Classic 47

You won't have to phone a friend, ask the audience, or go 50/50 to recognise that this is a classic boat. The Classic 47 has poise, composure and a purposeful demeanour that, from some angles, is almost reminiscent of a pretty PT (that's motor torpedo) boat.

Released at Sanctuary Cove Boat Show back in May, the cruiser certainly got my imagination running. On the north-east seaboard of the USA there have long been boats like this around Maine, the contemporary shrine to classic motorboats. Loose derivations of these boats made their way into waterways around the world in the 1930s - 1950s.

In those good ol' days, you might have passed boats like this while cruising on Moreton Bay, the Hawkesbury or Port Phillip. Local shipwrights such as the Halvorsens and Norman Wright made cruisers with vaguely similar lines for private use, and some even performed active duty in the Pacific during WWII. Now they are back in vogue.

The Classic 47 is a weekender, a passagemaker, a fishing or expedition craft. Consider it all these things, plus a statement of fine taste and terrific craftsmanship. In terms of construction, however, please forget the mid-20th century.

This classic conveyance has been built using a blend of modern methods, old world know-how, high-tech motors and sound engineering. The result is a retro-looking boat that's traditional and contemporary.

Created for the burgeoning retirees' market, where mid-20kt gentlemanly cruisers are all the rage, the Classic 47 is set to go places. And with fuel prices rising, demand for frugal boats like this can only increase locally and abroad.

OLD WORLD CHARM, MODERN SPIN
A relatively new company based in Coomera, Classic Motor Yachts Australia produced this modern rendition of a period motorboat after a big team effort and lots of round-table discussion.

Respected naval architect Paul Stanyon, perhaps best known for his sailing cats and yachts, penned the slippery hull and dressy deck. Accomplished boatbuilder Greg Neilson, who does lots of custom work with cats, devised the wonderful handiwork. Neilson's business partner Steve Anderson, a Qantas pilot and boating enthusiast (whose father was an ex-PT skipper), brought passion and impetus to the project. And Ray Coall, a buddy with a background in aviation, applied his knowledge of composite construction.

Quite unlike the old carvel timber boats, this cruiser had to be fast, comfortable and low maintenance. To this end, Stanyon designed a hull with an ultra-fine destroyer-like bow, terrific depth for axing the swell, some flare in the topsides, a big chine up front to shed spray, and good internal volume.

A flat run aft ? just 5° of deadrise ? and hard chines generate lift and get the boat planing. The hull has two mini-keels extending below the props (the Classic 47 has twin motors), so you can let the boat dry out on the neap tide while camping ashore or performing a hull scrub.

The shafts are offset so they can be removed without fuss, the rudders are stainless steel, and the props are four-bladers for cruising smoothness. A highlight is the engineering, which meets Queensland 2C survey, allowing you to take passengers 50nm offshore.

Flat-out, the twin four-cylinder 230hp Yanmar diesel motors consume about 65lt/h. At long-range speeds of 18kt, they are more likely to do half that between the two engines.

Of course, you can always run your Classic 47 at 8kt for days on end. And should you have engine troubles, no worries; with a clean bum the boat will plane to 14kt on one motor, says the builder.

Depending on your needs, you can order the Classic 47 with extra-big tankage, single or twin motors, and personal finishes ranging from timber to leather and granite.

You can also toy with the furniture and accommodation. The test boat had two double cabins, but those into long-range cruising may prefer bunks for a bigger crew. Whatever you dream up, the boat inspires a sense of wanderlust.

FAST AND BUILT TO LAST
From a construction perspective, the Classic 47 has as much in common with a traditional cruiser as does an 18ft skiff. The technology has come from the yachtbuilding industry, where every kilo saved matters ? good logic for a frugal mid-20kt cruiser like this.

The boat is built from the composite West System, which comprises epoxy over a foam core, and uni-directional and bi-axial lay-up inside and out. I inspected a cross-section of the hull and scribbled the words "brick outhouse" on my pad.

All the bulkheads are fibreglassed in, the hull and deck joins are glassed together and the major stress areas are beefed up with lots of rovings. Hoop pine is used for the stringers, which double as engine bearers, but other structure elsewhere is foam-cored.

A 47-footer built using conventional glass lay-up might tip the scales to 25,000kg. The Classic 47, however, weighs just 8900kg dry and 10,500kg when the fuel and water tanks are full.

These weight savings are why the racy little 230hp Yanmar four-cylinder motors, running through 2.5:1 Yanmar boxes, do such an admirable job. According to factory trials, the boat turns in 23.8kt at 3400rpm.

More importantly, the boat will hold on a maximum continuous 3300rpm and deliver around 20kt without hitting the hip pocket. At such revs, where the engines are producing maximum power, Yanmar quotes 48lt/h on one engine.

At cruise speeds of 3000rpm and around 18kt, the motors will consume 36lt/h per side. A low-speed cruise of 2600rpm sees the motors sip 23lt/h a side. And at these revs, the Yannies are still at maximum torque.

CRAFTSMANSHIP ON SHOW
I walked the decks and fell in love with many of the unique handmade details and features on this boat. There is a teak rubbing strip with a brass band attached using Allan-key self tappers, which epitomises the fine finish throughout.

There are teak toerails, teak mounting plates for deck hinges over hatches, and an old-fashioned Samson post on the bow and sides that can tow the Queen Mary. The anchorwell is so darn deep it has an internal step.

High teak handrails through-bolted to solid coamings trace the wide sidedecks. The handrails plus teak rails along the cabin windows and a high bowrail with intermediate wire makes this a safe boat to move around on while at sea.

The swooping sheerline marks the point at which internal teak steps climb steeply up to the foredeck, illustrating the depth of the hull. The sidedecks and foredeck are topped with a good grade of non-skid.

Dorade-style engine vents with survey-standard shut-offs, as well as fuel shut-offs, are located on the cabin sides well away from ambient spray. Elsewhere I found bronze fairleads, shiplike bollards and spunky Gebo anodised alloy portholes.

The strong cabintop can carry a tender or tinnie, davit or staysail, or perhaps a flybridge. This boat was topped with only a timber mast post carrying a radar dome and lights, plus two hatches directing fresh air inside.

ALL-ROUND WALKAROUND
A giant walkaround of sorts, the Classic 47 has a cockpit that suits anything from reef fishing to breakfasts at anchor or entertaining a throng. Partly shaded by the cabintop, the teak-lined cockpit is accessed via a teak-topped boarding platform and a big outward-opening central marlin door.

Self-draining via big scuppers and side outlets, the cockpit has a central locker and two underfloor storage lockers big enough to lie in. All the underfloor areas drain to this central locker, which is fitted with a bilge pump and float switch.

I could see this boat, fitted with in-floor refrigeration and deck winches on the rail, lolling about on some outer reef, its crew stocking up on reef fish before the long trip home.

Similarly, it would make a nice liveaboard dive boat or a long-range Whitsundays cruiser for a couple who want to escape the Melbourne winter. A good go-places boat, indeed.

The sidedecks, meanwhile, are where you will find fuel fillers, water fillers, a survey-standard firefighting system and a shore power connector. These things are protected from the weather, as are the boat's sliding side windows, by the cabin overhang.

Cockpit amenities include a teak rack for bottles and glasses, a teak cutting board and a storage locker with space for a 12V fridge (to come) to starboard of the saloon door. To port, the cockpit has another storage locker and a sink with a teak drying area and hot and cold water.

JOINERY SALAD
Double varnished mahogany doors open into the saloon. The joinery ? all solid, not veneers ? is an interesting salad of tough, naturally finished American oak on the hard-wearing verticals, high-gloss mahogany on the tops, and high-gloss (will it mark?) teak and white epoxy-caulked flooring.

Wipe-clean white vinyl headliners, traditional navy-blue lounge fabrics, and black two-pack windscreen frames create an air of timelessness.

The cabins have lift-out camel-coloured carpet with overlocked edges, while the warm, teak-floored head is moulded for easy cleaning.

Down the saloon centreline, two timber hatches reveal the twin Yanmar motors and a surfeit of servicing room. The sea strainers and fuel filters are easy to get at.

I noted wet exhausts, a 30amp battery charger and an Italian-made 8kVa Mace generator that uses a Yanmar motor. It's mighty quiet, they tell me. Capacities of 3000lt of fuel and 1000lt of water can be boosted further if need be.

There is underfloor space for everything from air-conditioning units to a desalinator ahead of the motors in a separate utility room.

I found a 240V 16,000 BTU Marine Air AC unit, a heat-exchanger hot-water system, a back-up bilge system, water pumps and batteries, including a separate one for the radio, with room left over for stowing long-range provisions.

But the made-to-survey brass pumping system is the most impressive bit of engineering. The firefighting and pump-out system is beautifully made and built to last ? and it alone is a compelling reason to buy this boat.

OPEN-PLAN LIVING
The saloon layout is open plan, surrounded by seven opening 6mm safety-glass windows a side, which allow you to create cross-flow ventilation while keeping the inside dry in virtually any sea conditions.

Headroom is definitely a high point. The aft galley to port is a nice touch for entertaining, as it feeds back through the double doors to the cockpit, which the hardtop overhangs for protection from rain.

The U-shaped galley has a servery window, three-burner Smev gas stove/oven, timber-fronted Freeze Tec 12V fridge/freezer and twin sinks with a pull-out tap.

There were three cupboards and one drawer. Look closely and you will notice the drawer has dovetailed joins, yet another sign of craftsmanship.

Opposite is a four-person lounge beside a stack of three very long drawers. The dinette to port was set for four, using the boat's Maxwell dinner setting. Shoulder room isn't huge, but the views through the windows from the raised leather lounges most certainly are.

At the same height as the skipper to port, the dinette booth serves as a cruising spot for guests and co-pilot. Forward are front windows made of 10mm-thick safety glass, with wipers. Behind the skipper's two-person loveseat are a chart table and drawers, and a massive bottle locker with racks on runners is below.

TWIN-CABIN OPTION
Four steps down from the saloon, tucked inside the deep bow, is the accommodation. Headroom remains nice and high for Aussie boaters. And even the VIP guest cabin to starboard doesn't scrimp on space.

While there are bunk options, this boat had a double bed, a handy hanging locker, drawer and cupboard. Two portholes and an overhead hatch supply natural ventilation, while reading lights are at the ready if you can keep awake.

Opposite to port, behind a sliding door that could be improved for privacy, is the moulded head. The vanity includes cupboards top and bottom and a mirror.

The full-sized shower stall has a moulded seat, portholes and a hatch, but no extractor fan for fresh air. The loo is a good Lectra/San model and the groovy bathroom fittings are by Grohe and other trendy Italian firms.

A lot more private, the owners' lodgings in the bow are beyond a small foyer area with a compact hanging locker. Beyond the mirror-backed door is an island double bed surrounded by lots of lockers, shelves and twin reading lights.

A heap of room exists below the bed for storage - or for a bow thruster - while a blue-and-gold mattress cover, cream bedspreads and timber joinery creates a salty atmosphere. You can order something other than the oak bed surrounds and mahogany trim, as the finish is to personal tastes.

PASSAGE TO NOWHERE
I barely scraped the surface of the Classic 47's potential, cruising down the mighty Coomera River, up the Broadwater, down to Southport, through the Seaway out to the 25 fathom line and then back inshore.

But what I can report from my passage to nowhere is a helm set-up that would be comfortable on long voyages. To port behind the windscreen is a lovely timber ship's wheel and a leather benchseat. The wheel is at such a height that you can use your toes, should you prefer, to drive.

There are two Yanmar engine gauge panels, a Furuno autopilot, Furuno 7in GPS plotter/sounder recessed in a timber case, Icom VHF radio, Maxwell windlass remote, Clarion CD stacker, Ritchie compass, as well as fuel, water, engine temp and oil pressure gauges. Plus a switch panel.

Full marks for the Morse single-level controls and for the performance that they, the Yanmar motors and the slick hull combine to deliver. The boat rises to plane in one smooth movement. And don't think this is a go-slow chugger.

I wrote “bloody fast” in my notepad in response to the mid-20kt top speed and the 18kt cruise that I held about the shallow, sandy channels that mark the Broadwater.

Before long, the trepidation attached to driving a new boat faded. Heck, I could have kept going north through Moreton Bay to Harvey Bay and onwards and outwards to the Swains at the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef.

Leaving 10% in reserve, the boat has a theoretical cruising range at 15kt, while consuming around 30lt/h, of 1350nm, or 90 hours running. This is a bloody long way and a long time planing, alright.

Off the Gold Coast, the boat felt stable at rest, quite unlike the old round-bilge cruisers. I would have wet a line had there been one aboard.

The boat's fine bow did a terrific job of splitting the waves both offshore and on the way back home. No alarming broaching on the bar, either.

With a boatload of charm, style, efficiency and enduring practicality, the Classic 47 will find a home in Australia and very possibly abroad. And it's nice to know I'll have change left over if I do win Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?