size are designed with the American
tow boat market in mind, and thus are
limited to their maximum trailerable
width, 8ft 6in. So either you cope
without side decks (Sea Ray 240
Sundancer, Rinker 270, Crownline
250), have vestigial side decks (Doral
Monticello) or have reasonable side
decks but rather narrow cockpits
(Sealine S25). Also a few of these
boats seemed designed for big
V8 petrol engines but the diesel
alternative was an adequate but
comparatively small KAD 32.
However, a couple of boats stood
out. The Bavaria 27 Sport has a beam
of 9ft 9in and gets the meaty D4-260
diesel. Great-looking boat and a lovely
interior too. The trouble is, the length
overall is brushing 9m. And the
Cranchi 25 Perla was an interesting
possibility. This is the predecessor to
the Cranchi 28 Zaffiro – it’s the same
boat in fact, it’s just that the Zaffiro
gets a massive bathing platform
bolted to the back. But without it,
the LOA is under 8m. A little older,
it gets the KAD 43 230hp diesel (or
twin TAMD 22 diesels) and it’s a fine-
looking boat.
However, for me there is an issue
with both of these vessels. We do a
lot of cruising rather than sitting in
marinas, and both of these boats lack
forward-facing seating at the helm
for anyone other than the helmsman.
The Cranchi has a sideways seat next
to the helm (to give headroom in the
mid cabin), the Bavaria has a large
C-shaped dinette so the seating
at the front of the cockpit is facing
backwards. For many, this would be
a worthwhile compromise as it gives
a terrific social area when stationary
(and a fixed sunpad on the Bavaria),
but I didn’t want to be Billy No Mates
at the helm. A second forward-facing
seat at the front was a must.
The boat that I kept coming back
to again and again was the Jeanneau
805 Leader, with its 9ft 9in beam
and asymmetrical side decks that
mean the port side deck is huge
and bulwarked! A double helm seat
with a big social dinette behind plus a
rearward-facing chaise longue (a nice
place to relax with a book at anchor)
and Volvo Penta’s KAD 43 230hp
diesel fitted to older boats, D4-260
in later versions offering 32 knots.
Inside there’s the preferable gas
hob rather than the meths burner
of many American boats, plenty of
proper storage (two wardrobes!), a
genuinely separate mid cabin rather
than the usual crawl-in bed beneath
the stairs, and it’s beautifully finished
in cherry wood. I checked the MBM
back issue boat test which raved
about the seakeeping and searched
the MBY forums where people did the
same, about both the seakeeping and
the boat in general. Demerits include
an awful canopy design (I’ll fit a
tonneau and leave it stowed most of
the time) and engine access isn’t great.Darthaven’s 35-tonne
crane copes easily with
3 tonnes of JeanneauWorking hard or hardly
working? Nick ‘tests’ his
new foredeck sun cushionsMasses of sociable cockpit
seating was a major drawNorfolk Yacht Agency champagne
in the fridge was a nice touchI looked at several but one boat
stood out, for its condition but also
for its age (one of the newest at 2006
which gives it the D4-260) and its
spec, which included a Raymarine
C70 chartplotter, bow thruster,
Webasto central heating, new canopy
and a proper hot water calorifier
(the standard 805 Leader water
heater apparently only works off
shorepower!) It was, inevitably, also
about the most expensive, leaving itover budget and 350 miles away in
Norfolk, listed for sale with Norfolk
Yacht Agency.
But sometimes you just have to
make these things happen and one
month later, with a head full of big
plans for it, I met my ‘new’ Jeanneau
805 Leader as it arrived at Darthaven
Marina on the back of a large truck.
Obviously, there are still one or two
things I need to add to make it mine.
Let the spending begin! Nick BurnhamBOAT MASTER OURB OATS