Nimbus 305 Drophead
With a quick glance, it’s hard to even tell that this is a Nimbus at all, with its low profile, open decks and sun-focused cockpit
The Nimbus 305 Drophead was a surprise last-minute arrival to this year’s show and no doubt it managed to turn a few heads. With a quick glance, it’s hard to even tell that this is a Nimbus at all, with its low profile, open decks and sun-focused cockpit.
The Swedish yard has created the Drophead the smart way by adapting an existing shell – the 305 Coupé in this case – and creating an entirely new boat in a cost-effective way. The dynamics of this hull are well proven by the Coupé version, which offers comfortable progress in a chop thanks to its semi-displacement form and single shaftdrive power. The underwater profile and accommodation on the Drophead are no different from the Coupé and nor are the engines, which include 110hp, 150hp and 220hp versions of the Volvo Penta D3 block. There is the option to have a Torqeedo Deep Blue i80 in 25kw or 51kw guises if you use the boat on rivers or lakes.
The boat I tried was courtesy of Nimbus’s German dealer Boote Polch, based in Mallorca. This is just the sort of destination the Drophead was designed for; a dayboat in dayboat heaven. This is not to say that the forward cabin and separate bathroom can’t cater for a few nights on board but really, the boat is about life on deck. There is also a rather cosy double berth tucked under the cockpit but in reality, it’s only going to be used for extra storage.
The cockpit, though, is superb and lends itself to long, lazy, comfortable days on anchor. It’s essentially made up of two U-shaped seating areas, both of which can be converted into sunpads. A wet-bar opposite contains all the bits you need to keep guests fed and watered including a fridge, sink and grill.
Nimbus’s clever cantilevering bench seat is in play too. The end of the forward dinette nearest the windscreen flips forward to create a raised forwardfacing bench for two people to keep the skipper company in their single helm seat.
The whole cockpit is covered by an extended canopy that can be spilt into two sections, with the forward part folding flush against the windscreen surround at the touch of a button. The whole boat is beautifully put together too, a real class act.
One small issue on deck is the lip in the cockpit sole, there to increase space in the engineroom, just aft of the wet-bar that each of us managed to trip over about seven times throughout the day.
To drive, the 305 is solid and refined if a little unremarkable. The steering is pretty vague but the hull is good enough to just point into the conditions and deal with them. If you’re doing offshore work then the 220hp engine is likely to be the best option, topping out just shy of 20 knots.
It’s a really lovely package, this. All of Nimbus’s boatbuilding skill and craft in an attractive cleverly designed shell. If you’re in the market for a dayboat of this ilk, it’s a must-see.