Arvor 230AS

Arvor amour

Far from a stranger to our waters, the French-designed, Polish or Australian-built (depending on the model) Arvors first made a splash here almost a decade ago and, for reasons including affordable running costs and low maintenance, soon got a toehold in our warm and cold climate boating markets.

In fact, more than 200 have been sold from Tassie to Far North Queensland and, as an aside, resale value is said to be exceptional.

The three-boat range includes the popular 20-footer (now Series II), the new 230AS tested here and the flagship 250AS. Rumour has it there's a bigger boat on the way. More Arvor.

Meantime, the latest model, the 23-footer driven here, remains perhaps the best all-rounder. The jaunty little European cabin cruiser, with a Toyota-derived four-cylinder turbocharged 155hp Nanni diesel marine engine, is just good, cheap (relatively speaking in boating terms) fun.

The AS part of the boats stands for asymmetrical, that is offset, cabin which leads to a big starboard-side walkway. This design detail maximises both access to the bow and cabin size. For a 23-footer you actually get a lot of space, a full double bed, head and standing room inside the cabin.

Meantime, what I've noticed over the passage of time is that the Arvors have become better finished, with greater attention to detail and improved engineering. This was evident on the 230AS, which had fair mouldings, some fishing features, sound-insulation in the engine room and cabin comforts.

Local Arvor and Nanni importers, Collins Marine, are responsible for the excellent motor installation, but it's Arvor who designs these boats so they can be left to dry out on a mudbank in, say France, where the tides can easily reach more than 10 metres.

This bodes well here, not only because the propeller and running gear is protected by a stainless-steel shoe should you hit something or the bottom, but because you can effect your own hull clean at low tide. Keep the shell away and antifouling intervals could be every two years.

MEETING THE GRADE
Made to CE standards by Delphia Yachts in Poland, the hard-chine planing hull and deck of the 230AS are built from solid GRP with glass-encapsulated Oregon stringers, engine bearers and cross members. There's a three-year hull warranty and one year on the fittings, and three-year warranty on the Nanni diesel. The motor has mechanical and not electronic injection, so just about anyone can service it.

If you get the chance, say at a boat show, it's worth looking under the Arvor 230AS hull. Typical of the breed, it has a gullwing shape at the transom and a flat deadrise that together generates a lot of lift, contributes to the boat's flat attitude through turns, and adds to its efficiency.

Thankfully, when fishing and pottering, you don't have to remain couped up in the cabin, as the boat comes with an emergency tiller and, just like ye fishing boats of yore, you can steer from the transom with great agility. This is good news for short-handed fishing and cruising with friends, although the optional outdoor throttle/gearshift is recommended for safety reasons too.

As for manoeuvrability, well, this is a single-engine shaft driven boat and, as such, it walks to port in reverse due to propeller torque. You could fit a bow thruster if you felt so inclined, or do as I would and just learn to account for the prop walk when reversing.

You get a fair bit of water in the cockpit when reversing up hard at sea, but to the 230AS's credit the huge scupper soon drained the deck. Just watch the fibreglass infill over the scupper doesn't float free and out the transom door.

SOUND FOUNDATIONS
There's plenty to celebrate on the engineering front. The engine vents are under the coamings and inboard to avoid the ingress of salt spray, the low-profile and unobtrusive engine box lid lifts on gas struts and, as touched on, there is a good deal of sound insulation, plus a wet exhaust to keep running noise acceptably low at cruise speeds.

Notice, also, how all the deck hatches have rubber seals and drains to keep the water at bay. The shaft is a 30mm number, spinning through a 2:1 ZF gearbox and Volvo dripless seal to a 17 x 21in bronze prop. It's a decent sized wheel that soon gets the boat motoring along. The hydraulic steering is responsive, while the engine sounds a signature inboard-diesel note sure to attract attention from fish.

A cursory glance of the Nanni revealed good access to the sea strainer, the oil dipstick and header tank for the coolant, with wiring runs passing through conduits to avoid chafe. The fuel tank is an upgraded 200lt (135lt standard) aluminium model, located aft and linked to a deck filler. There is no provision to use a dipstick or fit a sight gauge; instead, you have to rely on the in-dash fuel gauge, which are never that accurate. But, nice to find a remote fuel shutoff in case of fire.

The boat is fitted with two banks of batteries, an isolator switch so you don't drain the engine-crank battery while running, say, the livebait-tank pump or lights, plus a negative-leakage switch. If you plan to leave the boat on a mooring, a solar panel to trickle charge the batteries is a good idea.

COCKPIT FUN
Water lovers will welcome the boarding platform, casual anglers will claim the fold-down cockpit seat and the moulded storage bin that doubles as a seat in the starboard quarter, and the raised deck cleats are all handy cockpit inclusions for crew. And the low engine box forward behind the cabin isn't at all intrusive, much less than sterndrive boats, which will appeal to hardcore anglers.

The gunwale height gives excellent support when leaning outboard, with timber coamings including handholds, and four rodholders provided gratis. And unlike the original Arvors, the aft rodholders are now spaced away from the aft rails so there's room for the reels when trolling. In keeping with the French heritage there are stainless steel rollers on either gunwale to assist with lifting the crab or lobsters pots and, under the coamings, two long gaff, net or rod racks.

The in-transom livebait tank or icebox is a reasonable size, but underfloor there isn't much by way of fish storage. For that, you are best to fit a high-volume aftermarket icebox over the engine box, held down with padeyes and turnbuckles, with an upholstered top so it doubles as a seat. You could fit a 12V socket nearby and run a fridge if you wanted to.

When not fishing, there's a screw-in cockpit table and seating for three or four. Add an Italian style awning and your on-deck picnics will be shaded. The agents fitted a Muir windlass with 50m of chain to assist with anchoring.

CABIN CAPERS
Thanks to an accommodating lockable cabin and protected wheelhouse you can escape the weather when cruising. Step down into the cabin and you'll find an impressive 240cm or thereabouts of headroom. There are twin helm seats that, when folded out of the way, create a big standing helm position with great views.

Fresh air is plentiful via side vents and a hatch in the hardtop; a timber ship's wheel adds to the quaintness; while the dash sports a range of basic VDO engine gauges, audio/visual alarms for the Nanni, Plastimo compass, optional Navman Trackfish 5500 sounder/GPS, marine stereo and, overhead, there is the VHF radio. Cleverly, there's a portside galleyette under the second mate's seat with manual-pump freshwater to a small sink and single-burner alcohol stove. With a supplied Portapotti and big double bed, once you add the infills, this is a boat you can definitely spend the night aboard. Cabin storage is plentiful, too.

OFFSHORE CRUISING
But the highlights of the Arvor 230AS are its ride, range and running costs that won't break the bank. It's hard to argue with 16lt of diesel an hour at 18.5 to 19kts, while staying dry in the wheelhouse. Providing you keep the boat's sharp forefoot in the water, it's smooth sailing all the way.

The efficient hull comes onto the plane at 2000rpm and 8.4kts with the Bennett trim tabs right down. For ploughing out to sea, the 230AS sat nicely on 13kts with a touch of trim tab to keep its naturally high swooping bow buttoned to the water. Easy cruise was clocked at 16 to 17kts and 1800rpm, and optimum cruise speed is 18.5 to 19kts at 3000rpm for a safe range of more than 200nm. At eight knots, the boat's range is more like 450nm.

At maximum continuous cruising speed of 21.5kts at 3400rpm, the noise levels were significantly higher but not intolerable. Local Arvor importers Collins Marine say you will get 24kts at 3600rpm, but for one reason or another we topped out at 22kts at 3400rpm.

So top revs were down.

Vision behind the Plexiglass windscreen with wipers was excellent offshore and not a drop of saltwater to worry about. Even better, in today's pricey oil world, it'll cost you just $20 an hour to put the throttle down. And when mooching about at eight knots, this is about the most affordable boating fun you will find for your buck.

HIGHS

LOWS