a smaller more affordable package. It also offers a few distinct benefits of its own. It’s short and light enough to be towed behind a family SUV, you can spec it with anything from a silent electric outboard to a 200hp petrol…

LOA: 25ft 11in (7.90m) BEAM: 8ft 4in (2.55m) ENGINES: 250-425hp outboard TOP SPEED: 55 knots PRICE: from £106,000 ex VAT CONTACT: www.nordbalt.co.uk Making its UK debut in Southampton was the new flagship model from Ockelbo – a brand designed and built by long-standing Swedish aluminium sportsboat specialist, Anytec. As you would expect then, it’s built entirely from aluminium but while Anytecs are slick, high-performance sportsboats, the new Ockelbo is very much the rough, tough, multi-purpose, four-season cruiser. A pilothouse with a purposeful reverse screen spans virtually the entire 8ft 4in beam, leaving just enough space for a pair of grippy side decks that are more practical than they look. Behind the superstructure, the aft cockpit features a pair of seat boxes and a swing-up table ahead of a 300hp outboard flanked…

LOA: 36ft 8in (11.19m) BEAM: 11ft 3in (3.43m) ENGINES: Twin 200-300hp outboards TOP SPEED: 43 knots PRICE: from €199,000 ex VAT CONTACT: www.clippermarine.co.uk We’ve seen Bavaria’s new Vida before but never quite in the configuration exhibited at the Southampton Boat Show. As the newly revamped model, it showcased all the features that make it such a worthwhile upgrade. They include twin 300hp Suzuki outboards for 45-knot performance, as well as swim platforms that wrap around the back end of the engines, extending the usable deck space well aft of the transom, while also providing an integrated ladder and a hinged aft section so you can trim the legs out at the end of the day. In the absence of side decks, the full-beam cockpit gets a pair of large, fuss-free…

LOA: 22ft 11in (6.99m) BEAM: 8ft 10in (2.93m) ENGINES: Single 200-250hp outboard TOP SPEED: 40 knots PRICE: £79,995 inc VAT CONTACT: www.highfieldboats.com This new hybrid RIB/sportsboat from Highfield has certainly come on in terms of fit and finish since its debut appearance in Düsseldorf. And having checked it out again in Southampton, we can confirm that the concept makes plenty of sense too. By using a much smaller diameter tube than normal, you get 2m of internal beam to play with (about 30cm more than most 7m RIBs) but all the usual benefits of extra buoyancy and a permanent built-in fender. That extra space is used to very good effect with a large wraparound cockpit dinette that spans the full internal beam and extends all the way aft to the…

Fellow boaters, my name is Ian Furby and I’ve shared a couple of experiences in MBY recently. If you’ve not read them, we live in “The North”, in the beautiful former fishing village of Runswick Bay, 7nm north of Whitby in God’s own county of Yorkshire. We beach launch from Runswick and so are a little restricted to the size of boat we can comfortably handle; our current craft is a Nordkapp Enduro 605 with a Mercury 150 Pro Xs slung on the back. I am particularly bad at naming boats, so she’s called Six 0 Five and no it wasn’t because I’m a tight Yorkshireman and didn’t have to write her name on the boat. It’s often said that it’s “grim up north” – well it ain’t, but our…

With an overall length just shy of 43ft and a package price that starts at €635,000 plus tax, we’re told that the new Prestige F-Line cruiser is a boat aimed at a younger, more dynamic clientele. But having seen both the F4.9 and F5.7, that seems like a slight betrayal of Prestige’s larger flybridge cruisers, because both bring to the party decent looks, bright internal spaces, fresh and modern galley arrangements, large flybridge party spaces and lower decks that sidestep the norm with raised bow cabins for owners who want that little bit more in the way of privacy and separation. The sheer individuality of that F-Line design DNA feels youthful in its own right, so implying that they are otherwise is to miss the point. But it’s certainly very…

This new special edition Seabob takes underwater scooters to a whole new level. Developed in collaboration with Automobili Lamborghini, it packs almost three times the power of the standard Seabob F9. To help make the most of this, electrically extending side wings add stability, while an optional foil-equipped Performance Board connects to the back for faster planing and surface speeds of up to 19 knots – 5 knots quicker than the F9. The styling is also enhanced with a carbon fibre dash, quad headlights, a push-button start and a digital speedo with Lamborghini-style digits. All that power needs a bigger battery to deliver the claimed running time of 60 minutes so it’s no surprise to learn that it’s also heavier than the F9, weighing in at a hefty 35kg despite…

When I was a child, I was enthralled with the Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau. Those TV adventures took me far away from suburban life into a world full of adventure. I loved Cousteau’s freedom to escape on his famous expedition ship, Calypso, and when I grew up, my love of the sea remained strong. I did an RYA competent crew course and sailing holidays in Greece. At first, work and family made boat ownership impossible, but when I turned 50, the urge couldn’t be denied… THE BOATING CV My first boat was a Sessa Key Largo 30, with two 250hp Yamaha outboards and wonderful seakeeping. It proved to be safe, fast and immense fun, but provided only limited sun protection. So in 2015, as my family grew in size,…

When I was a small boy, my grandfather explained to me that, as you get older, so time speeds up and the years become shorter. He explained why – it’s because when you are five years old, a year is 20% of your life, but when you’re 50 it’s only two percent. And, as with most things, he has been proven absolutely correct. When you’re five, something happening the following year is so far over the horizon that it doesn’t merit a single thought. When you’re 50, you’re eyeing up a five-year extended warranty and wondering whether it’s enough. However, the thing that’s never been explained is the elasticity across 12 months – why summers seem to flash past and the September boat shows are taking place again, but the…