I’m a big fan of the Italian Lakes.
I’ve holidayed a couple of times on Lake Garda, I’ve tested a boat on Lake Maggiorre, and I’ve bought a Riva on Lago d’Iseo.
But my favourite has to be Lake Como.
It’s stunningly beautiful, the water is clear, the villages are gorgeous and the people relaxed.
A couple of years ago I had the pleasure of sourcing a boat for a client on Lake Como. The brief was to come up with a shortlist and then whittle it down to the most suitable boat.
Now, the workable size limit for Lake Como is 30ft. And really anything more than 25ft is a bit of a nuisance. That’s the size that the boat yards and marinas and boat houses and town quays are designed around. And it’s a prefect size for skipping across the closely-spaced waves on the rare days that the wind gets up.
It’s also not a place for a cruiser. Day boats and runabouts are the order of the day. Because a boat on Lake Como is for heading to lunch with friends, it’s for running errands and avoiding the narrow roads that are clogged with traffic, it’s for evening cruises to a restaurant for dinner with a glass of wine on the way. It’s not for sleeping on… there’s plenty of 5 star hotels and lakeside villas for that.
So the list was narrowed to some of the usual suspects… A Boston Whaler walkaround, a Regal or Monterey cuddy cabin, a Cobalt bowrider, or a modern but traditional Italian sportsboat like a Comitti or a Colombo.
A few decisions were quickly made…
A walkaround, whilst practical, didn’t have enough comfort or sociable seating for guests.
The American cuddies and bowriders have more comfort, but are surpassed in the styling department by the Italians.
But the Italians are all about style and sacrifice a lot of usability in the process – Like no easy walk-through transom access, no side decks and no step through screens – so you run the risk of looking like James Bond as you approach the harbour, but then making a complete berk of yourself as you try not to slip off the mirror varnished deck.
So, a solution was required that mixed the style and sophistication of an Italian boat (think teak, stainless steel, sleek lines) and the comfort and practicality of an American machine (think walk-through access via bow and stern, sociable seating and creature comforts).
Enter the Grandezza 25S.
…the left-field entry from Finland.
It’s a stunning boat with the sleek lines and interior panache to match the Italians, but with Scandinavian build quality and bags of practicality – easy access, wrap-around lounge seating, on-board toilet, fridge, bow thruster and full canopy for protection from the sun and the rain. There’s even a nicely appointed cabin with a double berth if you fancy a lie down with your other half during the afternoon for any reason.
It really does have all you’d want in a sophisticated day boat…
We deemed it the ideal boat for lake Como and our client duly tasked us with getting one delivered to him.
Our assessment was reinforced by the owner of the yard where we launched the boat on the lake. He was all over it!
…He wanted to know all about it… where she was built, how she was spec’d and how could he get a supply of them!
He was as impressed with the Grandezza 25 as I had been.
So if you’re looking for a sophisticated day boat to ply the waters of Lago di Como, or for that matter any of Europe’s many beautiful lakes (be it Lough Erne, Windemere, Geneva, Annecy, Lough Derg, Loch Lomond, etc) or a similarly idyllic coastal spot, then this Grandezza 25S is worth a look.
Watch our video tour to find out just how impressive this boat is.
Being a Scandinavian boat she’s also as well suited to our northern climes around the UK and Ireland as she is to the sunnier parts of the Continent and beyond. And we’d be delighted to assist you with transport, logistics, registration, insurance, and all the other little bits and pieces that go into getting a new boat on the water.
This 2018 model has seen only fresh water use from new. It has 98 hours on the clock and is in like-new condition. It is available for immediate delivery to your waterway of choice.
We are in the process of shooting a new showroom video tour of this boat at the moment.
In the meantime, please check out our video tour of this boat from 2018 – this video was shot when we were supplying the boat brand new to her one and only owner. The boat is still in immaculate condition, as you can see from the current photos in the gallery below.
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