Uniesse 48 Open

In my excitement I hastened to scrawl the words "paradise found" in my trusty Q570 200-page notebook. We were cruising offshore, but I wanted to capture the moment. I need not have worried, however, as the memory of the Uniesse 48 Open hasn't faded.

The Italian-made Uniesse 48 Open is the Sophia Loren of sportscruisers. The boat is sexy, svelte, comforting and classy. In the handling department, it's a real darling.

In fact, this could be the best 48ft sportscruiser I have set foot aboard. It seemed extra special off Mooloolaba on a day when the wind struggled for breath and the sea heaved only gently.

Tied up outside the new Sunshine Coast Squadron Boat Sales office in Mooloolaba, the Uniesse 48 Open is a long way from home. So, too, proprietor Michael Rigby, who had just lobbed from the UK complete with an impressive CV and serious big-boating skills.

Rigby first set eyes on Mooloolaba in 1989 from the decks of the QE2. His time in the marina game has been spent running a business building superyacht interiors, such as that on Reg Grundy's 70m Boadicea. He also outfitted the QE2's lifeboats during a world tour.

He observes that Mooloolaba is a changed place these days. There are groovy new offices like those of Squadron Boat Sales and upmarket waterfront apartments with private marina berths cropping up here and there. The tenants of those apartments could do with something like a Uniesse 48 Open, Rigby reasons.

While Uniesse is a relatively new name in Australia, it's well known in Europe. There, as in Mooloolaba, these boats flaunt what the Italian industry stands for - high style, sporty performance and durable engineering.

MADE TO LAST
I kicked off the loafers and started in the engine bay. Accessed under a hatch that forms the step up from the cockpit to the sportsbridge, the engine bay is designed to encourage owner maintenance. Its lid lifts on gas struts and there is plenty of room for servicing the twin MAN motors inside.

The fuel filters are aft and the seawater strainers are forward with the control boxes for the electronic gearshifts. The boat has an auto fire-extinguisher system, four stainless-steel fuel tanks with 2300lt capacity (and site gauges), and stainless-steel elbows on the fuel system and wet exhausts.

Good access exists around the motors for routine checks. If serious surgery is required, you can unscrew floor hatches to get to the outside of the straight six blocks. The motors, paired so their dipsticks are on the centreline, are matched to Twin Disc gearboxes and four-blade props.

A heavy boat for its length, the Uniesse 48 Open has a meaty lay-up comprising solid glass below the waterline and balsa-cored decks above. The hull weighs 20,000kg dry, which is considerably more than other production boats. For example, a Riviera 47 tips the scales to 17,500kg, and that includes a flybridge superstructure.

American go-boat designer Fred Hudson was commissioned to pen the 48-footer's running surfaces. The deep-vee hull has a lovely swooping sheer and purposeful flared bow. These things, plus the hull weight and solid construction, are responsible for the great ride.

A lazarette doubles as an engineering space. When tested, the 11kVa Onan genset was as quiet and smooth as any I have heard. Other key items included a battery charger, general fuse box, inverter, hot-water heater, water pump, hydraulic pump for the passerelle and steering, and an air-conditioning unit. Two additional fuel tanks also hide aft.

Piece it all together and you will concur that the Uniesse 48 Open is built more like a Ferrari than a Vespa. With all that equipment below decks, the boat has a very stable motion. And with everything tucked out of the way, the designers have managed to create a great outdoor entertainer.

BIG ON BUILT-INS
The boat has a full-width boarding platform that is supported by the hull and not a bolt-on. You can rest a RIB on the platform - use the boat's passerelle/crane to lift it from the water - plonk down a couple of director's chairs, pop the cork or unfurl a towel and work on your tan.

The vast outdoor area ranges from the cockpit one step up to the sportsbridge. The cockpit is big enough to carry 10 guests. Gunwale height isn't too high, so you can fit a spread of rodholders and troll up a fish during passages.

An all-rounder, the Uniesse 48 Open still manages to do things a little differently and more imaginatively than other production boats. There are unique Italian-designed decks fittings, a heavy-duty stainless-steel rubbing strip, and a terrific seating arrangement.

Two loose lounge chairs clad in white-vinyl reside in the cockpit corners. While they provide impromptu seating for two people, the armchairs also extend into sumptuous sunlounges for reclining on the deck.

A hatch to port harbours the shorepower connection and controls for the passerelle. There is a sidepocket for mooring lines and a manual bilge pump. Opposite is a two-stage opening marlin door and a life raft in a dedicated recess, as this is a serious passagemaker.

Courtesy lights are recessed near the moulded steps leading around the sidedecks to the foredeck, which is big, flat and able to accommodate a small gathering. A gorgeous swooping stainless-steel bowrail, a teak-topped cockpit sole, and terrific non-skid make this boat safe to get around on in a seaway.

Up front, deckrails flank the boat's giant sunpad. There are trick bollards and fairleads, and a walk-out bowsprit that allows you to assist with navigation in shallow water, stage dolphin-spotting cruises, or kick-back with a glass of spumante in hand.

The skipper will appreciate the Lofrans windlass and deep anchor locker that can take a tower of chain. There is also a washdown tap to blow the mud from the Danforth. A teak rubbing strip for the anchor chain adds something to the cool look of the Uniesse 48 Open.

ENTERTAINING A CROWD
Marking the division between the cockpit and sportsbridge are moulded amenities centres. To port hides a stainless-steel fridge/freezer with thermostat and a sink with hot/cold water, which are traced by handy stainless-steel grabrails so you can use these things when under way.

I found a portable fire extinguisher, levers to activate the engine-room fire extinguisher, and some spare storage space.

The starboard-side storage unit has the fuel shut-off taps for the generator and four tanks. Incidentally, all the doors swing on high-quality stainless-steel hinges.

On the sportsbridge, there are plenty more creature comforts. An amenities centre to port contains a ceramic Miele griddle for searing the prawns or lobster tails. A sink is nearby with hot/cold drinking water passing a filter, along with a 240V outlet so you can plug in the frappe maker. This cool boat had a U-Line icemaker, too.

The moulded targa arch conceals a fold-back bimini top, radar dome, horn, loud hailer, spotlight and GPS aerial. The arch has a nice amount of rake that matches that of the tinted windscreen.

Seating comprises a U-shaped lounge for six people to starboard, set around a beautiful high-gloss teak lunch table. It's a sturdy table with views and within earshot of the skipper.

What's more, the dinette converts to a sunpad, daybed, or even a sleep-out when the boat's camper covers are in place. It's definitely one of the best outdoor lounge-dinette arrangements I have come across.

HELM PLEASURES
Equipped with a bow thruster, the boat was a snap to ease out of its berth alongside a block of chic new apartments on the Mooloolaba River. The big MAN 700hp engines see the hull idle at 4.2kt, using just one engine in gear.

The helmstation to port has a two-person raised benchseat with a comfy backrest that will keep cruising couples together, literally. There is a second fridge under the seat and controls are nearby for the reverse air-conditioning available at the helm.

The stainless-steel framed windscreen deserves special mention, as it's a lovely bit of work. The sliding door down below also has top-quality stainless-steel framework.

A chart-table hides behind the windscreen. There is so much room left over you could almost place a sunpad across from the matt-grey (low-glare) moulded dash, which is buttoned down with neat Allan keys, not tacky screws.

On the driver's side, there were chrome electronic shifts, twin MAN LCD engine panels relaying everything from oil pressure to engine revs, VDO analogue gauges as back-ups, a chain counter, two switch panels and a Raymarine navigation package including recessed 7in and 10in screens. Along with an autopilot and depth sounder, everything was recessed in the dash.

Style is reflected in the gorgeous handcrafted timber wheel, but perhaps even more so in the soft furnishings, stunning joinery and five-star interior decoration down below. The Italians certainly know how to decorate luxury boats.

HOME IN THE SALOON
A delicious if not daring soft sunset-yellow leather is used for the five-person lounge on the port side of the saloon. A mirrored bulkhead improves the sense of space. The dining table has fold-out leaves that, with two ottomans, can expand into a dinner setting for six. Folded up, the table is great for drinks and the extra leg room encourages lounging.

A rich-blue carpet, off-white headliners and what looks like high-gloss European maple or some other light timber is used throughout for a lively rather than traditional ambience. The overhead timber cabinets hide things like AC/DC circuit boards, bottle and glass lockers, and a CD stacker.

You get a retro-looking barometer, matching clock, humidity gauge and, heaven knows why, an altimeter.

The recessed portholes with timber surrounds have been beautifully put together. The portholes impart a shipboard feeling similar to that in a first-class cabin.

Light switches on the walls and ceilings are easily found, double-toothed door catches stop rattles at low revs, and designer doorhandles add to the chic.

The galley to starboard has timber cupboards hiding, among other things, a Panasonic television that faces the saloon lounge. The galley is also nice and close to the companionway, which will make serving food back up top that much easier (not that you will need to with the fridges, hotplate and sinks in the cockpit) The galley counters are ice-coloured marble and are sufficiently roomy for food preparation. Amenities run the gamut from a bench-height fridge to a two-burner Bosch ceramic hob and a microwave oven. Full marks for the extractor fan, big recessed circular sink, cupboards and cutlery drawers.

CABIN CAPERS
The boat has three separate cabins, or more like two-and-a-half, as there is a single berth in the aft cabin intended for crew. In Australia, however, we prefer to be owner/drivers, so it's more likely that kids will fight over this cabin. It has a built-in drawer and hanging locker, too.

The VIP guests' room is amidships. Its twin single berths are topped with classic blue pin-striped bedspreads and surrounded by beautiful soft-touch vinyl-lined walls with timber trim. There were stylish reading lights, mirror and hanging locker.

Doubling as a dayhead, the guests' ensuite looks the part with a jade-coloured marble counter, electric loo, full-length mirror, Italian bathroom fittings, big sink, teak shower grilles, towel rails and a paint-like wall finish. There is a handheld shower with a curtain, not a separate shower stall.

Owners are treated to an island berth in the bow. There are separate air-conditioning controls, a CD sound system, a recess for a television, as well as a big hanging locker, safe, and timber lockers. The mirrored bedhead adds to the sense of space, while a privacy cover on the overhead hatch lets you sleep aboard back at the marina.

The owner's ensuite has a bidet and an electric loo. There is a clever shower screen that folds out to create a separate shower stall. There is plenty of headroom and hip room in the bathroom, bedroom, saloon and galley, which isn't always the case with Italian-made boats.

BEHIND THE WHEEL
Driving the Uniesse 48 Open was exhilarating. Every time I am behind the wheel of one of these Italian stallions I find it to be helmsman's heaven. The big Hudson-designed hull is a cracker, so at ease in the ocean that I could have ventured much further afield.

We left the Mooloolaba River at a cruisy 2000rpm. Smooth, dry and comfortable, I gradually eased the throttle forward and recorded a top speed of about 31kt at 2450rpm. Even at full noise, the wrap-around windscreen was dry and the ride bang-free.

At cruising revs of 1800rpm and somewhere in the mid-20kt, the MAN 700hp engines consume 75lt/h each, according to factory forecasts. Leaving 10% of the boat's 2300lt fuel capacity in reserve, the Uniesse 48 Open will have a theoretical cruising range of more than 350nm or 13.8 hours running. Fuel consumption is halved if you run the boat at 1300rpm.

The Uniesse 48 Open is not just a show pony, but a serious offshore passagemaker. The electronic shifts have a delay of a second; otherwise the boat is responsive and seemingly unstoppable.

To the north, I could see the headland near Noosa. To the south, the glittery Gold Coast was a few hours away. But the "paradise found" comment I scrawled on my notepad refers to my drive of the Uniesse 48 Open off Mooloolaba. No wonder they call it the Sunshine Coast.

Highs

Lows