Merry Fisher 635

The Jeanneau Merry Fisher  635, has been around over a decade now and has proved to be one of the most  popular boats in the 21’ class, both in Europe and here in the UK.

She can fish 6 people in  comfort and has found favour with groups of two, four and six anglers sharing  the cost to buy a craft capable of fishing long range, plus is bought by the  individual angler who wants a boat to take the family fishing, as well as  maximise his own space.

Another factor is that boats  under 21’ keep the “charge by metres” marina costs down to a manageable size, plus they can be trailered out for maintenance without the need of a lifting  crane. This can be a big cost saving in some rural locations.

My test day on the 635 was  with Chris Atterton of Walton Marine based in the marina at Brighton.

DESIGN AND LAYOUT
Starting with the Cabin, you  enter through a sliding tinted screen with the helm position on the starboard  side. You have two upholstered helm seats side by side with footrests. Hidden  underneath the seats is a wash basin with locker storage space beneath.

The round type helm wheel is classy looking finished in varnished teak with stainless steel spokes. The  throttle lever is to the right and at a comfy compromise height to suit everyone.

The top of the steering console  is in a teak type finish and domed carrying the compass at the top at eye  level, and the instruments on the left with switches on the right. The rev  counter is behind the wheel. You could fit your sounders and GPS units either  side of the console, or further along the console towards the port side below  the windscreen facing you at an angle.

The port side of cabin  carries three shelves for additional storage. Partial venting is through a sky  light hatch in the cabin roof, and a cabin light is fitted. The side screens  slide forward and are tinted, with the forward screens split in two, the  starboard helm side obviously carrying the wiper for water clearance.

The forward accommodation  has easy access from the main cabin. It has upholstered bunks either side to  the shape of the hull with inserts to make a double bed. The bunks have storage  lockers underneath, with a toilet below the middle bunk. You’ve also got spacious teak faced shelving either side of the cabin. Natural light is  enhanced through an opening sky light hatch, with a cabin light for night use.

Heading back out on deck,  the cabin roof extends beyond the door for weather protection. The engine hatch  though, is immediately behind the cabin door in the middle and stands about  18-inches high. Access to the cabin is okay, but obviously having the engine  hatch above deck height will restrict forward movement to some extent. The  hatch when lifted gives good access for maintenance to the engine bay.

Behind the engine hatch is a  flat deck hatch offering good storage space below for fenders etc, plus this  houses the battery. The deck is self draining.

The transom carries  additional storage space under the seat, and you have tiller steering available  when required. On the port corner is a transom access door on to a dive or marlin  board, this fitted with a fold down dive ladder and grab rail. In calm seas you  can use dive boards for getting water level access to big fish like sharks,  conger and tope.

Moving forward the gunnels  are neatly finished with a push in rod holder and stainless steel T cleat at  each stern corner, and the gunnel tops protected by a hardwood top. There is  access underneath the hardwood top for rope for mooring etc.

Off the deck there is a  single step up on to the walkway for bow access. There’s plenty of room on the  walkway and the grab rails on the cabin roof are easy to reach without you  needing to lean too far out from the cabin sides when manoeuvring. Added safety  is the full length stainless steel rail running fully from the cabin around the  bow either side.

On the bow proper, you have  a moulded in seat for two in front of the forward cabin sky light. The anchor  locker is large with a right hand opening hatch. For mooring you have T cleats  either side and substantial stainless steel bow roller. The impressive factor about the bow area is the large amount of working space available to you,  totally uncluttered.

Several of the Merry Fisher range  are fitted with the duo type of side by side nav lights, as the 635 is. This is  fitted at the middle base of the windscreen. This can limit visibility to other  vessels when in difficult seas at night, and I’d prefer to see the nav lights  fitted high up individually on each respective cabin side. Glancing back at he  cabin top there’s stacks of room to add a gantry to give extra height to your  radio aerials and for additional fixings. The steaming light is at the rear middle of the roof.

So how good does she look?  Pretty darn good is the answer to that with the all white hull set off with grey  fendering and bottle green graphics. The fittings used are all top quality too.

HITTING THE HIGH SEAS
I’d got a really nasty sea  waiting for me as we edged out through the breakwaters at Brighton Marina. A  strong wind was howling up the channel putting white caps across the sea and  creating a deep swell with short high waves. That’d be another soaking taking  the pictures then!

Jumping in to the helm seat,  easing the throttle forward the boat, like all the Merry Fishers I’ve tested  has a balanced progressive power range that is smooth and easy to anticipate. The V shaped hull lifts then settles quickly as you hit planing speed. I was  also conscious that engine noise was minimal inside the cabin.

Whipping the boat round  between the deep troughs with the power eased right back she responds well with  only a little lean before recovery as a wave hits the beam. Retaining just a  little power and going with what was a still building sea she does need some  work at the wheel to hold her on course, but that’s not a criticism in the sea  I had. Adding power you work the wheel less, but still need to correct her a  little as big waves pressurise the stern.

Holding the stern against  the pushing waves saw next to no water splash above the transom and on to the  deck area. It was hard in these seas to judge her drift characteristics, but I  doubt windage on the cabin area would be significant and can’t see a problem on  this score.

Bringing the bow back to the  waves I quartered the boat at an angle looking for bow sheer, but she takes an  angled sea well with just a little lean before the peak of the wave before  climbing over the top and easing down in to the next trough.

Head on to the now quite  serious waves she lifts a touch at the nose as she cuts the wave making very  little hull noise in the process and retaining a comfy relatively soft ride  character that many other boats in this category would struggle to achieve in  these seas. I inevitably got some splash back on screen, but visibility is  excellent both forward underway, and to the rear when manoeuvring back in to  the pontoon.

Handing over the helm, I  walked out on deck and found she is stable on the drift for working from. I  also watched carefully as we released her from the mooring pontoon as two of us  removed the fenders on the same side. No appreciable lean as all our weight was  leaning forward over the gunnel.

Something I’d add though,  after working the boat in such bad conditions, would be short 6-inch safety  rails on the gunnel tops, and the same at the stern. Being pitched about on the  day, did make me feel a little vulnerable while on deck should I slip or be  pitched forward across the deck. Rails are a relatively cheap and simple extra  to add, but worth it for the peace of mind.

PERFORMANCE
My test 635 was fitted with  a Nanni 85hp 5-cylinder Turbo TDI unit delivering 18.5-knots at 2810rpm and a  cruising speed of 13.5-knots at 2400rpm.

The fuel tank has a capacity  of 100-litres.

OVERALL CONCLUSION
She’s a cracking sea boat  with a weather proven V shaped hull, has excellent bow working space, and with  enough deck room to fish five comfortably. The engine hatch might annoy some of  you when accessing the cabin, but the other side of the coin is that it adds  some extra seating or working area.

The cabin layout is very  efficient and practical with everything on the consul easy to read and access.  Cabin accommodation for overnight stays is well thought out, comfortable and  spacious for the size of the craft. She’s easy to keep clean too.

A practical fishing boat  then, capable of working well out to sea, but she is also ideal for all inshore  fishing. The shallow draft and quite nature of the hull makes her ideal for  trolling the shallow reefs for bass, and for tope fishing on the banks.

DIMENSIONS
LENGTH: 20’ 11”
BEAM: 8’ 3”
DRAFT:  2’ 2”
DISPLACEMENT: 2999lbs
CATEGORY:  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