NAVAN, A New Boat Brand, Debuts

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It’s no surprise that Brunswick Boat Group (The entity with 18 boat makes in its portfolio, including Bayliner, Boston Whaler, Harris, Heyday, Princecraft, Sea Ray, Lund and more) is entering the “adventure” or “commuter” segment of boats. The success of straight-stemmed, stepped-hull, walkaround deckhouse models from the likes of Axopar, Nimbus, and Wellcraft proves boaters seek such boats. We at Boating, in fact named the Axopar 28 Cabin Boat of the Year 2020.

And, for good reason.

Fast and efficient, with a layout that lends itself to a variety of activities, such boats are truly intended for the way so many people actually use a boat. That is, these serve as a dayboat one day, an overnighter the next, and as a cruiser now and then. They can be fished from and dived from and make an excellent platform from which to enjoy kayaks or paddleboards. The handling’s good, the ride is soft, and these can be run at enough speed to scratch the performance itch for many boaters. After two days spent aboard them, I am confident in stating that all of the above applies to NAVAN Boats.

The NAVAN C30 offers a walkaround deckhouse and a hardtop with sliding hatches (“skylights”) and room for carrying SUP or kayaks. Courtesy NAVAN

The NAVAN C30 offers a walkaround deckhouse and a hardtop with sliding hatches ( “skylights”) and room for carrying SUP or kayaks.

For example, the 9,500-lb, 30-foot x 9’6” NAVAN C30 that I tested just three days ago (Sept 9, 2023), powered to almost 50 knots with nine people aboard and twin 300-hp Mercury outboards providing the go. It kept pace with a 420 Boston Whaler in some significant chop and swell.

Profile view of the NAVAN C30 (top) and the NAVAN S30 (bottom), new boats in a new line of adventure boats from Brunswick Boat Group. Courtesy NAVAN

I spent two days aboard both the NAVANC30 (cabin model) and NAVAN S30 (an open boat with a cuddy cabin), plying the rough, open waters of the Mediterranean off Cannes, France. Additionally, we operated at slow speeds, drifted and trolled in open water, and even rafted up with other boats. This wide range of experiences left me with positive view of the boats overall.

NAVAN—pronounced, “Naa-“ (as in ‘natural’) “-Van,” ( as in, ‘Ford Transit’) by the way—debuted in Europe for the Cannes Yachting Festival.

The NAVAN S30 is intended to appeal to boaters seeking more open deck space. Courtesy NAVAN

The boats will make their North American debut at the Discover Boating Miami International Boat Show February 14-18, 2024.

My full test report on NAVAN will be published in the coming week. In the meantime, enjoy the pics, peruse the specs and check out the accompanying video. In the video, Brunswick Boat Group President, Aine Denari, speaks a bit about the new boat brand under her charge. There’s footage of both versions of the boat in the video.

NAVAN C30 Specifications

Overall Length (m):	10.23
Length of Hull (m):	8.99
Overall Beam (m):	2.99
Bridge Clearance (m):	2.26
Boat Weight Without Engine (kg):	3,888
Shaft Length:	1-XXL/2-XL
Maximum Power (hp/kw):	600/441
Draft (m):	0.63
Water Tank (L):	80
Fuel Tank Maximum Capacity (L):	400
Fuel Tank Type:	Integrated
Boat’s Height (m):	2.84
CE Category/Maximum Number of People:	B/10-C/12
Single Outboard Engine:	Mercury 300 V8 Outboard – Mercury 400 V10 Verado
Twin Outboard Engine:	Twin Mercury 225 V6 – Twin Mercury 250 V8 Verado – Twin Mercury 250 V8 Verado + Joystick (JPO) – Twin Mercury 300 V8 Verado – Twin Mercury 300 V8 Verado + Joystick (JPO)

NAVAN S30 Specifications

Overall Length (m):	10.23
Length of Hull (m):	8.99
Overall Beam (m):	2.99
Bridge Clearance (m):	2.89
Boat Weight Without Engine (kg):	3,270
Shaft Length:	1-XXL/2-XL
Maximum Power (hp/kw):	600/441
Draft (m):	0.62
Water Tank (L):	80
Fuel Tank Maximum Capacity (L):	400
Fuel Tank Type:	Integrated
Boat’s Height (m):	2.97
CE Category/Maximum Number of People:	B/10-C/12
Single Outboard Engine:	Mercury 300 V8 Outboard – Mercury 400 V10 Verado
Twin Outboard Engine:	Twin Mercury 225 V6 – Twin Mercury 250 V8 Verado – Twin Mercury 250 V8 Verado + Joystick (JPO) – Twin Mercury 300 V8 Verado – Twin Mercury 300 V8 Verado + Joystick (JPO)