Trade-A-Boat — 490 2017

THE ARVOR 20
Collins Marine dipped a toe
in the market and imported
two boats – one fully finished
demo model, and a fibreglass
shell to be used as a plug for
moulds destined for local
production. A manufacturing
deal had been reached and
Collins Marine contracted
a young Nowra boatbuilder
named Paul Kennedy to
commence construction.
Collins sent him to Europe to
inspect the manufacturing
and assembly process and
gain full product training.
Peter says that after initial
costings they financed the

MAIN Performance is ample

if not electrifying

TOP The cabin is airy and

has plenty of headroom

though overnighting is

restricted by the small berth

RIGHT Super-efficient and

reliable, the Nanni diesels

are a drawcard of the older

20 and 215AS models

relationship. When Paul

asked about the desired

quantities Peter’s confident

response was: “We’ll tell you

when to stop!”

That relationship

continued for 12 years,

until the GFC took its toll.

They held out with local

production until 2011, when

the economics no longer

made sense. Plus, the full

Arvor range was coming on

line, including the popular

23ft and 25ft boats, the latter

still a current model. While

some were imported with

engines, those without were

mostly fitted with Nanni

diesels here.

There were other shaft-

drive boats on the market,

particularly displacement

hulls and ski boats, but the

Arvor 20 was really the

first commercially available

production semi-planing

hull to gain true recreational

acceptance. South Australia’s

Nereus hulls used the same

concept but whilst they

were quite popular in local

waters, particularly amongst

commercial fishermen, they

never gained the acceptance

of the Arvors, nor did they

have the modern appeal.

SHAFT-DRIVE

DIESEL

Arvor 20s offered many

design features that were

quite ahead of their time,

featuring fully enclosed

hardtops that are now

everywhere. Over the

production run Arvor

released Series 1, 2 and 3,

originally with the 85hp, five-

cylinder turbo 2.5L Nanni

diesel delivering 19-20kt

at wide-open throttle and

an efficient planing cruise

of around 14-15kt burning

10L/h. At trolling speeds

you got four to five litres per

hour, making the package

a fuel-efficient long-range

contender with its 80-litre

fuel capacity, combined

with all of the advantages

of longevity and safety

provided by the diesel.

Later Series 3 models were

upgraded to the 100hp Nanni,

returning a WOT speed

around 21 knots, while the

range was extended with an

additional 55-litre fuel tank.

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