During the day, the cockpit is a comfortable, sociable space

Although this is a cruiser set up with family fun days and the odd weekend stay-away in mind, the rear platform allows all manner of water sports activities, including fishing. The platform is deep with Whittley non-slip flooring ensuring good footing when wet, though it’s high enough off the water that your feet should stay dry most of the time.

A stainless-steel tubing cage keeps everyone on the platform safe and also serves as somewhere to mount rodholders (three), an optional bait board, or a railmounted BBQ. The cockpit shower and saltwater washdown are both easily accessed from the platform, there’s a towing eye at water level aft and a large, but shallow, storage locker set into the platform sole.

SPACIOUS LIVING

There was no gas bottle on this boat, though gas is an option. Instead, the single-burner cooktop in the 2600’s compact galley runs on methylated spirits, while the Magma BBQ on the rail is a canister model.

The galley, on the port side just inside the lockable, sliding GRP cabin door, includes a sink, a reasonable amount of storage for cutlery, plates and dry stores in under-bench and overhead cabinets, and a 12-volt fridge. Opposite is the fully enclosed head, unusually spacious for a trailer boat, with an electric toilet and a small sink-vanity with a pull-out shower. Like the galley, it features an electric extractor fan.

The forward cabin is surprisingly spacious. Seating wraps right around the interior. It’s almost a U-shape, with shelving above the low backrests and under the windows and storage under the hinged seat/berth bases. It will seat four adults easily with plenty of headroom under the vinyl-lined ceiling and provision to drop in a table for a more social layout.

The infill panel, along with others for the cockpit, is stored against the bulkhead, clipped up out of the way. The backrests are repurposed to turn the whole of the forward cabin into a large double berth. All the vessel’s opening hatches and ports feature insect screens, which should keep Marlborough Sounds’ hungry sandflies at bay.

The helm layout works well with sufficient space for a large MFD if desired. FAR LEFT The extra-large swim platform is a multi-use space.

Wrap-around seating in the cabin becomes a large double with infills, or socialise around the removable table – there’s plenty of headroom.

A sliding roof panel opens the hardtop to the sky.