This latest iteration will plug the gap between the new 58 and the forthcoming 66. But could the Absolute Navetta 62 be the best Navetta yet?
Absolute’s Navetta range treads a fine line between the functionality of a traditional trawler yacht and the style of a modern flybridge cruiser. The new Navetta 62 may be the best example of that yet. It features a near-plumb bow, a vertical windshield, and sheltered side-decks. However, it also has cut-down gunwales, cut-out cockpit coamings, and a glazed transom balustrade to maximise the connection with the sea.
It boasts the largest bow windows you’re likely to see on any comparably sized boat. Its distinctive reverse-angled transom looks like it has been cut short but actually elongates the side profile. Apparently, this is because our brains register something is missing and make a generous invisible correction.
The outdoor deck spaces on Navettas are always good, and this one is no exception. The flybridge has three distinct zones. The forward two zones enjoy the shade from that substantial optional hardtop. Up front, there’s a C-sofa to port and a helm station to starboard, which is the first Navetta not to have it on the centreline.
The helm station is fitted with either one or two bolstered seats. The amidships space includes a wet bar to port and an L-shaped dinette to starboard that will take six comfortably and up to eight for a busy meal. The stern area is left open for buyers to furnish how they wish. Buyers can either add their own freestanding furniture or select from a range of suitable modules offered by Absolute for both here and the cockpit.
Conversely, the foredeck lounge is supplied as standard with built-in seating and sunpads. There’s a forward-facing C-shaped dinette with its back to the windscreen. A large sunpad with a lift-up backrest can double as an aft-facing bench on the other side of the table.
The flybridge hardtop can be specified with an opening sunroof or a 1.8kW solar array
Open-Plan living
The saloon layout includes a well-equipped galley and dining area aft and an amidships lounge. Both of these areas are on the same level as the cockpit. The forward end is a couple of steps higher to free up headroom below and improve the view from the helm. There’s a dog-leg staircase to port that connects to the lower deck.
Partly screened by a slatted partition, a helm station is located to starboard. This lower helm features up to two Garmin MFDs, twin Aras bolstered bucket seats, and a convenient, sturdy glazed side-deck door. The décor throughout is contemporary Italian, light and bright, but with a firm eye on practicality as well as style.
The flybridge’s aft end uses ‘Terrace Atmosphere’ freestanding deck furniture
Most of the furniture here is standard, but you can tweak some of the loose stuff, such as cushions, armchairs, and coffee tables. You can also opt for either curtains or blinds on the windows. However, hard surfaces such as the sole laminates and cabinetry veneers are non-negotiable, as Absolute prefers to keep both the aesthetics and its production processes simple.
The galley combines the usual fridge-freezer, dishwasher, hobs, and oven. The adjacent dining table’s top can be wood or faux stone and can usefully be specified with a sliding top. When not in use, it can be left outboard to create a wider walkway into the saloon. At the flick of a switch, it glides inboard by 18in or so to give room to sit around both sides. The large picture window to the side of the dining table also drops down electrically for a more open-air dining experience.
Picture windows and open rails deliver unobstructed views and a brilliantly bright saloon
Two master cabins
For many years now, Absolute has been a champion of the forward owner’s cabin. There are lots of advantages to this, including better views, extra headroom, and superior privacy when moored stern-to in a busy marina. By positioning the ensuite bathroom behind a soundproofed bulkhead in the forepeak, it also mitigates the chine slap noise that some bow cabins suffer from at anchor.
The forward owner’s cabin certainly looks and feels the part with a forward-facing double. It features plenty of headroom and floor space all around the bed. A generous ensuite occupying the space immediately aft of the chain locker is included. This generous space includes both a head and bidet in addition to a stylish walk-in shower compartment.
Even if you prefer the idea of a full-beam cabin amidships, the 62 should still make your shortlist. The VIP cabin is to all intents and purposes a second master cabin. It may not have quite as much floor space as the forward master, but it occupies the full beam amidships. By keeping it open to its ensuite basin, it feels very nearly as bright and luxurious.
Owners can choose fabric or leather upholstery and blinds or curtains
Only the toilet and shower are sectioned off behind glass doors. Cleverly, the big mirror behind the basin drops down electrically to reveal the hull window behind it during the day. The bathroom countertops are all Corian, but can be upgraded to marble. In between the owner’s and VIP cabin, there’s a transverse twin to starboard that can convert to another double. There is no big window in here, but there are two opening circular portholes, one above each bedhead. This cabin has its own bathroom on the other side of the small lower lobby that also serves as the day head.
Space clever
Absolute makes use of every conceivable space aboard to generate extra storage capacity. Two examples illustrate this perfectly, albeit at opposite ends of the scale. In the owner’s ensuite, they have fashioned a special drawer under the basin with a cut-out in the middle to allow for the plumbing. So many other builders would just blank that space off and forgo a drawer altogether.
The VIP midships double occupies the full beam
At the other end of the scale, the 62 has a wonderfully useful service tunnel. This tunnel runs under the owner’s cabin from amidships all the way to the bow thruster and chain-locker. It features deep storage compartments along both sides that you can pack full of spares and supplies for longer cruising adventures. Access to this is through a small hinged door at the bottom of the stairwell, and although it requires a duck to get inside, it’s much more than just a crawl space.
Sliding ‘pocket’ doors to both the guest cabins and the day heads are another useful space-saving idea, even if the catches can be a bit fiddly, especially in any kind of sea. Last but not least, the Navetta 62’s crew cabin runs across the full width of the stern. Accessed by lifting up the cockpit steps on the stern platform, there’s a single berth in here as standard, but a second can be added on the options list.
The raised foredeck and big forward hull windows make the owner’s bow cabin particularly pleasant
A long, opening window across the transom really elevates this cabin by allowing both natural light and fresh air into what can often be a rather claustrophobic space on boats this size. Pantograph-style hinges enable it to open even if there is a tender on the hydraulic platform. There’s also a watertight door leading to the engineroom, and space for a separate washing machine and dryer.
Driving experience
Navetta-style boats are often associated with modest, semi-displacement performance, but not with Absolute. Its Navettas have chined planing hulls. With the standard propulsion, a pair of 900hp Volvo Penta IPS1200s, the 62’s top speed is around 27 knots.
A spacious ensuite in the forepeak is another clear benefit of putting the owner’s cabin in the bow
Our test boat, the first one out of the Podenzano factory, had the bigger 1,000hp IPS1350s. With these, we were on the plane in around 10 seconds, quicker than expected, and maxing out at close to 30 knots. This was with around one-third load and using the Auto-Trim mode with the optional Seakeeper 18 gyro-stabiliser activated. Absolutes usually drive well and this was no exception.
The ride is comfortable and well-mannered at all times, at least in the moderate conditions we experienced. However, the expression “the lady’s not for turning” springs to mind. Throw the wheel hard over and it does turn, heeling just the right amount in the process, but it all happens rather slowly and in a very measured manner. It’s fine for normal cruising duties, but if you needed to take sudden action, the low-geared steering and large turning circle are less than ideal.
The ride is comfortable and well-mannered at all times
This is by no means unique to Absolute; it’s a common trait of many IPS-powered flybridge boats we’ve driven. Presumably, Volvo and/or the yards are wary of the steerable pods inducing too much heel when cranked hard over. That said, this is first and foremost a cruising boat, albeit one with a surprising turn of pace.
Those computer-controlled vectoring pods really come into their own in the marina. With a simple twist or push of the joystick, you can manoeuvre it into a berth like a seasoned pro. The ergonomics at both helm stations are perfectly good. You may want to try manually trimming the bow down from its usual three or four degrees attitude to improve visibility aft from the lower helm and avoid having to duck down to get a clear view of what’s behind or on your stern quarters.
The offset upper helm (a first for a Navetta) comes with the option of a second seat
According to our numbers, at a fast 25-knot cruise and allowing for a 20% reserve, the working range should be around 230nm with those IPS1350s. At a 10-knot eco-chug, that will push out to more like 450nm. The litres per mile figures climb throughout the rev range, but the rate does slow down once you get on the plane. The penalty of running at 25 knots rather than 17 knots is small enough not to make a great deal of difference.
Absolute Navetta 62 specifications
LOA: 61ft 3in (18.68m)
BEAM: 17ft 7in (5.36m)
DRAFT (FULL-LOAD): 5ft 7in (1.69m)
DISPLACEMENT (FULL-LOAD): 45.08 tonnes
FUEL: 3,400 litres
FRESH WATER: 700 litres
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Verdict
The new 62 is arguably Absolute’s best Navetta yet. With its unusually generous three-cabin, three-bathroom layout, exceptional outdoor entertaining areas, and big, bright main deck living spaces, it packs a huge amount into its 61ft length. It manages to do this while still keeping a sharp focus on cruising practicalities such as storage, engine access, and easy movement around the decks. It even offers a surprising turn of speed. Sure, it’s not quite as agile as the very best shaft-driven flybridges. But given that every boat is a balanced list of compromises, that seems a small price to pay for everything else it offers in such abundance.
