LIVING BELOW
Head belowdecks and you enter a world of high-gloss cherry panelling. The lower area is laid out in the same way as the saloon above, but the table is larger and more suitable for dining. The chef ’s galley is close by in what is a wide passageway to the after cabin. Generous white worktops are on both sides inlaid with the electric cooktop and the sink. The oven is a hands-andknees job below the cooktop and there is a large fridge/freezer and a dishwasher. The washer/dryer is also hidden away here.
Continue aft and you enter the secluded, private master cabin, which has excellent storage and a sensible head. Cherry dominates the decor and makes the master stateroom a bit dark during the day because the small portholes don’t provide a lot of natural light. The same applies to the other cabins.
The forward double is much the same as the one aft but the head has two doors and so also serves as the day head. The third cabin is alongside the engine compartment opposite the galley and has access from the saloon. Here, there are two bunks and a compact head and Elling offers this compartment as an office.
The whole yacht, especially the accommodations, is surprisingly quiet and vibration-free, considering that the living spaces are virtually wrapped around the central engine. Expensive sound proofing and a five blade propeller are the answer. Removing a panel in the inboard galley cabinets gives access to the engine room. This panel allows you to reach all the routine service points, but for
LOA: BEAM: DRAFT: DISPL: FUEL: WATER: POWER:
anything more ambitious you need to lift the deck in the saloon where the engine space lines up with the sunroof allowing reasonably simple engine removal. A panel in the floor of the master cabin gives access to the shaft and stern gland.
Elling offers a long list of optional items to buyers, allowing each to develop the design to meet their personal requirements. For me, the acid test for noise is whether you can have a normal conversation in the seating areas of a yacht. For the E6 this is definitely the case and your drinks do not seem to get shaken. There is very little hull noise and Elling attributes this to the use of Kevlar in the hull’s construction. The company also claims that it will not get holed if you run aground. Together with the selfrighting capability, Elling must think its clients like heading out in the worst conditions and the most dangerous waters around.
All in all, Elling has done a wonderful job with the design and build of the E6.
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At the 2014 Miami Boat show, the Blakeleys fell in love with the Aquila 48 with four cabins. “The Aquila 48 was a big step up in spaciousness, comfort and design; I could not resist trading in my 38 for the 48,” Jerry says. “We did a wonderful bareboat charter on the 48 in the BVI with MarineMax Vacations with two other couples. I spent the summer cruising to Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket and then brought it down to West Palm Beach, Florida, for the winter.”
In March 2015, Jerry fell in love again — and this time the boat, the Aquila 44, was just right. “Usually only my wife and I are cruising. A large master cabin and two cabins for guests is enough space,” Jerry explains. “The accommodations are excellent for my