Out boating expert, Nick Burnham goes on the hunt for some (relatively cheap) big boats this month as he tracks down some bargain monsters
The term millionaire is an interesting one, still conjuring up as it does images of impossible wealth. A mansion in the country, peacocks on the lawn, lighting cigars with £10 notes in the back of a chauffeur driven Rolls-Royce and, of course, a huge motor yacht. But the truth is that these days, a million barely buys you a new 40-footer, let alone the rest of the lifestyle to go with it – hardly the stuff of millionaire dreams. Thankfully, as ever, solace lies in the used boat market where the original millionaire lifestyle is still possible if you have a healthy six figures to plough into a boat. Here are four fantastic examples for Jeeves to point the Roller at.
4 big, bargain motor boats
Fairline Squadron 65
Built: 2010 Price: £650,000
Despite the occasional financial buffeting, there is no doubt that Fairline belongs in the highest echelons of production boat building. Based in Oundle with a history that goes back almost 60 years, it introduced the Squadron range in 1991 with the launch of the Squadron 62 – the predecessor of this 2010 Squadron 65.
High quality woodwork is a hallmark of Fairlines and the Squadron 65 is no exception
Interior
The stand-out feature of this boat is the amount of natural light that floods the interior. Huge windows are par for the course these days, but this boat was launched back in 2009. The forward cabin is a prime example, with a run of glazing that stretches the full length of the ceiling.
The full beam owner’s cabin is even better with big hull windows allowing a view out from the king-sized bed. Only cabin three shows its age a little by having porthole windows. That said, it still has its own ensuite bathroom. Intriguingly, Fairline added a further day heads halfway down the stairs, something you almost never find on a sub 80ft boat. The galley is up, but not aft, being positioned in the forward port corner of the saloon.
Exterior
New enough to have a hydraulic high/low bathing platform for tender launch and storage, this isn’t the only treat at the very stern of this vessel. There’s a really neat lift up section built into the transom that rises on a solid hinged arm to provide a proper overhead shower.
Yet more glazing across the back of the boat and stairs rather than a ladder transform the crew cabin into a genuinely useable fourth guest cabin. Meanwhile, the flybridge is one of the largest in its class, with multiple sunpads featuring prop-up backrests for support.
Performance
Twin MAN V10 1,100hp engines displace a monster 18.27 litres each, meaning that the combined 2,200hp is doled out at a relaxed engine speed of just 2,300rpm, at which point our test boat was pulling over 30 knots!
The midship owner’s cabin faces across the beam with hull windows on both sides
Seakeeping
It’s a big heavy boat that stretches past 65ft, so decent seakeeping is assured, although with a focus on internal volume, we didn’t find it quite as lithe as the earlier Squadron 66.
Fairline Squadron 65 specifications
Length: 66ft 11in (20.4m)
Beam: 17ft 2in (5.2m)
Draft: 4ft 6in (1.4m)
Displacement: 30 tonnes
Fuel capacity: 3,542 litres
Engines: Twin MAN V10 1100 CRM 1,100hp diesel engines
For Sale: One Marine
Trader 64 Sunliner
Built: 2007 Price: £699,000
Designed by Tony Castro, built by Tarquin and launched in 2007, the Trader 64 leans towards the explorer yacht end of the market. Designed for relaxed long-range liveaboard cruising rather than fast blasts from point to point, it’s backed up by a Category A RCD rating for offshore use.
The Trader 64 feels like a home from home thanks to its big open-plan saloon and galley
Interior
Any mid-60ft boat is going to have generously proportioned internal spaces, but throw in an aft-cabin layout that takes the accommodation right back to the transom and you have something truly palatial. Not surprisingly, the owner’s cabin takes full advantage of those square aft quarters to deliver an exceptionally large and private sleeping space.
The ensuite heads is forward, putting a double bulkhead between its lucky occupants and the machinery space. And of course it is completely separated from the three further cabins on the lower deck forward.
The VIP with its centreline double in the bow has its own ensuite while two further guest cabins, one with single beds side by side and one with cross-over bunk beds, share the day heads. Between them, the saloon has a galley-aft layout and the helm is up on a separate bridge level.
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Exterior
The downside of an aft cabin layout is the lack of storage under the aft deck as that’s where the cabin is. However, Tarquin worked hard to mitigate this with multiple smaller deck lockers and storage under the seats and sunbeds. The tender lives aloft on a flybridge that features unusual crescents which extend out over the side decks like the wing stations on a ship. Wide side decks and twin anchors at the bow provide further evidence of its big-boat cruising credentials.
Performance
Featuring a deep keel semi-displacement hull rather than a full planing one, the Trader 64 is designed to run at low speeds for maximum efficiency. But twin Caterpillar C18 1,015hp diesels still give a 20 knot top end.
Even by big boat standards, the owner’s cabin is exceptionally spacious and private
Seakeeping
52 tonnes of boat steadied by standard-fit twin hydraulic stabilisers should give a pretty impassive ride.
Trader 64 Sunliner specifications
Length: 65ft 0in (19.8m)
Beam: 17ft 9in (5.4m)
Draft: 5ft 9in (1.8m)
Displacement: 52 tonnes
Fuel capacity: 7,000 litres
Engines: Twin Caterpillar C18 1,015hp diesel engines
For Sale: Sunseeker Poole
Princess 21M
Built: 2009 Price: £945,000
Princess has had a variety of model ranges over the years, all with their own names and identities. The F-class flybridges, V-class sportscruisers, S-class sports yachts and X-class tri-deck models all have their place. But the M-class is the daddy, because M stands for motor yacht and is reserved for the superyacht range.
The largest ever was the Princess 40M, a 40-metre leviathan, but at the other end of the scale, the original 21M still cuts a dash. At just under 70ft, it falls below the 24-metre industry classification for superyachts but this boat still has the look and feel of the big league without the crippling cost that usually goes with it.
Internal stairs to the fl ybridge is a practical but rarely seen luxury on modern 70-footers
Interior
The high-gloss cherry wood may be of its era, but it still looks spectacular, particularly in places like the cabin doors, where the grain is quartered (four panels with opposing wood grain angles). You rarely see carpentry like that anymore from production builders.
It’s not the only thing – the sweep of internal stairs that spiral up from the main deck to the flybridge is another forgotten gem. Despite the aft cockpit, it still sports a four-cabin layout, even if the smallest of them has bunk beds and shares the day heads with the third guest cabin. There’s a hidden stairwell accessed from the cockpit that takes you down to the crew accommodation as well as to the walk-in engine-room and a separate engineering space with twin generators.
Exterior
Launched originally in 2004, this model pre-dated hydraulic platforms and large hull windows (other than to the owner’s cabin), but a crane on the flybridge can lift a tender onto the bathing platform and/or the trailing edge of the upper deck. Deeply bulwarked side decks and flybridge overhangs cement the mini-superyacht feel.
Performance
A choice of twin MAN diesels, either 1,050hp each or the upgraded 1,300hp motors fitted to this boat, should push it towards 30 knots, albeit at a considerable cost to fuel efficiency.
High gloss fi nish may look dated but there’s no doubting the quality of the woodwork
Seakeeping
Multiply the size by the weight and then add the Olesinski-designed hull and you have something best described as capable. Very capable.
Princess 21M specifications
Length: 71ft 5in (21.6m)
Beam: 18ft 1in (5.5m)
Draft: 5ft 2in (1.6m)
Displacement: 41.3 tonnes
Fuel capacity: 5,000 litres
Engines: Twin MAN D2842 LE404 1,300hp diesel engines
For Sale: Parker Adams
Sunseeker Predator 56
Built: 2001 Price: £245,000
As we have seen, it’s entirely possible to buy a seriously big league boat from a big league builder for under a million pounds. But as I shall now demonstrate, it’s also possible to buy some serious kit from one of the most prestigious builders on the planet for under a quarter of a million pounds! Welcome to the frankly epic Sunseeker Predator 56. 150 of these were sold between 1999 and 2004, and it’s not hard to see why.
A lower saloon and galley separates the owner’s cabin from the forward VIP
Interior
Although dating from this century, at 2001 this boat only just sneaks in. Nowhere is this clearer than inside, where it’s a feast of turn-of-the-century Sunseeker, complete with lashings of beautifully capped high-gloss cherry wood and acres of cream leather. Is this a bad thing? Hell no, it looks fabulous, but if your tastes are more modern then it could easily be turned down with a change of upholstery and some panel re-trimming.
Sunseeker offered two- or three-cabin versions, this is the more popular two cabin with a full beam owner’s cabin in the centre of the boat, where the three cabin got a pair of twins, and another double cabin in the bow. A large saloon and galley sit between them, with all the white goods concealed by yet more glossy woodwork.
Exterior
Despite its age, this boat was fitted with a high/low platform for tender storage, which means the usual space-sapping garage is missing and the cockpit seating stretches right to the transom. This is also one of the first boats to get the now ubiquitous open-backed hard top. It was an optional extra, but can you imagine the amount of canopy you’d be fighting without it?
Performance
Sunseeker offered twin 800hp diesels from either MAN or Caterpillar (for the American market), both giving over 30 knots flat out for an easy mid 20-knot cruise.
Who needs mirrors when you can see your reflection in the high gloss cherry woodwork?
Seakeeping
We described the Predator 56 as having ‘a reputation for fun, dynamic handling, carving into turns and keeping the skipper very happy.’
Sunseeker Predator 56 specifications
Length: 60ft 2in (18.3m)
Beam: 15ft 1in (4.6m)
Draft: 4ft 5in (1.3m)
Displacement: 24 tonnes
Fuel capacity: 2,350 litres
Engines: Twin MAN 800hp diesel engines
For Sale: Sunseeker Poole
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