At January’s boot Dusseldorf show, Nimbus Yachts of Sweden introduced their new 495 Coupe, a couple’s cruiser designed specifically for long-term living aboard and for cruising inland waterways.
The new coupe has the same hull as the 495 Flybridge that was launched last year but in many ways is a very different boat. Without the flybridge, the cabin top can now have a huge retracting sun roof for fair weather living. Plus, there is plenty of room for solar panels that will power all systems while at anchor for many hours with running the genset.
For inland cruising, boats need to have a maximum air draft of 16 feet, particularly on the Great Loop, so the Coupe has an electrically folding mast that can be tilted aft for needed bridge clearances.
The salon and cockpit flow together through the sliding door. Inside, the galley is aft and In the space that had been reserved for the stairs to the flybridge, a second galley counter has been installed so two people can prepare meals together.
The U-shaped dinette will seat four easily and has 360-degree views of the seascape around the boat. Nimbus sought to maximize the light inside the 495 while also providing excellent protection from the weather, highlighted by the cabin top extension over the cockpit. Another fine feature is a wet locker for jackets, pants and boots in the cockpit.
With the three-cabin, two-head accommodation plan, a couple will be fine cruising on their own but will have room for another couple to join them or to have grown children and grandchildren cruising in comfort.
Twin Volvo IPS 650s will give the 495 a handy turn of speed of 30 knots and an efficient cruising speed of 20. With Joy Stick Controls, Docking Assist and Dynamic Positioning, all Volvo features, handling the 495 in close quarters will be a snap.
Finding the right boat for an extended adventure like the American Great Loop that can take a year of more is complicated. The boat has to be big enough for comfortable living, it has to have the 16 foot air draft, it has to be efficient and self-contained and it has to be manageable by a couple.
Perhaps, the new Nimbus 495 Coupe is just that special boat.
