BOAT OF THE MONTH: December 2009

Latitude Dancers is a very comfortable Riviera 40 Aft Cabin built in 1998 and designed by Bill Barry Cotter. Underscoring her reliability, the boat’s current owner cruised the Great Barrier Reef aboard her in 2006. The boat has a well-kept service history.

has a snappy top speed of 27kts, cruises at about 20kts, and is even more far reaching when gadding about at displacement speeds. The boat weighs 13.66 tonnes dry, so she rides nicely through the sea.

Among the features of the sought-after Riviera 40 Aft Cabin are, as the model implies, a great, big stateroom back aft where owners feel the least amount of impact from wind and waves. Needless to say, the en suite has a homely shower and both the boat’s Vacuflush toilets have just been serviced.

There is a private guest cabin forward with island bed and en suite, and a third cabin that sleeps two more. The interior is lined with teak, the lounges are leather, has new carpets fitted and there’s a handy dinette when not entertaining on deck.

Galley highlights include fridge, freezer (extra fitted to flybridge) and microwave oven. An 8kVa Kohler generator or shorepower provides 240V, while the DC side has three new 200amp/h batteries. Air-conditioning is fitted, along with a Raymarine C80 chartplotter and autopilot, Furuno radar, twin VHF radios, and Grundig TV DVD.

The deck has a 250kfg davit, Zodiac tender with outboard, Muir windlass with chain counter, CQR anchor and 50m of chain to hold you tight overnight.

The boat is ready to cruise now, its vendor is seeking a bigger boat, and retirees would do well to check out Latitude Dancers, a Riviera 40 Aft Cabin, with easy access to the deck and flybridge without needing to negotiate ladders.

For further information contact Mike Gaffikin Marine, d Albora Marinas, Akuna Bay via Terrey Hills, Sydney, NSW, 2084: phone (02) 9450 1322; 0414 501 322.