Absolute Navetta 64: a superyacht in less than 20 meters

The technical area in the bow is compact yet sufficient for the mooring and anchoring manoeuvres and does not “steal” useful space for guests’ liveability; the winch is visible on the deck and a sturdy stemhead fitting extends the anchor beyond the stem.

Again, I observe how the choice of the reverse windshield is functional in the presence of the lounge which otherwise would not find enough space.

We climb the steps that lead to the flybridge: a real parade ground opens up in front of us.

Ideally divided into four distinct areas, the flybridge of the Absolute Navetta 63 offers a large living area in the stern, a dining area, a roof bar in the middle and a deckhouse with double lounge in the bow. The helm station, with height-adjustable windscreen, is well-arranged and proportioned with all the instruments mounted flush with the console for a winning aesthetic effect and easier cleaning.

Under the two sofas surrounding the wheelhouse, there are two life rafts. The hard top features a sturdy structure with an electric, fast and silent sliding top. The dining table and the bar cabinet with grill certainly guarantee absolute usability for convivial moments of the highest levels. However, it’s in the stern that we pause more to observe the exclusive modular furniture of this boat.

Made by a supplier specialized in garden furniture, it has more compact dimensions than mass production, salt-resistant paint and use of a rope for the seats contours and the interlocking backrest / armrest modules.

The owner can choose from 7 different modules including sofas, armchairs, chaises longues and small tables…the limit is only your imagination.

Last but not least, the flybridge of the Absolute Navetta 63 can be completely closed by transparent walls made of a plastic yet sturdy and folding material which are blocked by special rails at the top and fixing rings at the bottom. 

These are the pluses that best highlight the level of detail study which the shipyard is capable of.

Interior

Now, let’s talk about the interior. A sliding door links the cockpit to the lounge. Even the glass placed on the wet bar disappears to connect the galley to the cockpit, offering an ideal solution for convivial use of the stern area.

In addition to the galley with a peninsula counter, the salon offers a beautiful dining table and a comfortable area furnished with sofas.

The helm station, accompanied by a sofa, is positioned on a raised level, divided from the rest of the environment by a low wooden balustrade but connected by a staircase, while a watertight door with an opening window opens towards the side-deck. An identical window is positioned on the opposite side to ensure correct air circulation.

The aesthetics characterized by glossy finish canaletto walnut wood, matt satin-finished solid elm wood (it is now a classic of Absolute, the doors, drawers and panels are all cut and machined from solid, with continuous visible veins) and crystals creates a chromatic combination that is both elegant and refined, relaxing to the eye and practical to enjoy.

Below deck, the sleeping area consists of a VIP double cabin in the bow, with en-suite bathroom, and a double guest cabin amidships with private bathroom thich, through a smart play of sliding doors, can also be used as a guest day head.

The lower deck is characterized by flat step-free floors and ceilings and height changes for better aesthetic-functional uniformity.

Indeed, the layout below deck impresses us with its volumes, ergonomics and attention to details, especially the two windows in the bow master cabin which are really grandiose in giving an almost intimate contact with the surrounding sea.

Larger than those of the Absolute 68 and 73, they have been designed by the shipyard with a particular building logics that focuses on the combination of materials while exploiting the sturdiness of both interior structures and bulkheads.

A stylistic innovation of the bow cabin is the natural leather headboard that ends with curved shoulder boards to ideally embrace the bed. The result is an aesthetically excellent and practical solution.

The guest cabin is so large than be considered as alternative to the bow one. Of course, it equally offers large panoramic views.

What about bathrooms? The bow one is really large and equipped with a large shower box that competes with the one in the master cabin, divided into three distinct zones ( washbasin, toilet and shower) and separated from /linked to the cabin by a sliding door.

However, the careful design is not limited to aesthetics. Nothing is left to chance. The exploitation of the storage volumes, for example, is taken to the extreme: there is a multitude of doors, drawers, cabinets and even a walk-in closet which allow an arrangement of both clothing and accessories in line with the boat class.

Particularly noteworthy are the stainless steel opening portholes which, rotated 90 degrees, allow the blind to be opened and closed at the same time.

Below the master cabin, a technical room accommodates many shelves and systems, including an additional boiler, in line with the engine room’s one, which guarantees the instantaneous supply of hot water to the master cabin.

Air conditioning is particularly silent, thanks to an important technical detail: although the fan coils are classically placed at the bottom behind the furniture, the air outlets are at the top so as to dampen the noise, increase the efficiency of air circulation and improve the aesthetic level of the environment.

Placed between the engine room and the guest double cabin, the crew’s cabin offers a bed than can be converted into a double seat with table and bathroom with shower. An additional pullman bed can be configured above the first, accessible from a steep yet comfortable and watertight ladder from the starboard aft side-deck.

Continuing the examination of the technical and practical equipment of this boat, we find a completely retractable compartment designed to accommodate the boat hook in the side and a third helm station, hidden in a hatch, equipped with engine starting buttons, joystick steering system, bow and stern thruster controls, anchor control with chain counter and multifunction display with bow camera, essential for manoeuvring.

We go down the engine room, unfortunately at the end of our test even if the high heat of the engines is quickly eliminated by the extractors. The clear, bright, high and large environment around the systems denotes and highlights the attention and the technical skill of the shipyard. Order and logic, rationality and cleanliness dominate everywhere. The general electric panel positioned near the indoor wheelhouse, closed by two small dark glass doors that allow the view without sacrificing the visual impact of the space, is rational, clear, two-language and separated between 24V and 220V: you can instantly check the situation without having to open the doors.

Absolute Navetta 64 Sea Trial

After being completely convinced and satisfied with the boat visit, we go out to sea to better understand the nautical features of this yacht even if today’s calm waters will not allow us to thoroughly test the hull.

We leave the port at minimal speed: I immediately notice that vibrations and noise are at their lowest levels, which will me surprise again later when we will sail faster. The special insulation of the engine room and the constructive quality of the structure keep the noise level definitively acceptable even at high speed.

Being a trawler, I could not certainly expect an extremely agile and fast behaviour, but this is not the case because the two IPS 1350 deliver good acceleration performance and a top speed of 27 knots.

Of course, fuel consumption at top speed is high but, at 20 knots and in total comfort, 250 l/h are really good.

Stability is remarkable and, even if the side wave creates an annoying rolling movement, we can activate the Seakeeper 16 stabilizer to instantly reduces obscillation to zero.

Under way, instead, the Volvo Assist Trim Active Drive Mode optmizes the trim while working as a side lateral stabilizer: as a result, the boat can perform very tight turns (with a radius of around 25 meters) with only a minimum of yaw.

Both the indoor and outdoor helm station are very large, comfortable and with almost total visibility. The cameras positioned in the bow and stern allow, from every driving position, the most complete control over events and manoeuvres.

In conclusion, the brand-new Absolute Navetta 64 fully conviced us, but we had no doubts.