Sunrunner 3700

If you've ever been on a Christmas cruise with your colleagues, you will know how quickly things can degenerate. One, two, three and suddenly you are under the weather. Somewhat wiser for it, I sallied forth on a much smarter boat with a sage crew, searching for Christmas cheer.

At the bottleneck under the Coathanger, where stone retaining walls have a knack of bouncing boat wash back at you, the sea was rough enough to sink a small ship... or send an under the weather reveller heaving over the gunwales.

It was the silly season, so there was no end to the ferries and catamarans filled with vociferous merrymakers, no end to the stream of waves and barely enough room on Sydney Harbour to cope with the melee.

This was as good a test of the new Sunrunner 3700 as you will find anywhere. After all, it is exactly the kind of craft on which you might stage a harbour cruise with friends, family or, dare I say it, colleagues hellbent on having a good time.

Following hot on the heels of the 3400 released last year, the new 37-footer is different in a most significant way. Like its sistership, it is an upmarket sportscruiser with accommodation for four in two cabins, a full-sized head with shower, a serious galley and predominantly European fittings.

But unlike the Sunrunner 3400, the new 37-footer has twin diesel shaftdrives. While the 3700 with diesel motors costs $60,000 more than the 3400 with petrol sterndrives, the peace of mind that comes with low maintenance will appeal to savvy boat buyers.

And, just as importantly, the 3700 performs like a sportscruiser. With the top of the line twin Yanmar 315hp motors, the Sunrunner 3700 had a handy amount of hole shot, so we could high-tail it away from the charterboats. When the turbos kick in, you are humming at more than 36kt in no time.

I could have kept clear of the melee under the Harbour Bridge, but instead used the bottleneck as a test bed for the boat's ride, spray dispersion and manoeuvrability. With so many boatloads celebrating, you really did need manoeuvrability and good vision from the helm.

MOULDING SUPREMACY
As with any boat, the ride relates to the hull and, importantly, its construction. As with the 34-footer, solid fibreglass exists below the waterline, while foam-cored composite decks are above it.

Also, there is no timber in the structure. Once again, I found no token pieces of ply screwed over voids in the mould like some imported boats, no little add-ons or afterthoughts (in fact, there are some truly clever design features) in a concept boat that was designed from the keel up.

The 37-footer's hull differs from the 34's in that there is an extra metre of hull stretching right back to the transom. This extra aft volume provides a home for the inboard engines with shafts (not vee drives) and means the boat behaves differently.

The Sunrunner 3700 rises out of the water with a very level trim. It also holds a much lower planing speed than the 34-footer, which means it is better for traversing rough and tumble seas, such as that which confronted us under the Coathanger. While there are trim tabs, I didn't need them to button this boat's bow to the water.

More obvious at rest, beside this boat's stability, is the quality of the mouldings. The top deck and hull have no imperfections or poor fittings. Inside, the finish is no less perfect. Look behind the pelmets, in hatches, around the engineroom and all you will see are panels and liners that butt together sweetly.

THE GREAT OUTDOORS
The Sunrunner 37 is nothing if not a servant to the great outdoors. The teak-lined cockpit is split into two seating areas. The forward section is under the canopy, the aft one out in the sun. Take your pick, depending on the weather.

A U-shaped lounge set around a lunch table graces the aft cockpit. Six people can sit here for lunch or you can convert it into a sunpad for two. Forward is an L-shaped lounge for three people opposite the helm benchseat. From the targa you can swing the canopy, which can be folded up, put away in a sock and rested back on the arch if you want a more open boat.

Thoughtful touches begin when you first set foot aboard. The teak boarding platform has fender baskets; a fender and rope locker that is lockable, so you can leave fishing rods inside; and twin telescopic davits.

The platform is big enough to sit on and peel prawns when you are lying at a quiet anchorage.

Moulded into the sidedecks is a quality chrome, not plastic, handheld freshwater shower. A dedicated amenities centre to port functions like an artificial heart, in that it can provide food and drink for the crew all day long.

Under the lift-up lid you will find a deep icebox, a hot-rock electric barbecue and a circular stainless sink with hot and cold water. The amenities unit is traced by a stainless rail, so you can hold on while cooking if the boat rocks to boat wake.

The helm on the Sunrunner 3700 suits driving seated or standing. If you go for Volvo diesel motors, you get electronic shifts. The Yanmars on the testboat had mechanical Morse controls, but future Sunrunner 3700s with Yanmars will also have electronic shifts.

Sunrunner also plans to do something about the steering. There were a lot of turns required lock-to-lock, certainly more than you would expect in a sportscruiser.

When hard over, the boat was willing to bank about. More direct steering would do the 37-footer's handling justice.

A new dash has now been designed for the 3700. The Deluxe version presented to me came with a Raymarine chartplotter/depth sounder, as well as lift-up helmseat, bimini with clears and aft curtain, fridge in the cockpit and Miele barbecue.

Future 3700s will also be offered in base form from $349,000 with twin Volvo 285hp diesel motors. These motors give a top speed of 33.5kt, which is still plenty fast enough. A third alternative of 6.2lt petrol MerCruisers with shaftdrives is less again. If you are into short-haul cruising, the petrols may well be the go.

WEEKENDER AWAY
What you get below is a weekender finished as well as any Australian-made sportscruiser. It meets imported boat standards, with Corian benchtops, Italian bathroom fittings and door handles, high-gloss cherrywood joinery, leather lounges, wipe-down gelcoat intermediate panels and soft-touch liners.

Headroom is generous and, with flared topsides, the Sunrunner 3700 is a big-hearted boat. The bow contains an offset double berth behind a privacy curtain, while amidships is a lounge with push-button cherrywood dinette. The lounge, which converts to a double berth, sits opposite a trick galley with ceramic cooktop, microwave and fridge.

Near the companionway is the boat's full-sized head with a handheld wall shower and Vacuflush loo. The moulded WC is perfectly fair and the stainless steel tapware and basin come from Italy.

The aft cabin is a little gem, with twin single berths and an infill to create a double, plus a wash basin. The berths are adult-sized and opening portholes deliver cross-flow ventilation.

The interior of the Deluxe version is air-conditioned via a Cruisair unit powered by a 7kVa genset. Storage space is more than adequate for week-long cruising. The boat's lighting and hatches add to the liveaboard comfort.

Better than a quasi-overnighter, the Sunrunner 3700 is a serious weekender toting 715lt of fuel to take you to nearby ports and home again. Now that the boat has diesels and 300lt of water to wash the salt from a family of water babies, it is truly self-contained.

A TWO-HORSE SLEIGH
With a bowthruster and shaftdrives, the Sunrunner 3700 can be spun on its length and turned this way and that without so much as touching the wheel. Clear of the no-wash zone on Sydney Harbour, the Christmas cheer began.

The Sunrunner sat merrily at around 30kt at 3500rpm. There was only an odd lashing of spray when we hit charterboat wake beam-on to the wind. There was so much wake about that this was unavoidable.

As we crossed the waves the boat felt solid, and while there are recessed Bennett trim tabs, they weren't called upon. Vision was quite good, though slightly restricted by the canopy when standing, and future models are to have a wiper fitted.

TINSEL TOWN
In the past 18 months, Sunrunner has shipped 20 of its 34-footers to dealers. There were six 3700s heading the same way at the time of writing. This proves demand is no less impressive for the diesel shaftdrive option.

Built on the Gold Coast, the Sunrunner 3700 is a proudly Australian sportscruiser. Though it will excel in calm water it has not been built for the Great Lakes or the Med, but for places like choppy Sydney harbour, Moreton Bay, Port Phillip, the SA Gulfs or flying across to Rotto.

At the same time, the Sunrunner 3700 with diesel shaftdrives is exactly the kind of boat you will want parked in that waterfront apartment pen. You can leave a good shaft-driven boat idle over Christmas and fear nothing but the boat wash when you return for those nautical New Year's Eve celebrations.

HIGHS

LOWS