BOAT TEST
Storebro 435 Commander
Roomy mid-cabin sports third settee Dinette can be converted The all-round view for the helmsman
berth, as well as convertible twins. into a small sunbed. is excellent, on fl ybridge and below.
We like
The exceptional
overall competence of
the 435 in its role as a
serious cruising boat.
We don’t like
The effort involved in
Louvred wardrobe doors help air circulate and keep
carrying out daily
contents fresh. Storebro use expensive sprung
mattresses, which sweat far less than foam.
service checks.
fl ybridge and the full-sized charts and pilot books below. When inclement far the most practical possible – fi nely slatted fl exible sheets that roll away into
weather forced us below, it was easy to slide the doors open and quickly check the top of the locker so there are no stays to work loose over time, no hinges to
the view behind – a tremendous help if you’re cruising through an area accidentally sprain, no intrusions whatsoever on the openings, and no catches
populated by fast ferries. needed to keep the doors securely shut. Simple, but unbeatably effective in
If you are alone or short handed, the 435 is far easier to handle and navigate every respect.
and moor than a conventional fl ybridge boat. Positioning the guardrail gates In the galley, there’s a slot where the sink infi ll lives, with a latch to keep it in
alongside the two pilothouse doors and next to the spring cleats is the key. If place, and it’s under the countertop instead of hidden in a less accessible locker.
the drop to the pontoon is too daunting, then come alongside and lasso the Every step in the boat has an inlaid rubber strip for extra grip. Good
closest cleat from the side deck instead. Not that boating is an antisocial ventilation is one of the 435’s winning commodities. Those pilothouse side
activity, but for me it’s a comfort knowing that if I’ve got a group of non- doors are a start, but the 435 also sports louvered wardrobe doors so air can
boating friends on board, their lack of experience isn’t going to hold me back. circulate more easily. Storebro use sprung mattresses, which sweat less than
foam, but they still drill vent holes in the berth bases below just to be sure.
Practical magic Almost everybody is making more effort with their lighting nowadays.
So what of the 435’s practical refi nement? Well, it’s as close to a no-expense- Storebro effectively have two parallel systems: conventional visible cabin
spared approach as you’re likely to fi nd on a production boat. However, it’s as illumination, plus a secondary system of concealed strip lighting, which is
much the level of thoughtfulness that impresses as the extravagance. For softer but still bright enough to gently illuminate the boat for night-time use –
instance, the doors on the eye-level lockers in the galley and the saloon are by it’s not just the typical background mood lighting.
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