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Welcome to the special Classic Boat Archive section, where Boats by Motor opens for you its paper archive where hundreds and hundreds of boats we have tested, presented and reviewed in the magazine’s more than 35-year history are kept. Technical data, original boat data sheets, including engines and performance. In short, a database (constantly being updated) that contains everything you need to know about Classic Boats.
Today we tell you about the Menorquin 110, reposting the article published in 2000. A sturdy boat with a displacement hull that encompasses all the charm of traditional Catalan goiters.
Taken from Motor Boats 2000, no. 3, March, pp. 96.101.
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Founded in Menorca in 1974, the Astilleros Menorca shipyard, building on its experience in the construction of professional fishing boats, has specialized in the production of displacement pleasure hulls characterized by lines that evoke those of traditional Catalan goiters. Its wide range includes open and cabin cruiser models from six to fifteen meters in length, with a production of about 200 units annually. The shipyard, which employs 70 people, 50 of whom are carpenters (a sign of the craftsmanship of the product), has experienced rapid expansion in recent years, thanks mainly to larger units. The latest addition is the Menorquin 110, which is at the base of the higher end, soon to be enriched by a new sixteen-and-a-half-meter flagship. There is also a project on paper for a 20-meter whose launching is scheduled for next year.
Like the Spanish shipyard’s entire range, the design of the Menorquin 110, developed in collaboration with the Barcelona-based engineering firm IDN, takes its cue from Catalan working goiters. The result is a classic displacement vessel designed for quiet long-distance cruising and ideal for those enthusiasts who prefer the safety and comfort of sailing to the thrill of speed. The interior is designed for a crew of two to four. The bow is sleek, with a pronounced leapfrog and freeboard sloping towards the stern. The profile shows a practically vertical foredeck (about 85° angle) that, as on traditional boats, culminates in a molded wooden pernaccia. This is that protruding part, with purely decorative functions, which in the past was topped by the capion, an ornamental element with the appearance of a turban or wig. Today the capione is replaced by a small mould, also made of wood, which is intended to protect the pernaccia from water infiltration. Also vertical is the stern starboard, which also ends with a small pernaccia. A hull therefore very long at the waterline, so as to develop a high theoretical speed to be exploited in the displacement regime. The skeg that runs from bow to stern serves to protect the propellers: in the past, these hulls had to be able to be winged dry on the chutes with classic wooden stanchions.
The Spanish shipyard has adopted solid laminate lay-up for both the hull and deck and superstructure. This is a choice that tends to emphasize reliability and durability rather than lightness, and is justified by the displacement type of the project. The resin used is of the Italian-made polyester isophthalic type, which is more waterproof than orthophthalic and consequently more resistant to osmosis. Internally, the boat has no counter-molded areas: bulkheads, dunnage and furniture are made of iroko and worked with that special care that is somewhat the hallmark of the shipyard.
Easily accessible by two large hatches opening on the dunnage, one beside the wheelhouse and the other in the cockpit, with hydraulic piston-assisted lifting, the engine room is large and rationally exploited. All components are clearly visible and firmly attached to the hull. Checks and work can be carried out with ease on engines, water and diesel filters, oil seals, rudder pumps, exhausts and their silencers, boilers, etc. Two stainless steel tanks have also been placed under the engines to keep the bilges cleaner and to detect oil leaks more easily. The 800 It fuel tank, which gives the Menorquin 110 a good sailing range, is made of stainless steel and, for better weight distribution, is positioned in the center of gravity. Noteworthy is the diagram on which the image of the fuel gauge is reproduced, with its hand in four different positions: full, half, beginning reserve and end reserve. Under each image are indicated how many liters of fuel correspond to the various positions. A very useful little feature when navigating.
Despite its pilot boat shape with a rather set-back helm station, the Menorquin 110 offers generous outdoor space. In fact, the dimensions of the cockpit (2.90×1.99 m), partly protected by the extension of the superstructure, lend themselves to the fitting of a dinette, while the forward deckhouse, bordered laterally by wooden handrails that follow the profile of the deadrise, is arranged to accommodate a large 2.22×2.53 m sun pad. Passage from the cockpit to the bow is provided by two wide walkways protected by solid stainless steel stanchions. In the stern, both walkways conceal two capacious lockers measuring 110×22-28 em, equipped with discharge scuppers and hydraulic piston-assisted opening. The one on the starboard side contains accommodation for the gas cylinder. The prow features a slender wooden dolphin trap on which, in addition to the central bowfin, is attached the windlass with horizontal drums, with barbotin for the chain and bell for the lines. The generous surface area of the superstructure can be used for attaching the inflatable boat and also as accommodation for the tender, if any. The aft, load-bearing swim platform is integrated with the hull and lined with teak. Practical is the swim ladder arranged on the right side, near the opening of the transom that serves to facilitate access to the cockpit. Questionable, however, are the positions of the water and fuel boarding plugs: the former, at the extreme bow, requires a very long hose; the latter, low on the swim platform, is exposed to spray caused by the wave of those passing by while topping up.
The interior layout of the Menorquin 110 favors the airiness of individual rooms and stowage, at the expense, of course, of the number of berths. From the cockpit, through a four-panel, wood-framed glass door, there is direct access to the wheelhouse. The starboard side houses the helm station from which there is good visibility both standing and seated. The base of the pilot seat conceals a locker suitable for storing flares and safety equipment. On the left, however, is a sofa that allows two or three guests to follow navigation and converse with those at the controls. Particularly appreciated in navigation are the solid grab bars attached to the sides of the staircase down to the lower deck. Here we find, to the left, a comfortable dinette served by a height-adjustable table with folding wings, which on occasion can be quickly converted into a double berth. Opposite is arranged the L-shaped galley with Corian worktop, two-burner stove, sink and refrigerator. Generous, in relation to the size of the boat. the storage volumes obtained by exploiting both the bulwarks with large compartments equipped with bottle holders, plate racks and shelves, and the spaces under the sofa seats. Also present are a variety of cabinets with drawers and shelves and, behind the easily removable wooden ladder, two useful bottle racks. In the extreme bow is the master cabin with a large V-shaped berth and closet. The toilet room, complete with shower, also has plenty of compartments to stow items and linens. The use of iroko for furniture, bulkheads and dunnage makes the rooms especially warm and cozy.
The boat is offered with two Volvo Penta or Yanmar inboard diesel engines with power ratings from 260 to 400 hp total. Transmissions are shaft drive. The test specimen was equipped with two Volvo Penta 200 hp each.
Characterized by a very high and slender bow, which tends to flare out as it rises toward the foresail, the hull of the Menorquin 110 cleaves the waves very smoothly, denoting a marine hull that ensures stable behavior and few splashes on deck. The choice of the more powerful motorization seemed to us to be apt, if only for that reserve of horsepower to be allocated to moments of contrary wind and sea. The speed measured at the maximum speed of 3000 rpm was 12 knots, but already at 2500 rpm 10 knots are easily held with declared consumption of just 23 liters/hour, for a range of more than 350 miles. Finally, precise is the response to the controls and good handling in restricted waters and in port.
by Elena Gaggini
Are you a Classic Boat enthusiast or simply curious about the excellence of the past? Then the Classic Boat Archive is the place for you: the only column where the entire history of powerboating is made accessible to the public, boat by boat, article by article. Find out what’s already online and keep monitoring the archive-it’s updated four times a week! For your convenience, you can check it out by clicking HERE!
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