Motorboat Owner July 2019

FREE DIGITAL MAGAZINE

Motorboat JULY 2019

Owner Affordable practical boating

BOAT TEST

Targa 27.2 Destination Guide Drive water intake pipe l Axopar 28 Cabin l £10k Inland Cruiser

PORTLAND

Welcome to the July issue. Just

From the Editor

contact us

Motorboat Owner Digital Marine Media Ltd Suite 6 Philpot House, Station Road, Rayleigh, Essex SS6 7HH t: 01268 922991

editorial@motorboatowner.co.uk

as we were going to press, news reached us of an MCA consultation on yacht and powerboat safety at sea. On the face of it, that sounds like a good idea, but dig a little deeper and read the section on maintenance, modification, damage and repairs, and alarm bells start to ring. Phrases such as ‘Unless trained and/or qualified to do so, safety critical maintenance should not be carried

Editor, Neale Byart 01268 922992 neale@motorboatowner.co.uk Associate Editor, Claire Frew 01268 922993 claire@motorboatowner.co.uk

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July 2019

welcome aboard

Sunset Birdham view from the Chichester Yacht Club by Michelle Whitehead

out by the owner’ can be read as the thin end of the wedge towards a time when owner maintenance may be restricted, or even banned. OK, I am giving a worst case scenario, and these documents are only drafts, but once finalised, these things can have a habit of creeping into the compulsory legislation arena, even if only through the back door with the help of insurance companies demanding boats

are ‘professionally’ maintained, as per MCA guidelines. Now I have no problem with boats only going to sea with proper maintenance, but I do take issue with being told I cannot be the one to do that work. I, and many other boaters, have built up years of experience, together with the odd qualification, and I am happy that when I undertake a job on my boat, I am doing it at least as well as a paid professional. In reality, I have no idea of how this could be implemented and policed, and, of course, these papers are a long way from being set in stone. The MCA are, at least, asking boaters for their opinions on the proposals, so if you have a few minutes I urge you to read the drafts and let the MCA know what you think, even if you agree with them. This opportunity for feedback should not be wasted, and you only have until the 18th of July before the consultation closes. The draft documents, and the email address to respond to, can be found here.

Sub Editor, Pam Born Production Editor, John Frew

Subscriptions: 01268 922991 subscriptions@motorboatowner.co.uk

Advertising: 01268 922994 Brokerage, classified & display Advertising Manager, John Steward advertising@motorboatowner.co.uk

Contributors: Alex Smith, Peter Pitcher, Penny Rawle Cover photo: The dazzling Targa 27.2 on test off Turku, Finland by Neale Byart

Motorboat Owner © Digital Marine Media Ltd

3

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Broadlands Marina Hartford Marina

CONTENTS JULY 2019

p32

TICA

cooling Changing a sterndrive water intake pipe

PROJECT

PRAC

PRACTICAL

L

REGULARS

7 8 9

BY NEALE BYART

NEWS page 6 INBOX page 16 CUTTING EDGE page 46 TESTED page 80 Q&A page 62

There is here. Thea rubber O ring come withnew hose shou on You ld the now need a repla so you to remo plast can remo cement discard levering ic flange by ve ve and gently with a it from behin screw d small pry driver or 10 bar

on your boat f you have sterndrives of the need for you will be very aware The flang and in particular, the periodic servicing, hose aboue pushes into the bellows on a requirement to change may take t an inch and the I was changing my regular basis. When manipula a bit of caref struck me that there ul bellows this year it it has beention to remo have 11 ve rubber ware that I long time in place for if is another item of time I remove my a to fiddle with each 12 seem to require, drive, but which doesn’t owners manual is at least as far as the or changing. The inspecting concerned, You can to is, of course, the item I am referring hose fromnow grab the pipe. We have owned old cooling water intake outsi 22 its twist and de If it feels on for 10 of wriggle and our Sealine for getting break in place particularly we have certainly it to it free stuck , years, and in that time prise the like ours, gentl YOU WILL NEED Once loose much more than never given these pipes a cursory check the trans hose away fromy then eithe , the hose TOOLS Maybe • Pry bar or large can a second thought.

• Hose clamp a screw om assembly and remo r be pushed screwdriver 13 off, but little more.

driver with socket/ in, • Block of wood or when the drives are inside, ved from the screwdriver the likelihood is similar or It dawned on me that • 10mm spanner the outsi pulled out 14 from the original items. de that these are in fact COnSumabLeS e kit suppleness to them, • Water intake hos bricant They still had a little 15 • Rubber friendly lu no obvious signs and were showing after but RATING Y cracking, DIFFICULT of delamination or 10 and 22 years somewhere between barnacle Once remo regular as well as of service, cleaning, the mou ved, give nting infestations and mechanicala change. The although surro and, hole The new service overdue ng area and 10 years to be good remo undi kit they must be well from our Fairline maybe ve should be a clean to a hose, new comprises likely to last longer,other barn water intake I removed acles and replaceme O-ring and Due to 30 years old and was grimpoint. The a nt hose considered the replacement e does notany was almost certainly inside, lack of space clamp e. How long they replacement I reason that service34 , completely unserviceabl of hose frominstalled our in the requirements much down to lack the outsi new appear to be included last seems to be as which de, July 2019 but I would consider mean use as anything else, manipula t carefully

I

ooooo

lipped

32

ting the end throu widergh the hole July

2019

page 58 Project Boat

Fairline Vixen

page 50 Cruising

Norway Bound Leg 5 Limfjord, Denmark

PRACTICAL

Changing a sterndrive cooling water intake

p20

page 80 Tested

Simrad Cruise

p50

PORTLAND Destination Guide

p36 p84 £10k Inland Cruiser

SECOND LOOK - USED BOATS

Motorboat Owner © Digital Marine Media Ltd

Axopar 28 Cabin

p68

BOAT TESTS

Targa 27.2

5

NEWS Dean & Reddyhoff and Quay Marinas merger The two UK marina operators, Dean & Reddyhoff and Quay Marinas have announced that they have signed contracts to merge businesses.

The two groups MDs Simon Haigh of Quay Marinas and Michael Prideaux of Dean represent 11 marinas and Reddyhoff. Haslar Marina at Gosport pictured right across the UK, in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, with marinas at Bangor, Conwy Quays, Penarth, Portishead, Portland, Rhu, Royal Quays in Newcastle and on the south coast, at Weymouth, Deacons on the River Hamble, East Cowes and Haslar at Gosport.

The deal is expected to be completed within the next three months and it is claimed that the ‘combined business will operate the second largest number of coastal marinas’ and ‘the widest network around the coast of the UK’. As part of the deal, which was signed on 29 May 2019 for an undisclosed sum, there is a planned £10 million investment programme over the next 5 years.

RNLI ‘Launch a Memory’ campaign A fundraising campaign called ‘Launch a Memory’ will see the RNLI logo on a lifeboat hull filled with names of missed loved ones.

With a suggested donation of £30 per name, the RNLI will display up to 10,000 loved one’s names within a logo decal on its latest Shannon class lifeboat hull. With a limit of one name, first name and surname, per donation and multiple name submissions accepted. The names are expected to be approximately 3-4mm in height on a decal with an estimated lifespan of 10 years. The RNLI add that submissions must be received by the 18th November.

If you any have news from your region, please email us at

editorial@motorboatowner.co.uk

Azimut S6 at Times Square NY In early June, Times Square in New York hosted a very unusual nautical installation, with a new Azimut S6 taking up position in the famous square to celebrate Azimut’s 50th anniversary.

The 5-day installation of the 60-foot S6 was the closing spectacle of a months worth of anniversary celebrations and coincided with the Italian boat builder’s new partnership with One Ocean Foundation, an association working to protect the marine environment by promoting a sustainable ‘Blue Economy’.

AXOPAR AWARDS

EXPLORE A WORLD OF ADVENTURES

37 T-TO P

37 SU N -TO P

37 S P O RTS CA B I N

37 CA B I N

W W W. A XO PA R. F I

NEWS Oyster sanctuary in Thames Estuary ZSL London Zoo, various marine conservation societies and Mersea fisherman are working together on a project, which could see oyster beds re-established off the Essex coast, in the Thames Estuary. Designated marine conservation zones were created in the Blackwater, Crouch, Roach and Colne Estuaries in 2013. However, the Essex Native Oyster Restoration Initiative is working to create Essex’s first Mother Oyster Sanctuary in the Thames Estuary. ‘Recycled’ shells from oysters bred in Mersea and Thames cockleshells are being deposited on the muddy estuary beds in Essex to form a new breeding ground for young oysters. Oyster fishing is a tradition dating back to Roman times and, due to overfishing, unfortunately oysters have suffered a 95% decline in population in the last 200 years, and recovery has been hindered by habitat loss, pollution and the introduction of diseases.

Safety at Sea consultation As MBO was going to press, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency launched a consultation urging boaters for their views on six draft marine guidance notes concerning safety at sea, relating to equipment, maintenance, emergencies and preparation for passages.

This draft code of practice has raised concerns for boat maintenance, with engine and prop changes requiring a certificate of compliance.

0800 310 2100

Marine Electronics in stock for immediate dispatch.

Chargers - Inverters - Galvanic Isolators - Fuses Fuse holders - Crossover switches - Cable Sets - Batteries

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DIARY DATES Dover Used Boat Show 6th July Western Boat Show 19th-21st July Thames Traditional Boat Festival 19th-21st July HISWA Boat Show Netherlands 4th-8th August Portland Week 19th-25th August Cannes Yachting Festival 10th-15th September Southampton Boat Show 13th-22nd September Click any of the above for more info

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July 2019

TARGA. THE TRUE ORIGINAL. T23.1

ǀ

T25.1

ǀ

T27.2

ǀ

T30.1

ǀ

T32

ǀ

T35

ǀ

T37

ǀ

T44

WESSEX MARINE, Salterns Marina, Salterns Way, Lilliput, Poole, Dorset, BH14 8JR, England +44 (0) 1202 700702, info@wessexmarine.co.uk, www.wessexmarine.co.uk

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T46

NEWS Dredger for Bembridge Bembridge Harbour Authority has become joint owner of ‘United One’, a bucket dredger. Silting is a regular problem in the entrance and inner harbour at the east Solent haven, and it was previously dredged on a sporadic basis, when a dredger was available, which would often cause disruption to harbour users. Silt was taken to a lagoon on the south side of Embankment Road, an area which now has been declared full by the Environment Agency, necessitating the need to employ dredging services to remove and deposit the silt at a designated spot near the Nab Tower. There is also the limitation that no dredging can be carried out between the start of December and the end of March for ecological reasons. The new bucket dredger means a regular dredging programme is now possible and it will also be chartered out to other harbours.

Manager, Malcolm Thorpe said “This is a major investment and a huge step forwards, and demonstrates our continuing commitment to safeguarding the future of the harbour. We can now manage the harbour far more efficiently and effectively, especially as we have also just secured a 10-year extended licence from the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) to deposit spoil at the Nab Tower”. The dredger is due to arrive in the harbour in July.

Free Southampton Boat Show ticket for RYA Members The Royal Yachting Association (RYA) is once again offering a free ticket to the Southampton Boat Show to its 112,000 members. Members are able to claim a one day ticket, and purchase up to five additional tickets at a discounted rate of £13.50. Celebrating its 51st year, the 10-day Southampton Boat Show takes place between the 13th-22nd September at Mayflower Park.

For tickets and information, members need to visit the RYA website.

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July 2019

If you any have news from your region, please email us at

editorial@motorboatowner.co.uk

Canal & River Trust ‘Plastics Challenge’ Canal & River Trust

The inland waterways authority, the Canal & River Trust (CRT) is urging boaters, families and river/canal users to take action and tackle plastic in canals and rivers through a new ‘Plastics Challenge’ campaign. The CRT said that new research has revealed more than half a million items of plastic reach the oceans from our canals and rivers every year, and after reviewing 25 locations, the CRT found that plastics now accounts for 59% of waste found along canals and rivers.

The Plastics Challenge is urging people to pick up one bit of plastic per visit, saying ‘if every visitor picked up and recycled just one piece of plastic each time they visit, the canals and rivers could be plastic free in a year’. More information and Plastics Challenge family fun activity packs is available via the CRT website.

10% off selected inflatables plus 5% off selected outboards

14% off total package

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NEWS Buckler’s Hard Yacht Harbour £2m investment

Buckler’s Hard Yacht Harbour on the Beaulieu River is planning a major new investment to extend its marina. Opening in 1971, the 198-berth yacht harbour is located in the heart of the New Forest and has an on-site boatyard and chandlery. Next door is the important 18th century shipbuilding centre and village of Buckler’s Hard with its popular Maritime Museum. A £2m redevelopment will see the creation of bigger berths and more convenient walk-ashore pontoons for visitors and berthholders, with a planned 66 more moorings to be added. Marina consultancy specialists, Marina Projects, have been appointed to oversee the redevelopment, and, to minimise disruption to marina customers out of the main season, works are due to be carried out over the winters of 20192020 and 2020-2021. Private custodians of the Beaulieu River for over four centuries, the Montagu family, will also be working closely with the agencies Natural England and the Environment Agency to ensure unique wildlife habitats Another 66 berths are to be created at the popular Solent boating haven, Buckler’s Hard near Beaulieu and species remain protected.

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July 2019

NEWS Big Duck Thames adventure for RNLI Pam Born

A big inflatable yellow duck is making its way down the River Thames as part of a fundraiser for the RNLI. The 15ft inflatable, known as ‘Big Duck’, left its home at Wargrave for Lechlade on 15th June and is now making its way downstream towards Teddington. Towed behind a floating platform complete with a wooden shed, the duck has made regular appearances at the Henley-on-Thames Royal Regatta and festivals since 2017, and in this latest outing, organiser, Timothy DoddWilson, is looking to raise £5k for the RNLI through a JustGiving page. The duck was last seen making its way down through Goring Lock in late June, and, after Teddington, is due at the various Henley festivals in early July, with a final appointment at the Wargrave and Shiplake Regatta on the 10th of August. With £2,955 raised so far, Timothy said “I want to help raise money and awareness for the brave volunteers who put their lives on the line to keep the UK’s seas and waterways safe. The 1981 Penlee lifeboat disaster has always been close to my heart as I was there when it happened, and witnessed the devastation caused to a small community just one week before Christmas.”

Rhea Round Britain Boaters, Phil Davies and Nigel Boutwood are out there fulfilling a lifelong dream of boating around Britain, whilst raising money for charity. Looking to raise a total of £20,000 for two chosen charities, Prostate Cancer UK and Brain Tumour Research, the pair set off from their base at Gosport Marina aboard ‘Start Me Up’, a Rhea 850 Timonier (as tested by MBO in June 18), on the 17th May with a plan to circumnavigate (anti-clockwise) Britain, and also accomplish ‘the longest coastal pub crawl in the history of the world’ they quip. The pair are accepting donations and keeping followers up to date on a website blog. On the 25th of June they were headed for Peterhead Bay Marina from Port Edgar Marina.

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July 2019

Sealine C330V NEW BOAT

German builder, Sealine has given its popular C330 coupé model the outboard treatment. Following on from the launch of the outboardpowered S330V last year, the new C330V model will be fitted with twin 300hp outboards, giving 40 knots, and priced from £196k. Its 4-6 berth interior remains largely unchanged, with the addition of a large lazerette replacing an engine bay. It will premiere at the Cannes Yachting Festival in September.

There for you Whatever the conditions The new HX40E VHF radio from Standard Horizon is ideal for all watersports enthusiasts. One of the main features is its ultracompact size, so it’s easy to carry, pop in your pocket or clip onto your lifejacket.

It has an excellent battery life, bright display, built-in FM radio, and comes with a three year warranty.

for your life on the water Email us at sales@standardhorizon.co.uk or call us on +44 (0)1962 866667 Please visit our website for details of our stockists. www.standardhorizon.co.uk

Motorboat Owner © Digital Marine Media Ltd

INBOX

@

Liveaboard cruising tips I read with interest the letter entitled ‘Cruising Inspiration’ published in the April issue, and thought it was a lovely response to our ‘Leg 1: Norway Bound’ article. Yes, owning your own boat is expensive, but our type of cruising is not overly so, and no more than keeping your boat at home on a permanent mooring and doing various shorter passages.

I would make the following points and tips: 1. We live onboard our Broom 425 for the summer, and so have given up our permanent berth, which can be expensive. We only use a winter contract, which works out much cheaper. 2.

As we have lots of time, much of our travelling is done slowly, using much less diesel, which saves money. At 7 knots we use approximately 10 litres an hour, at 20 knots you use approximately 110 litres an hour. It speaks for itself. 3. As we have all summer, whilst we do travel a long way we do not move everyday and often only move a short distance to the next harbour so fuel consumption is not great. 4. We do most of our boating in the north of Europe, in Holland, Germany and Scandinavian countries where berths are on the whole much cheaper than the UK and France. On average, less than £20 per night, when we have to pay. 5. There are also many places where you can moor free of charge for a short stay, we make use of these. 6. If you do your homework, diesel can often be cheaper than in the UK. 7. As we live aboard for the whole summer we tend not to eat out which can be expensive. Food in the supermarkets is similar in price to home, some are dearer, some cheaper, but generally similar. 8. Lastly, alcohol. Yes this can be expensive. But, buying it carefully we did not find it over the top. Germany was cheaper and even in Sweden, at the government shops, a decent bottle of wine could be bought for the equivalent of £7-£8, which compares favourably with home. We do not buy ‘Spirits’. The points I am making are that if you act sensibly and correctly it need not be any more expensive travelling as we do extensively, than remaining at the home base and going out and back on a frequent basis. Peter & Gill Pitcher Editor comments: That’s the sort of thinking I like. You have almost convinced me to cast off. Do you think I could produce a magazine en-route?

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email:

editorial@motorboatowner.co.uk

BACK

IN

TIME

A rare Princess. In 1989, the British boat builder, Princess, launched the small flybridge model, the 315, which was available in shaftdrive or sterndrive, twin or single guises.

Plastic bowl fuel filters I have just read the June issue and saw the Q&A query regarding plastic fuel filters. The issue isn’t (as I understand it) that they are plastic, but that they have to be fire resistant. I quote from the BSS: ‘2.12.2 Are all fuel filters inside engine spaces fire resistant? Check all fuel filters (including drain plugs) located inside engine spaces are marked or recognised as fire resistant. If not marked or recognised as being suitably fire resistant, verify this by examining any presented declaration from the manufacturer or supplier. Fuel filters (including drain plugs) located inside engine spaces must have intrinsic fire resistance of at least 2.5 minutes at 600˚C. Note – all‐metal fuel filters are accepted as being sufficiently fire resistant. Note – fuel filters marked with ISO 10088 are acceptable. Racor filters have clear bowls and are acceptable, for example.’ Nice magazine, keep it up. Howard Painter Editor comments: Thanks for your comments Howard. To be honest, it’s a bit of a minefield. I have known boats with Racor filters fail, and others pass. To be certain the best thing is to have all-metal filters, but before spending time and money swapping them, maybe have a word with your local BSS examiner.

Motorboat Owner © Digital Marine Media Ltd

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INBOX

@

Trim pin extraction talk

Great magazine, keep up the good work. I read your article on Project Fairline Vixen and removing the trim ram pins and, having just recently replaced mine on one of my SP-A Outdrives, I thought I may offer a suggestion.

Firstly I have the Volvo Penta tool and although useful, in the end it wasn’t very good in getting the pins ‘started’. There is also a Draper grease cleaner tool, which works on The trim ram pins on the MBO a similar principle. I used the Draper tool to Project Fairline Vixen were stuck fast and defied attempts at removal pump high quality penetrating oil into the transom shield, after removing the yellow plug and earth strap fixings. My Draper tool wasn’t a good fit into the tapped hole and I was worried about damaging the thread, so I used a grease nipple fitting and the flexible hose that came with the Draper Tool. I soaked the pins over a few days pumping more penetrating fluid as necessary. I then used a puller, using a hex head bolt, nut, washer, large thick nut from a domestic radiator valve and a large flat washer. I believe the bolts are 6mm. I first used two large penny washers to tighten the nut against the radiator valve nut, but it just bent the penny washers. I then bought large thick stainless steel flat plate washers from an Internet auction site.

The general idea is the large thick radiator valve nut is wide enough for the pin to pass through as a substitute for a tube or socket due to limited space. It’s the same principle in removing the sterndrive pins for the bellows change etc.

You need plenty of bolts of various lengths and patience is the key. I found the bolt end would start to round off after a few turns, so regularly swapped it for a new bolt. The pin eventually starts to move. You can then use the Volvo tool or the draper tool to push the pins out. If they don’t come out you need to use the puller again with a different length of bolt. I did mine with the engine in, so was limited by access. Also the pins are quite long so I had to grind out a bit of the transom to remove the pins. I have attached a picture of my basic removal tool. As you can see the pin is quite long. I needed to see the black O ring before I could use the Volvo tool. Even then I had to keep trying with different lengths of bolts. I used 18

July 2019

email:

editorial@motorboatowner.co.uk

flange bolts which alleviated the need for a washer.

Depending on the space available, a 6mm nut may or may not be used as it’s not essential and you may have to double up with the pipe nut if it’s stubborn to come further out. I used tape just to hold everything in place due to limited access and I still think I am missing a couple of bolts in the bilges. Stephen Parkhouse Editor comments: Many thanks for your input on this. I did try something similar, but backed off when I thought I might strip the thread inside the pin. Maybe I just need to give it a bit more welly. I am going to give it another go this weekend. Fingers crossed. See page 58 to find out how I got on.

Have fun afloat in Dorset Join us at Portland Marina for a week of water-based fun, raising money for Surfers Against Sewage. There’ll be new experiences and plenty of chances to have a go, on and offshore. With events from marine art to paddle sports and fishing, there’s something for everyone.

19-25 AUGUST

Portland Marina, Osprey Quay, Hamm Beach Road, Portland, Dorset, DT5 1DX 01305 866190

portlandweek.co.uk

Guernsey Portland Centrally located on Dorset’s Jurassic coastline, there is a tied island and historic harbour who’s rugged beauty has captivated many a boater. Portland

H

istoric, rugged, relaxed and famous for its Olympic-hosting Sailing Academy, Portland is a place for walking, boating and watersports. Not to mention wildlife, amazing sunsets and fantastic views.

The Isle of Portland stretches south

into the English Channel, and is one of the most southerly peninsulars of the UK’s south coast. At 4 miles long and 1.7 miles wide, this high limestone plateau has been inhabited since the Mesolithic period and is connected to the mainland by a beach road and a small bridge.

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July 2019

Destination

PORTLAND

Southampton

Poole

Lymington Cowes

Weymouth

Portland

Fowey Falmouth

Portland is made up of several village communities, including Fortuneswell, Easton, Weston and Southwell. Easton is possibly the largest, offering shops and a large supermarket, but there are also shops and pubs dotted between them, and a weekly market that is held on the south east side of the island. As you would expect, many of the homes are built from local grey limestone. Nestled to the north of the island, in what was once a huge bay, is a historic harbour offering a boating

experience like no other.

Portland is steeped in military history and its bay has been an important refuge for shipping for centuries. Its significance was perhaps bolstered in Tudor times, with Henry VIII’s commission of Portland Castle, which perches on the harbourfront at Castletown. By the 19th century, the harbour had become a home for the British navy, and huge Victorian fortified breakwaters, made from Portland stone, were constructed to enclose

Motorboat Owner Š Digital Marine Media Ltd

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Rich maritime history. The Tudor Portland Castle overlooks the harbour from the Castletown quay

the bay between Weymouth and the island, forming the formidable Portland Harbour. During World War I, the famous battleship, HMS Hood, was deliberately scuttled in 1914 across the harbour’s southern entrance to prevent U-boats and torpedoes from entering. In 1944 the harbour hosted hundreds of ships in preparation for the D-Day Normandy landings. Two resident concrete Mulberry Harbour Phoenix Caissons, left behind in the harbour, serve as a reminder of

this era. Created to be used during the Normandy Landings, these two 60-metre long, 15-metre high hulks are positioned in parallel just off the Castletown Jetty and are thought to be the last remaining of their kind. Originally they were part of 10 caissons that formed an inner harbour that hosted WWII navy destroyers and submarines. Today, life-size statues of soldiers positioned on top of these provide an eerie glimpse into the past. On shore, the site of an old navy canteen became

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July 2019

Destination

PORTLAND

Distances

Formidable Victorian breakwaters. Prince Albert laid the first foundation stone in 1849

a military airfield and headquarters of RNAS Portland (HMS Osprey) for a number of years, with planes taking off from its remarkably short runway.

On the west side of the island’s causeway lies Chesil Beach. Affectionately called ‘The Chesil’ by locals, this pebble beach stretches some 18 miles from Portland to the pier at West Bay, and has the nature reserve, Fleet Lagoon, running behind it.

The views of Chesil Beach from the high Portland clifftops are simply spectacular.

Portland Harbour continues to evolve as a leisure and commercial destination, with frequent visits by cruise ships. The old navy harbour at Castletown is now home to Portland’s commercial port, which sees many large vessels entering and exiting the East Ship Channel. To the west, the Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy, built in 2005, went on to host sailing events for the 2012 Olympics and, in 2009, Dean and Reddyhoff completed its development of the 400-berth Portland Marina. With plans to extend it further, this huge all-tides marina offers ample berthing with great facilities for visitors and berthholders, including a 120-boat covered drystack. With local gems like Lulworth Cove just 8 nautical miles away, could Portland be the perfect base to explore Dorset’s Jurassic coast?

Approximate distances in nautical miles from Portland Marina: • Weymouth 4 miles • Lulworth Cove 8 miles • Poole 28 miles • Lymington 45 miles • Torquay 50 miles

Weather & Tides

• Shipping Forecast Portland • Inshore Waters Forecast Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis • Portland Harbour Anemometer • Channel Lightship buoy actuals • Greenwich Lightship buoy actuals • 4-day sailing forecast Portland Bill

Charts & Pilot Books

• Imray 2300 Dorset & Devon Coasts chart pack • Imray C5 Bill of Portland to Salcombe Harbour chart • Admiralty SC5601 East Devon & Dorset Coast Exmouth to Christchurch chart pack • Admiralty 2255 Portland chart • Tidal Stream Atlas NP 257 • Fernhurst Books West Country Cruising Companion • Imray The West Country guide • Imray Shell Channel Pilot • Reeds Nautical Almanac

Marina charges • • • •

10m Summer Overnight £32.50 10m Winter Overnight £22 8m Drystack Annual £3584 10m Annual £5040

Events

Portland Week 19th-25th August

Motorboat Owner © Digital Marine Media Ltd

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PORTLAND HARBOUR

Portland WPNSA Marina

Castle Cove SC

Portland Port

PORTLAND

North Ship Channel

N

Portland Bill

East Ship Channel

PORTLAND HARBOUR

Portland Ledge

Strong tides are at play around Portland Bill.

Ensure you have studied the tidal streams

The Shambles OVERFALLS

OVERFALLS OVERFALLS

Portland Marina BR

EA

KW AT E

R

WW2 Caissons Portland Port PROHIBITED South Ship Channel CLOSED

not to be used for navigation

Ferrybridge

It is recommended to enter through the North Ship Channel Entrance, or the East with permission

Approaches

Portland Harbour is exposed to winds from the E and NE, but is sheltered in all other directions. If you are approaching Portland Harbour from the east, there is Lulworth Military Firing Range to consider. At specific times during practice firing, the sea area that extends up to six nautical miles offshore between Lulworth Cove and St Alban’s Head is restricted.

Normal firing times are 9.30am-5pm Monday to Thursday, and on Friday it is 9.30am-12.30pm. Occasionally firing will

take place at weekends, so it is important to get the latest firing information and timings by calling 01929 404712, or 01929 404819, and listening to a recorded message. The Lulworth Firing Range Control operates on VHF channel 8, and also monitors channel 16, and will have range safety vessels on station whilst firing is taking place. Travelling from the east, it is also best to plot a route avoiding the overfalls at St Alban’s Head.

If your approach is from the west it is advisable to keep a good distance from

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July 2019

Destination

PORTLAND

Marine supplies

Easy fuelling, the berth is at the end of T pontoon

Portland Bill and the Shambles. Here, strong tidal currents are at play, running up to 7 knots on a spring tide and, with the wind predominantly west or south west, these can cause treacherous sea conditions in what is called the Portland Race. Also it’s here that two tidal currents meet and are squeezed by the rocky underwater ledges lying south of the peninsula. The race moves around according to the tide strength and timing.

We would suggest plotting a route that keeps you at least six nautical miles south of the Bill. There is a charted inshore route around the Bill, but having the right settled weather conditions, and correct timing for tides, is crucial. The buoyed Shambles Bank lies to the east of Portland Bill, again the sea often heaps up here, echoing the rocky seabed below. Always plan your route carefully, referring to a chart and tidal stream atlas information.

Leisure boaters can also contact the voluntary National Coastwatch at Portland Bill for a condition update, on VHF channel 65 callsign ‘Portland Bill NCI’ or on 01305 860178.

It is recommended that leisure boats enter Portland harbour via the North Ship Channel entrance, which is marked by traffic lights, and then follow the fairway channel through the centre of the harbour.

The East Ship Channel Entrance is used by commercial vessels bound for Portland

Portland Marina boatyard (01305 866190) is equipped with a 50-tonne hoist and offers various maintenance services, including a pump-out station. There are a variety of marine businesses based at the marina, including the Apollo Chandlery (01305 860220). Gas cylinders and exchanges are also available from this chandlery. At Castletown, Clark’s Boatworks (01305 860265) offers various marine maintenance services, including lift outs, hardstanding, repairs and restoration work.

There are also two chandleries in Weymouth, Kingfisher Marine (01305 766595) and Bussells Yacht Chandlers (01305 785 633).

Mechanical Services at Weymouth is a welding specialist and Volvo Penta distributor.

Where to fill up

Petrol and diesel are available at a fuel berth located on the end of T pontoon, which conveniently is the first pontoon inside the entrance.

It serves fuel on both sides and visitors should call the marina on VHF channel 80, or call the marina office, 01305 866190, for assistance during working hours.

At Weymouth, diesel is available at the harbour jetty run by Mechanical Services, or through mobile tanker company, Quayside Fuel, at Custom House Quay by arrangement.

Motorboat Owner © Digital Marine Media Ltd

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Port. However, leisure boats can seek permission to use this entrance from ‘Portland Harbour Radio’ on VHF channel 74, again obeying the lights if permitted.

This entrance has a white lighthouse on its north side and a large fort to the south.

We would recommend keeping a listening watch on the ‘Portland Harbour Radio’ channel during your approach and be on the lookout for commercial vessels approaching or departing. The South Ship Channel Entrance is closed to all vessels.

Harbour visitors are asked check notices to mariners on the Portland Port website.

Once inside the harbour, there is a 12knot speed limit for boats over 10 metres, and this reduces to 6 knots for all vessels in the approaches to the marina and sailing academy.

Portland Marina is behind the rock breakwater on the western side of the harbour. The harbour fairway, which is marked with red buoys and a safe water mark, leads through the harbour ESE, then S, in its final approach to the marina.

The depth in the harbour is generally 8-12 metres, with depths of 1-4 metres in the marina basin. The entrance to the marina, used also by the sailing academy, is marked by port and starboard lit beacons, with a set of traffic signals, which are used as necessary, set into a black tower.

The Portland Harbour approach is marked out in the handy online leaflet

by Portland Port. Note that the port and commercial side of the harbour lies to the east of the marina, off Castletown, next to the closed south channel entrance. This area is prohibited to leisure boats.

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July 2019

Destination

PORTLAND

Transport

There’s plenty of space for visitors on the outer pontoons, which makes it popular with rallies

Where to moor

Visitors can contact the marina on VHF channel 80, or call on the marina office on 01305 866190, on arrival. Visitor berths are on R, S and T pontoons, which can be found just inside the entrance. As it is such a huge marina, the friendly dock masters use bicycles to get around and are usually there to greet and help visitors. Often this first greeting is on the fuel berth on T pontoon, but they may also be available at the green Visitors Office hut, near R pontoon, during busy summer periods.

Overnight visitor berthing charges are £3.25 per metre during the summer months, April to October, and £2.20 per metre in the winter, November to March, including harbour dues. Three-hour, short

Marina approaches. Look out for the rock breakwater, which has a traffic light beacon at the entrance. The WPNSA seen beyond

The 501 is a useful bus route that operates between Weymouth and Portland Bill Lighthouse, and serves the Portland towns, Fortuneswell and Easton on the way. There are two bus stops, for both directions, in Mereside, which is a road at the back of the marina. The journey into Weymouth takes 30-35 minutes. Weymouth Station offers Great Western Railway connections to Bournemouth, Gloucester, Southampton, Brighton, with connections via Yeovil to London and the West Country.

Food supplies

The Premier express, Castletown Stores is 0.6 of a mile and there is a small Co-op food store in Castle Road in Fortuneswell (1 mile / 22-minute walk). Easton has a large Tesco superstore and Co-op store off Easton Square. Portland Market takes place in Pennsylvania Road on Tuesdays. There are also several supermarkets in Weymouth.

Further afield

The beachside resort and picturesque harbour of Weymouth is just 4nm away, and well worth a visit. Portland is an excellent springboard to visit many of Dorset’s coastline gems such as Studland, Lyme Regis, Lulworth Cove, the Durdle Door and West Bay/Bridport. Brixham, Torquay, Dartmouth and Salcombe are just 50nm away, across Lyme Bay.

Motorboat Owner © Digital Marine Media Ltd

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Penny Rawle

Walkers delight, the view from the Tout Quarry over Fortuneswell, Chesil and towards the harbour

stays are available, with rates of £10 or £15 for under and over 14 metres respectively.

The huge marina network of pontoons is accessed by one gated ramp on its south-west edge, so it is quite a walk to get ashore from the visitor pontoons.

At the top of the ramp you will find the main marina office, toilets and showers, a launderette, a pub/restaurant, a café and a chandlery.

Surrounded by Portland Harbour’s rugged beauty, the sandy coloured cliffs and rock breakwaters, you could easily be fooled into thinking that you are in the Med somewhere. Far beyond the bustle of the Solent, it has the relaxed vibe to match too. It is modern, manmade, some

might say captivatingly bleak, but above all it is very welcoming and sheltered.

In the predominant south westerlies the marina is sheltered by Chesil Beach, with the island offering protection in southerly winds. When the harbour becomes exposed in stronger northerly and easterly wind directions, the marina breakwater, and outer breakwaters, offer good protection too. The sunsets witnessed from the pontoons can be stunning.

For those who prefer anchoring, this is possible over on the northwest side of Portland Harbour, between Ferrybridge and the Castle Cove Sailing Club, and is recommended in approximately 3 metres of water.

Visit Britain

Must eats, the Boat That Rocks is the marina’s popular on site restaurant, and the Crab House Café 28

July 2019

Destination

PORTLAND

Trailboating

There is a wide, deep water public slipway between Portland Marina and the WPNSA

Where to eat and drink

The large onsite pub-cum-brasserie, The Boat That Rocks (01305 823000) is very popular and should suit all ages, budgets and tastes. Opening daily from 10am, it often offers live music at weekends. If you are looking for breakfast, bacon butties, sandwiches and cakes, there is the friendly Taylor Mess Deck Café along the marina waterfront, which opens at 8am. Both marina eateries have outside seating, which will be useful to dog owners.

Across the road at Chesil Beach and a short walk from the marina, is the Cove House Inn at Chiswell, a lovely pub to watch the sun go down with a plate of seared scallops and a pint of cider. Further along the beach is Quiddles Cafe and Indian restaurant, Balti Island. For those who fancy traditional fish and chips, there is the Chesil Chippie in Victoria Square.

Those looking for a walk and sustenance, perhaps even a dinghy safari, should set course for Ferrybridge and the Billy Winters, a quirky beach shack café known for its breakfasts, burgers, wood fired pizzas, cakes and cocktails.

A bit further along the beach causeway is the Crab House Café, which is a must for fish and shellfish lovers. It lies just across the Ferry Bridge and overlooks the picturesque Fleet Lagoon.

There is an all-tides public slipway owned by the WPNSA inside a compound shared with Portland Marina. Pre-arrangement with the WPNSA reception (01305 866000) is recommended. It is accessible by road via Hamm Beach Road, by sea the slipway is located between the travel hoist and the WPNSA keelboat pontoons. The slipway ramp is wide enough to launch 2-3 boats at a time and has a floating pontoon running alongside for loading. Be aware the top section of the ramp is concrete, with a block-paved surface revealed at lower states of tide. Launching is £11.60-£28.40 depending on length.

There is another public slipway at Castletown, albeit a little tighter for access. It is a fairly steep, short and narrow concrete ramp that goes to lose shingle, making it only really usable at around high water. There is a public car park just a few yards west, or parking on the road. Trailer storage might well be possible at Clark’s Boatworks. PWCs can launch at Ferrybridge but must keep to the fairway until clear of the harbour.

Water skiing, wakeboarding, or boats with towing toys require a permit from Portland Harbour Authority. At Castletown, there are rooms available at Hotel Aqua, or self-catering suites available at the modern waterfront Crabbers Wharf. For those with campervans, WPNSA has spaces in its boat park area that might be available at £18/night.

Motorboat Owner © Digital Marine Media Ltd

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8

PORTLAND HARBOUR OU

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Portland Marina 15

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Tout Quarry

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16

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Fortuneswell

5

Places to see and visit

16

Portland Port

Castletown

7

4

For anyone looking to explore Portland, their first port of call should be the Tourist Information Centre, at Crabbers Wharf in Castletown. We would also recommend picking up the useful Portland Marina guide at the marina office.

We can recommend taking a stroll along the marina foreshore promenade towards Castletown, where you will find two local attractions, Portland Castle and the D-Day Centre. The Tudor fortress, Portland Castle, sits formidably on the waterfront and, commissioned by Henry VIII, was built in the early 1540s to protect against French and Spanish invasion. Run by English Heritage, visitors receive an audio tour detailing its history, from the Tudors to World War II, enjoy the views from the gun emplacements, discover its Tudor kitchen, explore its contemporary garden and relax in the tearoom. Entry is £6.70 for adults (£6 concessions), £4 for children and a family ticket is £17.40. Recognised by its Sherman tank sat outside, the D-Day Centre recreate a busy wartime dockyard, from which, in 1944, thousands of American troops of the 5th US Corps and the US 1st infantry, embarked, bound for the heavily defended beaches of occupied France. Exhibits include a Spitfire replica, original World War II uniforms and artefacts, guns, army vehicles and tanks.

Keen walkers may be interested in

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3 10111213

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Crabbers Wharf

WE

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1 Portland Marina Office & Facilities

Easton

2 The Boat That Rocks 3 Taylor Mess Deck Café

4

4 Cove House Inn

3

5

Quiddles Café

6

Balti Island

7

Chesil Chippie

8

Billy Winters

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Crab House Café

£

Weston 6

£

10 Portland Castle

18

5

11 Osprey Leisure Centre 12 Crabbers Wharf & Tourist Information

KEY

13 D-Day Centre 14

Tout Quarry & Sculpture Park

15

WPNSA

Bus Stop

C Chandlery

16 Portland Bill Lighthouse

£ Cash point

17 The Lobster Pot

1

18 Portland Museum

2

Castletown Stores

3

Tesco Superstore

4

Coop Easton Square

Coop Fortuneswell

5

Portland Market

6

Coop Weston Fuel Shopping streets Slipway

16 17

Footpath

Island landmarks, provision shops and villages are easily accessible by bus route 501

making the climb up to the Tout Quarry Sculpture Park and Nature Reserve, which has many captivating sculptures carved out of Portland Stone dotted across the historic 40-acre site. Tout means ‘lookout’ and, as the quarry is nestled into the cliff top, it provides superb views over Chesil Beach. For those of the artistic mind, there are stone carving and sculpture courses available on site. The quarry is roughly a 45-minute, 2-mile, walk from the marina.

The 11-hectare Osprey Quay and Portland Marina site backs on to the sea, with just the beach road between, so discovering Chesil Beach is easy. However, those looking to walk any distance along the Chesil Beach are advised to do so in

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July 2019

Destination bite-sized chunks and in decent footwear, as the pebble terrain is quite hard going.

Slightly further afield, but easily accessible by the local 501 bus route, is Portland Bill Lighthouse and Visitor Centre. The lighthouse was built in 1906, is 41 metres tall and commands spectacular views out to sea. Admission to the lighthouse and visitor centre is £7 for adults and £5 for children. Staying on for lunch or a cream tea at the clifftop café, the Lobster Pot, is a must. On the same bus route, just south of Easton, is Portland Museum, charting island history and with an interesting collection of artefacts.

For those that want to visit Weymouth, a traditional ferry called ‘My Girl’ operates three times a day, April to October, from both Portland Marina and the jetty at Crabbers Wharf. The ferry leaves from the pontoon adjacent to the main marina ramp. A round trip, which goes inside Portland’s World War II Caissons, takes approximately 1½ hrs and fares are £7 single/£11 return for adults and £4 single/£6 return for children. The same company also offer a Jurassic Cruise at £14 per person. Alternatively Weymouth is a

PORTLAND

The D-Day Centre at Castletown is eye opening

30-35 minute bus ride using the 501 route.

Portland is a popular place for diving, and even has its very own underwater curiosity park set just south of the harbour. Local dive schools, including Dive Beyond at Castletown offer trips out to the park and organised wreck dives.

There is the divers retreat, Hotel Aqua at Castletown and various schools supplying air for qualified divers. Unfortunately the wreck of the HMS Hood is considered too unstable to dive on, but there are plenty of other wrecks to discover.

On those rainy days in port, families might want to take advantage of the local Osprey Leisure Centre at Castletown, which has a 25-metre pool and gym facilities. MBO

31

©VisitBritain/ Rod Edwards

Motorboat Owner © Digital Marine Media Ltd

PRACTICAL

PROJECT

Changing a sterndrive cooling water intake pipe

BY NEALE BYART

I

f you have sterndrives on your boat you will be very aware of the need for periodic servicing, and in particular, the requirement to change the bellows on a regular basis. When I was changing my bellows this year it struck me that there is another item of rubber ware that I have to fiddle with each time I remove my drive, but which doesn’t seem to require, at least as far as the owners manual is concerned, inspecting or changing. The item I am referring to is, of course, the cooling water intake pipe. We have owned our Sealine for getting on for 10 of its 22 years, and in that time we have certainly never given these pipes much more than a second thought. Maybe a cursory check when the drives are off, but little more.

It dawned on me that the likelihood is that these are in fact the original items.

They still had a little suppleness to them, and were showing no obvious signs of delamination or cracking, but after somewhere between 10 and 22 years of service, as well as regular barnacle infestations and mechanical cleaning, they must be well overdue a change. The water intake I removed from our Fairline was almost certainly 30 years old and was completely unserviceable. How long they last seems to be as much down to lack of use as anything else, but I would consider

YOU WILL NEED TOOLS • Hose clamp socket/ screwdriver • 10mm spanner

• Pry bar or large screwdriver • Block of wood or similar

CONSUMABLES • Water intake hose kit • Rubber friendly lubricant

DIFFICULTY RATING

ooooo 10 years to be good service and, although likely to last longer, maybe should be considered the replacement point. The reason that service replacement does not appear to be included in the requirements,

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July 2019

certainly for all the Volvo powered boats I have owned, is probably due to the fact that these hoses are already filled with water, so a damaged hose is not going to cause a catastrophic loss of your boat.

What a split or delaminated water intake hose will do, however, is cause an overheat while running that could only be fixed by lifting the boat and removing the drives.

For the sake of a few pounds, and a little bit of extra work when the drives are already off for servicing, it seems like a no-brainer to replace them. If your water intake hoses haven’t been changed for a few years, perhaps consider adding it to your next out-of-the-water maintenance session. Here’s how we did it on Volvo 290/DP generation of drives.

HOW TO IN 21 STEPS >

1

You should undo the clamp that connects the hose to the drive, something that you would do anyway if the drives are being removed, and disconnect it 4

Remove the two 10mm bolts that hold the elbow onto the transom housing

2

Access on the inside, particularly on twin-engine boats, is not always easy.

I removed the air filter housing and intercooler pipework to make it easier 5

Pull the elbow away and withdraw the two bolts, which may have earth wires attached

3

Looking down from above, you can see where the intake hose meets the oil cooler hose with a plastic elbow 6

With the oil cooler hose tied up out of the way, you can see the plastic cooling water flange that fits onto the end of the intake pipe

Motorboat Owner © Digital Marine Media Ltd

33

PRACTICAL

7

8

9

There is a rubber O ring on here. The new hose should come with a replacement so you can remove and discard

You now need to remove the plastic flange by gently levering it from behind with a screwdriver or small pry bar

The flange pushes into the hose about an inch and may take a bit of careful manipulation to remove if it has been in place for a long time

10

11

12

You can now grab the old hose from outside and twist and wriggle it to break it free

If it feels particularly stuck in place, like ours, gently prise the hose away from the transom assembly with a screwdriver

Once loose, the hose can then either be pushed in, and removed from the inside, or pulled out from the outside

13

14

15

Once removed, give the mounting hole and surrounding area a clean to remove barnacles and any other grime

The new kit comprises a hose, new O-ring and replacement hose clamp

Due to a lack of space inside, I installed our new hose from the outside, which meant carefully manipulating the widerlipped end through the hole

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July 2019

16

17

18

Once in place, ensure that the hose is sitting in the correct orientation to allow connection to the drive

Inside, the new hose should be sitting evenly against the transom mount

You can then push the plastic flange back into the inner end of the hose.

It needs to go in squarely and may benefit from some rubber friendly lubrication

19

20

21

Where space is limited you can use a block of wood and a pry bar against the back of the engine to push it home fully

Install the new O-ring and re-install the oil cooler hose elbow, remembering to put the bolt through the earth wire first

With the drive back in place, the outboard end of the hose can now be connected using the new hose clip in the correct orientation

TIME TAKEN Assuming you are starting from the position of having the drive already removed, this job should take no more than a couple of hours per drive. This includes time spent removing and replacing some engine ancillaries to gain better access. It is important to spend time ensuring that the new hose is in the correct orientation before fixing it back in place so take a photo of the old hose before removing. If you get it wrong, you’ll either have to do most of the job again, or risk kinking and damaging the new hose.

COST £ The cost will depend on make and model of drive and whether you have single or twin installation. To give an idea, the hose kit for the DP-A to DP-E drive range is £28.08 from a Volvo Penta dealer, giving my twin engine job a total cost of £56.16. A quick search shows that MerCruiser hoses are a similar price, so it’s not an expensive job, even with two to do. You can save a few pounds per hose with an aftermarket part, but the savings barely warrant going for anything but original branded spares in this instance.

Motorboat Owner © Digital Marine Media Ltd

35

Axopar 28 Cabin

By Alex Smith

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July 2019

BOAT TEST

Length (LOA): 9.20m / 30ft 2in Beam: 2.95m / 9ft 8in Displacement: 1,840kg Fuel capacity: 300 litres RCD category: B6 / C9 Engine as tested: Single Mercury Verado 300 Other engine options: V6 200 / L6 350 / 2 x V6 200s Price from £80,196 Price as tested £117,500

Motorboat Owner © Digital Marine Media Ltd

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W

hat do you get if you cross an Aquador, an XO and a Paragon? Well if you’re clever with words, you get an Axopar (don’t worry, it took us a while to work it out too). Founded in 2014 by the people behind each of these high-achieving Scandinavian names, the Axopar story began with the arrival of the 28, and right from the outset, that boat made a clear statement about the brand philosophy.

With a single hull available in Open, T-Top and Cabin configurations, it was all about fun, fast, user-friendly recreation, packaged with a stylistic flourish that made it feel, if not unique, then at the very least quickly recognisable. With its

deep-cut hull steps and blade-like stem, it certainly carried the posture of a serious sports boat, but it came with a variety of sleeping and seating options that took it beyond any single niche and made it relevant to a vast cross-section of day boaters, weekenders and cruisers.

It quickly caught the public imagination. Having added a 24 and a 37 to the fleet, Axopar has now sold more than 1,700 boats in 65 countries around the world, and critical acclaim has been equally stellar. Axopar has twice scooped the Motorboat of The Year award, as well as the top prize at the Best of Boats awards and the coveted title of European Powerboat of the Year. As we turn up at

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July 2019

“Axopar comes from the same stable as Aquador, XO and Paragon” Offshore Powerboats in Lymington for a closer look at the latest incarnation of the 28 Cabin, it’s fair to say we’re expecting good things.

On the outside Even now, five years after its forebear entered the fray, the Axopar 28 Cabin remains a strangely beautiful boat. It’s not lacking in beam and neither is the cabin structure especially raked but, with its starkly sculpted hull angles, its long flat rubbing strake, its black anodised rails and its heavily tinted windows, it looks as desirable as it ever did. If you prefer your style forthright rather than self-effacing, you’ll be glad to know you can now Motorboat Owner © Digital Marine Media Ltd

The Cabin looks almost as good as the Open and T-Top model. Despite its five-man pilothouse, there is still plenty of external space

39

‘upgrade’ the Axopar’s aesthetic courtesy of the new ‘Brabus Line’ package but it has to be said, even in its standard form, the latest 28 looks superb.

That said, it’s not so much the style as the intelligence of the space management that really hits home. After all, despite a relatively modest length of 30 feet and a heavily tapering forward hull shape, the use of a relatively compact walkaround pilothouse with a pair of broad, singlelevel side decks generates some excellent outdoor day space.

At the stern, the test boat’s cockpit, though generous of footprint, is largely occupied by the optional aft cabin. This integrated module juts out from the pilothouse’s aft bulkhead and dominates

most of the space, but it does create a very serviceable two-person sun lounger and it also enables you to drop large, bulky gear directly through the hatch, without having to drag it inside via the side doors.

Of course, rigged like this, it’s not a place to host dinner parties but it’s still fine for a couple to snuggle up with a bottle of wine or for a group of wakeboard enthusiasts to gather for some sport.

However, in accordance with established Axopar protocol, this region of the boat does offer plenty of options. The standard package comes with a convertible two-berth arrangement inside the main body of the pilothouse so, if you’re happy with that, then you can forego the aft cabin option and bring some extra

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July 2019

Axopar’s optional aft cabin pod is superb. Flip-up helm seats reveal a sink and wet bar. The cabin offers sheltered seating for five. The quality of the heads compartment is a major surprise

cockpit versatility into play. If onboard cooking matters to you, you can opt for a large wet bar with electric grill along the pilothouse’s aft bulkhead, if seating matters most, you can pick an aft-facing bench with internal storage plus a couple of folding seats with a table, and if fishing is a priority, then the large empty cockpit of the standard fit-out is likely to be all you need.

Whichever layout you favour, as you make your way forward, it’s plain that security here is first-rate. The walkways are deep, flat and wide, with rails running the full length from bow to stern and 60cm gunwales to help keep you securely contained. And as you emerge around the leading edge of the pilothouse, the Motorboat Owner © Digital Marine Media Ltd

long asymmetrical bow, with its starboard walkway, four-person table and L-shaped port bench, makes a lovely place to sit and relax, particularly if you invest in the optional overhead sunshade.

However, arguably the most impressive feature up here is the toilet compartment.

Just as the aft cabin is sunk into the deck at the back end, so the toilet compartment is sunk into the deck at the leading edge of the pilothouse, and it really is a fine piece of work, with a scale way out of proportion to expectations, as well as plenty of light and great ergonomics. As you might expect, the toilet and sink are both optional extras, but that’s all part of Axopar’s ‘build-it-to-match-your-needs’ approach.

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PERFORMANCE RPM

By keeping the standard features to a minimum, the base package price of this standard model comes in at just a shade over £80,000.

That’s extraordinarily affordable for a boat of this calibre, and while the test boat’s configuration and options adds around £37,000 (or nearly 50%) to that figure, both the conceptual clarity of Axopar’s optional extras and their surprising affordability means that you can be very precise, discerning and efficient with the kind of boat you buy.

With a little thought and a few sums, you can avoid wasting money on the things that don’t matter and walk away with a remarkably cost-effective boat that tallies very closely with your requirements.

650 (idle) 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500 4000 4500 5000 5500 5700

Knots LPH

GPH

MPG

2.2 3.8 5.7 7.0 9.5 13.5 17.5 22.3 29.2 33.4 37.3 37.6

0.62 1.25 1.94 3.21 4.58 6.05 7.52 9.50 12.21 18.13 21.12 21.34

3.55 3.04 2.94 2.18 2.07 2.23 2.33 2.35 2.39 1.84 1.77 1.76

2.8 5.7 8.8 14.6 20.8 27.5 34.2 43.2 55.5 82.4 96.0 97.0

Range (nm)

188.6 160.0 155.5 115.1 109.6 117.8 122.8 123.9 126.3 97.3 93.3 93.0

Noise

43.6 49.2 51.2 53.0 67.3 72.0 72.5 76.1 78.0 80.3 83.9 86.0

On the inside Though the external layout means that the physical dimensions of the pilothouse are quite moderate, Axopar’s design solution is again very clever. It starts with the twin helm seats, which butt up against one another toward the centre of the space, creating plenty of room on both sides to use the big sliding doors and to head aft towards the three-person bench. These helm seats can be rotated

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July 2019

Our test boat was fitted with a Mercury Verado 300, offering a top speed of 37 knots. It’s also available with a single 350 or twin 200s.

Huge side doors are a big plus

“The driving experience is refined and novicefriendly” to face aft, creating a very attractive five-person dining station, or they can be turned inwards, combining with the sliding aft bench to generate a serviceable double berth.

The test boat’s use of an additional two-berth cabin further aft is equally interesting. Accessed via the hinged port side of the aft bench, the quality of the space it conceals is something special.

Like the aft sleeping pods we’ve seen on previous Axopar models, it’s usefully square, it’s very bright, it has impressive headroom and it offers easy access to the aft deck by means of the large cargo hatch.

There’s also a smaller secondary overhead hatch to provide extra ventilation, plus a very generous bed, measuring 1.15m in Motorboat Owner © Digital Marine Media Ltd

width and 1.93m in length. With both beds rigged, what you essentially create therefore is a large, staggered bunk bed, each with its own independent access point. It might sound a bit odd but in practice, it’s a beautiful way to generate sleeping for four on a sleek 30-footer without upsetting the profile, eradicating the side decks or spoiling the primary living spaces.

As for the rest of the pilothouse environment, there’s very little to dislike.

There are lovely fabrics throughout, the finish is tidy and the vertical space is also very good. Even at the tapering forward space by the screen, headroom doesn’t dip below 1.9m, and that sense of space is aided in no small part by the use of

43

the retractable fabric roof. Not only does it reduce the need for bulky overhead mouldings but it also enables Axopar to reduce the weight, contain the costs and introduce plenty of extra light and ventilation to the cabin.

On the move It may have a twin-stepped 22-degree “sharp entry hull” with pronounced chines and a very steep stem, but in truth, the 28 Cabin is a bit of a pussycat. We’re on the plane in less than four seconds, hitting 30 knots in ten seconds and reaching our 38-knot top end in around 17. The highest figure we witness during our test day is 38.8 knots, but what is striking about the experience is not the pace but the simple ease of it all.

While the hull steps do limit the heel in a fast turn, that in no way detracts from this boat’s impressive composure, it adds a degree of visibility most comparable pilothouse cruisers will struggle to match.

And most other elements of the driving experience feel equally user-friendly.

With the doors and roof shut, we see noise recordings of under 80 Decibels at everything below 33 knots, and while

Extra tread is needed on some of the aft surfaces

I had expected a little extra noise at pace from the full-length canvas roof, it actually seems to reduce noise by helping absorb any harsh clatters and minimise reverberation.

As regards running efficiency, things again look very good for the keen cruiser.

True, the results observed during our test day don’t quite hit the heights of Axopar’s own figures. In fact, while the manufacturer’s data describes 1.75 litres per nautical mile at 30 knots with the Verado 350’s supercharged 2.6 litre inline 6, at no point in the planing bracket does the 4.6-litre V8 of the test boat’s Verado 300 achieve less than 1.9 litres per nautical mile. But considered in its broader market context as a flexible four-berth 30-footer, this still represents a very positive return

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July 2019

and one that in no way detracts from my growing conviction that Axopar’s global renown is fully merited.

Conclusion Though it’s not the high-octane speedster its dynamic looks might imply, the 28 Cabin is a really fine family boat. It can be an occasional two-berth weekender or a four-berth family cruiser; it can be a safe and dependable four-season day boat or a faster, twin-engined plaything; it can be a fishing companion or a very capable platform for sociable lunch parties, and it can do all of these things before you even bring the Open and T-Top models into play. In short, as an antidote to the

The Axopar’s approach to mixed weekend cruising is impressive. A modest heel means visibility is retained in the turn and its a doddle to drive

bulging people carriers of the compact cruiser market and a tonic for those keen to buy some genuine weekending capacity without losing the style and dynamics of the sports boat world, the Axopar 28 is a very rewarding motorboat.

ENQUIRIES: Offshore Powerboats 01590 677955 www.offshorepowerboats.co.uk YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

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LOA: 9.47m Beam: 2.84m Displacement: 2,700kg Enquiries: Yamaha UK 01215 688837 www.yamaha-motor.eu

LOA: 8.60m Beam: 2.59m Displacement: 2,250kg Enquiries: Wessex Marine 01202 700702 www.wessexmarine.co.uk

LOA: 9.19m Beam: 3.10m Displacement: 4,100kg Enquiries: Wessex Marine 01202 700702 www.wessexmarine.co.uk

Fast, highly capable, aluminium commuter boat with big cruising range, huge internal space and a 600hp transom.

PRICE from £TBC

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Motorboat Owner © Digital Marine Media Ltd

The latest version of Targa’s 27 is one of the most complete compact pilothouse cruisers in the world. See test this month.

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Jeanneau Cap Camarat 7.5DC

45

CUTTING

EDGE

Volvo Penta SPECIAL At the end of May we were invited out to Volvo Penta’s test centre in Krossholmen Sweden to find out about their latest products. When this happens you can be sure that there is something big afoot and this year was no different. Over two days we were shown two new diesel engines, one new sterndrive and a new IPS unit. In short, these new products will be found on boats from around 25ft up to around 50ft, so expect to start seeing them on the sort of boats that we test, and you buy, in the next few months. www.volvopenta.com 46

July 2019

the latest boating gear and technology

D4 and D6

The D4 and D6 were originally launched in 2003 and have received a few tweaks and modifications along the way. In many outputs, we were already on the fifth generation going into 2019.

The latest D4 and D6 are more than just a re-worked engine with a higher output, they are completely new motors that offer up to 10% more power at the highest output. The latest engines have new pistons, new piston pins, a stronger redesigned crankshaft, an improved fuel system with a higher pressure, 2,000 bar, common rail, new charge air coolers, new air filter units, improved superchargers and new turbos. Other improvements are better piston cooling, new fuel filter units with in-built diagnostics to detect blockages or closed fuel shut-offs, improved crankcase gas separation that does not require a filter and a better handover between supercharger and turbo for smoother acceleration.

These changes help to offer improved fuel efficiency of up to 7%, smoother running characteristics and reduced servicing requirements, which means there are 61% fewer servicing items over a 10 year span, compared to previous D4/ D6 models, culminating in a 28% reduction in labour hours, a 48% reduction in parts used and 33% reduction in lubricants. Both engine ranges come with new, higher output alternators in either 12 or 24V, combined with PWM charging for Lithium Ion and AGM batteries.

Output for the D4 starts at 150hp and goes up to 320hp, while the D6 starts at 300hp rising to 440hp for sterndrive installations and 480hp for shaftdrive models. Physically, the new engines are roughly the same weight and size as the outgoing models, although the 440hp and 480hp versions of the D6 come out around 50mm taller due to a larger turbo.

Motorboat Owner Š Digital Marine Media Ltd

47

CUTTING DP-I Sterndrive

The DP-H drive was launched at the same time as the original D4/D6 engines and has been the stalwart Volvo sterndrive for 15 years. With the new D4 and D6 engines, and their increased power, there comes a new sterndrive, the DP-I. The most important development with the DP-I is in the use of a hydraulic clutch system in place of the old cone clutch. This hydraulic clutch, taken from Volvo’s IPS drives, means smoother gear changes and less clunking, which is especially important for joystick operation.

The new drive also means that Volvo’s Dynamic Positioning System is now available for the first time on Volvo sterndrive powered vessels, thanks to a ‘steer by wire’ system that also allows steering customisation to suit the vessel such as number of turns from lock to lock. The hydraulic clutch system also delivers a ‘slow speed’ option that reduces idle speed by 50% with clutch slippage to enable more controlled slow speed manoeuvres or for trolling purposes. Although not available on the D6 480, the DP-I drive is available on engines up to 440hp, making it Volvo’s most powerful sterndrive option to date and allowing them to offer an Aquamatic solution up to 50 knots. The DP-I drive comes with a new range of stainless steel, H series, duo-props, with shortened blade tips to help eliminate cavitation, new and improved prop shaft seals and, like the new D4 and D6, a reduction in the service requirements, with a 54% reduction in service items over a 10-year period and extended service intervals up from 100 hours to 200 and bi-annual instead of annual oil changes. These extended service intervals are aided by improved monitoring with a water in oil sensor, a water in bellows sensor, an oil level sensor and an oil filter within the drive. The DP-I has been produced for a longer service life, with a target of 70% increase in service life. This has been achieved by enhanced gear design, improved materials, better machine precision and a sterile assembly line.

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July 2019

the latest boating gear and technology

IPS10

The latest IPS drives, IPS10, takes everything Volvo has learned over the last 10+ years and 25,000 units to deliver a more robust drive unit. Like the DP-I, IPS10 is produced with better machining, using higher quality materials and in a positively pressurised environment to keep contaminants out. Again, better prop-sealing arrangements have been deployed with harder ‘wear sleeves’ added to the shaft for extra durability. This effectively means that the shaft seals are maintenance free for the life of the drive, now 3,000 hours up 50% from previous IPS units. Again, service intervals have been increased and the addition of an engine mounted oil filter with pressure sensors both before and after the filter, as well as water in oil and temperature sensors, all ensure that any problems are quickly brought to the owners attention. Oil changes are now conducted from inside the boat, meaning in-the-water oil changes are now possible, and the dipstick has been replaced with an oil level sensor for ease of use. Oil changes requirements have been changed to every two years, rather than annually, which goes some way to reducing the service items by 56% over 10 years. Combined with the new D6 480, the new IPS drive gives Volvo a new IPS650 to replace the previous, D11 based, unit of the same name. With the new IPS10 drive, IPS400, IPS450 and IPS500 are now rated for commercial use.

Motorboat Owner Š Digital Marine Media Ltd

49

Norway bound Leg 5: The Limfjord

In 2018 intrepid Broom 425 owners, Peter and Gill Pitcher, embarked on a journey that would reunite them with a cruising favourite, Norway. Peter recounts their fifth leg as they explore Denmark’s Limfjord, whilst spending some precious, quality time with family 50

July 2019

CRUISING

Norway bound

NORWAY Mandal

LEG 5

LEG 5

Hals Oster Hurup LEG

Thyboren

4

Bonnerup

DENMARK

Grenaa

Tuno

Juelsminde

Middelfart Bago LEG 4

Aro

Dyvig Sonderborg LEG 4

3

NORTH SEA

G

LE

Norderney

Borkum

Elbe

Cuxhaven

l

Kiel

Can a

River

LEG

1 LEG

GlĂźckstadt

Bensersiel Stade Greetsiel

GERMANY

Kiel

ltru Lan m ge oo g

NDS ISLA IAN S E I T FR

2

Rendsburg

Ba

EAS

LEG 3

Kappeln

Wedel Hamburg

HOLLAND

A

fter exploring the east coast of Denmark as far as Hals, we wanted to explore its sheltered Limfjord, and there was no better opportunity to invite some beloved family members to join us for two weeks.

Departing Hals we proceeded up the Langerak to our next destination of Aalborg. For this leg of the journey the

local representatives for the Cruising Association, Niels Mathiesen and his son Kristian, were most helpful and arranged a marina berth for us at their Aalborg shipyard and marina, Vestre Baadehavn, Above, Broom 425 Seawolf in prime position at the newly extended marina on the Danish island of Fur on the Limfjord

Motorboat Owner Š Digital Marine Media Ltd

51

G LE

4

After a short wait, Peter and Gill negotiated the Kulturbro lifting railway bridge to reach Aalborg

while we flew back home to Jersey for 10 days. They also gave us lots of useful information on the Limfjord and onwards to Norway.

Aalborg has three marinas on the south side, the first being the Vestre Baadehavn, which turned out to be a very good choice.

It was in easy walking distance of the town and, in the other direction, ‘street food’, an old factory with lots of stalls selling an excellent variety of international foods.

Just past this is a maritime museum and

one of the best outdoor swimming pool complexes and artificial beach play areas we have seen and it was all free.

We returned to Aalborg to find Seawolf, in perfect condition and, accompanied by our daughter Tracy and her two children, we set off to explore the beautiful sheltered waters of the Limfjord, with the promise of lots to see and do.

The Limfjord is fairly well protected, but we found you have to stick religiously to the buoyed channels, as it can be

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July 2019

Life’s a beach. The family discovered the Vestre Fjordpark, an artificial beach park at Aalborg

very shallow in places. Travelling at a leisurely 7-knot pace, our first stop was the town of Logstor, where we had an excellent alongside berth at the entrance to an old canal. Here we lowered the dinghy to explore the bays and swam in very pleasant water. Even though it is in the north, the Limfjord is shallow and surprisingly warm. We had hoped to barbecue on the harbour side, but because of the July heat, barbecues had been banned.

Logstor turned out to be an excellent stopping place, boasting several beaches, the Limfjord Museum and a small town centre with all the necessary shops and supermarkets, including an Aldi. There are also many restaurants, but a word of warning if you are visiting in peak season, you have to book. Overnight moorings were good value at 150 DK per night.

We decided our next stop would be the island of Fur, which turned out to be a beautiful spot. This pleasant island

Motorboat Owner Š Digital Marine Media Ltd

53

????

An excellent mooring in an old canal entrance, and beach and dinghy explorations at Logstor

has alongside berths, with not a lot to do but enjoy the scenery. We noted that the harbour had been extended and is different to what is shown in the pilot books and on Google Earth, so it confused us a bit on arrival, but the new harbour extensions gave us excellent facilities.

A short run saw us arriving at our next stop, one of the major towns in the region, Nykøbing. Here we used the Morso Sailing Club and Marina, as the harbour-side berths in the old harbour were sadly not very attractive.

With a helpful tourist office on site at the marina, here we enjoyed good shopping, a superb play park and, the highlight of the whole trip for our grandchildren, the main animal theme

park attraction, Jesperhus. The park is fantastic for small children, with lots to do and animals to see and pet, many in walkthrough enclosures, and a free bus service travels to the park from the marina every hour. The park also owns a huge sister swimming complex just down the road, and if you buy a ticket for one attraction, you can get into the other for half price.

Moving on around the island of Mors we decided to do a very short run to the small fishing village of Sønderby, which is also known as Sillerslev. Like the previous island stop, this was remote and scenic, with pleasant walks, a lovely beach, no shops and one cafÊ that did not open until 2pm. To the delight of our two grandchildren, it did have lots of floating

Jersperus park was just three miles from Nykobing, and the highlight of the trip for the grandkids 54

July 2019

Pitcher playtime. Three family generations play on the inflatable floating toys at Sillerslev

toys and a launching pontoon, and they had a great time in the 28-degree heat. We paid only 120 DK per night for alongside berthing at the Sillerslev Havn, which included WiFi, water and shorepower.

The next morning we set off to the small fishing village of Doverrode, which was only a 9-mile passage and a very pleasant 1-hour run. On arrival we found good value, 120 DK, berthing at Doverrode Havn with WiFi, shorepower and water.

Near the port was a museum with a small café, a souvenir shop and a huge grain silo tower offering extensive views.

Whilst the weather was very hot and pleasant, at about 5pm that evening a

thunder storm with very heavy rain came through, but by 7pm the skies had cleared to brilliant sunshine and absolute calm.

Leaving Doverrode we set off on a 16mile run between Thyland and Mors to the bigger town of Thisted. We had to wait for the bridge at Vilsund, which can be contacted on channel 12. We crossed the Thisted Brednig to the town, passing by the marina and into the inner harbour, which had superb alongside berths and good facilities waiting for us.

Thisted was a much bigger town with lots of cafés within easy reach of our berth, it couldn’t have been better. Our arrival was also perfectly timed for European Doverrode, a centre for the corn and kettle trade between Denmark and England. Seawolf moored against the marina breakwater

Motorboat Owner © Digital Marine Media Ltd

55

Back at Logstor the family enjoy a croissant on the marina side. Right, a mussel shell for Wilbur

market day, with stalls representing most countries. There was also an extensive shopping facility, with many restaurants, a very good park with play facilities and a miniature village. It was well worth a stop. Again, overnight berthing was good value at 120 DK, including WiFi and shorepower (we did not find water available), which was paid at an automatic machine and provided us with a ticket to display in the boat’s window.

Time was now catching up with us and, as our daughter would be flying home soon from Aalborg, we had to start making our way back, retracing our

steps. From Thisted we set off through the Logstor Brednig, back to Logstor for a night. We had a good trip down the narrow channel to Logstor, and this was followed by a delicious breakfast on the quayside and a dinghy ride to the beach.

Moving back to Aalborg via the Nibe Bredning, we returned to the Mathiesen shipyard, where we received a warm welcome and spent two days visiting the town’s indoor and outdoor play parks, Shopping and sights. There was plenty to do in the market town of Thisted and the mooring was very convenient, right in the heart of town

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July 2019

Future boaters, young Wilbur takes the helm while Josie waved to every boat that went past

museums and the street food factory.

With our daughter and grandchildren safely dispatched to the airport it was time to start heading towards Norway. We had planned to spend a bit more time in the Limfjord, visiting places we had missed, but with decent weather needed for the 80-mile open sea crossing from Denmark to Norway, and the long term forecast showing strengthening winds, we decided to go back to Logstor and then travel across to the other side of the country to Thyboren, ready for the crossing to Norway.

Peter and Gill stopped at Thyboren before crossing the Skagerrak to Norway

Travelling the whole of the Limfjord we arrived at Thyboren, which was our exit port to cross the Skagerrak, a strait running from the west coast of Sweden to the southeast coast of Norway. Fuelled and ready for our 80-odd mile passage, we explored this typical seaport and fishing village, finding it had a few restaurants around the harbour and some quite pleasant beaches.

The weather forecast for the next day was north east Force 3-4 giving sloppy seas. ‘Not too big to stop us’, we thought, so we set off. However, it turned out to be one of our least pleasant journeys.

We bumped the whole way across, but Seawolf, unleashed from its sedate 7-knot Limfjord passages, took it reassuringly well. We were able to maintain a cruising speed of 19 knots (3000 revs) and it was a 5-hour journey from Thyboren to the Norwegian town of Mandal.

Next month we rejoin Peter, Gill and Seawolf on leg 6 as they arrive at Mandal and explore Norway.

Motorboat Owner © Digital Marine Media Ltd

57

Motorboat Owner

PROJECT BOAT

PROJECT Fairline Vixen

I

set myself just one task this month, and that was to remove the power trim rams for overhaul. Last month I tentatively tried to get the pins out using a homemade puller, consisting of a number of large nuts and a suitably sized bolt, and some heat. Despite giving it what I thought was more than enough effort, the pins didn’t budge. When I wrote about this last month, one reader got in touch (see inbox) and gave me some inspiration and encouragement to have another go. Most importantly, thanks to his pictures and his answers to my questions, I had a better idea of what the pins looked like, how they were constructed and how long they

were. This last bit turned out to be vitally important because as the situation stood, even once I got the pins moving, it was clear that they would not come out due to the proximity of the edges of the transom cut-out.

I quickly found out that there were two options to get around this problem. The first was to remove the transom housing from the transom, not something that I relished the thought of at all, the second was to cut some indentations into the transom. It appears that many boat builders add these indentations for this very reason but, I suspect, that due to the fact that the 290 drive with power trim

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July 2019

To remove the trim pins, the transom requires cutouts, which the Fairline did not have. These were made with a rotary cutting tool. The raw wood will be protected against water ingress

was retro fitted later in this boats life, it wasn’t even on Fairline’s radar when the Vixen rolled off the production line.

After a bit of online picture searching, I had a very good idea of just what was needed. The important figure seemed to be to leave at least 25mm of transom thickness behind, so after a bit of measuring and marking I used a selection of tungsten carbide rotary burrs and set to work. Within a couple of hours, taking into account more than one tea break to escape the swelteringly hot engine bay, I had my scallops carved and set about

using the same makeshift puller to get the pins moving. After my failed attempt last month, I left the pins liberally coated with a lubrication/release spray and gave them another soaking before I started my woodwork this month. Whether it was this, or the fact that I was taking a more ‘make or break’ approach, I was pleased to see that the pins were starting to shift.

Within a few mm of the ends, the O ring that keeps water from entering the boat via these pins was showing and, after extending my puller a couple of times, the pins started rotating freely in their holes

The trim pins and my homemade puller. The pins were not as corroded or stuck as I thought Motorboat Owner © Digital Marine Media Ltd

59

The hydraulic lines were disconnected from the trim rams to allow removal for overhaul

long before being fully extracted. All it took was a little light levering and the pins dropped out. It may be because the boat has spent much of its time either in fresh water or completely out of the water since

Some hoses did not undo easily so were removed in situ to be dealt with later

the engine and drive had been installed, but the pins, and their housings, turned out to be surprisingly free of corrosion.

With the pins removed, I could turn my attention to the outside of the boat where I just needed to disconnect a couple more hydraulic hoses and an earth strap before withdrawing both rams. These have now been taken to the workshop where they will be overhauled with new seals and O rings before being re-installed.

The trim ram retaining pins had been holding everything else up, as I didn’t want to start putting things back into the engine bay, and reducing the space around and accessibility to the pins until I removed them. Now that they are out, I can start filling the bay with engine and components and this month

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July 2019

The overhauled bellhousing has been bolted back into place. Next step, the engine

marks a true milestone in the project as the first overhauled part has been put back. The bellhousing, with its new seals and bearings, was reinstalled. The two large rubber doughnuts that seal this part against the transom mount were in reusable condition so I cleaned them up, gave them a coat of silicone grease to help keep them supple and bolted the whole thing back on. Remembering how much

trouble it was to remove this, and the fact that I had to cut bolt heads off and drill out snapped bolt shafts, the new bolts, that have already been accounted for in my costings, were given a good coat of anti-seize/anti-corrosion lubricant (I use Tef-Gel) so that anyone in the future that might have to tackle this job again should have a better chance of getting them undone without damage.

Spend so far

Motorboat Owner

PROJECT BOAT This month’s spend £0 Balance from last month: £1,387.41

Total to date: £1,387.41 The two large sealing rings were lubricated with a rubber friendly silicon grease Motorboat Owner © Digital Marine Media Ltd

61

Q&A

Your Questions Answered

Twin engine fuel disparity

Q I have a Broom 38 with a strange problem.

Whenever I fill up, I always have to put significantly more fuel in the port side tank than I do the starboard. The figure is usually around 20% more, so not an insignificant amount. I have owned the boat for just over a year and it has always been the case. I always run with both engines and always match the revs. The props I believe are original with no obvious damage and apart from the fuel issue, everything runs well with no other obvious problem.

A It is not unusual for there to be a slight disparity between fuel usage across

two identical engines, but the difference is usually so small that it barely registers.

A difference the size of yours certainly points to something amiss. If the props were different sizes, this would lead to an imbalance on the load on each engine and could account for a larger than normal fuel consumption difference. Another potential cause for a large fuel tank imbalance would be the way the fuel returns are set up, although if both engines were returning to the same tank I would expect the difference to be even larger than you are experiencing. What I would suggest that you do first is get your tachos checked and calibrated. I have heard of a similar case to yours that took the owner round in circles while he chased the problem. After spending considerable time and money trying to track the issue down, it turned out that one engine was simply running a few hundred RPM higher than the other, even though the tachos were reading the same. A simple calibration of the tachos fixed the problem immediately.

Longevity of outboard two-stroke oil

Q Does two-stroke oil go off? I have a can of outboard

two-stroke oil in my garage that must be 30 years old if it’s a day. Will it still be OK to use in my 2005 two-stroke Tohatsu tender outboard?

A I would have no hesitation in using it, as long as it has

remained sealed, looks right and is obviously uncontaminated.

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July 2019

If you have a question, email us at

editorial@motorboatowner.co.uk

LPG availability

Q Is LPG for boats still available?

My car has run on LPG for all of its life without any problems, which got me wondering whatever happened to LPG for boats. I remember a push towards it some time back, but don’t recall ever seeing it for sale at a marina.

A The push towards LPG for boats

happened in the late 90s and early 00s when Calor Gas threw their weight behind it with a reasonably good supply chain of around 30 marinas in the south and south east and an approved installer/converter. Suddenly, without much notice, Calor withdrew from the market leaving no official installer of kit into marine installations and a gradual decline in the number of filling points around the coast. I believe that Torquay and Sparkes Marina were the last places to have an LPG refuelling point, but I understand that it may only be Sparkes now. LPG did work as a boat fuel, but the extra tanks required and the weight of the kit was quite an obstacle for the smaller petrol engined boat. One ardent supporter, Dr Walter Scott, converted a large Hunton with twin, big block V8s and was very pleased with the result. I followed his progress over the years, but have lost touch with him now. He was, a few years back, the ‘go-to’ man for advice on marine LPG systems. Perhaps if he reads this he could fill us in on the latest information.

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Q&A

Your Questions Answered

£25k centre console

Q I am looking for a small

boat for inshore fishing that can also be kept on a trailer and taken home. I am looking to buy new and have a budget of around £25k. My ideal boat would be a Boston Whaler Bayliner Element CC6 centre console, preferably with a T Top, but they are way over budget. Are there any similar boats that I should consider that could be put on the water, and on a trailer, for £25k?

A £25k is quite a tight budget for a new boat and trailer package, but there

are one or two options that might fit the bill. The Dolfor 500 is a British built centre console sportsfisher that is available with a T Top and 80hp outboard for under £25k, leaving you some budget for a trailer. Another option is to look at the Bayliner Element centre console range. These are available in 5, 6 or 7-metre models and, while the CC7 will take you over budget, the CC5 starts at around £18k and the CC6, which is a great little boat, starts at around £23k, again both leaving something in the kitty for putting some wheels under the hull. Another option worth considering is the Atlantis brand built in Guernsey. The Atlantis 16 Centre Console is available from £15,500 with a 90hp outboard, rising to £17,200 with a 115hp motor. They also produce a 20ft model starting at £19,250, but don’t forget that all these Atlantis prices will need VAT added if bringing into the UK.

New options for under £25k, the Atlantis 16CC and Dolfor Sportsfisher 500 64

July 2019

Q&A

Your Questions Answered

Finding a light outboard

Q I assume it’s my advancing years,

rather than my outboard gaining weight, but I am finding it increasingly difficult getting my 4hp Yamaha outboard from the lazarette and onto the dinghy. The engine has been excellent and thoroughly reliable, but I am thinking it’s time to swap it for something a bit more lightweight. What’s the lightest tender outboard on the market today?

A The lightest of the current four stroke outboards is the 2.5hp Suzuki, which

weighs in at 13.5kg, and is exactly half the weight of your current 4hp engine.

Another, very good, alternative is the electric Torqeedo 1103. This has the power of a 3hp motor, according to the marketing material, and although it weighs 17kg in total, it dismantles into three separate and easily put together parts than can be handled individually to make moving it from tender to lazarette even easier.

You have the plus point of no more fuel to carry but the downside that it is about three times the price of the Suzuki. Whichever way you go, I think you will find either of these options much easier to handle than your current outboard.

Add calorifier to AD41

Q I want to add a calorifier to my Volvo Penta AD41-equipped river cruiser, but I am not sure where the pipework connects to the engine’s cooling system. Can you help?

A On the AD41, as well as the 31, the calorifier is usually plumbed into the two ports on the front of the thermostat housing. I believe that the threads for these ports are ½” BSP and you should consider adding isolation valves to both pipes so that the calorifier can be isolated from the engine in case of a leak.

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July 2019

P3R5ONALISED Email: sales@securemarine.co.uk Phone: 01294 278091 Social: @securemarine

Targa 27.2

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July 2019

BOAT TEST

Length (LOA): 9.19m / 30ft 1in Beam: 3.1m / 10ft 2in Displacement: 4,220kg Fuel capacity: 530 litres Water capacity: 100 litres RCD category: B6/C10 Engines as tested: 1 x Volvo Penta 400hp D6 Other engine options: 1 x Volvo Penta 340hp, 380hp or 440hp D6 Price from ÂŁ199,800

Motorboat Owner Š Digital Marine Media Ltd

69

I

t must be getting on for nearly 20 years ago, when I was still very new to boat testing, that I attended my first bi-annual jamboree of Finnish boat testing. These events provide us serial boat testers with four days of concentrated boat driving of models produced in the land of a thousand lakes. I had, of course, seen Botnia Targa (as we called them back then to avoid confusion with the Fairline Targa range) boats before, but only in the commercial sense where they seemed quite at home and well suited to the demands put on them. I can’t remember the exact model I was testing now, although I suspect it may have been the 31, but when that boat hit 40 knots my gob was well and truly smacked. It was a bit of

a seminal moment for me, and for years after the answer to the question that I am asked more than any other; “what boat would you buy”, would result in the words Botnia, Targa and 31 spilling forthrightly from my mouth. Even two decades on, and more boat tests under my belt than I can remember, if the criteria includes seaworthy, easy to handle, compact,

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July 2019

safe, and fun to drive are put forward, the Finnish Targa (they have now dropped the ‘Botnia’ from the model name) is still right up there on my shortlist. So, when I attend the latest ‘Finnboat’ I am always keen to see what the guys from Botnia Marin have put on the menu for us to try. The latest event saw the most recent incarnation of the longstanding 27 model.

The 27.2 has evolved over the years to include such modern creature comforts as an inside toilet compartment, something the original 27 didn’t, and one of the main reasons that the 31 was always my favourite back in the day. Has this, and other modifications, allowed the 27 to steal top honours in my “favourite Targa” award?

Motorboat Owner © Digital Marine Media Ltd

First things first, the 27.2 is far more than a face-lifted 27.1. In fact, despite what first impressions may indicate, the 27.2 is a completely new boat that shares none of its components with the previous model.

It has a new hull that is both longer and wider and a remodelled superstructure that promises to take the already very

“The 27.2 is more than a facelifted 27.1, it is a completely new boat”

71

good 27.1, which happens to be the best selling Targa model, and make it even better.

Externally, the 27.2 exhibits all the usual Targa DNA. Of course you get those one-level walk-around decks with safe, deep bulwarks topped by convenient grabrails, but you also get more open deck space than the physics suggest should be possible on a boat of this size. The exterior is not short of storage either, with two nice big lockers in the aft corners of the cockpit as well as further lockers located in the U-shaped seating in the bow. The port side bow seat locker also houses the boat’s gas locker while the forward most locker has dedicated storage for the bow cockpit table. We won’t kid you and say that the exterior space is plush and comfortable, but there is plenty of it to provide sociable seating, around a table if required, for a

group either forward or aft. As is typical for Scandinavian boats, the 27.2 is designed to allow easy access over the bow and stern.

At the front, two raised grabrails and a flip down ladder aid the process and at the stern a central double transom gate and a small step down lead you out onto the large bathing platform that incorporates fixed fender storage and another of Botnia’s trademarks, a lifting panel in the platform to allow access to the raised drive for inspection or prop clearance. Back at the bow, further storage can be found in the floor and the anchor locker is easily accessible through a hatch on the forward bulwark. The 27.2, like all other models in the Targa range, can be specified with their ‘BlackLine’ pack, which provides matt black metalwork in place of shiny stainless on deck, and a range of contemporary accent gelcoat colours.

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July 2019

The cockpit is equipped with useful lockers and a single large hatch provides easy engine access

A second, raised helm position, or flybridge, was an option on the 27.1. Now it comes as standard, although you can still order your 27.2 without if you wish.

This helm is quite basic, with seating for three, but can be equipped to your desired level depending upon likely use.

Personally I see it as a great place to be for close quarters work, with a good view all around, so adding maybe a bow thruster control would be sensible, but unless you really envisage yourself camped out up here on passage, you could probably save on electronics by just installing a single set down below.

Access into the wheelhouse is via a sliding door on either side, another

standard feature on the 27.2, and once inside the extra volume in the wheelhouse really does feel noticeable. This space has been created by widening the boat 6cm, and reducing the side decks by 6cm, to give an extra 12cm on the internal wheelhouse width, and a slightly shorter bow deck, together with a slightly longer hull, adds 20cm in length internally.

Overall, this version of the 27 is 29cm longer than the previous model and the bow stem angle was also changed to increase the waterline length even further for improved performance.

The wheelhouse layout is pretty standard for the Targa range with a helm to starboard, a double crew seat to port,

“The raised exterior helm is useful for close quarters manoeuvres” Motorboat Owner © Digital Marine Media Ltd

73

a dinette in the aft port corner and a seat across the aft section. The helm seat swivels aft and the backrest of the double navigator’s seat flips forward to allow all available seats to face towards the dinette table. While you may only just about accommodate four around the table for dinner, this arrangement does provide a nice social area for up to six or seven. The galley can be found under a lifting section of the console in front of the navigator’s

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July 2019

seat and is quite basic, with a sink and twoburner hob, but perfectly adequate and practical for simple provisioning. There is no oven onboard, so more elaborate meals may have to be taken ashore, but a fridge beneath the helm seat should ensure your basic provisions are kept fresh and ready to hand.

Headroom throughout the wheelhouse is an impressive 2m (6ft 7in) and the all round glass, including in the aft bulkhead, adds to this to make the wheelhouse feel light and spacious. If you want ventilation underway, you have the two side doors, of course, but the aft window also slides open to allow a through draft and there is a small opening hatch above the helm, if needed.

Storage in the wheelhouse is good, with a selection of cupboards and drawers located mostly around the galley area, and a small locker inset into the forward companionway hatch which is ideal for the skipper to keep their personal bits and bobs. A hatch on the floor provides access to the top of the Motorboat Owner Š Digital Marine Media Ltd

The interior makes great use of the available space, with up to four berths in the aft cabin and a spacious toilet compartment

75

PERFORMANCE As tested 30% fuel 75% water 3 crew Force 2

RPM

boat’s fuel tank where all the pipework connections, as well as the fuel level sender, are all easily accessible.

The companionway on the middle of the helm console takes you down, via a couple of steep steps, into the boat’s toilet and shower compartment, and what a compartment it is. By giving over this entire forward cabin area, Botnia has delivered a very spacious toilet and shower area with just shy of 6ft headroom and plenty of storage. Natural light is in short supply, with just a single opening port, but good lighting and lots of bright, reflective surfaces ensures that it doesn’t feel dark or claustrophobic.

At the aft end of the wheelhouse, the centre section of the bench seat

600 1000 1500 2000 2250 2500 2750 3000 3250 3500 3550

Knots LPH

GPH

MPG

4.3 6.6 8.8 15.0 20.5 24.5 28.0 31.2 33.8 37.2 38.4

0.26 0.68 2.86 5.06 5.94 7.04 8.58 10.5 13.8 16.0 17.6

16.5 9.71 3.07 2.96 3.45 3.48 3.26 2.97 2.44 2.32 2.18

1.2 3.1 13.0 23.0 27.0 32.0 39.0 48.0 63.0 73.0 80.0

Range Noise (nm)

1,923 1,132 358 345 402 406 380 346 284 270 254

52 53 68 73 74 76 77 79 80 81 84

lifts to provide access down the aft companionway and into the boat’s sleeping accommodation. Botnia has kitted the cabin out with a good-sized double berth (2.05m x 1.29m) on the port side that goes under the wheelhouse, and a particularly long, almost 3m, single cum tight double berth on the starboard side. The boat is marketed as a four-berth cruiser, and at a push that is certainly the

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July 2019

A neatly installed single D6 provides plenty of power, in whatever output you choose

“With its endless grip and perfect poise, it is utterly effortless to drive” case, but this layout would work brilliantly for a couple, with the other berth used for storage of bags etc. Even without using the other berth, storage is plentiful with very deep drawer and lockers built into the companionway steps that are large enough to house the infill cushions, a hanging locker on the aft bulkhead and a further locker aft of the double berth. Headroom down in the aft cabin is particularly good, at 6ft 7in, and natural light and ventilation is taken care of by two low level portlights, one next to each berth, and two opening ports high up on the aft bulkhead.

Underway When our test was conducted the engine options were all single Volvo D6 from Motorboat Owner © Digital Marine Media Ltd

330hp to 400hp. We tested it with the largest option at the time, the 400. Since our test, Volvo has launched the new D6 series, meaning the options now consist of 340hp, 380hp, 400hp and a new top of the range 440hp single D6, all with Volvo’s new hydraulic clutch DP-I drive. According to Volvo, these new engines should show a reduction in fuel consumption and, of course, the 440 D6 will improve things at the top end, probably pushing the 27.2 over that magical 40 knot mark. Even with the old 330hp D6, Botnia tell us that the 27.2 will achieve a 35 knots top speed, so it would appear that there really isn’t an incorrect engine choice amongst the offerings. With 400hp on tap, performance is superb.

77

The power is delivered smoothly and quietly with the boat jumping on the plane in less than 5 seconds without the merest hint of turbo lag, courtesy of the supercharger. Just a few seconds later, and the 27.2 is cruising along at its most economical speed of around 25 knots and it feels utterly effortless. The new hull feels perfectly poised and balanced and required almost no trim input to deliver the perfect ride. Tight turns are met with endless grip, and the torque from the D6 also means that it is easy to keep the speed up during these manoeuvres. The bow does throw up a little water, which is easily taken care of by the wipers, and visibility all round is generally very good.

Like other Targa models, the builders offer the tilting steering console which, together with the adjustable seat and pull out footrest delivers a plethora of driving positions, all of which are perfectly comfortable and leave you feeling completely in control. The helm layout offers the usual mix of overhead gauges and instruments to complement the lower helm console with a large multi-function

The 27.2 is full of clever practicalities, like the drive access panel in the bathing platform

display placed centrally, directly in front of the skipper.

Driving from the flybridge does give you that wind in the hair experience, and is actually a great deal of fun, but for me that protected wheelhouse and comfortable helming experience would always win through, leaving the outside helm available for short bursts, close quarters work, and any crew that prefer to be outside.

Conclusion Botnia has done it again. They have delivered a perfect balance of practicality, comfort, quality and safety. Admittedly,

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July 2019

the Targa range are never going to win any awards for luxurious fit-out, but that doesn’t detract from how well the boats are made, how utterly sensible and practical they are, and just how good they are to drive. For those that regularly need to sleep four, or covet the security of twin engines, the 27.2 is certainly not the Targa for you.

Luckily by digging a little deeper you can always opt for the 30.1. For a couple, who only occasionally have guests and who are looking for an economical, all-weather, compact cruiser that will look after them in all but the worst conditions, the 27.2 will certainly hit the spot. Has it done enough to become my favourite Targa? As someone who usually only cruises with two onboard,

The 27.2 is a perfect ‘all-weather’ cruiser for two

who is not put off by single engine cruising, and indeed wholeheartedly embraces the 3.5nmpg it provides, I have to say that the 27.2 has most definitely taken the crown.

ENQUIRIES: Wessex Marine Tel: 01202 700702 www.wessexmarine.co.uk YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

Sargo 28

Invicta 295

Trusty 28

LOA: 8.8m Beam: 2.98m Displacement: 4,200kg Enquiries: Sargo UK Tel: 02380 453245 www.sargoboats.co.uk

LOA: 9.49m Beam: 3.25m Displacement: 4,200kg Enquiries: Cory Yachts Tel: 01304 239597 www.coryyachts.co.uk

LOA: 9.07m Beam: 3.33m Displacement: 4,900kg Enquiries: Windboats Marine Tel: 01603 782236 www.trustyboatsales.co.uk

From Targa-compatriot boat builder, Sargo, the 28 is a peach and is available with single or twin engines and four berths.

PRICE from £178,616

Motorboat Owner

A British-built wheelhouse that’s available in two versions and powered by a single shaftdriven diesel of up to 350hp.

PRICE from £195,000

Slightly different, a traditional British semidisplacement wheelhouse cruiser offering four berths in two cabins.

PRICE from £202,358

> NEXT MONTH

Terhi 475

79

tested

Simrad Cruise For as many years as GPS has been available, the electronic displays from the leading manufacturers have been getting more complex and cleverer. It is a fact that the average motorboat now has more computing power in its multi-function display than the astronauts of Apollo 11 had to put them on the moon 50 years ago this month.

The advances have been truly staggering, but it appears that we may have reached a milestone. Whether it’s customer demand, or simply a lack of anything further to add, there seems to be a trend for the big names to take a step backwards and start producing a range of simpler electronics. Simrad is the latest to announce a basic, pared down, range of displays to appeal to the budget conscious and those that don’t need all the added bells and whistles that seem to come as standard on most electronics these days.

In essence, Simrad has taken their Go range and removed functionality to produce Cruise. Cruise is available in 5, 7 and 9 inch versions and in the process they have taken out pretty much all levels of connectivity, along with radar and touch screen control. What you get then, is a simple, button operated, chartplotter/fishfinder combo, with the latter delivering a traditional downward looking view with no options 80

July 2019

All tests in Motorboat Owner are carried out by real boaters in real life situations

PRICE from

£432.99

Motorboat Owner

Simrad’s new Cruise multi function chartplotter is available in 5,7 and 9 inch displays

“A cost effective, easy to use display” Value 4/5 Usability 3/5 Performance 4/5

to add the clever high-definition side and down view options that appear on most high end units these days.

The Cruise series has a built in GPS antenna and uses C-Map or Navionics cartography, with a high resolution option for best detail and, of course, the option to map your own charts with Genesis. Each cruise comes with a transom mount CHIRP transducer that uses both 83kHz and 200kHz frequencies for optimum performance in both deep and shallow water. You get no customising of screen views, no moving

The units have basic chart and depth functionality with little opportunity for customisation Motorboat Owner © Digital Marine Media Ltd

81

tested Depth/fishfinder function uses both 83kHz and 200kHz for best performance across both deep and shallow depths

screens around, you get the options built in and no more, but realistically these should offer all the choice you need. The databar also cannot be customised, but can be turned off if you don’t want it to take up valuable screen real estate. The units do come with full IPX7 waterproof capabilities, making them ideal for use on RIBs and open sportsboats.

Moving from one manufacturer’s operating system to another is always a little tricky, and usually takes a while, and a bit of help from the manual, to get to grips with any new make. Simrad designed the Cruise to be the most intuitive and easy to use chartplotter on the market and it appears that they have done a pretty good

You can use both C-Map and Navionics charts, or make your own with Navico’s Genesis 82

July 2019

All tests in Motorboat Owner are carried out by real boaters in real life situations

job. Without a manual to reference, I quickly found my way around the menus and functions and was up and running in no time at all. Coming from touchscreen technology, it took me a while to stop prodding the screen when I wanted to do something, but that aside, the buttons were indeed all intuitive to use and the menus easy to access. I particularly like the Easy Routing function, where you mark a start and end point on the chart, and the unit produces a safe route for you to follow between the two. I was also impressed by the screen clarity that delivered good viewing angles and was not affected by wearing polarised sunglasses as screens can sometimes be.

The processor speed was noticeably slower than higher end products, particularly on the easy routing function, but scroll and redraw times were still very acceptable. In short, and at the price, if you want a simple electronic display for basic plotting and fishfinding purposes, you won’t go far wrong if you choose a Simrad Cruise.

Enquiries: Simrad www.simrad-yachting.com

Now exclusively available from the UK’s leading distributor of premium brands

T: 01869 363690 marine.chandlery@barrus.co.uk www.barrus.co.uk Quicksilver � Attwood - Supported by Barrus

USED BOAT

SECOND LOOK

Inland Cruiser for £10k

P

icture this, wafting lazily along an attractive winding river, or across a reed-fringed broad, under blue skies.

A fridge packed with goodies, a pub or an overnight island mooring on the horizon.

Little crewmembers doing their colouringin in the cabin down below, and friends or family, perhaps a canine companion happily taking in the breeze and sun’s rays from the aft cockpit. For £10k, or even less, this dream could easily become a reality.

River and inland boating is perhaps one of the most accessible ways to get into boating. It is slow and sheltered cruising, and whether you are starting out, or indeed if you are trading down, 54

you needn’t break the bank. This month we have sought out inland cruisers in the traditional sense. Modest, entrylevel and economical cruisers that have a cabin and facilities to provide four -berth weekending or distance cruising accommodation.

Dating back to the 60s and 70s, Freeman and Seamaster are names that have long been associated with inland boating and are what we would call the archetypal, inboard, ‘first fibreglass’ river cruisers.

Names also falling into this category include Norman, Elysian and Relcraft. For those who don’t mind a bit of maintenance along the way, many of these 20ft plus

July 2019

PAPERWORK Motorboats navigating inland

models have been well-preserved and fall neatly into the £10k budget. Slightly later, outboard powered and more modern by design, Viking and Shetland are also popular names in inland cruisers, again with many 20ft plus examples in budget. As you might expect a £10k budget and traditional criteria generated hordes of cabin cruisers with aft cockpits, outboard or shaftdrive powered, but our searches generated some interesting diesel aft cabin centre cockpit cruisers too. Here is what we found.

waterways will normally require a licence. Licenced boats also need to comply to the Boat Safety Scheme (BSS), holding a valid boat safety certificate, which lasts four years. For this, a series of safety checks are carried out, known as a Boat Safety examination, and possible modifications and safety equipment updates may be needed to pass this. Generally if a boat has held a certificate before it shouldn’t have too much trouble passing again. It is a routine outlay that first-time buyers need to be aware of. Most boats under 4 years old are exempt from the BSS if they have a boat builder’s Declaration of Conformity.

Before buying any used boat, always employ the services of a YDSA or a IIMS accredited surveyor and, if you have any doubt about the engine, a separate engine survey by a suitably qualified person is recommended.

Motorboat Owner © Digital Marine Media Ltd

55

Freeman 23

Freemans have something of a cult following on inland waterways, with many examples well-maintained and sympathetically updated. They also can be great boats for starting out. Find a much-loved example and you will be loathed to part with it. With an estimated 700 built, the Freeman 23 was introduced in 1970 as a development of the Freeman 22 Mk1 and 22 Mk2 models, and was built for 8 years. Easily recognised by the lack of a side deck step, it offers a fairly conventional four berth cabin area with a dividing hanging locker door. This slightly over budget, 1972 example may lack a shower or indeed hot water, but it certainly is not lacking in character. Its quality glossy Makore woodwork with the attractive tortoiseshell pattern has also been preserved. Freeman owners also benefit from having a dedicated maintenance, servicing and spares centre at Sheridan Marine on the Thames.

Length 7.08m Beam 2.28m Engine Single Ford Watermota 30hp petrol Contact details: TBS Boats Penton Hook 01932 570055 www.tbsboats.com

FOR SALE

ÂŁ11,500

56

July 2019

FOR SALE

£11,500

Bates Astral 810 This Bates Astral 810 is a family-sized, 4-6 berth cruiser cleverly disguising an aft cabin.

Built by W.Bates & Son at Chertsey, these boats were fully customisable, and were also available in a twin-sterndrive, non-aft cabin ‘Sports’ version. However, the majority will be like this slightly overbudget 1980 inland version, which is fitted with a single BMC shaftdrive diesel with a tunnel-shape in the hull. It has a covered cockpit, complete with a useful, openbacked wheelshelter and raised sunpad. Inside and forward is an open plan saloon, with two dinette areas converting to doubles and a galley, while the aft cabin has two single berths extending forwards under the cockpit floor.

Length 8.10m Beam 2.09m Engine Single BMC 1800 diesel Contact details: Tingdene Boat Sales Stourport-on-Severn www.tingdeneboatsales.net Motorboat Owner © Digital Marine Media Ltd

57

FOR SALE

ÂŁ10,950

Norman 24

Outboard power is a good option for inland cruising, not only does it offer low maintenance costs and an engine less intrusive to interior space, outboards, particularly four stroke, are fairly economical to run at river speeds. The Norman 24 was the development of the Lancashire builder’s popular 23ft model of the 70s. Its cabin area is a conventional open plan delivering four berths, with a galley, toilet compartment, a forward V-berth and convertible dinette.

This late 1984 example seems to be a wellmaintained find, and is fitted with a Honda 15hp four stroke outboard.

Length 7.47m Beam 2.08m Engine Single Honda 15hp four stroke outboard Contact details: Boat Showrooms Shepperton 01932 260261 www.boatshowrooms.com 58

July 2019

Seamaster 813

Built between 1972 and 1981, the Seamaster 813 is a 26ft, four-berth classic that is well worth considering.

Billed at the time as a modern family cruiser, it was clearly popular, as it is claimed that up to 400 were built. The 813 is quite distinctive with its squared-off foredeck and is regarded for its easy handling. Inside the airy cabin area is a saloon, with a galley and dinette converting into a double, while the forward bulkhead conceals a full-width toilet and shower area, which leads into a forward V-berth cabin. While Seamaster owners do not have the Sheridan Marine ‘toy shop’ that Freeman owners enjoy, there is an excellent network of owners out there, with a prolific Owners Club. This particular version, believed to be 1983, is fitted with a four-cylinder BMC diesel engine and is equipped with folding windscreens for bridge limboing.

Length 8.13m Beam 2.78 Engine Single BMC diesel Contact details: Jones Boatyard 01480 494040 www.jonesboatyard.co.uk

FOR SALE

£9,500

Motorboat Owner © Digital Marine Media Ltd

59

FOR SALE

£8,750

Shetland 4 plus 2

Introduced in 1974, and still in production today, the Shetland 4 plus 2 is a good all rounder, providing the traditional open-plan two double berth interior, with an option for ‘plus 2’ berths in the cockpit, in a reasonably modern shell. At £9,950, this 1990 hardtop version is fitted with a 25hp Yamaha four stroke outboard, its bright an airy cabin offers full standing headroom with a separate toilet compartment and a decent galley unit. The hardtop wheelshelter is also an excellent feature for inclement weather and will save on canvas replacement in the long run. For those that prefer the economy of diesel power, and a bit more poke for estuary work, Swansea broker, Cambrian Boats, has a 1988 hardtop example powered by a 150hp Volvo AD31 for £8,950.

Length 6.41m Beam 2.5m Engine Single 25hp Yamaha four stroke outboard Contact details: Tingdene Boat Sales 01603 396 607 www.tingdeneboatsales.net 60

July 2019

Seamaster 8m

For those who want a little more space for liveaboard cruising, and are able to stretch the £10k budget a little, this 1973 twin engine, aft cabin Seamaster 8 metre could prove a gem. This particular model was built for 11 years, between 1970-1980, and offers a large aft cabin saloon/galley area with a bench seat converting into a double berth and a galley unit to starboard. It has a canopycovered centre cockpit with plenty of surrounding seating, and forward, a toilet compartment, a hanging locker, and a separate V-berth cabin. This particular version is equipped with a shower and larger, up-spec’d, folding windscreens to enable it to limbo under low bridges. The twin 50hp shaftdrive configuration should also make it a doddle to manoeuvre in and out of locks.

Length 8.23m Beam 3.18 Engines Twin BMC 50hp diesels Contact details: Val Wyatt Marine 01189 403211 www.valwyattmarine.co.uk

FOR SALE

£11,950

Motorboat Owner © Digital Marine Media Ltd

61

FOR SALE

ÂŁ9,500

Viking 26 NB A narrow beam cruiser has the advantage that it can also navigate the narrow beam (6ft 10in) canal network. Generally the disadvantages of these boats are smaller side decks, reduced stability and a narrower cabin. Despite this, Viking has managed to pack a lot of headroom and accommodation into this 1989 26 Narrow Beam model. Capable of sleeping up to 6 people, thanks to a fold out bench seat in the aft cockpit, its hull was a development of the Buckingham 25 and also shares the same hull as the Viking 26 aft cabin, examples of which can often be found within the ÂŁ10k budget too. This recentlyreduced version has a shower, and is fitted with a 2000 Mercury 25hp four stroke outboard.

Length 7.92m Beam 2.08m Engine Single Mercury 25hp outboard Contact details: Norfolk Boat Sales 01603 781178 www.norfolkboatsales.co.uk 62

July 2019

Fantasy 20 The Fantasy 20 is a rare, four-berth, outboard-powered compact and clever aft cabin cruiser that was built in the 1970s.

It has two separate cabins, with a V berth converting into a double, a galley and toilet compartment forward, and an aft cabin with two single berths running fore and aft. The boat was originally rated to carry up to a 70hp outboard on the back. However, the majority of examples will be fitted with small outboards of 15-25hp for inland cruising.

We found this late 1980 example for sale in Plymouth, Devon. Equipped with a Mariner 25hp four stroke and, priced at just under £4k, it certainly won’t break the bank.

Length 6.10m Beam 2.10m Engine Single 25hp Mariner Contact details: South West Yacht Brokers 01752 401421 www.southwestyachts.co.uk

FOR SALE

£3,650

Motorboat Owner © Digital Marine Media Ltd

63

FOR SALE

£9,950

Madeira 27

Billed as a ‘family funboat’, the Madeira 27 CC is an aft cabin, centre cockpit boat that was built

by JG Meakes on the River Thames at Marlow.

It is, in fact, the product of a partnership between the Marlow-based builder and Elysianbuilder, Appleyard & Lincoln Company, and uses a hull variant of the popular Elysian 27.

Again, this boat may be dated, but represents quite a lot of boat for the money and, with its single BMC shaftdrive diesel engine, should be economical to run too. It offers two single berths in the aft cabin, a good size covered centre cockpit and an open plan forward cabin area featuring a galley, V-berth and moulded toilet and shower compartment.

Length 8.3m Beam 2.9m Engine BMC 50hp diesel Contact details: TBS Boats Bray 01628 773177 www.tbsboats.com 64

July 2019

Freeman 26

Slightly wider in the body than the 23 model, the Freeman 26 was a development of the 25 and was introduced in 1965.

During its 8-year production an estimated 300 boats were built. Model characteristics include large oval cabin windows and a stepped side deck. Essentially a stretched version of the 22, its interior has the typical layout offering four berths with a V berth forward and a convertible dinette area.

The boat was also available in twin or single engine configurations. This midproduction 1970 model seems to have been well cared for, and was re-engined in 2016 with a new Beta marine 38hp diesel engine.

Length 7.94m Beam 2.69m Engine Single Beta 38hp diesel Contact details: Tewkesbury Boat Sales www.tewkesbury-boat-sales.co.uk

FOR SALE

ÂŁ10,250

Motorboat Owner Š Digital Marine Media Ltd

65

Coastal chameleons for £10k

Seagoing sportscruisers and wheelhouses can provide a good platform for inland exploration. They often ‘retire’ to inland waterways, but still provide the ability to go tidal when necessary. Here is a snapshot of used boats available for around the £10k budget.

£7,500

1988 Cruisers 224 www.tingdeneboatsales.net

£7,500

1968 Coronet 27 www.bwml.co.uk

£7,980

£10,995

1982 Shetland Black Prince 1977 Princess 32 www.acastermarine.co.uk

www.acastermarine.co.uk

£8,950

1978 Fairline Holiday www.tbsboats.com 66

£10,995

1966 Dell Quay Ranger

www.newhorizonyachts.com

July 2019

CRANCHI Z35

2x Volvo Penta D4-260 Engines FROM £270,000 INC VAT EW

N

N

Viking 275 Highline

Narrowboat Tingdene/Colecraft 52 Beta Marine 38 Diesel Engine FROM £139,950 INC VAT

EW

EW

N

Lying Walton

EW

Mariner 40EFI ELPT Outboard Petrol Engine FROM £69,950 INC VAT Lying T&K

Volvo Penta V6 -200C Petrol Engine £36,950 INC VAT Lying Walton

Glatron GT229 Cuddy

Volvo Penta V6 - 280C Petrol Engine £59,950 INC VAT Lying Walton

EW

2017 Glastron GS259

Volvo Penta 280 Petrol Engine £82,950

Lying Windsor

EW

N

N

Suzuki 30hp Outboard Petrol Engine £59,966 INC VAT Lying Thames & Kennet

Thames & Kennet Marina 01189 477770

Lying Hartford

N

Glastron GT185

TINGDENE SALES OFFICES

Beta Marine 75 Diesel Engine £174,500 EX VAT

EW

N

2019 Viking 24 Highline

Tingdene/ Colecraft 66 x 10

2004 Cranchi Endurance 33

2019 Cranchi E26 Classic

Volvo Penta KAD300 Diesel Engines Volvo Penta V6 Petrol £69,950 Lying Windsor £POA

“LARGEST BOAT SALES ON THE RIVER THAMES” Portishead Quays Marina 01275 397277

Racecourse Marina, Windsor 01753 851717 Hartford Marina 01480 454677 Walton Marina 01932 221689 Broadlands Marina 01502 440238

Upton Marina 01684 593111

tingdeneboatsales.net e. boatsales@tingdene.net

Lying Windsor

New and Used

Boats for Sale 01189 403211

Classic / Yare Craft

Rarely-used classic with seating for 4, 2016 10hp Yamaha & trailer

Call our friendly team to arrange an appointment to view any of the used boats for sale below – or visit our website for this month’s complete range www.valwyattmarine.co.uk

Freeman / 22

Well presented diesel classic cruiser. Heating & battery charger

Seamaster / 8m

Twin diesel 4-berth classic cruiser.

New batteries, folding screens

Corsiva / 595 Tender

Modern lines, large social seating area, teak floor, rated up to 60hp

1963 | £5,500 | 12.5ft | 3.8m

1973 | £8,000 | 22ft | 6.7m

1973 | £11,950 | 26.3ft | 8m

Interboat / 22 Xplorer

NEW Coaster / 640SC

Interboat / Intender 770 Xtra

Jersey / 30

2011 | £39,000 | 22.3ft | 6.8m

2019 | £42,050 | 20.3ft | 6.2m

2014 | £49,950 | 25.3ft | 7.7m

2014 | £79,950 | 31.2ft | 9.5m

Perfect day boat. Forward galley, fridge, sink, porta potti toilet

Brand new model, planing hull, high specification, 150hp engine

Stunning day boat, bowthruster, fridge, heating, toilet winter cover

FROM

£346,680

400 AFT CABIN

PRICE AS AT JANUARY 1 2019 EX WORKS, INC 20% VAT ST

British built since 1980

NEW | £15,195 | 19.2ft | 5.9m

Striking cruiser, 2 double berths, bowthruster, less than 60 hours

FROM

INTENDER 820

£48,570

PRICE AS AT JANUARY 1ST 2019 EX WORKS, INC 20% VAT

Premium Dutch Quality

Enjoy the life you live www.valwyattmarine.co.uk | 01189 403211 | info@valwyattmarine.co.uk Val Wyatt Marine, Willow Marina, Willow Lane, Wargrave, Berkshire, RG10 8LH New Boat Sales | Used Craft | Moorings & Storage | Boat Maintenance

Classified

Motorboat Owner Affordable practical boating

2006 Bayliner Discovery 246 Cruiser

2007 Antaris RB18

1978 Hampton Safari

Single 300hp MerCruiser MPI petrol sterndrive. Modern coastal hardtop-style cruiser offering 4-6 berths. Microwave, holding tank, serviced, BSS 2021, lying Thames.

Single 16hp Vetus M2.06 diesel engine. Traditional style Dutch day boat with steering binnacle, rope fendering and wraparound seating. Striking red hull and exposed rudder, full bimini.

Single 35hp BMC 1500 diesel engine. A classic 25ft sliding-roof, 4-berth inland cruiser. Rear door modification for ease of access, BSS 2022, propex heating, calorifier, shower, lying Great Ouse.

£34,950

£19,500

£16,000

01753 851 717 jo.minton@tingdene.net

01189 403211 info@valwyattmarine.co.uk

01480 454677 hartfordboatsales@tingdene.net

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97

Owners Directory i Arvor Boat Owners Club

Dawncraft Owners Club & Forum

www.arvorboatowners.co.uk

www.dawncraftowners.com

Aquastar Owners Club

Dell Quay Ranger website

www.aquastarclub.co.uk

www.dellquayranger.supanet.com

Atlanta Boat Owners

Electric Boat Association

www.atlantaboats.co.uk

www.electric-boat-association.org.uk

Bavaria Owners’ Association

Elysian Boat Owners

www.bavariaowners.co.uk

www.elysianboats.co.uk

Bayliner Owners Club

Fairey Owners Club

www.baylinerownersclub.org

www.faireyownersclub.co.uk

Beneteau Owners’ Association

Fairline Owners Club

www.beneteau-owners-association.org.uk

www.fairlineownersclub.com

Birchwood Classics

Fjord Club

www.birchwoodclassics.com

www.fjordclub.com

Broom Owners Club

Fletcher Owners Group

www.broomowners.com

www.facebook.com/groups/4011883149

Chaparral Boat Owners Forum

Freeman Cruisers Forum

forum.chaparralboats.com

freemanboats.forumer.com

Classic Motor Boat Association

Freeman Owners Club

www.cmba-uk.com

www.freemancruisers.com

Classic Offshore Powerboat Club

Freeman Cruisers

www.classicoffshore.com

freeman-cruisers.forumotion.co.uk

Cleopatra Owners Club

Haines Owners Club

mycleopatra.ning.com

www.hainesmarine.co.uk/owners.php

Coronet Cruisers

Hampton Safari Boat Club

freespace.virgin.net/simon.sherlock/index.htm

hamptonsafaribc.webplus.net

Corvette Motorboat Association

Hardy Owners Club

corvettemotorboat.wordpress.com

Cranchi Owners Club & Forum cranchiownersclub.com

100

www.hardy-owner.org.uk

Jeanneau Owners Network

www.jeanneau-owners.com

July 2019

Owners Club missing?

Contact us at

Marex Owners Club

editorial@motorboatowner.co.uk

Sea Ray Owners Club

www.clubsearay.com

www.marexownersclub.co.uk

Sealine Forum

Mariah Owners Club www.mariahownersclub.com

www.sealineforum.co.uk

Maxum Owners Club

Sealine Owners Club

www.maxumownersclub.com

www.sealineowners.com

Microplus Boats

Seamaster Club

www.microplus.dk

www.seamasterclub.org

Monterey Fourm

Seaward Owners Club

forums.montereyboats.com

www.seawardboat.com/club.html

Moonraker Owner’s Club

Shadow Boats - Victoria Shadow Association

www.moonraker.dk/eng_index.htm

www.victoriashadow.co.uk

Nauticus

Shetland Owners Association

www.nauticus.co.uk

www.shetlandowners.co.uk/shetland/

Nelson Boat Owners Club

Star Craft Owners Club

www.nelsonboatownersclub.co.uk

www.bates-starcraft.co.uk

Nimbus Owners Club UK

Storebro Passion

www.nimbusowners.co.uk

www.storebropassion.de

Norman Appreciation Society

Sunseeker Owners Club

www.normanboats.co.uk

sunseekerownersclub.com

Classic Princess facebook group

Viking Owners Club

Click here for Facebook group

www.vikingowners.org.uk

Regal Owners Forum

Warrior Boats Owners Club

www.warriorboatsownersclub.co.uk

www.regalownersforum.com

Relcraft Boaters Group

Advertise with us

www.relcraftboatersgroup.co.uk

Rinker Owners Club www.rinkerboats.com/owners-club

Rodman Owners Club

www.facebook.com/rodmanownersclub

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1990 Sealine 220 Senator

£13,495 01275 397277 email address

101

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That’s dead-ication

Boat cleaner reaches out to clean a waterline SPOTTED! by John Frew

City glitter

St Katherine Docks sparkling on the marathon eve SPOTTED! by Deborah Rogers, Bray Cruiser Club

High and dry

Cormorants drying their wings at Pangbourne SPOTTED! by Pam Born

Cadet model mariner

Little boy in a Friesian flag-flying model tug SPOTTED! by Richard Hayes 102

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