When looking for a new boat, my first port of call tends to be the Southampton Boat Show. There are lots of builders in attendance so it’s easy to see what’s out there. Another great event for serious buyers is the British Motor Yacht Show in Swanwick. Unlike Southampton, it’s mostly attended by boat owners so access to the exhibits is often easier, enabling you to step pretty much from one boat onto another.
The only problem is that these shows tend to be UK-centric and, as I’m constantly reminded by my European cousins on the YBW forum, there are plenty of well-established European builders worth considering. In a bid to address this imbalance, we also attended the boat shows in Cannes and Düsseldorf for two years running. Both shows highlight manufacturers rarely seen in the UK so, much as we love Princess, we thought it might be a good way to find someone new to supply our next boat...
VIEWING THE COMPETITION
Ferretti is a big name in boat building. The GRP work is lovely but their 55-footer felt a bit small and angular. The 2023 replacement at Düsseldorf was better but it still felt a bit cramped and visibility from the lower helm was still quite restricted. We tend to spend a lot of time at displacement speeds and the ability to do some serious passage-making really appeals so a modern trawler-style boat like the Absolute Navetta looked promising. While stylish on the inside, there was good storage and space too. IPS engines wouldn’t be my first choice, though, as I’m a traditional shaft-drive fan who likes to keep things simple beneath the waterline. For my money, the quality of engineering and installation probably wasn’t up there with Princess either and I’m not convinced we would have saved any money once the finished package had been optioned up.
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Lofoten or Bust- Part 4- Grandezza owner Per Harrtoft heads back to Sweden after an epic 3500nm adventure deep into the Arctic Circle to visit the mythical Lofoten islands
After ten memorable days in the Lofoten Islands in the far north of Norway, we are on our way back south towards Sweden. We have already made it as far as Trondheim, a charming place even if it was raining so hard we had to cycle round the city centre clutching umbrellas. But now we are back on board Deamare, our Grandezza 40 Fly, eating up the miles at a steady 31 knots.
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT YACHT TRANSPORT
As the name suggests it's a means of having your boat moved professionally from one location to another. It might be as simple as hiring someone to tow your RIB a few miles down the road or as complex as shipping a superyacht halfway around the world.
HANDLE A SINGLE SHAFTDRIVE BOAT PART 1
Single shaftdrive boats are relatively rare these days but the reduced costs of buying, servicing and fuelling such a simple but reliable drivetrain does mean they are making a bit of a comeback.
COCKWELLS MOTOR LAUNCH
There can be very few boats that have appeared three times at the Southampton Boat Show and been sold off the stand each time.
INSTALLING AN AUTOPILOT
Rick Channon makes solo boating simple with a Raymarine Evolution Autopilot
GOOD AS NEW
Why fit a brand new engine when Volvo Penta's remanufacturing service can rebuild you an old one to the same standard for a fraction of the price?
BENETEAU SWIFT TRAWLER 54
Alex Smith heads to France's Beneteau HQ for a UK exclusive on what might just be the best Swift Trawler yet
ΧΟ EXPLR 44
Can XO's all-new aluminium flagship really make it big in the Med?
BUYING OUR FIRST CLASSIC
Instead of whiling away their retirement playing bowls, Rob and Shona Adams decided to invest their time and money in a classic Silver gentleman's yacht. Would the gamble pay off?
PRINCESS S65
Torn between the V and F Class flagships? The new S65 might be the boat you've been waiting for...
