Nordicstar 32 Cruiser

Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine testing a boat built by a Wilhelmsen family company. That's the same Norwegian dynasty that owns 10 per cent of the shipping line Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics. Ironically, one of its ships, belonging to a fleet that includes the Tampa, was negotiating a berth in Sydney Harbour as I slipped past in this very different kind of pleasure boat.

A new boat brand, Nordicstar is imported here by Wiltrading, the Australian branch of Wilh Wilhelmsen Investments, a 100 per cent Wilhelmsen-family-owned entity. Here, the company is big on safety gear, and it imports Hamilton jet drives, but recently it also expressed its ambitions to move into the pleasure boat market. But not, as you might think, the world boat market.

The Norwegian company decided to challenge the pleasure boat market in Europe first, so it took a Dutch designer and modified an existing Norwegian boat. The resulting picnic boat, weekender or classic cruiser, has comely lines and plenty of teak and stainless steel accents that add considerably to the eye candy.

The next decision was on how to build the new Nordicstar pleasure boats competitively. To this end, a new boatbuilding company, FiveStar Marine, was created in Shanghai. That was 18 months ago. That yard now employs 160 people and had shifted about 28 pleasure boats at the time of writing. There are also plans to do something with a shipyard in China.

Meantime, the Nordicstar pleasure boat line-up is quite restrained, with just four models: a 32 Cruiser with or without a hardtop, and a 33, one a Sportsman or launch with a centre console, the other a runabout. To date, 90 per cent of production has been sold to Norwegian boaters, but two more Nordicstars are bound for Australia following the 32 Cruiser tested here.

All the Nordicstar boats are classically styled, with tumblehome, a nice, raised sheerline, angled transom, and centre-mounted inboard diesel motors with a shaftdrive and prop-protecting deadwood keel. The hull also appears to have a half-tunnel to lower the shaft angle.

 Ideal for cruising in style, picnics aboard, a swim and a dash back home, the Nordicstars are pitched at modern day boaties on big city waterways who do these very things but not much more. As the Nordicstar motto says: classic boating. The retro 50s to 60s look is very much in vogue, too.

BUILD QUALITY
My research reveals honest construction, with solid GRP and E-Glass for the running surfaces on the hard-chine hulls and foam-cored decks and hull sides, as you might expect on a European boat, if only for insulation. The overall mouldings were fair and this particular Nordicstar 32 Cruiser was finished in optional navy-blue two-pack paint.

As with many centre-mounted engine installations on picnic boats, especially those with enclosed cabins, I expected this to be a tad noisy.

On the contrary, the bimini top and clears and open aft enclosure let the engine noise escape. What's more, the engine hatch was so damn heavy it, and some additional sound insulation, helped keep running noise at bay. But, really, a gas strut is needed here.

With the engine lid propped open I checked the primary servicing items on the Yanmar 6LYA-STP, an upgraded 370hp straight-six diesel motor over the standard 315hp model. Local agents say the bigger motor gives a few extra knots, but it's questionable whether this boat needs them. About 20kts is a picnic boat's perfect speed.

The dipstick, fuel filter and coolant reservoir were all easily accessed. And thank heavens for the manual priming pump on the side of the Yanmar. The fuel gauge on this boat wasn't calibrated – we ran out of juice mid-harbour and had to get diesel shipped over. Priming was a matter of pumping and turning the ignition key. Eventually, I got it started and we were back underway.

A second hatch aft reveals access to the dripless shaft seal and running gear, though the sea strainer is a bit tricky to reach. Forward of the engine room is another bilge area, before you set foot into the cabin.

STROLLING THE DECKS
The Nordicstar 32 Cruiser had a deep and welcoming boarding platform, right down at water level, with a swim ladder and shower, and centre walkway leading into the cockpit. Steps lead up to the teak sidedecks, which range forward of the cabin to the swooping foredeck, which helps keep the water at bay.

You will also notice as you walk the decks that there are teak hand and toerails, integrated fairleads, pad-eyes and pop-up cleats for tying fenders during social raft-ups. And the boat feels stable underfoot. A Maxwell windlass was provided, along with fore and aft flagstaffs for flying the club or champagne burgee.

As with all good picnic boats, there were cruising seats and an outdoor lunch setting for six in the cockpit, which has a good amount of freeboard for reassuring friends and young families. The boat needed an Italian awning or boom tent over the cockpit to provide shade in summer, but the big engine box 'table' will better serve you for those buffet lunches.

The navigator and skipper have pedestal seats on decent Springfield bases, which were protected under the bimini top and behind the supplied clear curtains and safety-glass windscreen with wipers. When at rest, before the repast is presented, the engine box top serves as an impromptu seat for doing casual drinks.

Storage is plentiful in its lazarette and especially under its moulded cockpit lounges, and in various built-in lockers. I found lockers for stowing shoes, others designed to hold the picnic crockery and cutlery, and others that serve as a pantry and wet locker, and all with (varnished) teak slats for ventilation.

Amenities include a pull-out paraffin cooktop, which is like an alcohol cooker, so you can boil a billy or heat some hollandaise for the lobsters. The boat also came with a cockpit fridge, moulded sink and cold water linked to a 100lt water supply in a stainless steel tank mounted amidships on the centreline. The holding tank is a modest 40lt. The 250lt of fuel is carried in a wing tank outboard of the motor.

QUAINT CABIN
There's a traditional feel in the cabin, which has a vee berth and the scope for an infill to create a double bed. If not for nanna naps, it could be handy for the occasional overnighter. An LCD television will keep the kiddies quiet.

 Teak flooring and timber trim added to the quaintness of the cabin, with moulded liners that assist with maintenance. Though there isn't full head room, you can sit in comfort alongside the teak cabinet with bottle locker and bar fridge. Break out the smoked salmon and Schnapps.

The boat has a simple AC/DC panel, shorepower, and a Tankwatch gauge. A hatch and portlights provide fresh air and ventilation, including to the enclosed head to port, which has an electric loo, moulded sink and hot and cold water. There is additional dry storage in the lockup cabin.

CRUISE CONTROL
A wonderful timber and stainless steel-framed windscreen, with built-in handholds, adds to the classic look of the Nordicstar 32 Cruiser, while providing protection at the helm.

I noted in-dash drinkholders and a glovebox, an optional bowthruster, trim tabs, water and fuel gauges, rudder indicator, Raymarine ST40 Biodata, VHF marine radio, anchor winch control, Yanmar engine gauges, and Hydrive hydraulic steering. Though the boat walks to port due to its single screw, the bowthruster lets you park with aplomb and decamp just as easily.

Compared to some lighter composite picnic boats I have driven before, the Nordicstar felt quite heavy, robust, and determined. It wasn't rocked by the ferry wake or that from the tugs pulling alongside one of its sisterships. Ship being the operative word.

With the trim tabs set at three quarters the boat planed at 12.8kts at 1600rpm, but the turbo kicked in about 2000rpm, where the boat fairly flew at 18.6kts. It is fast, but not too fast, comfortable and quiet, and has good off the wheel steering thanks to the keel.

At 2300rpm the Nordicstar 32 continued smoothly and not too noisily. It continued this way at 25.2kts at 2500rpm. The top speed of 28kts at 2800rpm points to a fast picnic boat – more your lunchboat to go.

The boat should appeal to ex-yachties, cruising aficionados, and those aesthetes who want something to complement their waterfront home and fetching boatshed. As Ole-Thomas Joergensen, the Norwegian MD for Wilh Wilhelmsen Investments in Australia told me: "In Norway, this is how a classic and pretty boat looks. We don't care too much for the sportscruisers."

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