FIND ME A: USED BOAT FOR £50,000
Nick Burnham unearths some excellent used boats this month, from a Sunseeker 31 Hawk to a Botnia Targa 25
Sunseeker has the reputation of being the ‘sporty’ one of the big three, and it is boats like the Hawk 31, built between 1993 and 1996, that cemented that reputation. Like all Hawks, this one looks fantastic, and has the show to match the go with its new Silvertex cockpit upholstery, Flexiteek flooring, new canopies and carbon-fibre dash.
INTERIOR
Don’t expect typical 30ft levels of interior space – this is a lean, mean performance machine. Headroom is sitting only, there’s a single dinette that converts to a double berth, and no mid cabin. However the standard of finish is exemplary, there’s a neat little galley unit, and the heads is in a separate compartment, so it has genuine weekending credentials.
EXTERIOR
Like the cabin, the cockpit is compact, a corollary of the narrow beam. But it’s very cleverly laid out. The helm seat flips over to provide seating around a fold-out table, and in its reversed position creates two lean bolsters at the helm. The aft backrests also flip between forward-facing cockpit seating or backrests to the two sunbeds that flank the centre walkway to the bathing platform.
PERFORMANCE
Petrol and diesel engines were offered, mostly twin installations, although a single 275hp petrol was available. Given the performance credentials, you might expect the twin petrols to be the more popular option, the largest of which (twin 445hp) gave almost 60 knots. In fact, most were specified with the twin diesels fitted to this boat – twin Volvo Penta KAD 42 engines giving over 40 knots allied to reasonable fuel consumption.
SEAKEEPING
That narrow beam might infringe on cockpit and cabin space, but it pays dividends where it matters, out among the rough stuff. The Hawk 31 is an incredibly capable boat, able to absorb great distances at high speed.