Looking for a jack of all trades? Jeanneau’s new day-boating express cruiser is ready and waiting says Alex Smith who tested the Jeanneau DB/37
When Jeanneau’s DB line was first introduced in 2022, it felt distinctly dynamic. Though “DB” referred to its nominal underpinnings as a Day Boat, it was also designed to take you away for a week at a time in genuine comfort, while still delivering the swept, aggressive lines of a performance machine.
That original Jeanneau DB/43 got exactly the reception its broad spread of talents deserved, albeit at a price. Now it has been joined by a smaller 37ft variant that aims to perform the same magic trick on a smaller footprint for a lower price. It’s known as the Jeanneau DB/37, and right from the start, it’s clear that it adopts the same clever form and function as the Jeanneau DB/43.
A cool plumb bow leads back to a pair of long, tapered hull windows and a striking concave cutaway in the hull sides, which morphs into a very stylish engine vent at the aft end. On this model, of course, whether you opt for the inboard diesels or the test boat’s Yamaha XTO 450hp outboards, these ‘engine vent’ mouldings are decorative rather than functional but either way, it’s a very beautiful boat – and it’s no less beautiful on account of its hardtop, which expands as it runs aft to encompass the entire beam.
If we’re to trust the blueprint laid down by the original 43, the lower deck certainly ought to hold a surprise or two but before we get to that, the first and most obvious asset on the new Jeanneau DB/37 is the cockpit.
Even on the inboard model, the engine vents are merely decorative
Epic party space
The cockpit is immense for a boat of this size. The hardtop extends right out to the gunwales, bringing both side decks into play as active parts of the recreational space. A pair of drop-down bulwarks comes as standard, enabling you to further expand the beam by about 2m and the space is neatly arranged too.
A pair of large bench seats can be flipped down to create a vast sunbed. They can also be reversed to face forward or aft, and the forward bench can be moved on deck runners, enabling you to orchestrate the seating and sunbathing spaces independently of one another. Slide it forward to the wet bar and you can extend the sun pad aft over the swim platforms while retaining a good place to sit and easy access from one deck to the other. Arranging both benches to face forward instead creates 6-8 forward-facing seats aft of the helm, each with decent shelter from the topside structure.
There are some other neat touches too. For instance, the table comes with a cut-out so when you close up the leaves after dinner, you don’t obscure the cup holders. The telescopic aft sunshade is good and sturdy so you can run with it deployed, even at the 41-knot top end. And in spite of the fact that this is the outboard model, the freshwater, seawater, transom shower and shore power points are all positioned on the back end of the central moulding, well out of the way of the port and starboard cockpit access points.
The island sunbed leads on to a compact bow lounge
The ergonomics are also strong. There’s a recessed handle built into the port swim platform to help haul yourself out of the water, as well as a ladder that can be removed for use on the side terraces. There’s also a rail recessed into the gunwales, plus high-level rails on the underside of the hardtop; and as you make your way forward and up the steps toward the bow, the cockpit’s full-beam roof structure is neatly cut away to eradicate any prospect of banging your head.
In spite of appearances, it’s actually a decent four-season boat too. You can wrap the entire cockpit in canvases, creating a huge climate-controlled entertaining space, while preserving bow access thanks to zipped forward doors. However, the hardtop itself is still a bit of a disappointment.
The concept of expanding your cockpit by means of widely spaced hardtop struts that marry up with the bulwarks is great – so much so that it has been copied a fair bit by other builders. The problem is the hardtop’s resounding simplicity. Yes, there are speakers and spotlights. There’s also a small central roof hatch at the front end that scoops air down onto the skipper. But that’s it. No sunroof. No skylights. No storage nets. No solar panels. No roof rack. Not even a logo or a diverting design motif. Just a massive rigid fibreglass platform to shade and shelter the cockpit.
Ease of movement around this boat is first-class
Further forward though, the transverse wet bar is far better conceived. There’s a single gas burner, a compact sink and a sunken work surface on top, plus a fridge, a bin and a storage cabinet underneath.
There are also some pop-up LED cylinders next to the cupholders, creating a pleasant ambient glow when the light fades. And while you might (with some justification) suggest that the double-hinged cover is unnecessarily complex, the full-length rail makes loads of sense. It’s good for steadying yourself as you move around the boat and it’s even better when you’re underway, providing the perfect spot for three people to adopt a well-braced standing position in the lee of the screen with views and shelter of much the same order as those enjoyed by the skipper.
Why not stay the night?
As part of Jeanneau’s DB line, the Jeanneau DB/37 is a much better cruising machine than its external lines suggest. As you reach the bottom of the stairs, you find yourself at a breakfast bar with an optional fridge and microwave, plus a whole load of storage options. From here, a starboard door leads to the one and only bathroom on this boat, so it needs to be highly practical and it is, thanks to a decent footprint, a pair of large windows, impressive headroom and a separate shower. But it’s the dynamic between the two cabins that’s particularly interesting.
The drop-down terraces add around 2m to the breadth of the big aft deck
The nominal owner’s cabin in the bow feels a shade invaded by the mouldings for the walkround side decks, so it’s good to see quite a low-level bed to help finesse the ergonomics and provide just enough space at the head end for a slouchy sitting position. Unlike on the 43, there are no windows in the sides of the raised island sunbed but the hull windows are long and the pale wood finish does much to maximise the sense of light and space.
There’s a compact dressing table on the aft bulkhead too, plus curved cabinetry providing plenty of peripheral storage in here and yet you still get reasonable access to both sides of the bed. Decent though it is, if you’re after space, storage and brightness, though, the full-beam mid cabin is the place to be.
In spite of limited headroom under the side decks, there’s just about enough space to sit up in bed
On the test boat, it comes with a cushioned seat on either side of the entry point, leading aft to a huge transverse double bed that spans the gap between peripheral storage cabinets. You can opt instead for a pair of longitudinal single beds with extra space in the centre – and given the arrangement of the reading lights, that’s arguably the more commonplace solution.
But either way, a vast mirror-lined aft bulkhead really ramps up the light and the manipulation of the deckhead is also very welcome. It lifts substantially at its centrepoint, making great
use of the volume inside the base for the triple helm seats, providing not just extra space and headroom but also a portlight that opens out onto the starboard side deck.
Loud but lovely
With its Michael Peters hull and twin XTO 450 outboards, this is a very decent driver’s boat. Thanks to plenty of pick-up, lots of grip at the prop and all kinds of flamboyance in the heel, it feels like a boat you can really engage with. It exhibits plenty of deft responsiveness at wheel and throttle, as well as a remarkably keen ability to fine-tune its trim in response to your manipulation of the leg angles and tabs. Couple that with a ride that feels a good deal softer than you might expect and it’s a boat you could enjoy playing on, even when the seas get a bit lively.
You can also arrange the mid cabin with a huge transverse bed and a pair of compact pod seats
The helm does a good job of collaborating with that too. The tabs, thrusters, throttles and joystick are all readily available to your right hand. There’s also a drained charging trough for your portable electronics, as well as space for three 12in plotters on the main tier of the dash.
The wheel is adjustable and so are the seats but there’s not a huge amount of travel for a big skipper because of the proximity of the wet bar’s leading edge. Nonetheless, the fact that you get three individual chairs, each with a bolster, is very useful and having the skipper positioned in the centre of the deck also does really good things for control and visibility.
The table drops into the gap to create a huge central sunbed
But while the arrangement of this boat makes it very well suited to a family cruise, not a lot of space has been lavished on the tanks. The water tank holds just 250L and while the fuel tanks have been expanded to 960L for the outboard model, a cruising range from 100 to 160 miles might still feel a little bit short for some.
On a similar note, the XTO engine rig might also prove a bit loud for keen cruisers. At planing speeds, with that wraparound forward structure trapping much of the noise, we’re seeing sound readings at the helm of between 88 and 98dB, which could prove a bit challenging on extended passages. So while the driving dynamics of the test boat are indisputably strong, we’d still be inclined to check out the Mercury options instead.
Performance is very strong but noise is a bit much for extended passages
Jeanneau DB/37 specifications
LOA: 38ft 10in (11.84m)
BEAM: 11ft 9in (3.57m)
DRAFT: 3ft 7in (1.17m)
DISPLACEMENT: 8,042kg (dry)
FUEL CAPACITY: 960 litres
WATER CAPACITY: 250 litres
ENGINES: Twin Yamaha XTO 450s
RCD: B12
CONTACT: jeanneau.com
Jeanneau DB/37 costs and options
PRICE: From £366,338 ex VAT
Twin Yamaha XTO 450s inc joystick: £57,425
Zipwake auto trim tabs: £3,021
Air conditioning: £6,670
Comfort Pack: £3,476
Breakfast bar fridge and microwave: £1,782
Complete cockpit enclosure: £10,343
If you enjoyed this….
If you enjoyed this….Motor Boat & Yachting is the world’s leading magazine for Motoryacht enthusiasts. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams, as well as tests and news of all the latest motorboats.
Plus you’ll get our quarterly Custom Yachting supplement where we share the last on offer in the superyacht world and at the luxury end of the market.
Build your knowledge with a subscription delivered to your door. See our latest offers and save at least 30% off the cover price.
Verdict
This is a really effective multi-purpose leisure platform. Its capacity to combine authentic cruising facilities with the space, styling and flexibility of a day boat makes the DB/37 a natural stablemate for the DB/43, and a very credible competitor for the award-winning De Antonio range. The bow might be limited, the hardtop might be one-dimensional and the engines might be noisy, but that’s ably counterbalanced by a top cockpit, surprising accommodation, a good drive and styling that feels every bit as cool as the original DB/43.
