Seaward 42
Would you pay upwards of £580,000 for a boat with just a single vee-berth forward? Well, that’s partly the point of a boat like the new Seaward 42 Motor Yacht – you don’t have to, because the 42 is effectively a custom-built boat. So if you want an aft-cabin 42 with a more palatial owner’s cabin, Seaward will happily build you that incarnation. Or if you prefer the aft-cockpit version we tested, then there’s clearly enough space for a small second cabin in place of our test boat’s convertible dinette.
However, that high degree of customisation doesn’t stop with the big picture. On our test boat, there was plenty of evidence of design minutiae being thought about at almost molecular level. The tall fiddle that runs around all the countertops and the deep storage bins in the saloon had been specially crafted to the owner’s design with a curved backside that makes it almost as effective to use as a separate tubular handrail. In fact, the whole saloon had been planned specifically so that the owner could walk from one end to the other and at any given time, have not just one but two hands on a handrail – safety first, and then some. Both the cooker and the galley sink are amazing GN Espace marine items that come with a catalogue of mix-and-match trays and modular rectangular components designed specifically for these two key galley items – John Lewis, eat your heart out. Seaward’s door hinges cost a bomb, but they can be adjusted in all three planes, so the doors will (should!) always fit perfectly, even if huge changes in temperature and humidity cause some micro-movement. Opening windows alongside the co-pilot and the helmsman to port sport chunky mechanisms that inexorably wind the panes down firmly on to the rubber seals, so the windows are truly watertight in any weather (my guess is IPX7) not just splash-proof. I could go on (and on, and on) but you get the picture – the 42 doesn’t just have the appearance of a serious seagoing boat, it’s the real Mccoy. This outstanding practical detailing is the thing that separates the Seaward 42 from a raft of other quite respectably designed sea boats.
Our short test took us from Seaward’s base near Cowes on the Isle of Wight, across a busy Solent, and up Southampton water to Hamble Point marina. The 42’s hull shape is based on a tried-and-tested Nelson pilot boat form, so no surprise then that the ride was super smooth – as in a George Clooney level of smooth. In truth though, the conditions we had
would not have troubled any competent 42ft semi-displacement boat. The boat felt unusually stable crossing the wakes of other craft and the Solent chop, but that finding comes with a caveat. I asked for our Gyro stabiliser to be switched on in advance, to give it time to spool up to operational speed, although in typically thorough fashion, Seaward had already thought of that. Unfortunately, a software issue left us unable to disengage it, so all my testing took place with it fully engaged. Gyros can also have an effect on steering and heeling in the turns, not just general stability, although given the generous size of the 42’s rudders and the hull’s long deep keel, I’m confident that the effect (if any) would be inconsequential on the 42.
Don’t let the difference between the 42’s starting price of £580,000 and our test boat’s £725,000 alarm you. High- cost items such as our gyro may have been extras, but our 42 was extensively modified, and the 42’s standard specification is already impressive. You won’t find yourself raiding the piggy bank for the 80kgf bow and stern thrusters or the central heating, nor the 60m of polished stainlesssteel anchor chain and the navigation package. And the launching and commissioning is included too, along with two free days of tuition.
Okay, the same £580,000 could also buy you the voluminous new Sealine F530, so of course it’s possible to get more boat for your money. But the more I think about the high level of customisation on offer, the incredibly rugged build quality and the outstanding practical detailing, the more I’m convinced that the new Seaward 42 is very reasonably priced for what you get.