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Grand Banks 60 Skylounge [Boat Review]

March 9, 2020 11:38 am

Old-world craftsmanship and modern technology combine in the iconic builder’s latest model..

This article originally appeared in the January 2019 edition of Sea Magazine, written by Arnie Hammerman

On an overcast and rainy day on Chesapeake Bay, I boarded the new Grand Banks 60 Skylounge for a test drive. The GB60 is a big vessel with a length overall of 65 feet, 4 inches, and we were in a tight spot in the marina, tucked between pilings with a sailboat side-tied directly ahead. As I threw off the lines, Capt. Graeme Mellor, Grand Banks’ delivery captain, eased the boat forward with the optional Yacht Controller. From his position on the sidedeck, he was able to gently pirouette the boat out of the slip and guide it through the tight marina. Once clear we both retreated to the Sky lounge to relax in the twin Stidd helm seats.

The Grand Banks 60 Skylounge quietly and purpose­fully sliced through the water as we headed around the point. In the more open waters of the bay, a short 3-foot chop building ahead was nearly imperceptible as we ran our numbers. The GB60 accelerated smoothly with little or no bowrise. It carved turns easily, a slight lean barely perceptible because of its low center of gravity. There was little or no bow spray as the boat cut through the chop and not a drop reached the windshield. 

High-tech construction is combined with a unique warped hull form on the GB60. A fine entry cuts through the water, which then streams along the hull in an even, unencumbered fashion. There are no hard chines, strakes or tunnels to disturb water flow as the hull transitions smoothly and flattens aft to around 8 degrees of deadrise. The result is a semi-displacement hull that moves cleanly through the water and allows a boat with a lot of accommodation space to still be fast and efficient. Full-displacement hulls require effort to push water out of the way. Planing hulls expend propulsion energy trying to lift the boat out of the water. Neither of these issues occurs with the GB60, which is designed to slice easily through the water. 

With twin Volvo Penta Dl3-800 diesels turning shafts, the GB60 cruised easily at 22 knots, where the Dl3s burned 49.5 gph, for a range of 613 miles. Slowing to 19 to 20 knots brought the fuel burn below 40 gph and increased range by another 100 miles. Top speed was a respectable 28 knots, but buyers looking for a faster top speed should know that manufacturer tests with larger engines reached a top speed of 36 knots. At trawler speeds, the 60 has remarkable range. Even in our somewhat lumpy test conditions, at 10 knots the yacht’s range was 1,661 miles; reducing speed to 8 knots pushed its range beyond 2,500 miles.

Our test boat had Volvo Penta Dl3-800s, but Dl3-900s will soon be standard, and Grand Banks will offer Dl3-1000s and Dl3 IPS 1200s as options. Few builders offer both IPS and shaft options on the same boat, and by doing so Grand Banks can satisfy buyers regardless of their preferred drive type. 

Forward visibility is excellent from the helm, whose teak-clad wheel is centered and controls are within easy reach. An electronics package features twin Garmin 8617 MFD flat panels connected to a variety of devices. Rear visibility is excellent via a camera feed on the MFDs, and the Yacht Controller helps when docking; a cockpit station is another option. Opening windows on both sides and sliding hatches overhead deliver good ventilation to the captain and companion. 

The Skylounge has 6 feet, 5 inches of headroom and covers 134 square feet, as measured by my Bosch 165 laser tape measure. It contains the helm, a large seating area with a table, and a day head. Access is via an internal stairway, and an exterior cockpit ladder is an option. A door leads aft to a large open deck that’s home to a Steelhead ESIO00 davit and a 12-foot AB Aluminum RIB with a 40 hp Yamaha outboard. When the tender is lowered, the aft deck can be used for entertaining. 

An open flybridge with a hardtop and no day head is standard, but the climate-controlled comfort of the optional Skylounge was welcome on a muggy test day. The Skylounge is a quiet, comfortable spot to run the boat; I measured 53 decibels at idle while we waited for a bridge. The additional accommodations provide a great place to get away from dockside action and retreat, and with the day head the Skylounge provides a semiprivate extra cabin.

Grand Banks is an iconic brand that has built thousands of boats over the last 60 years, but that does not mean the builder is stuck in the past. New leadership (see Evolution of a Brand sidebar) is combining the best of new and old. The GB60 SL’s performance is modern and efficient, but at heart it is still a Grand Banks. Abundant high-quality teak flows throughout the interior, with nary a dark spot to be found. Joiner work is impec­cable, and built-in furniture, contoured doors and wall panels with contrasting fabrics highlight the wood. Large salon windows bring in light to the fully equipped galley and its Silestone counters. 

Two galley arrangements are available: aft or forward. The aft galley is convenient for serving passengers in the cockpit area. The Skylounge model I tested has the galley forward and to port; the internal Skylounge stairs are opposite, beside the door to the covered sidedecks. Both layouts work well and provide similar seating and dining areas. 

Belowdecks the master stateroom features a king bed athwartships, large hanging lockers and an en suite head. Teak floors in the master extend into the head where a large shower compartment features a glass door, a teak sole with a stainless drain, a corner bench and conve­nient shelves. The forward cabin has a queen bed, a hanging locker and an opening overhead hatch for ventilation. A second head with a separate shower is accessed from the corridor. To starboard, a twin cabin features a single bunk along the hull, and a step-down cabin with a single athwartships bunk is tucked beneath the salon stairs. This cabin should be fun for kids, but the bunks are big enough for crew or other adults. A washer/dryer combo is in one of the cabinets. 

Quality workmanship is demonstrated throughout the boat. Highly finished interior panels and fixtures, polished stainless rails, smooth and even glass work, a well laid out engine room, and precisely run and carefully labeled wiring all show the dedication Grand Banks has to excellence. The yacht’s styling is salty and distinctively Grand Banks, yet its performance is nimble and efficient. The Grand Banks 60 Skylounge is an excellent example of combining the best of old-world craftsmanship with modern design and technology and is a serious contender for anyone looking at a boat of this size and class. 

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bclb New Member

Going to get a 55-65 footer. Like the open layout of the OR, but don't have a feel for the reliability, maintainability, durability, or seaworthiness of the OR. Fleming seems to be rock solid on those, but would like to hear comparisons. Marlow not really being considered.

BFOD New Member

My 2 cents - Fleming 55, no place in the engine room, i was in the market for a used Fleming 55 i was very impressed until I saw the engine compartment - GB outdated design unless to buy a new, in the EU used GB has no value anymore. if you need seaworthiness, go see a Nordhavn or Selene. The new Selene 60 explorer will be a game changer. I have seen a Selene 62 year 2009, this is a ship not a boat and you can´t compare with GB or Fleming

olderboater Senior Member

Outer Reef is a great seaworthy and well built boat. I would agree on Selene being good but that wasn't what you asked. Fleming, I'd prefer the 58' or 65' to the 55'. Fleming is unbeatable in terms of quality, although not typically a boat one uses trans-oceanic. I do like that you have a bit extra speed with Fleming. Grand Banks is a completely different type boat as a coastal cruiser. Unfortunately, things came mostly to a halt with them and now the line is being totally revamped and the new Grand Banks 60 is a fantastic boat but it's still a coastal boat, just now one with speed and performance.

PacBlue Senior Member

BFOD said: ↑ My 2 cents - Fleming 55, no place in the engine room, i was in the market for a used Fleming 55 i was very impressed until I saw the engine compartment - GB outdated design unless to buy a new, in the EU used GB has no value anymore. if you need seaworthiness, go see a Nordhavn or Selene. The new Selene 60 explorer will be a game changer. I have seen a Selene 62 year 2009, this is a ship not a boat and you can´t compare with GB or Fleming Click to expand...

mapism Senior Member

bclb said: ↑ would like to hear comparisons Click to expand...

seaworthiness depends on the cruising plans, and this is the first question one has to ask himself. Hours or days offshore. And for maintainability the Fleming 55 is the worst i have ever seen, simply not workable to enter the engine room at sea. This was the only reason i didn´t buy one. Fleming 55 will cruise happily at 10 knots, but yes maximum continuous is 15 knots ... for less than 20 hours. In short, to answer the question, first define your cruising plans.

BFOD said: ↑ In short, to answer the question, first define your cruising plans. Click to expand...

BFOD said: ↑ seaworthiness depends on the cruising plans, and this is the first question one has to ask himself. Hours or days offshore. And for maintainability the Fleming 55 is the worst i have ever seen, simply not workable to enter the engine room at sea. This was the only reason i didn´t buy one. Fleming 55 will cruise happily at 10 knots, but yes maximum continuous is 15 knots ... for less than 20 hours. In short, to answer the question, first define your cruising plans. Click to expand...

leeky Senior Member

The complaint about Fleming engine rooms is their height, or lack of it.

Engine Room Height can come with a trade off in form stability and windage in boats under 60 feet. I like the trade off as the Fleming has an appealing low profile, easy to board and get around and is easy to maneuver in a blow in close quarters.

Slimshady Senior Member

Owned a outereef 73, c 18 , boat is well built and jeff stood behind his boats. When I'm in the market for that style of boat I would buy another. She had lots of room in engine room and systems were well laid out and accessible. The Taiwanese yard builds a solid boat, with good fit and finish. Put 1100 hrs on her in 4 years with no mishaps. Hope this helps.

The complaint about Fleming engine rooms is their height, or lack of it. Click to expand...

PacBlue said: ↑ Engine Room Height can come with a trade off in form stability and windage in boats under 60 feet. I like the trade off as the Fleming has an appealing low profile, easy to board and get around and is easy to maneuver in a blow in close quarters. Click to expand...

Capt Ralph Senior Member

olderboater said: ↑ but also talk to existing and former owners. Click to expand...

bayoubud Senior Member

You might want to add the 54/62 Offshore to consider. Many like them better than the Fleming. Similar design and quality, with less exterior maintenance.

olderboater said: ↑ Fleming does work to keep the air draft on the 55' at 16'. Still, the ER height, while not tall enough for many of us to stand, is very good for a 55' boat and the walkway between the engines quite accommodating. Stabilizers were mentioned and they're fully accessible with nothing in the way. They are intentionally left open. The Outer Reef 58' is not standing height if you're over 6' tall either, with a very similar ER design. One just needs to check for themselves, but also talk to existing and former owners. Click to expand...

maldwin Senior Member

I have never met a Fleming owner who didn’t like his boat. Best, Maldwin

maldwin said: ↑ I have never met a Fleming owner who didn’t like his boat. Best, Maldwin Click to expand...

Kapn Member

BFOD said: ↑ Thx, My remark was about the maintainability and its engine room. Go inside with hot engines, …. you will burn yourself. Try to access – repair the stabilizers or genset, good luck Most Fleming owners have deep pockets, and in general maintainability it is not there problem. Click to expand...

Kapn said: ↑ Stabilizers were uncovered, unlike some motoryachts where they get hidden with cabinetry. Click to expand...

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Grand Banks 53 Aleutian RP

• By Dudley Dawson
• Updated: April 21, 2011

In the great circle of life, the new Grand Banks 53 Aleutian Raised Pilothouse (RP) completes a loop for me. You see, a couple of decades ago an eager youngster who spent his days sketching and dreaming about boats rather than catching frogs or tormenting girls wrote me a letter. He wanted to know how to become a real boat designer, not just a doodling dilettante. I responded with a few bits of advice regarding education and career paths and promptly forgot about him, until, that is, I ran across him working as a junior designer on the staff of Tom Fexas a number of years later. He also authored, in response to one of my articles, a lovely letter to Yachting on design that eventually found its way into one of our 100th anniversary issues in 2007 as one of the best letters to the editor. Imagine my surprise when that same kid, Earl Alfaro, all grown up, greeted me as I boarded his latest creation. Earl is now Grand Banks’ staff designer, the 53 Aleutian RP is his baby, and like any proud papa, he couldn’t wait to show her off.

We shoved off from the dock at Fort Lauderdale’s 15th Street Fisheries and headed toward the Port Everglades inlet, with the role reversal of Earl informing and me listening. It was obvious he was dedicated and knowledgeable about his chosen profession, but there was more. The intervening years had not diminished his passion for boats one bit. He still had that “fire in the belly” that Fexas himself once cited as the single most important requirement for a designer, and the results showed in his work on this capable cruiser.

The Grand Banks 53 RP is part of the builder’s Aleutian line and shares both appearance and functionality with her bigger sisters — five models from 59 to 76 feet — which are intended for long-range cruising but which also offer a good turn of speed when needed. In many ways, it is easier to design a big boat than a 53-footer. The height of a raised pilothouse profile is generally more suited to a longer boat, and with extra length comes a better length-to-beam ratio, inevitably making for easier and more economical running, at least on a horsepower-per-pound basis. The balance between working spaces and accommodation spaces becomes more critical, and it’s sometimes difficult to keep the shorter incarnation of an existing boat from taking on a stubby “Little Toot” appearance. In short, Earl had his work cut out for him, but in my opinion, he has succeeded marvelously.

The weather offshore on the day of our sea trial wasn’t bad, but it still showed the remnants of a front that had cleared the area just the day before. Seas were running generally two feet, sometimes three, but were very confused, so it wasn’t a matter of picking a comfortable heading and sticking to it. Instead, we took it on, come what may, northbound first to get our speed numbers, then southbound to check the effect of the Gulf Stream’s often-substantial current. In a way, we mimicked what would be required on a typical passage, and the yacht delivered well. Pitch and roll were minimal, and her decks and windshields remained dry.

A look at the lines plan that Earl shared with me told the story. While the Grand Banks Aleutian series has a traditional, salty look, albeit with softer corners for a more updated style, the boats should never be mistaken for trawlers. The 53 RP tops out at just shy of 25 knots and does so without a hint of struggle, just a smooth ride from idle to wide open throttle. She has a moderate forefoot, neither as deep as a displacement vessel nor cut away as much as a sport boat. This yields a sharp entry that, with double chines her full length, keeps spray generation to a minimum. Flare in her topsides above the upper chine will further dampen spray and help lift the bow in truly heavy seas. Moving aft, the hull, with a solid laminate bottom and cored sides, rolls to a deadrise of 23.5 degrees amidships, then to a constant 17.5-degree angle for the aft third of her bottom, a perfect combination for her speed range. She has a moderate keel to keep her on track and to counteract any tendency toward broaching.

While the lines of the 53 RP were inspired by the shape of the original Fexas-designed 64, nothing was left to chance. Two different versions of both the bottom shape and the prop tunnel configuration were tank-tested at the University of Michigan’s model basin to assure her performance both as to speed and to seakeeping. In addition, both pod and inclined-shaft propulsion systems were tested, with the as-built yacht being powered by traditional shaft systems with V-drive gears. Like a pod, a V-drive puts the engines near the stern, shifting the longitudinal center of gravity aft and enabling Earl to pen a finer entry for the hull than would be possible with engines farther forward. Not only does this make for drier running in a seaway, with a quicker lift to the bow, but it affects the arrangement plan belowdecks as well.

In this case, Earl has placed all of the accommodations at the bow and utilized the space amidships for a pair of fuel tanks, port and starboard of a walk-through utility room. Such placement means that there will be little if any change in static trim as the tanks are drawn down. The space between the tanks allows easy access to the engine room through a watertight door, and the utility area can also be fitted out as a crew or teenager hideaway, with its own head, as an option.

In either case, the forward accommodations remain the same, with a queen guest stateroom forward and the master stateroom aft, and a smaller guest cabin with upper and lower twin berths to port. The full-beam master stateroom has a spacious head to starboard with double doors that slide open to allow light from both sides of the yacht to flood the space. Access to the three staterooms is via a comfortable winding stair from the starboard side of the lower helm. Such a stair is noticeably more spacious and safer than the tight spirals we so often see.

That lower helm, by the way, is one of the best on the market. Returning from our sea trial, we had to dock near the end of a narrow canal in the tightest quarters I’ve encountered in a while. There was no margin for error. Rather than navigating from the flying bridge, however, we opted for the lower helm. Multiple Sub-Zero refrigerator and freezer drawers in the galley, in place of a single vertical unit, and open space between the upper and lower cabinets mean that the helm has a clear sight line astern as well as to the sides and forward. Pilings and adjoining boats were fully in view at all times, something that would not have been the case had we been topside.

Other nods to safety that I liked included sea rails on the salon overhead and solid handrails at the aft ladder, guards over the V-drive shafts and an electrical interlock on The flying bridge grill to prevent it from being activated with the cover closed. Grand Banks has been building boats for committed cruisers long enough to attend to creature comforts as well: nicely sized heads, functional louvers and intuitive handles on lockers, fiddles on the galley countertops and sea rails on the Miele cooktop, and wing doors to keep the afterdeck dry when spray is blowing down the side decks.

All in all, the Grand Banks 53 Aleutian RP is a great boat for a family, easily capable of being cruised long-range by a couple without crew, yet with enough speed and outside space to host a crowd for a quick day trip or weekend jaunt. For those not wanting to take on the size and expense of the bigger Aleutians, this is a very welcome addition to the series. A tip of the hat to Earl and to the craftsmen at Grand Banks for a job well done.

LOA: 53’10” LWL: 49’4″ Beam: 17’9″ Draft: 4’9″ Displ.: 73,000 lb. Fuel: 1,000 gal. Water: 300 gal. Deadrise: 17.5 degrees Engine Options: 2 x 600 hp Cummins QSC 8.3 diesels; 2 x 715 hp Cummins QSM 11 diesels Engines Tested: 2 x 715 hp Caterpillar C12 ACERT diesels Price As Tested: On request

Grand Banks Yachts, 206-352-0116; www.grandbanks.com

** **_ View more photos of the Grand Banks 53 Aleutian RP._

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Grand Banks 36 Sedan buyer’s guide: Rugged trawler with a fair turn of pace

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Our resident used boat expert Phil Sampson explains how to find a good Grand Banks 36 Sedan on the secondhand market…

The use of the word Sedan, in transport terms, originates from the eponymous French town where the use of wheel-less and often luxuriously appointed people carriers – Sedan chairs – was popularised.

The word was adopted by the automotive world, where a Sedan refers to a vehicle with three compartments; one for the engine, one for the passengers and one for their luggage.

Exactly how Grand Banks came to use the name for one of its immensely popular boats (circa 1,400 were built) has been lost in the mists of time.

Suffice to say that when it comes to creature comforts and carrying capacity, the Grand Banks 36 Sedan fares well in any comparison to its hand-hauled and automotive cousins.

The 36 Sedan is one of a trio of trawler-style cruisers based on Grand Banks’ 35ft 2in hull, the others being the extended-flybridge 36 Europa and the aft-cabin 36 Classic.

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With its classic trawler lines including an enclosed saloon atop a flush deck, the 36 Sedan is the ‘sportiest’ of the three.

As Colin Watts of Boat Showrooms, Grand Banks’ long-time UK importer, puts it, “The 36 Sedan combines the rugged qualities of a displacement cruiser with semi-displacement performance if required.”

And Colin should know, for in 1991 he collected the boat featured in our review, currently on offer for £149,995, when it arrived in Rotterdam from Grand Banks’ Singapore manufacturing base.

“I remember bringing that particular boat over as the weather was truly awful – we had to nose into an unforgiving sea for seven hours!” he recalls. “But the boat took it in its stride – it’s a remarkable vessel.”

Heavy hitter

That view is shared by former Grand Banks 36 Sedan owner Peter Hazelton, who together with wife Jeanette owned the self-same boat for 16 years.

“The 36 Sedan is just so heavy and stable in the water – it goes wherever you point it,” he confirms. “You might think you’re going to have problems in the wind, but you don’t. And if you see a large wave coming don’t worry; it will pass by without you noticing it.

“The only downside is in a large following sea where the boat has a tendency to wallow, but you just get used to it.”

Beautiful craftsmanship is apparent in the chunky transom door

In 2019 Peter sold his boat to its current owners, Richard and Diana Gloyn. They have spent the past two years refreshing and adding to the vessel to make it their own, but health issues for Richard are now forcing its sale.

“What I was looking for was a boat with a saloon that offers a great all-round view,” he says. “With its large area of glass the 36 Sedan certainly does that, and the sizeable aft cockpit adds to the appeal in good weather.

“We have only used her as a day boat, but I have no doubt she would be more than suitable for longer passages. At the end of the shafts are two socking great props, which give a very civilised ride if you wind them up a bit, and she turns on a sixpence – manoeuvrability is very good indeed.”

Traditional ship’s wheel is a joy to use while simple helm layout makes it easy to update

Both Richard and Peter commented on the convenience of the helm door, which opens onto the starboard sidedeck.

“It enabled me to use the boat single-handed,” says Peter. “All you need is a 2m spring line to drop over a cleat on the pontoon.

“Once you’re on, there’s a mid- ships access point which allows you to quickly step ashore. It makes tying up very easy.”

In terms of other notable GB 36 Sedan features, the list is long. Outside, the super-safe walkaround deck is bounded by high bulwarks and elegantly detailed varnished handrails.

There’s more varnish at the stern, (prospective purchasers note: varnish = work), where a chunky transom door leads to a bathing platform, which although small allows for the fitment of dinghy davits.

The spacious aft cockpit provides an ideal setting for candlelit dinners for two, and up front a beefy arrangement at the pulpit houses the anchor, windlass and a shore power socket.

These features combine to give the 36 Sedan a little ship feeling which aficionados of classic craft are sure to appreciate.

The flybridge is accessed from the aft cockpit by way of a steep ladder, which owner Richard found a bit too much so converted it to give a lesser gradient.

The flybridge would be a wonderful space for entertaining under blue skies, rather than the drizzle we experienced on our visit

Capacious interior

The day of our visit – cold, wet and windy – the flybridge was not a place you would want to be. We were, however, able to appreciate the space it affords for entertaining.

As with the saloon, this was considerable. At the forward end, two back-to-back double benches provide seating for eight, including the helmsperson, for whom all key controls have been duplicated.

To aft is a large L-shaped seat and table with plenty of deck space left over to add director’s chairs or sun loungers. High sides and handrails give an assurance of safety and we can imagine on a warm, calm day there would be no better place to spend some time.

The cosy teak-clad interior has ‘little ship’ appeal and is cavernous compared to other 36-footers

Back down the ladder, on entering the saloon through its main rear door you’d be forgiven for wondering what boat you’ve walked into, for compared to most 36-footers the saloon is cavernous.

Given that aft of the saloon lies a 6ft-plus cockpit, the amount of indoor space is little short of breathtaking. One surprising point to note is that Peter found he repeatedly bashed his hip on the table when entering the saloon.

The solution was to move the table a few inches to port so it now clears the door while still leaving plenty of room between itself and the seats.

An ample L-shaped seating area leads out to a secure aft cockpit with tall side coamings and wraparound handrails

While he was at it, Peter also reduced the depth of the saloon’s rear cabinet and moved it to starboard to create more entry room.

“It was worthwhile, as in standard trim the drawers were so deep you had to get on your hands and knees to reach the back!” he says.

Apart from the table, the next thing that strikes you is the wood. It’s everywhere, from the classic parquet flooring to the array of saloon cabinets and galley cupboards, extending right up to the helm itself.

As with most of the interior, the galley cabinets are made from durable high-quality teak

Everything is made from high-quality teak which we can confirm stands the test of time – the woodwork on our 30-year-old review boat was as-new throughout. One word of caution: parquet flooring can be extremely slippery when wet.

So concerned was Peter, that rather than enjoying the aesthetics and risking it, he laid carpet while the boat was in his ownership.

The central companionway leads below decks to where the compromise between saloon space and sleeping accommodation becomes apparent.

The forward master cabin features a traditional vee-berth but enjoy lots of natural light

The forward V-berth, although benefiting from natural light and being perfectly serviceable, is somewhat on the compact side.

The second cabin, which sits to port opposite the heads and features a large sliding door for privacy, has a bed which we suspect was billed as a double (there are two reading lights above the bedhead) but tapers towards the foot.

We think this could lead to some grumbling, kneeing and elbowing at night, perhaps even forcing the loser to clamber up into the canvas berth that hangs above the bed, but which in our review boat was long gone.

The bathroom features an electric toilet and more teak detailing

What these cabins do have, though, is plenty of storage space – like the rest of the boat there are lockers and drawers everywhere. An electric toilet, basin and shower completes the picture downstairs.

Our review boat was equipped with twin 225hp Ford Sabre six-cylinder turbocharged engines. This was the mid-power option, the other choices being a pair of 200hp or 250hp lumps from Cummins.

The top speeds delivered are 14, 15 or 17 knots depending on engine, suggesting client preference or service availability may well have steered the propulsion decisions of the original specifiers. The engines are accessed via a hatch in the saloon.

Storage is generous throughout the Grand Banks 36 Sedan

When Peter Hazelton took ownership of the boat he found the noise levels too intrusive, so added a thick layer of insulation to quieten them down. “Another very worthwhile exercise,” he comments.

When MBY tested a Grand Banks 36 Classic way back in 1979 – at which point the vessel cost a princely £50,000 – we concluded this was one economic boat.

Fifteen years later we took part in a delivery trip from the Netherlands where that view was confirmed; we reported using 7 gallons per hour at 9.9 knots and 18.5 gallons per hour at a top speed of 14.7 knots.

The only problem was that by then, the purchase price had soared to beyond £175,000.

The second berth has a sliding door for privacy and a rather diminutive double bed

Grand Banks 36 Sedan: Surveyor’s report

Grand Banks are well known for their sturdy construction, and this is no exception. The ‘little ship’ feeling you get when entering the wheelhouse inspires confidence and pride of ownership.

Points to note when considering buying:

• The quantity of teak decking on these boats is legendary. Ensure they have not been over scrubbed and look out for missing plugs and exposed fixing heads.
• Trademark varnished teak transom and handrails are particularly prone to UV degradation. Ensure all are sound, as this is time-consuming to restore.
• The amount of glass around the wheelhouse and saloon risks extensive UV degradation of the timber, veneers and soft furnishing inside, unless screened.
• It is critical that given her age, engine service history is checked and verified – including cleaning the heat exchanger, and exhaust injection castings.
• A thorough sea trial is vital, with extended run at maximum revs to ensure temperatures remain within specs throughout.
• The cruising range of these boats means that air-con, a generator and watermaker may have been fitted. If the boat has been little used, these systems could be problematical when needed, so test thoroughly.

She is a stiff boat and will have a lively movement in a seaway. However, 36ft is just long enough to ride the waves without drama.

In coastal and offshore waters, she should plough on regardless with dignity and aplomb, and will always retain that timeless ‘classic’ look.

-Chris Olsen MIIMS, Olsen Marine Surveying

Grand Banks 36 Sedan specifications

Type: GRP Trawler-style motor cruiser Designer: Kenneth Smith/American Marine (PTE) Ltd Hull type: Semi-displacement RCD category: Cat A Current value: £130,000 – £190,000 LOA: 12.32m (40’ 5”) Beam: 3.86m (12’ 8”) Draught: 1.22m (4’) Air draught (mast up): 6.12m (20’ 1”) Air draught (mast down): 3.94m (12’ 11”) Displacement: 26,000 lbs Fuel capacity: 390 USG Water capacity: 205 USG Performance: 5 l/nm @ 12kn Cruising range: 236nm at 12kn with 20% reserve Annual marina mooring: £7,995.00 – on the Hamble River (UK) downstream of Bursledon bridge Annual fuel burn: 50 hours cruising at 12 knots would consume 1,250 litres

What’s on the market?

Price: £149,950 Date: 1991 Engines: Twin 225 hp Ford Sabre Location: Lymington Contact: www.boatshowrooms.com

Price: £139,739 Date: 1993 Engines: Twin 210 hp Cummins Location: Santander, Spain Contact: www.aurumyacht.com

In association with SETAG Yachts. Design and refit specialists SETAG Yachts bring luxury to the pre-owned market – by creating the bespoke yacht of your dreams, with no compromise. To fall in love with your boat all over again visit www.setagyachts.com or call + 44 (0)1752 648618 for more details.

First published in the January 2022 issue of MBY.

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