Bavaria Motor Boats 29 DC

Carpe diem or 'seize the day' was the mission I accepted when I slipped behind the wheel of this sportsboat. The antipathy of a high-volume production cruiser and a go-slow bloated hull, the sleek 29 DC from Bavaria Motor Boats has been expressly designed for high-speed dayboating.

A day in the life of the 29 DC might go like this: you don the shades, start the engines, cast the lines, pull in for a pit stop to take on supplies, and hightail it down the harbour, across the bay or Broadwater to your favourite anchorage.

By the time you've blown the cobwebs from the motors, taken a dip and polished off the gourmet grub, it will still be mid-morning. You can then streak back home across the wind waves and crash the neighbour's backyard barbie, while the summer crowd jostles for your anchorage.

One thing is for sure - the twin V8 320hp petrol Volvo motors on this boat make for a speedy exodus. But while top speed surpassed 80km/h, it's more the turning ability that thrills. The handling is definitely in keeping with a sporty, German-made conveyance.

GERMAN BUILD
All BMB powerboats are built to CE certification. Backed by a five-year hull warranty, the 29 DC meets Category B requirements. The boat can handle offshore sea conditions to Force 8, says BMB - which is near-gale, 40kt winds and 5.5m waves. Yippee.

Laminates are said to exceed Germanisher Lloyd standards, and the cold-climate factory is temperature and humidity controlled for reliable curing. The chopped strand mat and woven rovings are hand laid before being oven cured.

Unlike the first BMBs to land here, all boats now have their bulkheads, decks and the majority of furniture 'glassed to the hull. A box girder system provides stiffness under the floor, and the deck is attached with fasteners as well as the latest you-beaut bonding agents.

Computer-controlled milling machines are employed to cut the mahogany panels for the boat's joinery. Typically German efficiency results in just five per cent timber waste, says the literature - which is in turn used to heat the Bavaria Yachtbau factory in Wurzberg.

Recently, a further 25,000sqm yard was added so Bavaria could boost production from 1200 boats to almost 3000 a year. Powerboat sales to Europe and America are leading the growth, but the marque is steadily making inroads in new markets like Australia.

There are numerous reasons for the BMB's appeal Down Under. Some buyers have gravitated to the boats because of their uniqueness; others the rich mahogany timber finish down below; and yet others seek nothing more than driving pleasure.

The owner of this 29 DC bought the boat sight-unseen as a fitting adjunct to his European sportscar fleet. Put simply, the guy is into fast toys, and a speedy dayboat is just what the doctor ordered.

DECKED OUT
There is a lot freedom when you don't bother with full headroom belowdecks. And it is for this reason that the 29 DC doesn't resemble a giant sandshoe. The boat's almost automotive lines look like they came from the pen of an industrial designer. The blue boot top and a low-profile deck fuses with the fast hull. There is a lot of innovation in that deck.

The 29 DC is a true walkaround, with non-skid gunwales that start back near the transom corners. These are traced by moulded toerails and a split bowrail. The windscreen provides a useful handhold when you head forward to tend mooring lines, sunbake on the (optional) pad or take on guests via the foredeck gate.

A compact 500W windlass takes care of anchoring. The screw-down hatch on the chain locker is a neat detail, as there is nothing like a rattling hatch to compromise a boat's otherwise sound ride. Apart from the plastic nav lights, the boat is well equipped. There were fenders, warps, covers and, in this case, optional teak-topped decks.

The deck fittings are big, designer-looking numbers, too. Like the stainless-steel windscreen frame, most fittings appear overbuilt for the job. I'm not so keen on the tinted armour-plate windscreen glass, though - especially when you are looking through tinted shades - but full marks for the wiper and prominent stainless-steel horn so you can let people know you're, vrooooom, coming through.

GIVE ME SHELTER
As mentioned, the windscreen rakes back near the transom and therefore provides terrific protection to guests riding in the cockpit. In some ways, their seating arrangement - big enough for six people altogether - is not dissimilar to that in a convertible. Forward of its usual position, the L-shaped guests' lounge gives them the feeling that they, too, are part of the driving action.

At the transom I found a concealed swim ladder, cold/warm cockpit shower and a full-width boarding platform. But the best feature is the transverse two-person sunlounge. Under all the boat's lounges are lined storage spaces big enough to stow skis - you could convert one of these into an icebox if you add an overboard drain.

A button at the helm raises the aft deck on a gas strut. Before you is an engine room with loads of servicing room around the twin V8 Volvos. There is also direct access to the batteries, a fire-suppressing system, fuel filters and steering gear. Another hatch in the cockpit floor leads to a utility room with yet more storage space, plus the 510lt fuel tank, 100lt water tank and 80lt holding tank.

Close the hatches and you can use the amenities centre behind the driver's seat. It's a small thing, I know, but every BMB powerboat I have set foot aboard has the same speckled-blue Corian top. Nothing wrong with that, except the pigment always looks, well, faded. Time for a new Corian product.

The amenities centre contained a sink and several handy stainless-steel drinkholders. The owner didn't order the 12V fridge that will be fitted as standard on other 29 DCs bound for Oz, and he left out the cockpit table that normally resides beside the passenger lounge. Both of these things would add to dayboating pleasure.

The flush-mounted 60W Blaupunkt cockpit speakers were linked to a Clarion CD player, and there was a subwoofer for extra doof-doof-doof. The low-glare black dash was home to the stereo remote control, Faria engine gauges, Autohelm bidata and trim tab buttons with sight gauges.

The rather excellent Volvo EDC electronic controls and adjustable wood wheel added to the driving pleasure. There was a clear view through the windscreen when seated and over it when standing. While the flip-up bolster-style helm seat doesn't swivel back around towards the guests' lounge, for at-anchor lunches it did keep me safely contained. Which is just as well, as the Duoprops make for a manoeuvrable boat.

BEDSIT AND BEDOUIN
While it is intended as a dayboat, and while there isn't full headroom belowdecks, the BMB 29 DC still has the goods for over-nighting. The facilities might come in handy after a big nosh-up at a waterfront eatery, following a late-night summer cruise or for romantically-inclined times on the water.

There is a 12V fridge near the steps into the cabin and a big storage area exists behind the staircase. Inside is room for stores, spares and cleaning gear, as well as various circuit breakers and a 45amp/h battery charger. A subfloor hatch nearby has room for stowing empties or perhaps a non-stick skillet.

Breakfast could be made using the single-burner alcohol/electric stove in the portside galley. But it will have to be French or fried toast unless you're hooked to shorepower to run a toaster. There are of plenty of mahogany cupboards and a sink with hot/cold running water.

The dinette forward towards the bow has room for two couples if need be. But really, the accommodation is geared for two lovebirds. The timber table and lounge convert into a double bed. However, the infills are a different height to the main cushions, so don't expect five-star accommodation.

A hanging locker, mirror, opening portholes, hatch, and mahogany sidepockets are part of the fitout. So, too, a handy head to starboard. The enclosed moulding near the stairs has a sink, overhead lockers and a functional manual loo - but no extractor fan.

FLAT-CHAT FLIER
Drive-wise, the 29 DC carries on the brand's tradition thus far of providing speedy performance and real sportsboat handling. The terrific hull and Volvo engines are perfect partners, with a good trim range that can be extended by using the tabs as well as the legs. If you lift the legs you can spin out like you might have done on a jet-powered watertoy. In a straight line over wake and waves, the boat runs best with the legs in deep and the forefoot cutting the waves. Even then, the hull proved dry and smooth considering its 4000kg displacement.

According to the GPS, top speed was nudging 85km/h after the boat had been antifouled. I spend more time cruising in the mid-60km/h range, which is as fast as most big boats go flat out. And in no time I had completed a circuit of the harbour including a terrific dash across the heads.

With a whiff of summer in the air, the BMB 29 DC is looking pretty darn good. The dayboat is well suited to today's fast-paced world where there simply isn't enough time in the weekend. A few hours at the helm and you can banish the workaday blues. And not a speed camera to worry about.