The Voyage 42 will be premiering at the Sydney International Boat Show 2013.
Jeanneau Voyage 42 (2013-) Captain’s Report
Jeanneau conceptualized an all-new family cruiser that blends both the indoors and outdoors in a well-lit open floor plan. The result is this beautiful Voyage 42. We found her to be a sea kindly cruiser with plenty of room for moving about, and accommodations for four, with the availability for two more at the converted dinette.
Mission Statement
The mission of this new Voyage 42 is to serve as a family cruiser with an all-new approach to space and interior styling. The design team at Jeanneau tells us that they were striving to reach “a superior level of comfort through the distribution of interior and exterior living spaces making the boat well-suited for today’s families.”
Distinguishing Features
Narrow Window Mullions. This is important for keeping maximum visibility through the windows, particularly on a boat with a lower helm station. However, sometimes it can become problematic when the boat also has a flying bridge. The mullions need to support not only the weight of the upper deck, but the occupants as well. Somehow, Jeanneau has managed to keep them narrow while also being able to handle the task of load bearing.
Extended Flying Bridge. This adds more useable space on the upper deck while at the same time, provides much needed shade for the aft deck below as well as the ability to fully enclose it. The aft end of the flying bridge also accommodates a large optional sun pad.
Skylights. Forward of the helm are three skylights that pour natural light into the salon and helm areas. And, as the companionway to the staterooms is wide open, this becomes another area that benefits from this design feature.
Asymmetrical Side Decks. The starboard side deck is 15’6″ (39.37 cm) wide and is easy to negotiate. (See our video.) The port side deck is 12’6″ (31.75 cm) wide and took some hip-swiveling by a trim Capt. Steve Larivee to pass along it, but was definitely doable. There is a sliding side door at the helm to starboard.
Four-Panel Sliding Doors. There are four glass panels – three of which slide — in the boat’s opening between the cabin to the aft deck. By using the four panels the builder is able to maximize the width of the opening and the “outdoor” feel when sitting in the cabin.
Performance
The Jeanneau Voyage 42 has a LOA of 44’11” (13.7 m), a beam of 13’6″ (4.13 m), and a draft of 3’7″ (1.09 m). With an empty weight of 22,267 lbs. (10,100 kgs.), 158 gallons (598 L) of fuel (half full) and four people onboard we had a test weight of 24,432 lbs. (11,082 kgs.).
With a pair of 380-hp Cummins QSB 6.7 engines turning the ZF V-drive transmissions, we reached a top speed at 3070 rpm of 27.8 kn. At that speed fuel burn was a combined 34.3 gph (130 lph), giving the Voyage 42 a range of 231 nautical miles. Best cruise came in at 2700 rpm and 22.7 kn. At that speed the fuel burn was reduced to 25.89 gph (98 lph), giving the Voyage 42 an endurance of 11 hours and 250 nautical miles, while still maintaining a 10% reserve.
Handling Characteristics
On acceleration, she has a 5-degree bow rise and she seems fairly comfortable maintaining that angle at cruising speeds. With her foredeck angled down slightly she still maintains good sightlines ahead of the bow. She leans only 10-degrees into the turns and then seems to come back from that and stays relatively flat, providing a unique but still comfortable riding characteristic. She handles sea conditions well and I think she will present a comfortable platform for extended trips.
Swim Platform
The full beam swim platform comes out 3’5″ (1.04 m) from the transom, making it wide enough to accommodate a RIB tender. That being the case, owners may want to opt for the hydraulically actuated swim platform that will not only ease launching, but create the much enjoyed teak beach.