Today’s best used boats are some great classics of the past. There are boats born for fishing, not sport fishing, but business fishing. And of working at sea they carry all the characteristics: safety, reliability, seaworthiness, space, longevity, ease of maintenance.
Used boats: 5 stylish and elegant goiters and lobsters
Be it the American lobster (“lobster boats”) or the very Italian gozzi, these boats, even used ones, are no longer used only as work vehicles by fishermen, but with design modifications that “gentrify” and embellish them they have become true leisure boats. Today the Mediterranean gozzo is considered a refined and elegant vessel.
On the technical side, in addition to the refinement of the interior, lobsters and goiters have benefited from the evolution in construction materials, which has made the boats less susceptible to wear and tear. The constant evolution of the hulls has further improved its marine qualities.
Today the gozzo is considered a refined and elegant vessel. Having lost its original role as a work boat, this type has been rediscovered in recreational boating to meet the needs of a wide range of users.
Here are some of the models produced in recent years by some of the most important shipyards specializing in building classic boats.
Apreamare Emerald 45
Contemporary and past in one boat. This is how the Smeraldo 45, the gozzo from the Neapolitan shipyard Apreamare, appears among used boats, which combines a more retro-inspired design with great comfort on board.
A gozzo inspired by 1950s design, from the somewhat retro bow to the tauter, less rounded lines of the deckhouse. This is the stylistic reworking created by Tommaso Spadolini, who designed the exterior and interior (the hull, however, is by Umberto Tagliavini), but the driving motif of the design is definitely the privilege of comfort and livability of the boat, both outside and inside. The boat is equipped with two Volvo Penta IPS 600s for a maximum speed of about 28 knots.
The exteriors reflect the possibility of experiencing the boat with guests in maximum harmony, thanks to the numerous sofas and sunbathing areas, the cockpit partially shaded by the roof and a retractable awning. Accesses are easy and safe, such as direct access from the cockpit to the aft platform through a hatch with two steps.
Interior design reflects the same attention to space ergonomics. The master cabin is forward and has a standard height bed, something unheard of in the history of the Sorrentine gozzo. Guests, on the other hand, have two beds 80 centimeters wide.
All cabins offer ample closets and storage space. The finishes echo the polished mahogany of the classic Apreamare gozzi line, embellished with leather details in the doors and walls. Equally well finished are the bathrooms, which have walls decorated with mosaics and marble sink tops. Both bathrooms also have separate shower stalls.
Aft of the galley, there is an additional compartment that can be converted according to various needs: from sailor cabin to guest cabin to space for a washing machine or spare refrigerator.
Data Sheet of the boat: Emerald 45
- Manufacturer: Apreamare
- LOA: 13.90 m
- B.max: 4.46 m
- Displacement: 13,400 kg
- Beds: 4
- Motorization: 2×435 HP
- Water tank: 330 l
- Fuel tank: 1700 l
- apreamare.co.uk/
Arcoa Mystic 44
It was born in a French shipyard, where history, art and tradition are at home. Used boats like this one are real gems. This lobster combines great solid construction with fine materials. It has two cabins and everything is customizable down to the smallest detail.
There are boats that have character. You recognize them already at the dock, because your eye, whether you like it or not, fixes on them. Considered the epitome of “French-style” lobster boats, the Arcoa Mystic 44 falls squarely into this category. In the recognizable lines, fine materials are reflected in 70 years of tradition of a shipyard that is considered on par with the historic Rivas, despite recent corporate misadventures.
Also because wood is present just about everywhere, from the cockpit to the walkways to the clever and convenient outdoor bar furniture. A somewhat retro style that is largely customizable and is matched by high-tech solutions, such as the small tables that are recessed into the cockpit dunnage and raise at the touch of a button. The superstructure is high enough to give a feeling of space inside, without weighing down the exterior profile.
To gain access to the cockpit, the center section of the transom is opened so that two L-shaped couches rest against the transom and the two bulwarks. Two bar cabinets are placed on either side of the entrance to the dinette, where there is also a three-section retractable glass window. Passages are comfortable in both width and protection. The forward area, well sheltered by the high stanchion, houses a central double sundeck, which leaves the area near the nose clear, thus simplifying anchoring maneuvers.
A C-shaped sofa on the starboard side with a height-adjustable coffee table, a second two-seater sofa on the port side, and the elevated helm station make up the square on deck, while the lower deck has a galley. Two cabins and two bathrooms are provided, with the master cabin forward and the guest cabin, with separate beds, to starboard.
Data Sheet of the boat: Mystic 44
- Manufacturer: Arcoa
- LOA: 13.80 m
- B.max: 3.95 m
- Displacement: 11,200 kg
- Beds: 7
- Motorization: 2×435 HP
- Water tank: 470 l
- Fuel tank:1,600 l
Austin Parker AP 36
A “natantone” that is inspired by classic lobsters but has a forward-looking design. The elegance and attention to detail on board are of a higher standard than is normally found on boats in this category. New or as used boats, Austin Parkers are always synonymous with elegance and class.
The Austin Parker 36 is built with criteria typical of higher category boats, but the boat stays within the 10-meter threshold, which allows it to fall into the watercraft category. The main features of the AP 36 are the aft mooring area separated from the cockpit, the large access hatch to the engine room for convenient accessibility to the engines, the large technical compartments separating the engine rooms from the living area to improve acoustic comfort, and the possibility of installing Volvo Penta’s Ips system.
Then there are other important details, not visible at first glance but very qualifying, such as the absence of visible joints between the hull and stern and the recessed bow sundeck cushion.
The hardtop can be equipped with a canvas sunroof or by a glass enclosure, a solution that provides total protection from the elements, giving great brightness and airiness to the cockpit. Here there is a fully equipped indoor kitchen and two large L-shaped stern sofas positioned along both sides. A central passageway between these two sofas provides convenient access to the aft platform, which appears to be of adequate size to be used for bathing and relaxing on the water.
Below-deck accommodation is provided for four people in an open space consisting of the forward bed and aft compartment that has another two-person galley. In the middle is the dinette and kitchen cabinet. Thanks to the careful study of proportions and careful layout there is the possibility of closing off the bow area. The bathroom is large and bright and has a separate shower stall.
Data Sheet of the boat: AP 36
- Manufacturer: Austin Parker
- LOA: 11.00 m
- B.max: 3.75 m
- Displacement: 8,000 kg
- Beds: 4
- Motorization: 2×260 HP
- Water tank: 220 l
- Fuel tank: 780 l
- www.austinparker.it
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Bani 11.50 Prestige
A handcrafted all-wood gozzo that among used boats makes a great impression. Only the hull shell is made of fiberglass. It is born in a yard that does not pursue large numbers, but prefers to make a few well-maintained specimens.
The Bani 11.50 has evolved to the point where it has been redesigned to accommodate IPS transmissions, making it more maneuverable and maneuverable. Thus was born the Prestige version with two Volvo Penta IPS 500 engines, capable of planing the boat in 5 seconds and reaching a top speed of 40 knots. All with much comfort, even in rough seas.
This boat also encapsulates the shipyard’s 40-year tradition of designing hulls in fine natural materials, such as teak, mahogany, and cherry wood, which take on different shapes and colors depending on the owners’ requests.
In the cockpit, the Bani 11.50 Prestige offers a sofa set into the wooden frame. Underneath the hard top is the living room, which has a kitchenette and, on the opposite side, a second sofa with a folding and fold-down table. The driver’s station is on the left, with a wooden helm and a screen-printed dashboard that stands out in modernity against the cherry wood of the supporting structure.
Layouts are varied and can have from 2 to 6 beds. The basic one provides, on a mahogany and maple dunnage, a square with a dinette to starboard, which can be converted into a double bed. Another bed, this time a single, is on the opposite side, next to one of the two bathrooms. The second toilet is adjacent to the forward master cabin, which consists of a double bed arranged in a “V” shape, drawers, furniture with hangers and portholes.
Boat data sheet: 11.50 Prestige
- Manufacturer: Bani
- LOA: 11.50 m
- B.max: 3.75 m
- Displacement: 9,000 kg
- Beds: 2 to 6
- Motorization: 2×500 HP
- Water tank: 300 l
- Fuel tank: 1,000 l
Baumarine Lobster 36
Those who love lobsters and want to stay in the realm of used watercraft can find their ideal boat in the Lobtser 36, which is also found with a varied choice of propulsion equipment that can be shaftline, Ips, or hybrid.
Classic in essence but very modern in style is the Lobster 36 from Baumarine, a Lombard shipyard that specializes in producing boats inspired by the old Maine lobster boats. This boat, which is a vessel, reveals a special class on the outside, also given by the pastel hull color.
In addition to classic engines coupled to the shaftlines, the Baumarine Lobster 36 can also mount Volvo Penta Ips 400 and diesel/electric hybrid thrusters with various power ratings, powered by lithium batteries that can also draw power from solar panels that can be placed on the superstructure. The canopy has two square opening sections at the bow.
Like real fishing boats, the cockpit is free of clutter except for the presence of an L-shaped sofa and another corner seat.
The entire walkable area then lends itself to be used for a wide variety of needs, such as setting up a dining area with a removable table and chairs or, why not, use it precisely to set up a bait preparation center and engage in the pleasure of sport fishing. Two comfortable walkways lead to the bow where there is a nice sundeck that is always pleasant for everyone.
Below deck are three large cabins with double beds. The larger one is obviously dedicated to the owner and is located at the apex of the bow, with a layout that includes the classic central bed and closet. The two guest cabins, however, are flanked aft along the keel axis. The bathroom is one, but better one good-sized bathroom than two smaller ones.
Data Sheet of the boat: Lobster 36
- Manufacturer: Baumarine
- LOA: 11.20 m
- B.max: 3.50 m
- Displacement: 9,000 kg
- Beds: 6
- Motorization: from 1×435 to 2×350 HP
- Water tank: 200 l
- Fuel tank: 620 l
- www.baumarine.it
Now all you have to do is survey the market for used boats and see if there is the right one for you.
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