Jeanneau's Merry Fisher 705 is light, bright and very clever
The Jeanneau Merry Fisher 705 gives a lot of thought to interior space and design. A huge run of side windows that wrap right around the wheelhouse is the first big style change and it works brilliantly delivering excellent light and visibility. Add the large foredeck hatch, port lights and a wheelhouse sunroof and this boat is one of the brightest on the market.
The cockpit is a good size and uses the enginebox to cleverly make the best of the seating just like the Beneteau Antares 7. Two vertical stainless steel posts either side of the wheelhouse door make for useful grabrails when boarding the boat or just for holding on to when the boat starts to rock.
Inside there’s a clean and practical galley area to port with a sink and space for a portable hob and fridge beneath.
But we are saving the best til last with the Merry Fisher’s great cabin area. A small dinette to port converts to a modest, child-size berth while a larger seating area to starboard converts to a decent double. This family friendly layout is created by moving the toilet compartment forward into the bows, which works really well and includes a small wash basin.
On the water, the 705 reaches a fairly noisy top speed of 20.5 knots with a 150hp Yanmar 4BY. Much of the crash and bang comes when running into a head sea, the boat’s fuller bows being hard on the spinal column. The Merry Fisher becomes far more civilised when you throttle back to around 16 knots, where noise levels are more bearable.
Pros
- Excellent visibility and cabin design
Cons
- The extras add a fair whack to the price
Price as reviewed:
£51,023.00
Verdict
This is another well-thought out, cleanly presented craft from a builder that knows what it's doing. Some of the Merry Fisher's key ‘touchy feely' bits are a let down, like the wheelhouse door handle and auto-park wiper controls, however, the boat's overall price looks good given its comfortable interior and family cruising ability.
Details
Displacement: 2.2 tonnes
Top Speed: 20.5 knots
Fuel Capacity: 44gal (200lt)
Beam: 9ft 1in (2.77m)
Cruising Speed: 15 knots
Water Capacity: 22gal (100lt)
RCD Category: C
Length Overall: 23ft 6in (7.82m)
Engines: Yanmar 4BY 2.0L
Boats for Sale: Search for a Jeanneau MF 705 for sale
Reprints: Buy the full review
Contact: Jeanneau
