We put the latest kit through its paces
TRIED&TESTED
NautiBuoy 800
infl atable platform
Helly Hansen QD cargo shorts
€4,950 (ex VAT)
£55
VALUE ★★★★
RATING ★★★★★VALUE ★★★
RATING ★★★★★VALUE ★★★★
RATING ★★★The NautiBuoy platform
proved a big hit with the
kids as well as a relaxing
chill-out spot for adultsWe had a lot of fun testing the
NautiBuoy 800 inflatable platform.
First impressions were that this
is a very high-quality product – the
materials and construction matched
what you would find on an expensive
RIB. In addition, ours had the optional
teak deck which provided great grip
and looked fantastic. After inflation,
the platform was pretty rigid and
didn’t deflect much when people
stood on it. Once launched, the
platform did exactly what the
manufacturers claim, with plenty
of style. Children loved playing on it,
and it is more stable than you might
think, especially with the ballast bags
deployed. Adults loved just lounging
and sunbathing on it, and it made
an appreciable addition to the overall
sunbathing space on a boat. The
accessories are great: the pair of
loungers were supremely comfortable
while the swim ladder allowed
everyone to exit the water gracefully.
The platform is incredibly versatile.
We used it as a buffer/dock for the
tender, Seabobs, sailing boats, SUPs
and kayaks. Children used it for
wrestling matches, football headers,
gymnastics and other games. It madea great mini dock for people waiting
for their turn at waterskiing and
flyboarding. Everyone loved just
letting it drift from the mothership
attached by a pair of lines for quiet
sunbathing, and putting a plate
of canapés and a loaded ice bucket
on board was very easy. You can even
put a protection cover on it and use
it for cleaning the sides of the hull,
and NautiBuoy supply cleats attached
to those suction-cup handles so you
can tie up to your top
sides and work your
way around the boat.
It is important to
choose the right size of platform for
your boat. We had the 800 model,
which is the largest at 4mx2m
inflated, on an 80ft boat. It weighs
42kg but rolls up into a sort of
2m-long bodybag, so can’t easily be
carried up and down staircases, and
we had no deck locker that we were
prepared to sacrifice to store it in.
Outside the superyacht world, I
think one of the smaller models would
make more sense and would be more
likely to ‘justify’ the storage space it
takes up. For our Squadron 78, I think
I would look at buying the smaller 375I know it’s only a pair of shorts, but it
turns out there are shorts and there
are Helly Hansen quick-dry cargo
shorts. Every other pair of shorts
I own, and believe me there are quite
a few, are made
of heavy-duty
cotton, which
while looking
nice and feeling
comfortable, take
forever to dry
once they get
wet. The navy
blue ones also
seem to fade very
quickly in sunny,
salty conditions,in one notable case turning a not
very fetching shade of pinky blue.
These ones are made of much
lighter polyamide which can be
scrumpled up into the smallest kit
bag and still emerge looking halfway
respectable after five hours stuffed
in the overhead locker of an easyJet
flight. The fabric has a slight stretch
to it, which
combined with
waist sizes that go
up in single inches,
makes them even more comfortable
than usual, especially in hot climates.
I wore mine almost every day
during a recent six-day charter in
Corfu, for everything from eveningor 525 model. It’s
worth remembering
that when you deflate it, you have to
roll it up and either squeeze the air out
or use the electric pump supplied to
suck it out, and to do that you need a
swim platform that is almost the same
size as the inflated platform.
One improvement the
manufacturers could make is to fit a
bigger valve to allow it to deflate faster
without using the rather slow pump.
It’s not cheap, but it’s a lot of fun and
an easy way to add more deck space
to your boat without the cost of
a permanent extension. John Wolf
Contact http://www.nautibuoymarine.comPROS
Versatility
Build quality
Sheer comfort and luxury
(with the teak deck)
Increases the effective size
of your boat when anchored
Fun factorCONS
Needs a faster deflate valve
Storage and weight (but this
is okay if you choose the
right size in the first place)meals to cooling
dips in the sea. They
dried quickly, retained their shape
and colour and the secure pockets
were perfect for keeping credit cards,
kill cords and boat keys safe. Hugo
Contact http://www.hellyhansen.comLove Anchor
dog bandana
£12
Because sea legs don’t just come in
pairs (see right), these new nautical
designs from Houndworthy’s range
of cotton bandanas are the ultimate
accessory for your
seafaring pooch.
Comes in two sizes
with a scout knot for
easy adjust. Other
designs available.
Neil Singleton
Contact http://www.
houndworthy.com