“The Sessa Oyster 34 was probably
the key boat that encouraged us to
become the UK dealer for the yard
back in the late 1990s. We thought
it would provide an excellent
competitor to the Fairline Targa 34
and Cranchi Zaffiro 34 of that era,”
says Richard Bates, managing
director of Bates Wharf, based in
Chertsey. In the late 1990s, Bates
Wharf were dealers for Bayliner
and Chris Craft. The Sessa
marque was to carry them
over the six-figure boat price
threshold for the first time.“The Sessa Oyster 34 had just been
launched (in 1998) when we got
involved. The C35 that replaced it
in 2005 was essentially the same
boat, but the hull and deck mouldings
had been lengthened slightly in
the bathing platform, hence the 35
designation. When we started selling
them, the list price was £99,000.
I recall the excitement of selling thefirst one as its optional extras took the
invoice cost over £100,000 – the first
time we’d sold a boat that expensive.”
Although the original C35 has since
been superseded by an all-new hard
top model (confusingly with the same
C35 designation), Richard still takes
great pride in showing us round a
MkI example from 2006 fitted with
twin Volvo Penta D4-260 sterndrive
diesels. “Earlier boats were fitted with
Volvo Penta KAD 43 230hp diesels,”
Richard explains. “The KAD 43 motorsSessa C35
A solid step up into the world of serious cruising
2006-PRESENT £50,000-£220,000
Our Market Expert
Nick Burnham
What to look for aboard the best used boats Email: [email protected]in association withCOPPERCOAT
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