Reviews

Review: Fountaine Pajot Cumberland 47LR

The Fountaine Pajot Cumberland 47LR (Long Range) power catamaran provides Euro chic with seagoing credibility.

The Fountaine Pajot Cumberland 47LR (Long Range) Catamaran is one of this luxury boat builder’s Flagship Series. These boats allow the purchaser to customise their vessel to best suit the boating dreams of their family and friends.

 

Fountaine Pajot Cumberland 47LR

Fountaine Pajot Cumberland 47LR

We hopped on board our Fountaine Pajot Cumberland 47LR after the Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show with new owners, John and Barbara, from Tasmania. The couple quickly declared liveaboard comfort and long range capability as their major boating requirement needs.

While Tasmania has some premier coastline and waterways, the couple intend to keep this luxury catamaran up north for the winter months, holidaying in the Whitsundays and Far North Queensland before returning to Tasmania for summer.

John and Barbara love the separate living space for the master cabin and included both a make-up table and desk to suit their personal needs. The couple are looking forward to extended voyaging with children and grandkids, hence the three independent staterooms.

They also love the stability, long range economy and the huge living spaces. The galley was upgraded with extra refrigeration on top of the standard two-door unit, plus extra freezers, watermaker and ice-maker.

 

Layout and design

Fountaine Pajot Cumberland 47LR at rest

The Fountaine Pajot Cumberland 47LR has an impressive 6.55m beam and, being a twin hull, provides massive stability that is ideal for cruising motor yachts. This is an incredibly sociable layout with plenty of room to move around the boat, from wide side decks to the ample bow, to the inviting saloon, gracious rear deck and towering flybridge. It is all about enjoying the good life on the water in total comfort.

While I found the hardtop to be an excellent addition, it would be nice to see a more streamlined design to fit in with the rest of this Euro-flavoured package. But from a practical point of view it works really well and provides a strong mounting point for spotlights, radar arch and aerials.

The extended flybridge is most inviting whether travelling or at rest. It has a very neat helm station with a full set of instruments backed up by one of three optional Garmin packages.

The Australian agents added a pair of Raeline pedestal helm seats, enticing you and your partner to travel further from the inviting upper command station. The whole gang can sit nearby, with upholstered seating on the port side, plus fridge, sink, entertainment unit and a timber dinette. The extended flybridge continues out over the rear deck, creating a terrific entertainment space, or simply somewhere for you to unfold the sun lounges. It will also take an optional davit to store a tender.

 

Cumberland 47LR interior

Fountaine Pajot Cumberland 47LR interior

On first entry to the saloon I was immediately challenged by the combination of finishes. It was one of those moments where you step back and say, Okay, do I like this? Yes I do! The timber veneer finishes are all in cherry wood that is light and stylish.

The whole demeanour of the Fountaine Pajot Cumberland 47LR saloon is typically Euro in flavour with very square lines defining the components. It features beautiful accents with lush off-white leather upholstery, optional beige carpet, stainless steel appliances and a ribbed white fibreglass roof liner, much like a modern beach house. There are excellent vistas and plenty of natural light available from the large side windows and the three piece moulded windscreen across the front of the helm.

As you enter the saloon there is a large dinette to starboard with a convertible table offering formal dining when opened, or an occasional coffee table the rest of the time.

Helm on Fountaine Pajot Cumberland 47LR

The helm and dash are stylish and minimal, with a large area for modern electronics and accessories. The Fountaine Pajot Cumberland 47LR has a Navelec touchscreen system giving central activation to all lighting, instruments and boat control systems including an Econo-cruising mode.

The saloon is finished in some very tidy cabinetry and the the long galley is to your left as you enter from the rear deck. The galley is very functional with plenty of bench space, glass benchtops, a dual with mixer and optional macerator, dishwasher, four-burner Elba gas cooktop, icemaker and a convection microwave oven.

 

Stateroom and cabins

Fountaine Pajot Cumberland 47LR stateroom

The master stateroom takes up almost the entire starboard hull with the accomodation in the bow, walk-in storage and desk amidships, plus a head to the rear. The sponsons aren’t quite as voluminous as some competitors due to their streamlined hydrodynamics yet they still allow a truly luxurious retreat. The minimalist flavour continues, but the feel is modern, warm and comfortable. The master bathroom has a long vanity on the hull wall with a makeup mirror and cabinet behind. The Tecma toilet with freshwater flush is opposite and sensibly completed with a faux timber floor. The shower is quite unique, spanning the width of the sponson, with white fibreglass finish, a safety glass door, adjustable shower head and a skylight, giving plenty of natural light. There is even a watertight bulkhead door in the back of the shower which leads to the utility room.

The port sponson contains the two guest cabins, each with a large double bed, plenty of storage, carpet, roof liners and their own individual en suites. They are a little on the compact side but well-presented. Both have tonnes of natural light with roof hatches and the forward berth has a corresponding bay window to the master.

 

Economy and performance

Fountaine Pajot Cumberland 47LR on the water

She provides the best of both worlds for fast or slow cruising and with 1200lt of fuel either side, has a quoted range of 1600nm range at 8kts (just 1.0lt/nm).

If you don’t mind spending the extra on some fuel, or need to outrun bad weather, the hull has amazingly little transition to plane when you plant the throttles. She gets up and boogies with quiet confidence. Although generally powered by Volvo 225s, our demo boat has been upgraded to a pair of Volvo Penta D4-300 turbocharged diesels.

We opened up the Fountaine Pajot Cumberland 47LR to WOT in calm water, fighting a stiff current in the Seaway and reached a speedy 21.5kts at an indicated 3500rpm on the GPS. With the current on our side, we hit 25.2kts over the ground, using 115lt/h total fuel burn. Backing her off to a more sensible 17.3kts, we achieved a very satisfying 71.0lt/h at 2890rpm. The transition to plane is indiscernible as she up glides through the rev range with a surreal feeling of speed.

There was very little noise around the boat at speed as she sped along on a cushion of air. We powered through the Seaway, enjoying the scenery and vision from the upstairs helm,  enclosed by a locally built hardtop and clears.

 

The Trade-a-Boat verdict

Fountaine Pajot Cumberland 47LR exterior

The finely balanced hull lines of the Fountaine Pajot Cumberland 47LR offer terrific stability and up to 40 per cent greater fuel economy efficiency than a monohull, leading to lower engine horsepower and energy requirements.

The Fountaine Pajot Cumberland 47LR is stylish and functional with tons of creature comforts and quality living spaces, all combined in a seagoing hull worthy of long sojourns to your dream location.

 

Fountaine Pajot Cumberland 47LR sea trials

Twin Volvo Penta D4-300s with four-blade propeller

RPM

SPEED (KTS)

FUEL BURN (LT/H)

1500

8.5

11.4

2600

15.2

48.3

3000

18.8

71.2

3630

23.5

115

* Sea-trial data supplied by Multihull Solutions. Fuel burn is for both engines combined.

 

HIGHS

  • Terrific efficiency
  • Stability
  • Surreal feel under power
  • Great entertainer
  • Three double staterooms with en suites
  • Room to move

 

LOWS

  • Wee bit narrow in sponson interiors

 

Fountaine Pajot Cumberland 47LR specs

Fountaine Pajot Cumberland 47LR price: $A1,500,000

Price as tested, subject to exchange rate

 

OPTIONS FITTED

Genset, air-con, teak, Garmin pack with radar, watermaker, electric heads, Ultra anchor, interior carpet ,two additional fridges, freezer, tender, BBQ, flybridge hardtop with clears, flybridge stereo,  forepeak fit out to berth and much more…

 

PRICED FROM

$A1,285,000

Subject to exchange rate

 

GENERAL

MATERIAL Fibreglass

TYPE Flybridge power catamaran

LENGTH 13.95m

BEAM 6.55m

WEIGHT 14,200kg (approx) light ship; 18,400kg (approx) full load.

DRAFT 1.1m

 

CAPACITIES

PEOPLE 25 smooth water, 7 night

REC. MAX HP 2 x 300

FUEL 2 x 1200lt

WATER 2 x 350lt

 

ENGINE

MAKE/MODEL 2 x Volvo Penta D4-300 marine engines

TYPE Four-cylinder, common rail, DOHC, turbocharged and aftercooled marine engines

WEIGHT 2 x 663 kg

DISPLACEMENT 3.7lt

PROPELLER Four-blade fixed

 

MORE INFORMATION

Multihull Solutions NZ

9 Westhaven Dr, Auckland, 1010, NZ

Phone 0508 68 58 47

Email office@multihullsolutions.co.nz

Web multihullsolutions.co.nz

 

See the full version of this review in Trade-A-Boat #259, on sale October 29, 2015. Why not subscribe today?

Photography: Ellen Dewar

Previous ArticleNext Article
Send this to a friend