Australia’s Trade A Boat 385 Review
I was very impressed with the Broadblue 385. March 2009
I was very impressed with the Broadblue 385. March 2009
In a multihull world populated with cats designed for charter fleets, Broadblue touts its line of boats as "true bluewater cruisers" and builds to Category A (Oceangoing) standards in the European Union. Below the waterline, the hulls are solid glass reinforced with Kevlar in loaded areas. Above the waterline, hulls and deck are balsa-cored laminates with marine-grade-plywood reinforcement at hardware locations. Other offshore-enabling attributes include five bulkheads, flotation compartments, and hardened glass windows set in aluminum frames.
Sail Boats + Gear: Broadblue 435 a capable blue water cruising catamaran. The quality and care that have gone into the construction of the Broadblue are immediately obvious. The semi-custom aspect of its equipment list and construction will appeal to may owners preparing for extensive bluewater cruising. This is a high quality boat that should retain its value well.
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Broadblue Catamarans, descendent of Prout, the first series builder of ocean-going cats and last onestanding in the UK, has been energetically but carefully tending its product line. Last year we saw theBroadblue 385 and 435, and this year's offering, the 415, is designed to offer the best of both in amore efficient package—less complicated and less expensive than the 435 but with more space thanthe 385.
From its "ocean-rated" windows to the six sealed flotation compartments, the Broadblue 385 is meant to sail safely. Its skeg-hung rudders are the same depth as the hollow keels, which have a reinforced shoe so the boat can be grounded—a handy attribute when beaching for a bottom scrub. In its native Britain, many are kept on moorings that dry out in the large tides there.
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The latest Broadblue launch is the 415 which although based on an existing hull, shows several stylistic features which are expected to set the pattern for the next few models, notably the blue tinted saloon windows and the diagonal portlights in the aft cabins. We sailed the 415 from Ipswich on a sunny day in late November.