Almost one meter longer, several centimeters wider and with significantly higher ceiling, Princess 62 has plenty of glass surface to add even more to the overall spacious and relaxing feeling
It was November, a traditionally grey month. We were aboard the new Princess 62 between Penlee Point and Yealm Head, a few miles outside of Plymouth Sound. And yet the sea was calm, the sun shone, and the wind was no more than a zephyr. I keep my boat just a few miles up the coast from here. Trust me, it is never like this.
Flybridge Princess 62
Nearly one metre longer, several centimetres wider and quite a lot taller than the Princess 60, its predecessor, the Plymouth shipyard’s latest flybridge model Princess 62 also features much more glass area in both hull and superstructure to emphasise its increase in interior space.
It has an excellent new seating area on the foredeck, and a completely redesigned saloon with an aft galley arrangement that places the chef as close as can be to the three dining tables: inside, out in the cockpit and up on the flybridge.We inspected two examples of this attractive and spacious new Princess yacht, the first with an all-white exterior and a bimini, and the second with a distinguished midnight-blue paint job on the hull and a fixed hardtop.
Hardtops are great, of course, but even constructed with carbon reinforcement like the 62’s they and their sturdy stainless steel supports place a lot of extra weight a long way above the waterline. Like its predecessor, down on the lower deck the new Princess 62 comes with three cabins and three heads and limited possibilities for changing anything – although there is the option to fit a second door to the port head compartment, to allow it to serve as a day head, and with the addition of an electrical sliding mechanism to the inboard berth, the twins in the starboard cabin be converted into a double.
You can also have a small twin-berth crew cabin fitted in the stern. There are plenty of opportunities to customise the look of the interior, however. Walnut and two different oak finishes are offered for the veneers, varnished in either satin or gloss, while the flooring can be either walnut or light oak. If you prefer carpet to hardwood underfoot, there are six shades to choose from.
Opt for the ‘Allure’ style package and Princess’s ‘Design Studio Collection’ includes various upgrades to the upholstery, teak detailing, paint finishes on the flybridge mouldings and exterior lighting.
Speed and space
The master lies amidships with a voluminous chest of drawers under one huge hull window and a breakfast dinette below the other, and an exceptional head compartment on the port side. The VIP in the bow has a head which feels even bigger, a berth that is measurably longer, like the master it also benefits from big, bright hull windows. The twin-berth is the least well off for floor space but is far from an afterthought, with nearly 7ft of headroom.
With 900hp Volvo D13s driving straight shafts as the sole engine option, the 62 accelerated well and topped out at 29.5 knots, slightly down on the speed Princess claims for this yacht. In terms of handling we couldn’t fault the ride. The hull felt equally content heeled hard over in tight, fast turns as it did coasting along at its minimum planing speed, and at every increment of the rpm range, from tickover to maximum, both throttle and helm response proved taut and predictable.
Naval architects Olesinski Ltd, in Cowes, which has designed all Princess hulls since 1980 has been working to build efficiency into the hull shape, as seen in the last couple of feet at the stern of the Princess 62 Yacht, where the buttock lines outboard of the prop tunnels hook down slightly. This provides permanent extra lift at the back, like a trim tab, and in the case of the 62 means that at all planing speeds, from 16 knots to maximum, the boat feels comfortable and longitudinally stable. And we didn’t touch the trim tabs.
Photos Princess Yachts