SPACE SHIP UNDER 50FT

Space, the final frontier, according to a popular sci-fi TV show. For boat manufacturers, space means something else – sales. Examine the development of family cruisers over the last decade or two and you’ll see a huge push toward maximising volume. Decks have got higher as topsides stretch to the sky and boats have got wider to accommodate trends such as full-beam master cabins even on boats below 50ft. These days, boats are floating apartments first, offshore ships second. Which is fine, it’s clearly what the customer wants, but there is another way. So this month I’ve found you four boats that pack in the space without looking like a slimming club visit is long overdue.

PICCHIOTTI TIGRESS MK2

BUILT 1982 PRICE £84,950

The Picchiotti shipyard in Italy originally built commercial and military vessels before branching out into leisure boats. The original Picchiotti Tigress was launched in the 1970s and was designed to offer the best of British offshore seaworthiness and Italian