Y
ou have to adjust your
mind when walking up to
the Parker 800 Weekend.
You might be shocked at
how closely it resembles
direct competitors from the likes
of Jeanneau, Arvor and Beneteau.
Certainly, my first thought was that
this boat was little more than a replica
of one of the aforementioned but
looking deeper – and listening to the
people involved – I found there is more
than meets the eye.
Parker Poland is a subsidiary of AH
Parker & Sons, one of the world’s oldest
boat-building brands and still maker
of some of the most respected military
and enforcement RIBs. UK based,
with dealerships littering Europe and
branching into the rest of the world,
Parker is a brand on the rise. But what
of Parker Poland? The UK parent saw
an opportunity to expand its range
through the existing dealer network in
the post-GFC sales boom but couldn’t
reasonably compete using its existing
manufacturing capabilities, so it set
up where there are already specialists;
the companies building this type of
product affordably are in Poland.
The outcome is a range of monohulls
from the 630 Cruiser, a small cuddy-
cabin day boat, to the just-released
Monaco 110, which is a genuine small
powerboat at 11m. In between sit
hulls in centre console, cuddy and
weekender configurations; this model,
the 800 Weekend, is the flagship
weekender vessel.
The weekender style is familiar to
us here at Trade-a-Boat and should be
to you too, with Arvor pioneering the
category some seven years ago. This
version sits above Parker’s 660 and 770
Weekend models.LOOKS & LAYOUT
This type of boat appeals for its
ability to host as much as perform
on water, and to do that it has to tick
some major boxes, not least of which
is a comfortable and well-appointed
head. The 800 does well here, adding
a shower over the head that pumps
into a 40-litre blackwater tank. The
space is well lit and – importantly – well
ventilated. Space is ample and features
enough storage for important items as
well as a hand basin.
Up in the bow is the master berth.
The mattress is large enough to classify
as a double and lighting is again well
covered, with three opening round
ports adding ventilation too.
Go up the few stairs leading to the
saloon and helm, and if you blink you
might miss a clever design touch that
stood out to me. Under the dinette,
running lengthways in the hull with its
opening at the base of the passenger
footrest, is a bunk bed. I tested it and
it’s a legitimate 1.9-2m long, and wide
enough for one comfortably, two at a
pinch. Details like this push the 800’s
overnighting capacity to six, more than
any other boat in its class.
Up at the saloon, the dinette
lowers to create a single large enough
to be capable of taking two more
overnighters though, of course, it’s not
only about getting some rest; feeding
the masses is more important.
Our boat had some optional extra
cupboards above the galley, which I
think would be one of the first options
ticked. The galley already has a fair
amount of storage, especially when you
take into account the in-floor spaces
and a shelf circumnavigating the cabin,
but more is always welcome. Below
the cupboards are a two-burner Wallas32 trade aboat.com.au