Trade-A-Boat — February 2018

T

he great musical

productions of

Broadway and

the West End

always have one

big song, sung by the star, a

huge orchestra swelling to

the triumphant last explosive

note, at which point the

audience jumps to their feet

for the standing ovation.

The song is known as the

showstopper. On the water,

the nautical equivalent is the

Palm Beach 65; a symphony

of style, performance and

virtually faultless details

seamlessly blended into

a package, which frankly

left me floundering for

accolades. Just delicious.

Palm Beach Motor Yachts

cruisers are no longer

strangers to discerning boat

owners; their long, lean

lines whisper of the high-

performance available at

the flick of a throttle. The 65

is the latest and greatest in

this stellar range, and it is

not until one is aboard that

the size and volume become

apparent. Laid teak decks,

superb varnished cappings

and cabinetry, custom-

made joinery and luscious

upholstery all beckon you to

enter this haven of luxury.

It is all pared-back style and

low-key luxury, which just

looks so impressive in such

a contemporary and elegant

way that you will positively

drool as you move from one

cabin to another.

While I was not able to

get my sticky mitts on the

helm, the twin 700hp Volvo

IPS900 engines will sprint

the Palm Beach 65 to speeds

in excess of 30kts, and you

will particularly thrill to this

performance from the super

bowrider seat or the stylishly

appointed flying bridge. For

those having trouble with

their hair styling, the lower

station offers a starboard

helm station for two, with a

similar station, sans helm, to

port for guests.

The preview boat was

destined for the USA, where

Palm Beach Yachts have

garnered many accolades,

even winning the Best Power

Boat at the Newport, Rhode

Island Boat Show. (Quite a

convincing performance in

a very competitive market).

Still, quality shines, and

at this level the price is

not the buying criteria. It

is just a minor factor for a

well-heeled person having

what they want. And why

not? The Palm Beach 65 will

be an enduring joy which

will never age in styling or

charm.

One of the best features

of this particular boat was

the plain and simple focus

on one owner’s cabin,

luxuriously appointed, and

another clever transverse

cabin that a cunning owner

will never reveal unless

absolutely necessary.

Happy husbands and

wives, contented couples,

partners and other assorted

ceiling inspectors will adore

a boat so superbly setup just

for two. A massive head and

shower, a stunning lower

galley complete with every

manner of appliance, the

sumptuous lower dinette, TV

A SYMPHONY OF STYLE AND PERFORMANCE

and glass-fronted bar fridge

• it just went on and on.
  Back in the cockpit, a
  simple caress of a button
  raises and lowers the
  swimplatform/pasarelle.
  Another button lifts the
  whole cockpit, at which
  point the tender appears and
  slides effortlessly into the
  water. Ultra-leather seats,
  drinks cabinets, teak decks,
  polished stainless steel
  fittings define a package so
  complete it simply dazzles.
  You may have gathered
  that I liked it. Even the
  engineroom had laid teak
  decks. I swooned.

PalmBeach 65

quick specs

Palm Beach 65

PRICE AS TESTED $3.8m

MATERIAL GRP

TYPE Hard-chine monohull

LENGTH 21.34m overall

BEAM 5.85m

ENGINE 2 x 700hp Volvo

Penta IPS900 turbo-diesel

FUEL 5000lt

WATER 1400lt

FOR MORE INFO

palmbeachmotoryachts.com

tradeboats.com.au 63

Archive Tests

STORY TONY MACKAY

PHOTO PBMY