Our latest boat for review is the classy looking Jeanneau Merry Fisher 805. She’s a top of the range fishing cruiser with a side profile not unlike a big game fishing boat. It’s even got an optional fly bridge.
The test boat was in Brighton Marina at the Walton Marine office. The sun was out, but a brisk force 6 wind was whipping in from the southwest inducing a big sea with deep rolling swells and plenty of white caps. The forecast was for a further deterioration in weather conditions later in the day. With that in mind, we took the 805 straight to sea.
A TESTING TIME
Coming out of the marina pontoon, the vessel is easily manoeuvred in tight spaces, especially given the strong side wind factor on the day, with instant response to the throttle. An important point as pontoon access gets ever tighter as different marina’s try to cram as many boats in as possible.
Slipping out between the west and east arms we were greeted with a short waved building sea that was already looking pretty evil.
Jumping in to the helm seat and getting hold of the wheel you feel the balance of the boat. Big boats with some weight about them are lovely in these big seas. Shoving the throttle forward the V shaped hull with all that power and weight behind it just carves a clean line through the wave with little lift at the bow.
Given the size and shortness of the sea hull noise was surprisingly quiet with minimal slam noise. The engine is positioned amidships below the cabin floor, and though I was expecting some degree of background engine noise I was again surprised just how quiet the cabin environment is.
I was having to be ultra aware and read the sea carefully, but the helm position gave me full vision from every angle, and the seat itself comfy. Some splash came back on the screen, but only when I gunned the boat at the waves, though little seemed to get back on deck when glancing behind.
Getting to know the boat a little now, I eased back the power and turned the boat around inside the troughs. No appreciable lean as wave pressure hit the side of the hull was evident, and no major shift of the bow as the wave passed under us.
Bringing the boat fully around with the stern facing the waves, you do need to work the wheel a little as wave pressure can swing the stern around and you need to catch it before it goes too far. This was nothing major, and well within the bounds of acceptance, plus remember these seas were pretty horrible, so the 805 actually behaved better than I’d anticipated in the given seas.
Staying with the following sea, but adding a little more power the 805 comes back on line, but again you do need to just correct her back on course when big waves pile up on the stern.
Bringing her about again I took the hull across the angle of the waves quartering them. This can induce surface slide with the vessel sliding off the waves as a big ‘un puts pressure on the hull. This was not the case, the hull sticks to the sea like glue, plus suffered only a little lean, before quickly coming back level again as we passed over the wave.
Setting the boat up to just drift at the wave’s mercy, she’s very stable. I was able to walk about comfortably on deck without being thrown about.
I couldn’t really use the power available in the bad seas, but the power comes in progressively throughout the whole range, and there’s plenty available when required from the turbo charged inboard Diesel Volvo Penta 200hp TAMD41P.
Performance wise, the guys at Walton Marine suggest a maximum speed of 24-knots at 4010rpm, with a steady cruising speed around 16.4-knots at 3400rpm.
So we know the 805 is a good sea boat, but what are the design features and layout like?
DESIGN FEATURES AND LAYOUT
Up at the bow you’ve a large anchor well with a right side opening hatch cover. There’s a stainless steel bow roller with a heavy duty alloy T cleat either side for mooring up. A plus point is the large amount of space you have for working up here on the bow, and the stippled effect to the deck gives good grip in all working conditions. The bow safety rail runs full length from the bow to the cabin edge with a gap at the bow for easy hauling of the anchor.
Glancing back at the cabin from here, the tinted windscreen splits in two, both sides fitted with wipers. The steaming light is at the front of the fly bridge. This area could be utilised though, to take a stainless steel gantry for fixing radar, GPS and VHF aerials too, if you should choose so.
The cabin roof also carries stainless grab rails either side, and the roof extends over the deck for weather protection for the cabin door area. The navigation lights are situated on each cabin side for good visibility in all sea conditions.
Walking down the walkway at the side of the cabin, this is wide and fairly easy to negotiate, though you do need to lean out a little and rely on the grab rails, so typical of any boats.
There is a moulded in step down on to the deck from the walkway with a grab rail at each cabin edge for extra security.
The self draining deck area houses a huge centre deck hatch giving a large storage area, plus access to the 230-litre fuel tank. The deck is stippled finish for grip. The gunnel tops are finished in hardwood, these having rope holes for mooring and for mooring buoy attachment, plus a single push in rod holder. The mooring cleat is position inside the gunnel below the hardwood tops at the stern end.
The transom carries a full length seat with locker area underneath and two hatches. Access to the stern is through a stern door at the port corner. This gives access to a wide dive platform or marlin board with a dive ladder secreted under a wooden hatch.
A ladder fixed to the port side of the cabin gives access to the fly bridge area. The sliding cabin door has entry on the starboard side.
Walking in to the cabin area, there is a twin burner cooker and sink, these built in a wood cabinet with excellent storage facilities accessed through swing doors. A tilt up and down wooden cover hides the sink and cooker when not in use. The fridge is housed under the helm seat. The seat hinges forward to provide a small work area above the fridge.
The helm seat is upholstered in white with a foot rest bar positioned on the forward console. Sat at the helm the throttle is at a comfy height on the right. The wheel is a round type finished beautifully in varnished teak.
Looking at the console, the fuel gauge etc, is right side of the wheel, with switches mounted on the flat console immediately behind the wheel. Above these is a dome shaped wooden console carrying the sounder and plotter. The compass is at eye level behind these. The console area is wide across the screen with a lift up hatch on the port side for added storage with a wooden grab rail.
Above the helm is the main instrument panel, easy to read by just a short lift of the eyes. The VHF radio is above head height on the right of the helm.
Looking around the cabin you also have fitted speakers, two cabin lights and a large sky light vent. The cabin side windows are tinted and slide forward for air and give good all round vision.
The port side of cabin as you enter houses a four man folding leaf table. Both seats for this hide substantial storage lockers. A two man seat faces forward of this towards the screen. The table and seats fold down to form a double bed. The seats are upholstered in a blue crushed velvet type material. You also have curtains fitted to both cabin door and the cabin side windows.
There are two small steps taking you down in to the main forward cabin. On the port side is a self contained toilet and wash basin area, with locker space beneath the sink. This area also carries built in shelving.
The main cabin accommodation consists of bunks fitting the shape of the V hull hiding three storage lockers. Wooden sections fit across the bunks to make a double bed. Shelves are moulded in to the cabin side, and on the port side at the rear is a small wardrobe and mirror. There is a fire extinguisher sensibly positioned by the mirror, with two cabin lights and a sky light air vent in the ceiling.
My overall impression of the 805 interior was excellent. As with all the Merry Fisher range, the design and layout is very well thought out for total practicality and ease of use, with comfort a priority. The overall colour scheme of white ceilings and walls with teak timber finishing and blue upholstery creates a luxury feel to boat. Likewise the outside view of the boat with the hull in all white with green fendering and graphics.
THINGS I MIGHT CHANGE
Having to work the boat in those high seas, if I bought an 805, then I’d choose to add some extra height to the gunnels by adding 6-inch safety rails, just in case a big wave threw you over while on deck. Also on the transom too, and this could be used to fix extra rod holders too.
From a fishing viewpoint the flat fly bridge area is really a sun spot for sun bathing, but if you want to keep this area for fish spotting, then you could fit a gantry up front with high stainless grab rails around so you could stand to visually spot shoals of feeding bass etc in safety. A cheap way for anglers to fully utilise this available space for a practical fishing reason.
OVERALL CONCLUSION
A boat that’s ideal for family fishing expeditions when you’ll be combining cruising and fishing. The boat is excellent at sea with good performance, stability, safety, plus she’s easy to handle.
Deck space is not overly huge, but is easily adequate for four people to fish from in comfort, plus you have the dive platform at the back for landing fish like tope from, though safety aspects need to be considered when working off open platforms.
The cabin accommodation is incredibly spacious for the boats size and easy to work from and keep clean. If there are four of you, you’re not on top of one another when everybody is inside the cabin area.
If you prefer a boat to combine family cruising and fishing and income allows, or if you share the purchase with friends as some now do, then you’ll find it hard to come up with a better boat than the Merry Fisher 805.
DIMENSIONS
LENGTH: 27’ 2”
BEAM: 9’ 8”
DRAFT: 2’ 4”
WEIGHT WITHOUT ENGINE: 5732lbs
CATEGORY: B 7 persons
CONTACTS
If you want to organise a demonstration test, or for details of the 635 and other boats in the Merry Fisher range, contact Chris Atterton, Walton Marine, Brighton Marina, West Sussex BN2 5HA. Tel: 01273 670707 Fax: 01273 674200. E-mail: chrisa@waltonmarine.co.uk
Alternatively contact James Powell at Walton Marine’s Walton on Thames Office, Walton on Thames, Surrey KT12 1QW. Tel: 01932 226266 Fax: 01932 240586. E-mail: james@waltonmarine.co.uk
Also check out www.waltonmarine.co.uk
