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Open-water performance was good. With two-to three-foot seas prevailing, I recorded an average top speed of 29.9 mph. Tracking was excellent, up-sea, down-sea, and side-sea, and the ride was dry, with nary a drop of spray splashing the windshield panes. Steering was smooth, even with one main throttled back to neutral to simulate engine trouble, thanks to Lacomble & Schmitt hydraulics. At 2000 rpm and above, however, visibility forward from the lower helm became poor. At 5’11”, I could barely see over the bow, even when standing. I suggested two remedies to Burdick. First, a loftier helm seat&mdasah;the test boat’s was six inches too low for me. And second, larger trim tabs. Our electric Lencos were simply too small to have any effect.
My sea trial complete, I docked the 42 from the center helm station. The experience was satisfying except for one thing: The treads on the ladder to the bridge from the cockpit were bowl-shape, not flat. While such a detail may be interesting from a design standpoint, I found it impractical under real-world conditions. Otherwise, our pocketed props were near-instantaneously effective and evinced little vibration or bottom-end rumble. The 42 did not seem overly susceptible to windage, most likely thanks to her keel and deep, stabilizing forefoot. And the Volvo Penta QL bow thruster, which I used more because it was there than out of necessity, had plenty of oomph.
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Burdick and I began touring the 42’s interior as soon as I’d shut the mains down. It’s a tried-and-true layout, with a saloon and galley on the main deck and a master stateroom forward, guest stateroom to starboard, and head to port, all a couple of steps down. Notable features were a separate stall shower in the head (with standing headroom), plentiful ventilation thanks to a profusion of doors, windows, and opening ports, and mahogany joinery that looks like natural cherry, thanks to a tinted varnish.
I gained access to the engine room by lifting a panel or two from the teak-and-holly sole in the saloon, although a number of panels are removable should extracting an engine for major repairs ever prove necessary. Lighting in the engine room was adequate, and the aluminum diamond-plate decking was solid underfoot, but there were some engineering details I wasn’t enthusiastic about. For example, flexible fuel lines were secured to the Volvo Penta filters forward with hose clamps. On vessels in the 42’s size range, I’d rather see hard, compression-type fittings, since they make for tighter, more positive plumbing. And the electrical wiring in the aft starboard corner looked like a big ball of spaghetti. While Burdick said this was simply an agglomeration of extra-long wires to facilitate future electrical installations and/or repairs, I much prefer crisper, more logically laid out work.
After I’d completed my test, I hung around the marina for a while, eventually returning to Jabin’s balcony for a last look at the Beneteau Swift Trawler 42. If anything, the boat seemed more engaging and romantic in the fading light than she had earlier in the day. A few defects? Yeah, but the boat’s a beauty nevertheless.
“Here’s lookin’ at you kid,” I said, nodding goodbye. Under the circumstances, the famous old line seemed fitting.
Beneteau USA
(843) 805-5000
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This article originally appeared in the January 2004
issue of Power & Motoryacht magazine.
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