Beginners don't have it easy in any discipline. Anyone who wants to buy a boat and has no previous experience will find it difficult to make a decision. Requirements differ, the range on offer is huge and the practical benefits of different boats are often miles apart.
That's why we tested four very different types of boat to see what is possible with the 15 hp limit without a licence. For many people, the first thing that comes to mind is an inflatable boat. This is easy to stow away, transportable and fulfils the purpose of having fun on the water.
This category is covered by the Mercury 320 Sport Enduro. If you want more comfort and are looking for a compact sports boat for family fun or fishing, a small console boat such as the Quicksilver Activ 455 Open is the right choice.
If you are even thinking about trips lasting several days for intensive exploration of an area, you need a cabin, such as the one in the Galia 485 Cruiser. Larger models, such as the Bowrider Galia 570 Open, which is also available in a version with a cabin, offer more space and comfort.
Small cabin cruiser
Galia 485 Cruiser: Four people and one bed
The compact Galia 485 Cruiser has a lot to offer for a beginner's boat. The mini cabin cruiser is just under five metres long and is approved for four people and coastal waters. Ready to sail with the Suzuki DF 15, it is available from 14 465 Euro to have.
The boat is suitable for small families or for anglers who mainly plan day trips. With the test engine, the Galia weighs a good 700 kg and can be trailered with almost any car.
There are plenty of seats for the crew in the 1.58 x 1.44 metre cockpit. Three people can easily sit on the rear bench. In addition, there are the seats for the round driver and a co-driver, which can be swivelled backwards to form a small seating area together with the rear bench.
If you also order the table from the accessories, you can enjoy socialising with friends or family on the water in the cockpit. The boat is also family-friendly thanks to the relatively high side walls, which offer good protection for smaller children. A small gangway on the port side leads to the foredeck.
A transparent sliding door provides access to the cabin. The berth, which is only 1.75 metres long and up to 1.45 metres wide and tapers towards the bow, is a little short for taller people, but is perfectly suitable for two people of the right height to spend the night.
Even a chemical toilet can be ordered as an accessory. If you remove the insert, you get a small U-shaped seating area that serves as a retreat in bad weather. Like almost all candidates, the boat with the licence-free Suzuki DF 15 is underpowered and does not glide.
The engine does not turn with the standard propeller, which can be optimised. However, even with the measured top speed of 6.3 kn (11.7 km/h), boating can be enjoyed. For those interested in longer tours,
will be delighted with the permanently installed 60-litre aluminium tank, as it allows ranges of up to 232 kilometres with the economical drive.
Although the engine speed has to be reduced to 3500 rpm, this noticeably reduces the noise level and the speed is not much slower. At full throttle, the hull of the Galia pushes quite a bow wave in front of it and you have to live with a noticeable yaw around the longitudinal axis.
Slow manoeuvring was possible almost on the spot. If you want more at some point, you can always get your driving licence and then motorise the boat with up to 66 kW (60 hp).
The comfortable
Galia 570 Open: A boat for up to eight people with two seating areas, two sun loungers and a storage space
The 5.70 metre long Galia 570 Open should appeal to owners who need more space, as the boat can accommodate up to eight people on inland waterways and only six on the coast.
With the Suzuki DF 15 fitted, the boat is available from dealers from 18,620 euros and weighs less than 1200 kilograms in total, so it can also be towed with a mid-range car and a class B driving licence.
With a bowrider, seating is installed in the bow instead of a closed foredeck, which provides more space on deck.
With the Galia 570 Open, the space gained can be used in a variety of ways after appropriate conversions. You can either add a table to create a large seating area or a 1.75 metre long and equally wide sun lounger for two people.
Those who like to lie in the sun therefore have much more space here than on smaller boats, which usually cannot offer such sunbathing areas due to their dimensions. The asymmetrically positioned console creates a wide passageway on the port side that connects the bow and cockpit.
There are two swivelling seats for the driver and a front passenger and an upholstered rear bench seat for three people, which then becomes a second seating area with the table. A sun lounger can also be created here after appropriate conversion.
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There is also a mini cabin under the console. This is more of a storage space, as it is far too small to sleep in. However, there are also upholstered seats and the option of installing a toilet.
It was not to be expected that such a spacious and not exactly light boat would glide with the small drive. However, the old rule that length matters proved to be true here too, because at 6.6 kn (12.2 km/h) the boat was a touch faster than its little sister with a cabin.
As the drive does not place any demands on the hull, flawless handling was no surprise.
Here too, high side walls offer the youngest members of the family a high level of safety. Fuel consumption is at a similar level to the smaller Galia. However, the 150-litre tank enables enormous ranges. At around 10 km/h and two litres per hour, 500 kilometres are easily possible, and if you are content with a slightly slower pace, you can even break the 600-kilometre mark.
Anyone looking for a licence-free touring boat with overnight accommodation should take a look at the almost identical Sundeck version. The Galia 570 Open can of course also be retrofitted with a much more powerful engine once you have obtained your licence.
Drives up to 111 kW (150 hp) can be flange-mounted and promise enormous driving pleasure. However, it will no longer be a range queen, as it is with the Suzuki DF 15.
The space gnome
Quicksilver Activ 455 Open: The compact one with space
With a length of 4.54 metres, it is the smallest and, with an unladen weight of just 401 kilograms, the lightest of our selection of GRP boats. It is also available with a cabin. Due to its narrow width of 1.85 metres, it is somewhat wobbly when stationary.
The console version has plenty of space. Five people can enjoy it both inland and when travelling along the coast. With the Mercury F15 fitted, the little water speedster is ready to go. from 13 150 Euro at the dealer. The lightweight can be easily towed to its place of use on unbraked boat trailers.
In the stern of the small Quicksilver there are small steps next to the engine, which are very useful as a bathing platform and make it easier to reach the bathing ladder. In front of this is a bench seat for three people and the console on the starboard side.
A windscreen with a sturdy grab handle also protects against the wind. A wide passageway on the port side leads to the foredeck, where additional seating is available. A 1.70 metre long and 1.35 metre wide sun lounger can also be installed here with the appropriate conversion.
Children are also safe when travelling thanks to the high side wall. If you have enough space and can do without cabins or toilets, you will be rewarded with some driving fun with a minimal payload. The handling is impeccable and at 9.8 kn (18.1 km/h) the lightweight is the fastest of the GRP constructions.
However, under the same conditions with two people on board, the gliding speed could not quite be achieved here either. With one person on board, it even managed to glide. If you are content with just under 10 km/h, you are travelling very economically and quietly. As there is no built-in tank, you have to fall back on the standard 25-litre outboard tank, which still provides a range of over 100 km.
Lightweight
Mercury 320 Sport Enduro: Fun from the boot
A compact inflatable boat is the easiest and most affordable way to have fun on the water. Together with the Mercury F15, the combination from 4443 Euro and authorised for up to five people in the coastal area. However, it is very cramped when fully occupied.
Thanks to its design, an inflatable boat is easy to store and transport. A garage or cellar is sufficient for storage and it fits in the boot of an estate car. However, with the 320 Sport Enduro weighing in at 62 kilograms, at least two people should pack it. The engine is no different.
Of course, the lightweight also offers the greatest driving pleasure and reaches an almost breathtaking speed of 19.8 kn (36.7 km/h).
Inexperienced boaters should exercise caution, as the acceleration with the Mercury F15 is already rapid with a low payload. Of course, an inflatable boat in this class is not very expandable and with the test motorisation, the limit has almost been reached.
Of course, a fast ride on such a speedster is not very comfortable and such a small inflatable boat is not suitable for long distances either. Increased comfort is at best possible with a larger version or a rigid hull variant, but these are then no longer as transportable and compact and also belong to a completely different weight and price category.
