My New Jeanneau Merry Fisher 695

The 695 model is part of the extensive Jeanneau Merry Fisher range and combines design features that make it both a practical fishing boat and a comfortable weekend family cruiser.  After our worst summer in leaving memory,  I decided it was time to upgrade from my Trophy 1703 centre consul  which has given me great pleasure since early 2008. The few  times we spent out at the Hook we came in like wet ducks.  I spent the last month researching what type  of boat we would purchase and  what suited the type of fishing we undertake.  My boat is fitted with a powerful 155 hp Nanni diesel inboard, which on the 695 will produce a flatout speed in the region of 20 -knots and a steady cruising speed of around 16-knots.  Fuel consumption will be somewhere between 5 and 6 gallons and hour,that obviously depends on how hard you work  the boat and how much weight she’s carrying in the guise of passengers and tackle. Sitting in the helm seat and having a quick look around visibility both forward to read the sea ,and to the sides and through the cabin door back down the deck to the transom for manoeuvring is excellent.  Easing the throttle forward the boat smoothly accelerates away with little hesitation, the nose just rising slightly before she rapidly  hits planing speed.  She feels a big boat and has some weight to her but remains very nimble like her new owner and can undertake tight powerful turns with ease.  She tends to cut through a wave as opposed to riding over the crest of it, but this is comfy and soft with no real harshness transmitted back to the passengers in the cabin.  Below you will see some pictures which we took on her Maiden voyage  to Hook Head.  I decided to put on a set of mackeral feathers and to my delight and Caroline’s  amazment I landed  three nice sized mackeral on my first drop of the lead.