We’re willing to bet you won’t see anything at the Southampton Boat Show quite like this, the Hardy 45 European
As the name suggests, the new Hardy 45 European is designed to take you both inland and offshore with equal ease. In fact, with its proven Hardy 42 semi-displacement offshore hull, its modest air draft and its inland-style aft-cabin cruiser deck layout, it’s basically an ocean-going pilotboat you can use for a genteel meander on the Continental canal network.
The aft cabin does of course create quite blunt and lofty mouldings at the back end so it’s not an especially beautiful boat, but that does give you plenty of space, as well as very natural separation from the guest cabin in the bow.
A bright, sociable saloon leads down to a sunken forward galley
Between the two cabins sits a large saloon with a raised dinette, a low-level lounge and a very handy door to access the big safe walkaround side decks.
There’s no helm down here but as a semi-custom boat, you can have one if you choose; and the fact that the galley sits slightly sunken in a transverse recess between the saloon and the bow cabin also helps free up the saloon space for dedicated downtime.
Neither the galley nor the forward cabin are especially huge but the day heads, to port of the galley, makes great use of the space with its cylindrical shower stall and the aft cabin is also a pleasure.
The owner’s aft cabin is lined with oak cabinetry on all sides
Accessed by means of a port corridor with a very handy wet locker at its entry point, it uses a forward-facing bed against the aft bulkhead, flanked on both sides by ranks of handmade cabinetry, at once so large and so lovely that they feel like a passionate manifesto from Cockwells’ in-house joinery department.
The starboard dressing table is equally attractive and while the curved oak-lined ensuite heads is of a similar nature to the day heads, its larger footprint makes it feel a shade more indulgent.
This then is a safe, comfortable and seaworthy boat of a very manageable size with a generous saloon and private cabins. It’s also a multi-theatre boat, as capable on the inland waterways as it is on sea passages.
The forward V berth is not huge but it is beautifully built
And the fact that it’s built to spec means that, while it’s pretty much unrestricted in where it can go, it’s all but limitless in how you can refine it. It won’t be for everyone, of course, but that’s part of its charm.
Article continues below…
Hardy 50DS review: £2M Passage-Making Monster
Hardy 45 European review: Ready for inland waterways or oceans
Hardy 45 European Specifications:
LOA: 46ft 7in (14.2m)
Beam: 14ft 5in (4.40m)
Engines: 2 x Yanmar 6LY 440 diesels
Top speed: 26.5 knots
Price: from £1.5M ex VAT
Contact details: www.cockwells.co.uk
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