I, Rikutsu-Kone-Taro, would like to introduce my beloved boat, the Merry Fisher 895 Sport manufactured by Jeanneau.
Jeanneau is a leading manufacturer of yachts and boats based in France, well-known in the industry alongside Beneteau, even in Japan.
As Jeanneau is a part of the Groupe Beneteau, boats under the Jeanneau brand and those under the Beneteau brand often share similarities to the extent that their differences may not be apparent without careful comparison.
Below, I will describe my boat, but please note that these are merely my personal opinions, filled with subjective judgments and biases as Rikutsu-Kone-Taro.
From the decision to purchase a boat to the actual acquisition, I saw various boats and visited marinas, gradually identifying the criteria I sought for a boat and marina, in my Rikutsu-Kone-Taro manner.
Firstly, I wanted a boat suitable for offshore mooring, allowing departure whenever I feel like it, and it should be in a marina suitable for offshore mooring. Since stern-drive boats are not suitable for offshore mooring, marinas incapable of offshore mooring were excluded.
Moreover, considering maintenance of the power system and the possibility of replacement, outboard motor boats seemed preferable to shaft-driven boats. Photo 1 shows the outboard motors. My boat has two outboard motors, so the outboard motors are positioned side by side.
The outboard motors are located at the rear of the boat, propelling the boat forward.
Outboard motors, besides the engine, have all accessories including cooling contained within them, making maintenance and replacement extremely convenient due to everything being located outside the boat.
Also, as shown in Photo 2, during mooring, the mechanical parts from the engine body to the propeller can be raised from the sea, protecting the engine from various harmful events caused by seawater.
Secondly, ample storage space was desirable. Having two berths separated by a wall is preferred. A boat that seems convenient for accommodating guests or can be used akin to an SUV is ideal.
Thirdly, a powerful engine that disregards payload capacity was desirable. Additionally, a lower risk of power loss is preferable. Therefore, I wanted to have two engines.
Fourthly, a boat with a long range was desired. I want to be able to play around worry-free from sunrise to sunset during summer days.
Fifthly, a boat that is easy to operate single-handedly is preferred. Specifically, having a sliding door near the helm and easy movement both towards the bow and stern is preferable.（Photo3）
Sixthly, it would be delightful if each part of the exterior and interior exudes exotic beauty. It’s nice to admire and also to immerse oneself in the atmosphere.
When searching under these conditions, I came across the Merry Fisher 895 Sport. Although the Barracuda 9 from the Beneteau brand, which was also on the market at the same time, seemed quite good, it was discontinued and transitioned to the Antares series, making it unavailable as a new boat.
By the way, there is a sibling boat to the Merry Fisher 895 Sport, named the Merry Fisher 895. Yes, the only difference is the absence of “Sport” in the name, but the difference between the two boats is larger than one might imagine from the difference in name.
The Merry Fisher 895 has a different structure around the front window and bow compared to the Sport version, with the galley in the usual position. The interior volume is probably larger than the Sport, and the bow berth is also designed more like a bedroom. It left a very good impression.
I don’t remember the exact reason for choosing the Sport over this boat. Probably because the Merry Fisher 895 Sport seemed more fun and easier to play with than the Merry Fisher 895… well, it’s such a casual and vague reason.
As mentioned elsewhere, I, Rikutsu-Kone-Taro, avoids fishing. There’s also the reason that fish faces are scary, but there are already plenty of people fishing, and I lack the skill to cook fish properly. I intend to enjoy boating with the restriction of “no fishing.”
It’s fun to land from the sea onto non-swimming beach areas (click here for details), to stop at sea stations for meals or to take photos, to go on marina stays at other marinas, to view Yokohama from the sea (click here for details), and to go on expeditions to Izu Oshima (click here for details) or Hatsu Island.
And so, if I wanted to make all these things possible, the Merry Fisher 895 Sport seemed just right. It allows you to work at the bow, holds a lot of cargo, has powerful engines, offers long cruising range, and looks like it’s great for recreational use.
With twin engines and a bow thruster, maneuvering in tight spaces and turning around is easy, which is a big relief when visiting unfamiliar waters for the first time.
I plan to load the Merry Fisher 895 Sport with food and my favorite toys and set off spontaneously to various places. (Photo 5)
Oh, and by the way, there used to be a boat named the Merry Fisher 895 Marlin until recently. I wonder if the integration of the brand names was the reason…
The summer of 2023 was the most enjoyable summer of my life. I intend to have even more fun this year.