New boats: Parker Monaco

With its clean lines and quasi Scandinavian feel, this motor yacht by Parker is ideal for cruising in comfort and style

We took rather a shine to this new offering from Polish yard Parker. Better known for its handsome range of sportsboats and pilothouse craft, this new Monaco model is aimed at customers taking their first step into the cruising market.

It’s powered by a pair of outboard engines (neatly tucked away under the aft sunpad) so it should go well and be relatively cheap and easy to maintain. In fact, with twin 300hp motors, it has already clocked 41 knots on test, with more to come
if you upgrade to the bigger 350s.

However, at this size, buyers are just as likely to be interested in its cruising credentials and it comes up trumps here too.
The main deck saloon can be closed off for comfortable year-round cruising but in better weather, the bi-fold doors can be pushed aside and the hinged aft window propped open to link the galley to the cockpit.
A sliding helm door and a glass sunroof overhead complete the transformation.

Down below, there’s a master cabin forward and a second double guest cabin aft. Both are unusually light and spacious for this size of craft.
The shared bathroom has an almost Scandinavian feel with teak flooring and a big glass shower compartment.

The finish is clean, modern and filled with natural light thanks to a surfeit of glass in the superstructure and hull. Even the hardtop overhang has a sliding sunroof to let light into the cockpit. Neat details like flip-up headrests on the foredeck sunpads, grabrails in all the right places and a side gate for easy pontoon access show designer Tony Castro has really thought about how it’s going to be used. Unless you hanker after diesel power, it makes a lot of sense.

At a glance…

Length: 37ft 1in (11.3m)
Beam: 11ft 9in (3.63m)
Top speed: 30-41 knots
Engines: Twin 200-350hp Mercury outboard
Price: from €232,000 inc 20% VAT
Contact: Parker