Motor Boat & Yachting – May 2018

PERFORMANCE
TEST ENGINES Volvo Penta D8-550. Twin 550hp
@ 2,900rpm. 6-cylinder 7.7-litre diesels

FIGURES ECO FAST MAX

RPM Idle 1,500 2,000 2,400 2,800 2,960

Speed 4.4 8.8 10.4 19.4 26.0 28.4

GPH 1.17 10.8 25.0 31.6 44.1 49.1

LPH 5.32 49.1 114 144 200 223

MPG 3.76 0.81 0.41 0.61 0.59 0.57

RANGE 993 215 109 162 156 151

THE COSTS & OPTIONS

Price from £578,838 inc VAT

Price as tested £841,459 inc VAT

Upgrade to 550hp D8 engines £45,924

Beach mode (folding balconies) £47,482

Webasto heating £10,735

Generator (Paguro 9000) £14,579

Bow thruster with joystick £9,146

Stern thruster with joystick £9,600

Raymarine MFD/digital radar £16,297

Hydraulic bathing platform (500kg) £33,065

Air conditioning (50,000 BTU) £34,946

Volvo Penta IPS800 £154,489

PRESTIGE 460

Price from £535,000

The 460 is IPS only and has

just two cabins but they’re

both a decent size. It’s

= Options on test boat good value for money too.

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THE HELM VIEW

RIVALS

SEALINE F430

Price from £427,726

Smaller than the Galeon but it

has three good cabins and lots

of clever touches in the saloon.

Storage for small

items or drinks

is non-existent and

seems a real oversight

on a boat that is so well

thought out elsewhere

Despite there being no

seat adjustment, the

geometry between wheel

and throttles is very good

The dash is

attractively

designed, well laid

out and easy to use

there being no seat adjustment, someone

of 6ft can get comfortable and won’t fi nd

the major controls a stretch. So good is

the view from the lower helm, aided by an

electric side window, that I choose to berth

the boat from there with the combination

of Volvo’s beautifully weighted throttles

and bow and stern thrusters making life

very easy.

On a less positive note, both helm

stations are woefully short of storage space

for loose items and at neither one is there a

cupholder for the helmsman to use. It’s a

small issue but while I’m nit-picking, I’m

not a fan of Galeon’s choice of steering

wheel at the upper helm. It’s bulky and

cheap looking, like it’s been taken off an

arcade game.

VERDICT

There is a lot more to this boat than the

balconies in the cockpit but they are such a

point of difference they can’t be ignored.

On bigger Galeons they are a novelty but

on the 460 you are so much more

appreciative of the extra space they

provide. It’s a bonus then that they are

attached to a boat that is so capable in

other departments. It drives well, is nicely

made and possesses a spacious three-cabin

interior with copious options to help

personalise it. This would be a very good

boat without the clever party tricks but

with them the 460 is brilliant. Just don’t

expect the fi ne people of Yarmouth to tell

you that. Contact Galeon Yachts UK.

Tel +44 (0)2380 456544 Web: http://www.galeon.

BOAT REPORT

The folding platforms are

£40,000 well spent, setting the

460 apart from its rivals with a

genuine unique selling point