Riviera 290

If one of the first signs of old age is vagueness, then old age is setting in. You see, I forgot to pack a notebook with my nautical gear when I left for this test drive. Worse, the notebook I borrowed from the marina office has also disappeared into a dark hole. I can't remember when such a calamity last happened. Must be old age.

They say another sign is a softening of the bones. Where I once had a cavalier attitude to driving boats, these days I prefer to go in comfort. Fast is fine, but harsh and jarring is not. I don't seem to bounce back from the body blows like I did 10 years ago. That much, I can remember.

But neither of these things are particularly relevant to the Mariner 290. This is an unforgettable boat, an express cruiser that stirs the senses and livens the mind. Indeed, I have been looking forward to telling this good news story since the day I was aboard.

The Mariner 290 has plenty of get-up-and-go and quite sleek lines. It is a well-proportioned boat that will appeal to everyone from the young at heart to the family man and, well, retiring couples. The ride is so soft - I can't recall one bump along the way - that you won't slip a disc or scare mum and the kids.

Enjoying life, I spent almost as much time behind the wheel and laying about the interior as I did looking for my long-lost notepad. This, let me assure you, is the sign of a good boat. As I said, the Mariner 290 captures the imagination.

DESIGN LINES
A big difference between this mid-sized sportscruiser and those from a lot of foreign and local stables is the ride. While the lion's share of sportscruisers are high-volume boats, the Mariner 290 is not too full up front.

The reason for a full bow is, of course, to provide space for a double berth. Well, the Mariner 290 has a very comfortable double nestled in its bow, but below the waterline it is sharp, not blunt. Result? No bangs, no spray - a ride unlike some mainstream sportscruisers.

Made by the Riviera Marine Group on the Gold Coast, the Mariner 290 has a hull derived from the Wellcraft 2800 Martinique. In a trans-Pacific deal, the Mariner line-up is now exported to the US and rebadged as Wellcraft.

For Riviera, its coveted convertible flybridge cruisers account for most export sales. The Mariner boats borrow the fine build-quality and styling that is associated with Rivieras. Thus the 290 is very much a Riviera down below.

On the surface, meanwhile, you will find fair mouldings, a top US-made windscreen and an interior that has the gloss and craftsmanship expected in much bigger boats. Headliners, joinery, custom-cut bedspreads, decks and hatches - all of it fits like a glove.

Yet for all its production values the Mariner 290 does not feel like a mass-produced boat. There is a degree of individualism thanks to designer decorator packs that offer options for bedspreads, cushions, bathware, linen and suchlike. There is also light beech timber joinery down below, not time-worn teak.

ENGINEERING DETAILS
On the water, the Mariner 290 feels remarkably stiff. Construction is as per all the Mariners and Rivieras: a hand-laid glass hull is bonded and through-bolted to a foam-cored deck, with a series of transverse and longitudinal fibreglass bearers for rigidity.

Compared with the Mariners of old, very little timber is used in the construction. The interior flaunts the pretty curves peculiar to fully-moulded liners and a moulded floor is glued and screwed to the hull.

There is a watertight bulkhead forward of the engineroom and a collision bulkhead in the bow. The final product is backed by a five-year hull warranty.

The Mariner 290 has ball valves and double hose clamps on all sub-surface through-hull fittings, an auto bilge pump in the engineroom and forward sub-floor compartment, carbon monoxide detector, and coded and numbered wiring with a proper electrical panel, including circuit-breakers for the boat's 12V and 240V systems.

A shorepower connection and lead is built in. Hot water comes via a heat exchanger that feeds off the MerCruiser motor(s), there is an invertor for the standard-issue microwave oven, around 200lt of fresh water (enough for a weekend) and 400lt of fuel linked to a cockpit shut-off. A 20amp battery charger with separate engine starter should keep you going.

Many of these things are not standard in other sportscruisers. But wait, there's more. You get anchoring hardware, docking lines, fenders and a boat hook, plus a Mariner Club kit and, as the number of Mariner owners grows, invitations to weekend rallies and owners' workshops are on the cards.

The deck gear isn't dicky, but solid and stylish. It includes a one-piece stainless bowrail, nice Euro-style circular hatches, electric anchor winch, swim platform with ladder, transom lockers, fender storage, a hot and cold transom shower and an opening windscreen for accessing the foredeck.

OUTDOOR LIVING
The sunroom of any sportscruiser is, of course, the cockpit. The Mariner 290 has an aft lounge for three people to sit in the sun, a two-person lounge behind the helmseat, facing back down the wake, from where the standard-issue bimini can be spread off the targa for shade. There is a small seat for the co-pilot and a two-person helmseat.

All up, the cockpit can comfortably seat six people. A moulded amenities centre to port - with a wetbar, sink, hot and cold water, possible food-prep space and optional fridge - will keep everyone fed. There is no shortage of storage hatches and under-lounge lockers, cockpit lighting, plus two speakers in the targa and another two in the cockpit, courtesy of an audio upgrade.

Remove the carpet and lift a large floor panel, a task made easy thanks to a gas-assisted strut, to find the MerCruiser motor(s). While the boat comes standard with one 300hp MAG MPI Horizon motor with a Bravo II leg, all the Mariner 290s sold in Sydney have had twin engine installations for cruising safety. Still, there is plenty of servicing room in the engine bay.

A moulded footrest is provided in front of the captain, along with a moulded beige dash with mock-burl dash panel. It was fitted with engine gauges, compass, numerical depth sounder, stereo remote control and VHF radio.

Backlit switch panels beneath the timber sportswheel operate everything from the wiper to the anchor winch. A GPS for coastal navigation is the only aftermarket extra needed.

WATERFRONT APARTMENT
The Mariner 290 offers scaled-down, apartment-like living. The open-plan interior has headroom throughout. The only tight spot I could find was the access to the aft or mid cabin, as the opening beside the stairs leading from the cockpit isn't huge, but once inside there's enough room for an adult couple to sleep.

More likely, the kids will bunk down in the aft cabin. After all, the double bed in the bow, which runs crossways, is a beauty. I had to drag myself away after deeming it a perfect perch for doing overnighters, if not romantic weekends.

The twin leather lounges set around the small dinette can be converted into an impromptu double should the need arise, thereby boosting the boat's sleeping capacity to six. Due to the open-plan layout, the boat is best sleeping a close family of four or, even better, a couple.

Once again, the head is the kind of bathroom you expect in a much bigger boat. Able to cope with a Chardonnay-sipping Sunday crowd, the big moulded unit to port comes with a Vacuflush loo and holding tank, moulded Granicoat vanity and sink and a practical handheld hot-water shower.

Lots of light beech timber and a sand-coloured Granicoat benchtop mark the galley. It is more Euro than US in styling, with a basic metho/electric cooktop, microwave oven, 12/240V fridge and garbage bin. There are sufficient cupboards for storing crockery, cutlery and basic cooking utensils. Pantry space is boosted by the cupboards opposite the galley.

There are drawers for your clobber under the double berth in the bow and the boat has a hanging locker. If you really can't live without a television, you will find room for one somewhere.

Whether as a result of judicious predelivery or not, this Mariner 290 was very well put together. All the soft-touch headliner panels butt up neatly, and I found no rough-cut edges or lacquer drips on joinery after a thorough search with a critic's eye.

CRUISING BLUES
With twin MerCruiser 4.3L EFI 210hp petrol motors and Bravo 2 legs, which spin a big prop and gearbox for extra bite, the Mariner 290 is a snap to park. Given a half-day of practice, most greenhorns would have the parking side of the equation nutted out.

Ease of handling, and the fact that this boat is better equipped than some sportscruisers costing twice the price, are two reasons why new 'big-boat buyers' will warm to the Mariner 290. But a more pressing argument comes after you leave the no-wash zone and plant the throttles.

With some leg-in trim, the Mariner 290 exhibits quite good hole shot, with just a little lifting of the bow. From low cruise to mid-20kt, even high-30kt, the boat doesn't change character. Despite skipping along at a greater rate of knots, it remains delightfully soft riding.

I cleaved my way across boat wake and bay chop in a most convincing manner. There was no jarring and no curtain of spray blown back aboard, either. Coupled with a deep forefoot, the boat gave the impression it would be comfortable offshore.

I can tell you, without prejudice or cash for comment, that the Mariner 290 heads my own personal 'boats of the year' list. After all, there's not a lot you can't do in this handy single or twin-screw sportscruiser. And the price isn't half bad at around $177,000 as tested.

Anything from a spot of casual fishing to lunch at anchor, a passage to a nearby port or a quick blatt about the bay and weekends away, is on the cards for young couples, families and retirees.

While sportscruisers seem to be a dime a dozen these days, this Australian-made model is a real beauty. A compliant boat, the Mariner 290 will appeal to all age-brackets and leave lasting impressions. Now, where did I put those boat keys?

HIGHS

LOWS