First and foremost, the visual appearance, which resembles a trawler, is impressive. And when you think of a trawler, you associate it with a fishing boat, the high seas, a wheelhouse positioned far forward and a wide, sweeping deck behind it for the fishing gear.
These ships are generally characterised by their ability to withstand wind, weather and sea, which has a confidence-building effect. However, Brandsma's intention seems to have been less to create a deep-sea fishing boat than its appearance.
The only difference is that on the Mondial, which also stands for worldwide, the cabin superstructure, which starts far forward, extends all the way aft and the wide deck is arranged on top. Up here there is an 18 m2 outside steering position and plenty of space to sit and lie down.
It is also possible to accommodate a dinghy - provided a crane is installed.
Our test boat has two cabins and four berths, a large bathroom with shower and toilet and, last but not least, a large saloon and a separate wheelhouse with lounge for co-drivers. The upper deck is also the saloon roof and extends strikingly beyond the wide side decks.
This protects against rain and also prevents the sun from shining directly into the saloon. A bracket can be pulled out of the aft roof to close the cockpit with a wraparound canopy, making it wind and weatherproof.
Access to the boat is guaranteed by solid bulwark doors at the side and aft.
The boat has three control stations, the weather-protected main control station at the front in the deckhouse with all instruments and controls, a slightly reduced one on the upper deck and another on the aft deck (extra), which only includes the gearstick and auxiliary rudder.
In addition, a remote control can be purchased to control both.
There is no compass, but there are touchscreens on which all important information is displayed. A monitor with a stern camera is essential to be able to see aft from the main helm station.
However, the stern cannot be seen from the outside steering position either, hence the third steering position in the cockpit, which makes mooring manoeuvres easier.
Since the engine refuses to accept full throttle at the time of the test and the propeller is not yet perfectly tuned, we fall back on later measurement data from the shipyard, which match ours so far.
If you ignore wind and current, revs and speed determine the range. With one tank of fuel, the Mondial 37 can theoretically travel 1032 nm at 800 rpm and 3.2 knots, and at full throttle with 2450 rpm and a speed of 8.3 knots, it can manage just under 156 nm, plus 15 % reserves in each case. This means that if you are sailing against the current and demand everything from the engine, you should know where there are bunker stations.
From around 1200 rpm and a speed of 5 knots, the hull begins to generate waves that increase in intensity as the speed increases. One tank of fuel is then sufficient for a distance of around 658 nm plus reserve.
Normally, you do not go faster than the theoretical hull speed, which is around 7 knots for the test boat. The reason for this is the small increase in speed, while fuel consumption skyrockets.
We therefore perform all manoeuvres at 1800 rpm and 7 knots.
Manoeuvrable: The test boat reacts directly to every change of course and at both slow and fast speeds the full circles do not exceed two boat lengths. Only after mooring did we notice that water had entered via the scuppers during fast cornering due to the moderate outward heeling.
The side decks and cockpit are damp.
As is usual with single-shaft systems and in this case a right-handed propeller, there is a good and a less good side when mooring and casting off. Thanks to the optional bow and stern thruster, there is little need to worry about crosswinds, disturbing crosscurrents or long reverse journeys. Normally, the keel is sufficient for good directional stability.
However, Brandsma has given the Mondial 37 an additional centre keel, as they call it, on each side of the hull. They are intended to support the course ahead. However, as the guide keels are positioned slightly aft, the prevailing crosswind averaging 5 Bft is particularly noticeable at the front due to the cabin superstructure.
This requires course corrections at the helm or you leave the work to the autopilot. Sitting so far forward on the saloon helm changes the overall driving experience. It takes some getting used to when the stern of the boat seems to swing around you when cornering.
Under the saloon floor, three floor hatches provide easy access to the engine, shaft system and other equipment. We can see highly integrated water filters for the engine and generator and next to them an easy-to-use fuel pre-filter, which is commendably equipped with an alarm sensor for water.
A fuel tap prevents unwanted diesel flow when changing the filter. In addition to an electric bilge pump, manual bilge pumping is also possible in an emergency.
Thanks to effective sound insulation, the sound pressure meter at the helm station shows no more than 74 dB/A, making normal conversation between the skipper and his passengers possible.
While the construction of the hull, paintwork and furniture are carried out by subcontractors, Brandsma is responsible for everything to do with technology and electrics.
The result is an interesting boat that is well worth seeing. Apart from the steel hull, which could do with some fine-tuning on the surfaces, the furniture and interior fittings as well as the technical and electrical installations are impressive.
Brandsma offers the boat ready to sail in the standard version with matching accessories. For more comfort, you can order the Europa Line or Exclusive Line models.
Conclusion
With the Mondial 37, you really stand out. The driving experience takes some getting used to, but it is still a manoeuvrable boat. Four berths and plenty of space below and on deck make the Mondial 37 the ideal holiday boat for four or more day guests.
You can read the test of the Brandsma Mondial 37 in the December issue 2018 from BOOTE. Or you can download the PDF for the test below.
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