Having owned 2 boats since 2005, over the years our views on what we wanted to get from our next boat, and how we would use it, have evolved. We spent several years in the UK and then 7 years in the Med with our Trader 41+2 and loved it.
Being without a boat didn't sit well with me so we bought a nearly new Botnia Targa 35 which we kept in the UK. Much as we loved the Botnia it cemented our developing view that we wanted something more sedate with which we could cruise for extended periods in comfort and with enough room so as not to feel cramped.
Our requirements list included being a Cat A design (ocean-going), preferably single engine with a wing engine for back-up and preferably full displacement. I wanted a boat which was easy to work on and had appropriate access to all the mechanical and electrical systems. We also wanted the boat to have a reasonable range and to be of a well built and robust design which was equipped with all the comforts of home.
These requirements limited our choices since many motor boats, although claiming to be rugged and suitable for offshore passages, really aren't designed or built to stand up to the rigour of the open seas.
We looked at a number of options including our first choice of a Nordhavn 47. Sadly these are few and far between in UK/EU spec so we widened our search. Having looked at a number of Dutch steel boats we eventually had an offer accepted on a Diesel Duck based in the Med. The DDs are a niche design built in China. Sadly, on inspection, the paperwork didn't meet our expectations so we were back to the drawing board.
I'd heard of the Elling brand and seen them at boat shows; however, I'd never really seriously considered them thinking that the engine was too big and access to it and other systems would be too restricted. Fortunately, I met the kind owners of an E3 in a local marina and they showed me around, eulogising all the time about how great their boat was. This whet my appetite sufficiently to look further into the E4. The rest, as they say, is history.
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| Our Trader in the Ionian |
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| Our Botnia Targa 35 |
Our requirements list included being a Cat A design (ocean-going), preferably single engine with a wing engine for back-up and preferably full displacement. I wanted a boat which was easy to work on and had appropriate access to all the mechanical and electrical systems. We also wanted the boat to have a reasonable range and to be of a well built and robust design which was equipped with all the comforts of home.
These requirements limited our choices since many motor boats, although claiming to be rugged and suitable for offshore passages, really aren't designed or built to stand up to the rigour of the open seas.
We looked at a number of options including our first choice of a Nordhavn 47. Sadly these are few and far between in UK/EU spec so we widened our search. Having looked at a number of Dutch steel boats we eventually had an offer accepted on a Diesel Duck based in the Med. The DDs are a niche design built in China. Sadly, on inspection, the paperwork didn't meet our expectations so we were back to the drawing board.
I'd heard of the Elling brand and seen them at boat shows; however, I'd never really seriously considered them thinking that the engine was too big and access to it and other systems would be too restricted. Fortunately, I met the kind owners of an E3 in a local marina and they showed me around, eulogising all the time about how great their boat was. This whet my appetite sufficiently to look further into the E4. The rest, as they say, is history.
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