Marlin 33: the inflatable (10 m) boat with cabin. TEST and price

We tested the Marlin 33, a novelty from the Lombard shipyard Marlin Boat previewed at the last Genoa Boat Show. We observe it from a distance, docked at the finger, and already the feeling it communicates to us is that of a solid and powerful dinghy.

The stern is low and streamlined on the water, while the bow is very high and well off the wave: these lines, typical of Marlin, give dynamism to the boat’s design and, seen from the bow, make it look almost like a spaceship.

TEST Marlin 33

The helm station peeps out amidships, topped by a hard-top supported by an unobtrusive stainless steel structure. The time has finally come to board; first consideration: the tubulars (64 cm diameter) so low to the middle of the boat facilitate access from the dock, making it easy and unthreatening to climb aboard.

Turning your gaze toward the stern, the two Mercury outboards “clinging” to a very spacious and wide swim platform dominate. Continuing toward the bow, however, there is a C-shaped sofa that can also turn into a sunbathing area and accommodate guests (up to 16 people can be boarded) around a retractable table. In the center of the hull is the console, the back of which doubles as a galley with a sink, fire and 65-liter refrigerator.

Interiors

Inside this structure, concealed by a sliding door, is a dressing room cabin and which can also convert into a double cabin if needed. We were amazed by the airiness of this space: one can stand comfortably and the feeling of claustrophobia is erased by the side windows and an opening porthole; there is also a concealed toilet under the seat of the settee. Marlin also already has plans for a camper version of this boat, which will differ precisely in the different arrangement of this area and will be even more spacious.

In the bow, on the other hand, there is a large full-beam sunbathing area (208 cm), under which there are two large lockers for stowing all the gear on board; under the stainless steel and fiberglass dolphin locker is the electric anchor windlass and chain locker: the anchor comes out electrically from the foredeck. It is now time to take a seat at the helm station, with double single seats that can be configured for seated or standing driving. Before our eyes we find a modern Simrad digital instrumentation, which keeps an eye on all the vital parameters of the boat and engines.

Let’s set sail, the Marlin 33 test.

We turn the keys, contact, and the two Mercurys immediately make their presence felt with two roars. We let go of the lines and help ourselves with the bow thruster to leave the dock, as the wind pushes us back to the berth. The electronic shackles are surgical in their operation and we look forward to sinking them. We are on Lake Como and, despite the tense wind, the waves are almost absent: to test the hull’s prowess we will have to create our own wave with our wake. We can give full throttle and we were pleasantly surprised by the progression in the thrust, never too nervous, but not for that reason insufficient. At about 2,000 rpm we are at 10 knots and already gliding, with the wake starting to come off the stern.

A 53-knot dinghy

Before testing the hull’s wave entry, we let the Marlin 33 run as fast as it can: on the instrument we read 53 knots of top speed with the two 300-horsepower Verado V8s screaming at 6000 rpm. We slow down to let the wave generated by the wake rise and enter it at high speed. Only one word comes to mind: comfort. The dinghy smashes the wave without breaking much and without transmitting any jolts on board; another feeling we get is the solidity and compactness of this Marlin 33, a sign of the build quality. In fact, the hull is the result of three different moldings: deck, reinforcement spider and hull, an assembly that makes the whole construction particularly solid.

I would like to dwell on the hull, designed directly by Marlin Boat to offer optimal performance in all sea conditions; it is distinguished by a bow wheel with a very sharp and penetrating profile, with longitudinal skids that run across the entire surface of the glide planes and two transverse redans that certainly improve lift at high speeds.

At the time of our test, the Marlin 33 is equipped with two Mercury Verado 300s, the ideal motorization according to the shipyard, even though the dinghy’s homologation calls for a maximum power output of 700 horsepower.I agree with Marlin, because these two engines are enough to have fun and sufficiently push the more than 2 1/2 tons of this 33.

Finally, the price: this boat starts at 148,000 euros plus VAT.

For more information and to request a quote, click here.

Federico Lanfranchi

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