Princess 67

We had been lost at sea and had lost all sense of time. Suddenly, we found ourselves steaming home in the waning light, redolent of bait and looking rather hirsute. Meantime, the Princess dealer was preparing for a sharp shindig on the decks of his swanky new Rose Bay offices. There was nothing to do but grab a nearby mooring, duck under the shower for a shave, don some decent clobber, which was swinging in our hanging lockers, launch the RIB and arrive by water.

But the star of the night, the dazzling new Princess 67, stole our limelight. All eyes focused on that pretty boat when it slinked into view like a celebrity at a red-carpet do. We both looked through the saloon windows with a good deal of Princess envy. The lines of the new P67 have been tweaked very cleverly to lean more towards its contemporary European competitors and in my opinion this is the snappiest P Series Princess to leave the English factory yet.

Among the clique at the function were current Princess P65 owners and would-be's who were very much in the market. After some largesse, the doors were thrown open to the star of the show. I overheard one owner say the interior was too spartan, but the boat was fresh off the ship and not yet dressed with scatter cushions, fruit bowls, champagne bottles in buckets and suchlike.

But even with the usual décor and soft-furnishing touches the new P67 is a lot less fussy than the P65, which it supersedes. While it mightn't appeal to everyone, especially alumni of the old school who prefer a palatial theme, the boat might just attract new blood to the big-boat fold. There is little by way of burlwood and chrome trim, less of the old gentleman's club or English castle, and more clean interior lines somewhat reminiscent of a modern apartment.

LOFTY ABODE
Physically, the new boat is wider, heavier and of much greater volume than the P65. This is evidenced by the full walkaround decks with bulwarks that all cruising owners ought to like. The swim platform is also oversized and instead of two cranes there was just one Opacmare 400kg-lift model on the flybridge that serves upper and lower decks. The added benefit of this is much larger crew quarters with side-by-side bunks and a separate shower stall. At worst, the grandkids will love you for it.

Except for the crew quarters, the P67 is a three-cabin boat against the four-cabin layout of P65. But that fourth cabin was really only a utility room with laundry and maid's quarters. With more room to play with and less cabins, the new P67's master stateroom amidships has a huge double bed on the centreline instead of being offset. It's a massive suite, with superyacht-style oval picture windows, some of which you can open for an airing of the satin sheets. Guests are treated to a huge VIP cabin in the bow that in many ways is no less luxurious and private.

The changes to the galley, which been raised to saloon level, play right into our hands. Australians love to entertain and now, at last, we can prepare lunch on our Princess while engaging our guests, taking in the views or talking to the skipper driving nearby at the lower helm. There's even a switch that turns the electrostatic windows flanking the galley from transparent to opaque so the skipper at the lower helm can see astern. Cool.

THE ROAD LESS TRAVELLED
The owners of this boat, who upgraded from a P60 that they had for more than seven years, employ a professional skipper. However, from what Capt John Sinclair says there are no more adventurous boaters about the Whitsundays than this intrepid pair. I'm told they clocked up 130 days on the water there last year and they aren't the type to be stuck to the marina.

 Instead, the owners like remote anchorages and spending a week aboard at a time, which is why they were fitting an optional desalinator to supplement the boat's excellent 836lt filtered water supply. The holding tank is a useful 273lt and empties at the flick of a switch. The owners intend to cruise to the Whitsundays and further north to Lizard Island.

When not staying in a guest's cabin, the skipper has aft crew quarters that aren't too shabby.

The skipper was charged with fitting a pile of extra gear to this boat, including Raymarine E120 linked to closed-circuit cameras, chain counter, and LCD TVs with DVD players in the guests' cabins.

An Avon jet tender was going to be tied down in a cradle on the aft section of the flybridge, with a part-time cradle on the boarding platform for those occasions when it's too rough to bring the RIB aboard. The skipper said they would probably fit Globalstar satellite communications for phone and television and a CDMA phone for high-speed wireless internet connections.

ENGINEERING MARVEL
Hull construction is solid GRP, with a bonded girder-stiffening system, and balsa and foam-cored sandwich construction for the top sides and deck. Most of the weight is therefore kept low in the boat. The huge lazarette between crew quarters and engine room, which provides valuable storage space, also harbours the boat's 17kVA generator and the main circuit breakers, plus battery chargers.

The engine room easily accommodates the fully electronic straight-six Caterpillar engines, with the oil-change pump to be fitted. I noted huge glass bowls on the sea strainers, fuel filters with redundant filter sets alongside and coolant bottles all at eye level.

The four interconnected aluminium fuel tanks, giving an impressive 4090lt capacity, were forward where they have the least bearing on trim. The skipper was fitting a transfer pump because the owners often run the generator for a week and it draws from one tank, which can create a list.

The boat has automatic ventilating fans in the engine room, air-con units stacked outboard, and wet exhausts with underwater outlets. You can see the extent of the tunnels near the dripless shaft seals. The shafts themselves look to be survey standard. All in all, I thought the engine room was very obliging for a skipper charged with maintaining this boat.

MINI SHIP
Fresh off the ship and straight to the Sydney International Boat Show, the P67 arrived for testing loaded with sales paraphernalia. It didn't appear difficult to park, however, thanks to an 11hp bowthruster, optional sternthrusters, and electronic shifts with low idle mode. However, the skipper was going to fit a remote parking throttle so he could roam the broad decks and park the boat virtually single-handedly.

As with most European motoryachts, the P67 has stern capstans, big fairleads and horn cleats, dedicated rope and fender lockers. Moulded steps lead to the shiplike walkaround decks with bulwarks and what appear to be survey-height rails. Together, they create a perfectly safe deck for kiddies. However, there are no side gates for amidships access to the boat.

The P67 has a sunpad on the bow that launched itself during testing, but I'm told tracks were to be installed. There are drinkholders alongside, thereby creating an additional entertaining space, and big grabsrails when you are heading up from the cockpit.

I also found a self-stow stainless-steel anchor, giant horn cleats on the bow, and both raw- and freshwater deckwashes. Back aft, twin transom doors lead to the boarding platform, with fold-away swim ladder and hot/cold deck shower.

Bow to stern, the new 67 is a real entertainer. The broad teak-topped cockpit has a built-in lounge across the transom that can seat up to six people and fixed table that converts to a coffee table. Think long lunches, dinners with views and intimate breakfasts. Storage is dotted about the deck in various lockers, one of which has external fuel shutoffs.

ALL-WEATHER DRIVE
The boat's dual helm stations - one with reverse-cycle air-con and the other with natural ventilation - create a boat in which you can confidently cruise the coast during the day and night, in fair and foul weather. Access to the bridge is by either the internal stairs or moulded staircase in the cockpit.

The central helm in the bridge, with adjustable wheel and twin helm seats, affords great visibility over the bow. There's a handy storage bin for personals nearby and a chart-reading area to augment the electronic chart plotter and repeater electronics to be mounted on the dash.

A big lounge along the starboard side can seat up to a dozen people, with half that many around the dinette that converts to daybed. Amenities include a hot-rock electric barbecue and a sink, but I couldn't find a fridge on the bridge.

Indoors, the starboard helm is set behind electrostatic glass panes separating the galley that, when switched to transparent, let the driver see back aft. A door from the lower helm leads to the sidedeck to further assist with parking.

The twin electrically adjustable leather helm seats are mounted in a compact space behind a clear windscreen, with wipers and washers, that's reminiscent of an aircraft's cockpit. The helm has a co-pilot's chart table, 24V/240V switch and breaker panels nearby, coded wiring, and lighting and bilge pump plans on the dash.

The analogue gauges on burlwood panels are backed by twin Caterpillar engine-monitoring panels, Raymarine electronics and electronic shifts. All good stuff.

INDOOR DESIGNS
When you enter the saloon through the wide stainless-steel door you will notice contemporary new styling for Princess derived from low-profile club sofas, clean angular lines, and modest finishes. I thought the sense of headroom was excellent throughout compared with some competitors' boats.

Furnishings were high-gloss cherrywood joinery, camel-coloured super-soft Ultraleather upholstery, big windows with Roman blinds, white Alcantara liners, and straw-coloured carpets. Look closer and you might see the leather trim under the galley counters and around the handrails leading down to the accommodation.

Immediately to port is a glass cabinet holding the supplied Edinburgh crystal glasses. Nearby is a two-person settee, alongside the big flatscreen television hooked to a Bose Lifestyle system, which faces back to a U-shaped lounge to starboard big enough for eight people. There's also a drinks fridge and spiral stairs to the bridge to port.

The starboard galley caters for the Australian way of life. I found Avonite counters, a timber floor, a big sink, four-burner hob with rangehood, and a convection microwave oven. A domestic-sized 199lt fridge and three-drawer 71lt freezer cater for weeks away. The specifications mention an icemaker and dishwasher, too.

My notes talk about plenty of storage space, dedicated crockery cupboards for the supplied setting, supplied cutlery, and lockers big enough to stow appliances.

The views while preparing meals are great and the electrostatic glass allows you to cook either in privacy or in full view of your guests.

Formal meals are best served on the dinette and U-shaped lounge to port within arm's reach of the galley from where the picture windows really frame the views. With the supplied occasional stools you can do dinner with four to six.

FIVE-STAR CABINS
A wide companionway leads down to a foyer, where I found a separate Bosch washer and dryer, rechargeable vacuum cleaner, and a huge linen press, plus a communal head handily located immediately to port that also serves the second guest cabin alongside. This cabin has twin single berths and a big hanging locker, with classy motel-like soft furnishings such as manmade suede liners and quilted bedspreads.

All three heads have vacuflush loos, Avonite counters, mirrors, extractor fans and separate shower stalls, though the communal head had one of those circular shower screens where as the VIP guest head and the owners head get permanent and much larger shower stalls. Yet you could in no way feel cheated.

 Lay claim to the VIP guest suite in the bow if you can. It boasts a huge amount of floor space at the foot of an island double bed, a double-width hanging locker, drawers, a dressing table, full-length mirror, port lights, a big hatch, and cocoa-coloured leather-like surrounds on the walls. The ensuite is no less luxurious.

The pièce de résistance is the beguiling owner's stateroom amidships. The cabin reeks of the luxury you would expect to find in a superyacht of much greater length. Headroom is a high point, there's a central bed flanked by a two-seater settee, a desk and dresser and a great ensuite. Several of the oval portlights open to let the tropical air waft inside at night. The walk-in wardrobe is just like home only bigger. Needless to say, there are separate sound and entertainment systems.

The towels, some tools and a first-aid kit come with what is, especially after the final fitout, a very complete luxury coastal cruising boat with every detail included, including skipper. However, such were the docking aids, that experienced boaters might command this craft themselves. Maintenance is another matter.

OCEANS APART
On the water, I saw all the signs of another great Princess - the Bernard Oelinski-designed deep-vee hull travels typically flat and dry. With twin Caterpillar C18s, the boat glides effortlessly to planing speeds. Even with strong cross winds it is dry, with the displaced water being pushed down and to the sides. This contrasted with the 50-something footer being tested on the same day. So no matter what people may tell you, these Oelinski hulls with tunnels really do work.

The twin electronic 1014hp Caterpillars gave a top speed in the order of 31–32kt, yet the next P67 will carry twin 1200hp MTUs for an expected 35kt top speed. However, with mid-to-high 20kt cruise speeds this is a fast 35,000-plus kilo motoryacht by any measure.

It's not only fast, it's also very smooth. I felt really comfortable travelling at sea aboard the new P67 and I think I looked pretty good, too. At 1800rpm we were doing 20.7kt, using 318lt in total, for a theoretical safe cruising range of about 250nm. Only marginally greater fuel consumption of 364lt/h returned a 25kt cruise speed.

Top speed at 2250rpm was 30kt on the day, but even sauntering past at slow speed the boat looks suave and sophisticated. Back aboard our boat it stopped me in my tracks as it slid past our transom. My favourite Princess yet.

HIGHS

LOWS