Take a look at our pick of some of the boats that almost had us remortgaging
Birmingham’s Boat & Caravan Show, which runs until Sunday, never fails to impress with the range of craft on display, and this year is no exception. Here’s our pick of some of the most wallet-friendly models on display.
A few years back we tested Flipper’s 23ft 705HT and loved it. This upmarket day cruiser looks the part with its hardtop design and blue gelcoat while the level of fitout and finish on board is normally only seen on 40-footers.
The performance is good too, with a sporty feel from the helm. The only problem was its price, so when we heard that dealer TL Harvey was offering a V8 petrol version at a big discount we got interested.
The boat on its stand is a 2009 model with a retail price of around £70,000. The spec includes a diesel cooker, toilet and holding tank, fridge and double battery upgrade.
The Wallas cooker means you can retrofit diesel heating to the boat pretty easily and cheaply. TL Harvey is asking £56,999 – that’s 20% off and John Harvey has said that he will throw in free UK delivery if you mention this article.
Over on the ABC stand, the Kruger range of dayboats and fishers includes some interesting models and a new ‘Black’ upgrade – this is one you’ll have to go and see for yourself.
But of all the models the ever-so cute Delta II caught our eye. This trailable 14ft fisher starts at just £6250, with a complete package including an engine and trailer costing £8995. It’s designed to fit into most domestic garages, so storage shouldn’t be a problem.
Just as cute but even smaller in size is the 12ft Highlander Fisherman from WA Simpson Marine. Priced from £4000, this Scottish-built launch has been around forever but that doesn’t take away from its clinker-style beauty and robust build.
We thought it deserved some coverage and, if you fancy a little boat to go exploring rivers and harbours in, it is certainly worth your time.
