Small boats

It is a sad fact of life that the small boats at the shows tend to get passed over as people clamour to get the biggest and flashiest boats on display. I have just spent the past two days at the Newport Boat show and I can tell you that despite the economy this year was no different. The smaller boats are harder to find not only because they tend to often get pushed  into the far corners of the show area but also because they are often built by small builders that cannot afford a large booth or show area, but more on smaller boats in the next posting.

Wilde yacht sales from CT best known as probably the premier Nordic Tug dealer in the country were displaying a Nord Star 31 which looks a little like a fast patrol cum pilot boat but actually has a some very innovative and comfortable accommodations. Built in Finland I do like the look of the Nord Star line. The 24 foot model is shown in the picture above and would I feel make an ideal fast offshore cruiser for a couple able to stand up to adverse conditions offshore. I have an invite to go out for a sea trial soon so I am looking forward to that and will bring you pictures and maybe even a video or two.

In a similar vein was the Swedish built Minor Offshore 31 which bears a lot of similarities to the Nord Star. The design is  almost identical with a large walk around deck and like the Nordstar is powered by a Volvo D6 engine although other options are available including twin installations but frankly I think that is a bit of overkill and the single engine will work just fine and allow plenty of room for working around the engine come service time. 

Although I only inspected the boats at the dock I have to say that to my mind at least the the Minor Offshore felt more tender underfoot but I would like to compare them at sea. Both are category B boats which means that they are certified for use up to and including winds to Beaufort 8 and wave heights to 13 feet.