Boat Review: Pardo 43

With European charisma and luxury, the Pardo 43 brings surprisingly practical benefits to the way in which many Aussies enjoy their boating

Even the most jaded soul will experience a quickening pulse of exhilaration at the controls of the Pardo 43. Both wheel and throttles are light and responsive, not overly so, just right to feel the irresistible flow of power from the dual Volvo IPS 600 440hp diesels. They rapidly spin up the contra-rotating tractor propellers to efficiently accelerate and direct the hydrodynamic hull.

Boats are fun and enjoyable for cruising, angling and relaxing, but they offer so much more when they are also exciting to drive. Skippers will find themselves leaning forward in anticipation as they stand at the wheel of the Pardo. The bolster of the supportive seat can be flipped up to give plenty of space for both feet and derriere.  The smiles of all onboard will broaden as the long foredeck lifts to the thrust of the quadruple props and the boat becomes vibrant with the joys of life.

A ‘dayboat’ can easily and comfortably meet all those ‘needs’. To achieve personal ‘wants’ as well, add the elements of performance, luxury and contemporary style such as on this 43.

The next point is a noticeable increase in experienced boat owners who are looking to downsize to a more easily handled craft. The youngsters are not so young any longer and are pursuing their own interests, the effects of becoming chronologically advantaged are being felt throughout the body and mind, and it’s just so much easier not to climb stairs to a flybridge or to wander through (and clean) cabins and bathrooms that are hardly ever used. Most time onboard is either at the helm underway or in the cockpit upon arrival. Thinking about it, a ‘dayboat’ begins to look very advantageous.

A third point is the escalating number of advanced-technology dayboats becoming available in Australia with this Pardo 43 being a prime example. It was the first of its marque in the country and was purchased within a week by a very experienced boat owner after being imported by a very successful luxury boat distributor. 

That distributor is eYachts which was founded by Peter Hrones some 15 years ago. Peter had already established a reputation by successfully marketing around 550 yachts through his previous company Windcraft. Perhaps somewhat adventurously, eYachts was created to bring ‘different’ boats to the Australian market including the Pardo (see Break-out Panel ‘Daring to be Different’).

The Pardo is an attention-grabbing design from the combined talents of Cantiere Del Pardo and Zuccheri Yacht Design. Both are based in Bologna, and Zuccheri was established in the early 1980s to specialise in motoryacht design and engineering. It has since produced more than 70 designs and seen over 1,000 boats constructed.

The result in this Pardo is a most contemporary design with a unique hull beneath a very practical layout that emphasises space and comfort for dayboating entertainment whilst still providing perfectly suitable accommodations for overnight stays. 

It’s just so easy, and safe, to move all around the 43 from its huge boarding platform, past generous aft sunlounges and seating, a monster cockpit area and a high-tech helm station with triple bolstered seating. Continuing to the sharp end is along wide sidedecks below safe bulwarks and on to the forward cockpit with more sun lounges and a neat aft-facing seat right at the stem. That spot would be sensational for the young, and the young-at-heart, to ride when swinging across gentle swells. 

DOWN BELOW

The surprise packet though is below decks. Down five steps, to port of the helm, there are full headroom accommodations. Beautifully finished in oak (other timbers optional) and designer-fabrics with craftsmen-quality construction, there’s a forward cabin featuring a not-quite-queen-size bed, an amidships work-area (the ‘galley’ is in the cockpit) and a good-sized starboard-side bathroom with separate shower compartment. Aft is a twin-berth cabin with adequate but lower headroom. There’s a great deal of storage behind the appealing cabinetry, and aircon is an option. The open plan layout makes the most of the space and the ambience is light and carefree with the inherent luxury only subtly noticeable.

Thus there is everything required for very comfortable overnighting, even though it’s on-deck that the Pardo really shines. The boarding platform hydraulically lowers into the water and can carry up to 600kgs of humanity, water toys or a dinghy. The triple aft sunpads lift on power rams for access to a large storage ‘boot’. The sunpads have individual back-rests that flip over to create forward facing seats serving a wide timber-topped table that also has triple seats the other side. Those seats as well have flip-over backrests so they can face forward or aft. The whole area makes a very versatile entertainment and relaxation centre. 

A stowable sunshade can be quickly erected overhead or an optional extension can power out aft from the top of the hardtop. The latter is in the shape of a ‘T-Top’ and is moulded for Pardo by Lamborghini using advanced techniques and carbon fibre for a strong but light structure. Beneath that top is a galley with hot/cold water into a stainless sink plus options for a hot plate or barbeque and a variety of fridges/freezers as well as for an icemaker or coffee machine augmented by further options under the cockpit seating for beer or wine fridges. Its central location is ideal.

In front of the galley is a superb helm position. It has triple bolstered seating with the centre seat for the skipper and served by an adjustable wheel that has a nicely grippable thick-rim around triple double stainless spokes. The dash panel is multi-level in carbon fibre with hectares of space for electronic displays. The throttles/shifts are handily situated immediately to the right of the wheel with the joystick control for the IPS drives a tad further to starboard.

THE DRIVE

It’s good that the throttles and joystick are at the same level as the wheel so there’s no need to reach further forward to operate them. Controls for the trim tabs are integrated within the throttles so that’s easy too; the tabs drop vertically from just forward of the transom and can be manually adjusted although there’s an auto trim feature to keep the Pardo perfectly balanced.

Dual drink holders are either side, while other controls are on a more vertically angled panel before a larger and even more vertical panel carries the main display screens. Among all the hi-tech equipment, it was pleasing to see a traditional magnetic compass properly positioned atop the dash and right in front of the wheel on the centre-line of the boat.

Above the dash is a free-standing curved and tinted screen that provides good protection from the slipstream of a fast passage. The entire dash console is quite high and does somewhat restrict forward vision if seated for other than tall skippers. There’s no problem though when cruising along in open waters, nor when standing to drive as I, and a professional skipper on the day, preferred to do. When not standing, the seats are very comfortable and supportive. 

We had calm conditions for most of our time onboard although some mild swells provided an easy motion as the 43 showed how pleasant it was to handle. Later, we ran at speed into strong headwinds that kicked up a nasty surface chop. At faster than was advisable speed, there was some mild juddering through the hull as it rocketed across the chop. A more sensible throttle setting returned equanimity. The turning radius increased with speed, but the hull did not bank excessively into turns and overall the handling was a pleasure to experience. In tighter environments, the joystick control was just so easy. 

MECHANICS

Access to a surprisingly roomy engine bay is through a hatch in the cockpit sole. The engineering is well laid out and gives good access for maintenance and daily checks. The now well-proven Volvo Penta IPS (Integrated Propulsion System) is used by over 140 boat manufacturers for its efficiency in performance and economy. The Pardo 43 comes standard with IPS500 370hp diesels, but this 43 had the more potent 440hp IPS600s, and 480hp IPS 650s are a further option. The 600s use a 5.5-litre straight-six supercharged and turbocharged engine matched with a through-hull streamlined steerable pod with forward-facing counter-rotating props. The package is smooth running and the dual systems are controlled through a joystick for precise and intuitive manoeuvrability.

The Pardo hull was specifically designed to benefit from the potential of IPS power. It’s a visually striking design with a reverse-raked stem and a swell-cleaving 50 degrees of deadrise forward levelling to 16 degrees at the transom. The shoulders lack any flair and first impressions are that the hull would run wet, but the design is such that, in all but excessive conditions, the boat runs sweet and dry, with the bow clear of the water and the chines and strakes providing lift and spearing the wake aside. Should operating in rougher waters be often required, a gyroscopic stabiliser is available as an option.

All the deck hardware is strong and effectively located with stainless pop-up cleats keeping the lines of the 43 clean when not needed. First glance at the bow from onboard and seeing the neat seat there brings the query — where’s the anchor and bollard? A very clever and neat hatch is concealed in the stem; controls at the helm open the hatch and an arm extends carrying the bow roller and anchor. Again from the helm, the anchor can be lowered and raised as a camera feeds vision of what’s happening to the helm display. The skipper can watch in comfort and judge the angle of the chain as the 43 settles to its anchored position; then again watch as the anchor is retrieved, the arm withdraws back into the hull, and the hatch closes. It’s not only effective, but also marvellous fun!

The Pardo 43 is a very clever and unique vessel which stands out and draws attention. It ideally meets the needs of what most want to do when going boating. For anyone considering a boat in this size and price range, it deserves serious consideration and will perhaps deliver surprise and pleasure in all that it offers and the way it performs.

EYACHTS — DARING TO BE DIFFERENT

Peter Hrone’s extensive experiences with yachting and brokerage led to him establishing eYachts around 15 years ago. The ‘e’ could indicate any of a number of adjectival nomenclatures such as efficient, ergonomic, ecological, enduring, exciting and so on. Originally though it was indicative of a world moving rapidly into the way of the internet with ‘eBay’ at the time becoming a new and effective way of doing business. It was, and is, another example of Peter’s forward thinking.

The Greenline range of electric-diesel hybrid cruisers is a good example of the unique vessels that eYachts distributes within Australia along with other marques such as Axopar, Brabus, Vanquish and Sirena. Peter commented: “We try to be in the forefront of design and where we think the market’s going. It’s my passion to bring cutting-edge and innovative boat design to Australia, and to set trends in our market here.”

Pardo is the latest brand to join the eYachts inventory. The 43 is the middle sibling of a 38-43-50 range where the model numbers represent length in feet, and there is an Endurance 60 saloon cruiser as well. These are Italian designs with all the flair and innovation so implied. The marque was created in 2016 by the highly experienced and well-regarded Cantiere Del Pardo shipyard in Bologna which has a 40-year tradition and a record of constructing more than 4,000 yachts to high standards. The company philosophy notes: “Our passion and success allow us to invest in new innovations and technologies to develop new models and improve our customer care.”

eYachts had already found abundant Aussie market interest in sophisticated dayboats with its Axopar fleet of 22, 28 and 37-foot models. Bringing the larger Pardo range in to extend and complement the Axopars made good sense, and the sale of the 43 within a week of its arrival was quick confirmation of the enticement it offers.

FACTS & FIGURES

PRICE

$1,245,000 drive-away with dual IPS500 370hp engines

PRICE AS TESTED 

Various options fitted, $POA

GENERAL

MATERIAL Vinylester-resin-infused hull monolithic with the keel; topsides and deck in high-density

PVC sandwich; structural bulkheads in composite material

TYPE High performance dayboat

LENGTH 13.45m

BEAM 4.2m

DRAFT 1.05m

WEIGHT 9.9t

CAPACITIES

PEOPLE 12+ (day); 4 (night) 

FUEL 1,200L

WATER 300L

HOLDING TANK 62L

ENGINE

MAKE/MODEL 2 x Volvo Penta IPS600 440hp

TYPE Six-cylinder inline, supercharged, turbocharged diesel

DISPLACEMENT 5.5L

SUPPLIED BY

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