Scanyacht 391

When your superannuation comes home to roost, long after the kids have flown the nest, when you're no longer chained to the mahogany desk, washing machine and lawn mower, that is when this Swedish yacht will make more sense than kronor.

The Scanyacht 391 has luxuries worth waiting for. You can sail short-handed, sail with a beer in one hand, sail using a remote autopilot as you change the CD below, and sail into a tight marina berth with your eyes closed. Well, almost.

The yacht's importer, Peter Hrones from Windcraft, says Swedish engineering, driver friendliness, accessible performance and Scandinavian craftsmanship are the attractions of the 391. And, of all people, he should know Fresh from a five-year stint playing boat jockey in the Mediterranean, Hrones has driven many European yachts before. He first came across the Scanyacht in the UK and during delivery trips discovered that not only do they sail really well, but they are also wonderful down below.

While Hrones concedes that doing tapas by candlelight at a friendly waterfront cafe in Spain might just colour one's judgement, I found the Scanyacht 391 totally at home on our seas.

And the yacht is no more difficult to command than an overgrown dinghy, leaving you to enjoy the sailing without worrying about crew or wrestling with sails.

Even while inside Pittwater, I found myself delighting in the sail on this no-fuss 39-footer. Classic in appearance but modern in principle, it felt solid as we headed out through a fair chop into the wilds of the Pacific.

THE LONG HAUL
The hull is foam-filled, the mast keel-stepped, and the fractional rig with swept-back spreaders looks like it won't budge in a big blow. Deck gear is all Lewmar, the winches are those stainless steel to-die-for Anderson models from Denmark, and all the lines lead aft to the cockpit where they are at your fingertips.

While there is a high-cut furling headsail, the yacht points just fine. In that headsail are stainless batons that retract when furled, much like a tape measure. So you tend to get a good shape on the sails, though future Scanyachts will be fitted with local cloth that is lighter.

Sleek and comparatively narrow on the waterline, the 6600kg hull has a stable 39% ballast ratio. It comes with an optional dolphin-bulb keel with just 1.65m of draft and added impact resistance in the unlikely event that you kiss the reef. But the standard fin-bulb will do most cruising types.

While the boat's 3.6m beam is comparatively narrow by production-yacht standards, the 391 moves in a slippery, sly, almost imperceptible manner. In club races, it has been pulling away from J40s and Sigma 38s, says Hrones, adding that it is primarily a serious, fast cruising yacht.

BUILT WITH PRIDE
Unlike a lot of production yachts there is only one model in Scanyacht's range. The way the 391 is put together is interesting - the hull is laid up by a glassing factory called Skrovbyggarna in Scandinavia, using solid glass down the centreline and an insulating fibreglass-covered foam core elsewhere.

Bulkheads are fully glassed in, as are the extra heavy-duty chainplates supporting the rigging for the 57ft (17.37m) mast. A different factory then assembles the precision joinery using an impressive honeycomb-stained mahogany wood, which is laminated over foam on the cabin doors to help reduce weight. Baring bolting on the keel and mast, the Scanyacht is now ready for shipping, which is how the first 391 arrived here.

Apparently, the only problem with all this is that these boats take a long time to build. Scanyacht makes around 40 boats a year, choosing to constantly refine the 391 model rather than churn out a big range. However, there is a pilothouse version to rival the Buizen 40 on its way.

"Our aim here is to build a class of 391s," Hrones says. "The handling is the big thing, thanks largely to a self-tacking jib. The people who are interested in this yacht are sick of finding crew and just want to go out with their partner.

"You can sail this with a beer in one hand and just tack by bringing the wheel around. So, you might say we're made for the owner's market. You wait, you will soon get a passion for steering this yacht," he promises.

CLASSY SAILING
Naturally, the Scanyacht 391 inspires comparisons with those other great Swedish marques, Volvo and SAAB. Safe and sound, made for driving pleasure, the yacht is ideal for short-handed sailing at short notice, whether you are short on experience or not.

In fact, the 391 seems content to sail itself to 7kt in the 12kt of autumn wind on Pittwater.

Coupled with the mobility of the 40hp (upgraded from the usual 27hp) Volvo saildrive auxiliary, this is the kind of ready-made performance that might convert curious power-boaters to the world of gybes, jibs and canvas.

Should you decide to invite lots of guests aboard, the yacht's easy nature will allow you to sail places and entertain at the same time. In fact, while moseying along the estuary, I found myself getting pleasure from the wheel and the bigger picture unfolding around me.

I spotted a colony of fairy penguins bobbing like wooden ducks, noted terns diving into schools of little fish, and watched the mellow rays of sunlight bouncing off the sandstone at West Head. And all this while steering with one hand.

SCAN HANDIWORK
Meanwhile, down below is an interior boasting the kind of handiwork one comes to expect from the Scans. There is a surfeit of lightly-stained mahogany panelling which, coupled with denim-coloured lounges and upholstery, imparts a sense of timeless chic.

The joinery is truly precision stuff, the boat's many cabinets fitting like a glove, while headroom ranges from 175-185cm in the saloon. Along with a giant aft cabin and one head, the boat is laid out with a sense of roominess that you will easily get used to.

Once down the companionway stairs, there is a big navigation station to starboard alongside a walk-through head which can be accessed through either the aft cabin or the saloon. While it isn't as big as some yacht's heads, the 391 makes up for it with a voluminous master cabin.

Accessed down a portside companionway, the aft cabin is essentially a giant den dominated by a king-sized bed. There are hanging lockers, classy wooden cupboards and drawers for clothes, and even a shoe locker. Still, the big bed beckons the loudest.

Opposite the navigation station on the portside is an L-shaped galley with a tone somewhat reminiscent of a Swiss ski-lodge, where lots of wondrous wood dominates but not at the expense of pragmatism.

I liked the handmade drawers which can't come hurtling out in a seaway, the cutting boards, the fold-out wooden towel racks, the factory-fitted garbage bin, the big pantry, and all the cupboards to stash condiments.

Plus there were fiddle rails around the benchtops so things won't get airborne mid-recipe, along with deep twin stainless sinks, an optional fridge, a gas two-burner stove/oven, and lots of grog storage nearby.

The saloon is conventional with twin lounges surrounding a big sturdy dinette which hasfolding wooden leaves held up with ingenious spring-loaded supports.

Behind the lounges are lots of cupboards and book lockers, while beneath the deeply padded cushions hides still more storage. Underfloor you can access all the seacocks for the plumbing, while the cabin top and most vertical surfaces are fitted with grabrails.

The forepeak cabin has a big vee berth yet it still has room for hanging lockers and clothes' storage. There are plenty of hatches for fresh air throughout the interior, while Danish halogen downlights create an up-market feel at night.

DISCERNING BY NATURE
Unlike other yachts that are made for sardine-sailing around the cans, the Scanyacht offers a couple a far greater amount of comfort. And with the Whitlock pinion steering, the yacht is a joy to drive.

Doing 7kt, it seemed content to sail off into the sunset, maybe for a tapas bar somewhere. Darn it, Hrones was right all along.

They did have to drag me away from the helm, after parking the yacht slickly back in its berth, eyes closed, with a beer in my hand, as the CD played down below. Now all I need is my superannuation to come good.