GALEON 335 HTS
The opportunity to spend more time on a boat than a few hours for a sea trial doesn’t come around all that often, so it was without hesitation that we accepted Approved Boats’ offer of a loan of a GALEON 335 HTS for the weekend...
24HR TEST Jack spends the night on this compact cruiser to really get under its skin
This was an opportunity to put ourselves in the deck shoes of an owner, with a couple of days to enjoy some time in one of our favourite cruising grounds: the Solent.
So it was on a warm and breezeless Friday during the late May bank holiday that my wife and I stocked up the fridges, loaded on some bedding and edged the Galeon out of her berth in Ocean Village and crept out towards Southampton Water.
The 335 is one of eight models in Galeon’s Tony Castro designed sportscruiser range and it’s a rival to the Jeanneau Leader, Bavaria Sport and Sealine’s S330. All good boats in a highly competitive segment of the market that focuses on value for money but which nevertheless can’t be seen to be cutting corners or obviously built to a price.
There are no such issues with the Galeon; a small boat it may be but it is not finished like a boat with a sub-11m LOA. The stainless steel is a generous gauge, doors are full size and with wide doorways, latches are solid and chunky, the counter tops are finished in Corian and the water pump is of high quality, forcing out powerful jets of water from the taps and shower head. Lighting is LED and a mixture of bright spots and subtle rope lighting. Small needn’t mean cheap. The boat we borrowed came in at £314,826 inc VAT with a pair of Volvo Penta D4 225hp engines. It had a reasonably comprehensive spec including heating, a bow thruster, extended wetbar, painted hardtop and console (part of the Platinum pack) and a modified white oak interior but no joystick for the sterndrives (unnecessary in my opinion) or air-conditioning. A typical spec reflective of what most UK customers would want from a turnkey package. There are two petrol engine options and a larger diesel version with twin 260hp on the same block as the 225s for around £9,200 more. There wasn’t real time fuel flow on board our boat so you will note that the consumption data in our panel was supplied by Galeon.
We have a rendezvous with our snapper Paul and his RIB in Cowes so, once clear of the speed restrictions, I glide the throttles forward and, once over the hump, the boat eases into a 25-knot cruise. The ride feels most comfortable with the Bennett trim tabs between half and three quarters of the way down to give the stern some lift and keep the running attitude comfortably level. With fly-by-wire steering and sterndrives the boat feels poised and attuned to inputs from the helm, as we discover when Paul asks to pull a few hard turns for the lens. It may not be the focus of a boat like this but it is a lot of fun to drive and a reminder of how enjoyable a small sportscruiser with sterndrives can be.
Our first overnight stop is Buckler’s Hard on the Beaulieu River, an easy crossing from our photo shoot location just east of Cowes. We top out at 28 knots with the throttles on their stops and soon discover that cruising is most comfortable between 22 and 25 knots. For this reason it seems sensible to shell out the extra dough for the larger 260hp engines. They are likely to provide that bit more low-down shove to get the boat out of the hole and then, when cruising, not be revving quite so hard to maintain that 25-knot cruise, making for a more relaxing journey.
IDYLLIC FIRST NIGHT
It’s not long before the entrance to the Beaulieu River is off our starboard bow and I slow to cross the bar before picking up the channel. The river is alive with boats, big and small, enjoying the embers of the first evening of a long weekend. The trip up to Buckler’s Hard is one of the finest in the Solent as the sandy banks of the lower reaches give way to lush woodland with staggeringly beautiful houses and manicured lawns peeping out here and there, delivering a watercolour view of the Solent for their occupants. The river meanders between rows of moorings and withies before a final twist and the splash of orange brick that is the Master Builder pub comes into sight. The place runs thick with history,
With fly-by-wire steering and sterndrives, the boat feels poised and attuned to inputs from the helm
the slipway down which Nelson’s ships rolled into the river is an unmistakable landmark on the westerly bank. It was here, too, that Dunkirk little ships were replenished before their heroic passages across the Channel to rescue Allied troops from the besieged beaches during the second world war.
We slot into the last berth available in the marina and cut the engines with the last of the sunshine soaking the aft sunpad in golden warmth. It’s an idyllic setting surrounded by wetland and greenery with nothing but birdsong to prick the silence, it feels a world away from the noise and stress of day to day life.
The 335’s cockpit is clever. Aft, the starboard biased companionway makes for easy access into the heart of the boat and it is flanked by a double sunpad to port and an aft facing chaise longue to starboard. What’s smart is that the sunpad can be extended by sliding the dinette backrest forward but the dinette is still useable, so if some want to sunbathe and some want to sit and read, they can. Deck storage is excellent and very easy to access as both of the aft units have deep lockers beneath them that don’t require the removal of cushions to access them.
With a hearty meal and couple of pints down the hatch from the Master Builder we retire to the midships cabin for the evening. We have the choice of two cabins and though the forward double is brighter and has better headroom, the bigger berth in the mid cabin makes the decision for us. We sleep like babies. Until I turn the bathroom light on in the small hours and activate a ventilation fan loud enough to wake the dead.
We rise to sunshine and a quickening breeze and enjoy breakfast in the cockpit with the solid sunroof pulled right back. The manual roof can be locked into place at various stages but we pin it right open to welcome as much sun inside as possible.
We slip our lines, with a friend who lives in Beaulieu on board and a plan to head for Cowes because, well, a trip to the Solent wouldn’t be complete without it. Conditions are a little tougher
than the day before with a determined chop enlivening this famous stretch of water. I deploy even more trim tab to get the slender forward sections carving through the water at a steady 23 knots. The hull is confident and quiet, easy to guide through the worst of the lumps from a helm that is driver focused and well laid out. The Platinum pack includes a moulded helm seat with no adjustment apart from a bolster. At 6ft it fitted me well but
It’s boats such as this that broaden cruising horizons by deepening the love of nights on board and offering true escapism
anyone taller would find their knees pushing against the console, so should perhaps opt for the standard sliding seat.
With most of the yachts out racing, we pull into Cowes Yacht Haven and are given a short stay berth without fuss. Backing into a tight spot between two other boats is made easier by the positive bite of the twin counter rotating props and powerful bowthruster. We have a drink in the cockpit, enjoying the bustle of the Medina on a busy bank holiday before strolling into town for a late lunch and a chance to soak up Cowes’ salty charm.
We plan to have dinner in Beaulieu in the evening so it’s an unrushed trip back across a messy Solent in the early evening. Here the design of the raised sunpad adjacent to the helm reveals itself as a weak point. When the boat is stationary, this area is a boon but on the move, especially when it’s rough, its occupants have an uncomfortable ride sitting with their legs stretched out in front of them and their backs taking the strain. It’s easy to decamp to the dinette but then you can’t see forward. This is one of few foibles on the 335, the others being sidedecks that are uncomfortably tight at the aft end and, being picky, a lack of fridge space. There are two on board but both are quite small and the optional third one in the wetbar would be a sensible addition.
COSY SANCTUARY
Back in Buckler’s Hard we wash down the salt-licked decks and get changed for the evening. You inevitably find yourself spilling into the saloon with two people getting ready so a blind on the companionway door would add some privacy, but it shows smart design that you can keep the doors to the cabins and bathroom open and they don’t get in the way as you move about the saloon.
The skylights set within the dashboard create reflections in the windscreen but their presence is welcome down here where they let natural light flood the interior.
After a beautiful meal on the banks of the Beaulieu River the next morning brings less desirable conditions. There is heavy cloud cover, a chilly breeze and spots of rain blemishing the windscreen; a day to hunker down and get back to base. This is the benefit of the hardtop sports-crusier because we simply clamp the sunroof shut, hit the wipers and head off into the gloom. Thanks to the deep windscreen the view isn’t hampered by having the sunroof closed and we make unflustered progress in a following sea. The odd trough feels a struggle to fight off though, strengthening the case for the 260hp engines.
The 6-knot trickle up the Itchen to Ocean Village gives time to reflect on what Galeon has achieved with the 335. Amongst the headline-grabbing models in its range, such as the 460 and 640 with their transforming cockpits and army of gadgets, this boat demonstrates that when the designers keep it simple they can produce an outstanding boat. If anything, making the 335 so spacious and grown up – having had the sense to not build it to the lowest common denominator – deserves more praise. It’s boats such as this that broaden cruising horizons and deepen the love of nights on board to offer true escapism. Galeon, with 335 HTS, has created one of the best.