Grand Banks’ smallest cruiser, the Grand Banks 54, will be making its UK debut at the Southampton Boat Show this year
The Grand Banks 54 might be the smallest traditional Grand Banks cruiser you can buy but that shouldn’t lead you to believe that it’s in any way less capable than its big sisters.
At around 60ft in length with a gracefully curved sheer line, a long slender bow, a sheltered aft cockpit, broad walkaround side decks and deep, safe bulwarks, this Category A cruiser comes with a 3,500-litre fuel capacity as standard and a hull well able to mix it with the rough stuff.
Expect robust, homely vibes with plenty of fine wood cabinetry
Equipped either with traditional shafts or IPS drives on lengthy jack shafts (to keep the weight where it belongs), the cruising performance on offer here is impressive. Even with 20% in reserve, you can cruise flat and comfy at 10 knots for a range in excess of 1,000 miles.
Increase that to a fast cruise of 20-21 knots and the range remains in the region of 500 miles. Even at the 30-knot top end, you can travel nearly 300 miles on a single tank.
The quality is everything you would expect of Grand Banks
In terms of the layout, this is the only model outside of the Downeaster Series that’s available as a sedan. However, if you don’t need the lower air draft and an overtly classical aesthetic, the flybridge variant looks particularly rewarding.
With its optional galley-up arrangement, it enables you to trade the guest double on the starboard side of the lower deck for a twin cabin and a third bunk room, while also raising your tender to the aft end of the flybridge, increasing not just cruising practicality but also day boating flexibility.
The starboard double can be traded for a twin and a bunk cabin
And if you want to go cruising as a couple or as a pair of couples with extra space and luxury, the galley-down two-cabin set-up is also available on the flybridge model.
The quality is everything you would expect of Grand Banks and so is the vibe, which is not so much avant garde as robust and homely. Expect plenty of fine wood cabinetry, high-end fabrics and leather trim, all custom-finessed by the in-house upholstery team. Expect enhanced rigidity too, thanks to the structural integration of the bulkheads and furniture with the hull.
The galley-down two-cabin layout is extremely attractive
And expect a big beefy price. At around three times more than a Swift Trawler 54, it’s expensive for a boat of this size but if you climb on board and take a look around at the show, it will all begin to make sense…
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Grand Banks 54 Specifications:
LOA: 60ft 5in (18.41m)
Beam: 17ft 7in (5.40m)
Engines: IPS-800s / D11-725s / D13-900s
Top speed: 29-32 knots
Price: On application
Contact details: www.grandbanks.com
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