Perfect passage to pleasure

The Outer Reef 70 exemplifies the best in Taiwanese passagemakers. Photo / Supplied

Traditional small motoryachts or "passagemakers" used to come mainly from the long-established yards of northern Europe or from those on the east coast of the United States.

However, during the past few years, as this style of boat has become more popular, it has been the yards of South-East Asia that have been leading the way.

As China has continued its frantic expansion, its estranged offshoot, Taiwan, has also been enjoying some spectacular growth.

Nowhere is this more evident than in the building of large, mostly motor-driven, pleasurecraft of 18m to 30m.

One of their latest offerings, the Outer Reef 70, is a good example. From the outside it looks like a fairly conservative trawler-style cruiser, complete with a hardtop flybridge.

Its white hull is almost completely unadorned apart from the faux-plank effect on the topsides, making the hull look, at first glance, like a giant Swedish folkboat.

However, step on board and any pretence that the Outer Reef 70 is a simple workboat soon disappears.

This is most definitely a pleasurecraft, with the emphasis firmly on pleasure.

The first Outer Reef 70 to reach this part of the world is moored at Cairns in northern Queensland.

It is owned by semi-retired Sydney businessman Andrew Prentice and, with its own captain and crew, doubles as a luxury charter boat, cruising the waters of the Great Barrier Reef.

It is the sort of boat that will appeal to those wanting a quiet and private getaway.

With accommodation for seven in three cabins (not counting the crew), it is an intimate type of boat.

Like most boats of this type, it is usually boarded on the small platform off the transom, protected by removable pushpit rails.

Although fishing is being banned in many parts of the barrier reef, over on this side of the Tasman this aft platform would be the ideal spot from which to cast a line or launch overboard in search of some tasty scallops or crayfish.

For those not interested in such energetic pursuits, the raised cockpit is the ideal spot from which to watch the action or simply enjoy the end of the day. Protected by a full-width overhang from the flybridge, it features a beautifully crafted teak and holly compass-adorned table and a combination of fixed settee and portable deck chairs.

The cockpit is also the portal to the Outer Reef's various other areas. From here, you can access the outside head, the flybridge, the the foredeck and the main saloon.

Although the cockpit and the spacious flybridge display casual marine chic, a step into the saloon brings you to a very much more formal world reminiscent of a conservative men's club.

Here, bright white gelcoat and colourful fabrics give way to large panels of satin-finish teak, padded roof panels, pleated blinds, suede settees and teak and holly floors. Here there is far more seating than there are berths below, suggesting that the boat has been designed to offer day excursions as well as more extended ones.

The size and level of appointment of the adjacent galley supports this. An extensive entourage could easily be catered for should the need arise. The Outer Reef 70 can accommodate longer cruises, with a huge walk-in pantry with magnificently crafted floor-to-ceiling sliding wooden bins.

Like a true passagemaker, the Outer Reef has a "proper" wheelhouse as well as a secondary one on the flybridge. Somewhat unusually for a boat of this type, this main bridge is completely separate from the saloon and galley, perhaps a reflection of the dual role as a charter boat.

A stairway makes the transition between the two stations easy.

Once up those stairs, the decor reverts to the style found in the cockpit - lots of gleaming gelcoat offset by red-accented upholstery, bright cushions and timber deckchairs.

The layout is a little different, too. Behind the forward-sited helm station are mirror image settings with a L-shaped settee, cut-away table and a brace of deckchairs on either side.

Behind these are essentials such as additional refrigeration, an icemaker combo and an electric barbecue.

Further aft is the stowage deck for tenders and jetskis.

The accommodation plan is one of quality rather than quantity.

There are just the three staterooms: a master, a VIP guest and a second guest or family cabin with a single berth above a double.

There are completely separate crew quarters complete with their own galley and en suites, a spare parts room and the ship's laundry.

Modern passagemakers are expected to get along at a decent clip, despite their substantial displacement (in this case, a healthy 55 tonnes).

The Outer Reef 70's top speed is a reasonable 14 knots and it cruises at between 8 and 12 knots.

These speeds are achieved using twin 6-cylinder 503hp 8.8-litre, Caterpillar C-9 ACERT diesel engines running through 2.609:1 ZF Hurth 360A gearboxes and swinging four-blade bronze propellers.

In New Zealand the Outer Reef 70 would cost about $3 million. As a charter boat or a private pleasure yacht, the boat is hard to fault. The standard of construction, level of appointments, finish and meticulous engineering illustrate why South-East Asian boatbuilders no longer have to prove that they are just as good as their European or American counterparts. The fact is that they are often much better.

Outer Reef 70

LOA: 21.77m

LWL: 19.36m

Beam: 5.64m

Draft: 1.52m

Displacement: 55,000 kg

Construction: Hand-laid GRP hull with Divinycell core

Engines: Twin 503 hp Caterpillar C-9 ACERT

Maximum speed: 14 knots

Cruising speed: 8-12 knots

Fuel capacity: 8200 litres

Water capacity: 1514 litres

Want to know more?
Check out Barry Tyler's boat review on the Outer Reef 70 at pacificpowerboat.com.