From river boat to a Category B Parker Monaco

Sharing our boating lessons.

Are you ready to upgrade or change your boat and need some advice?   In our latest blog, we interview Nick, Toni and daughter Lucy; owners of a Parker Monaco 110 purchased from Boat Shop in 2019, in order to learn from their experience.  

Here’s their story:

Tell us how your boating journey began?

It started 6 years ago when my wife and I first took the Powerboat Level II course in a 7 metre rib.  The course helped to improve our confidence; so much so that we bought a Fletcher River Boat for £1,500.  The boat rarely started!  That said,  we stayed “local” and didn’t travel too far from our waterfront home on the River Arun.  As we lived directly on the river, we were constantly seeing other people with larger boats heading out to sea and beyond.  This became our dream.

What was your next purchase to realise this dream?

We next purchased a Glastron* and this was our first experience of working with Boat Shop and owner Mick in Littlehampton Marina.  We had a 27’ weekender that had a diesel stern drive. We loved it! We were able to get on the water with the children and our new pets; Louis and Bailey.  

*The brand Glastron produces bowriders and outboard boats. There are 34 models currently in production.

What happened next?

Around that time, we started to research larger, pre-loved boat brands such as Fairline and Princess; all around the £400,000 price point.  They were located around the UK in Norfolk, Southampton and Swanick and were typically 8 years old.  At that time, we met Mick again at the Southampton Boat Show and picked up a brochure on the Parker Monaco.  Initially, we felt that the boat was smaller than we needed but we jumped on board to view her. We aslo continued our research into the market at that price point.  

We were particularly interested in the Rodman Muse with the 2 IPS Drives.  Upon further research, we learnt that the service on each engine would run to around £2,500 per engine.  This was a definite NO from our point of view; especially when you compare this pricing to the petrol Parker outboard engines which were attractive to us on many levels.

We kept coming back to the Parker Monaco 110 and realised that it did actually tick all of our boxes and, following a sea trial, we made the purchase from Boat Shop.

What was it specifically that ticked your boxes?

We loved the rear swim platform and there is massive underdeck storage.  We were looking at larger models but as we decided to buy a smaller boat, the amount of storage was super important to us.  

We love the outdoor space.  Let’s be realistic, here in the UK, the weather and breeze can be unpredictable.  If you sit in the front of the boat you could be in full wind; so it’s important for us to also have the area at the back of the boat to enjoy.

The tech and features are great!  On other boats that we were looking at the tech seemed to start from a low base plus options.  That wasn’t the case with the Parker Monaco.  We have two chart plotters, generator, A/C, radar and speakers.  Another plus for us is the sunroof; creating huge amounts of light.  

We enjoy the peace of the engines; they are super quiet.  We also liked the fact that they were outside the hull and we could lift them; especially useful in Chichester Marina.

We can use our boat year-round and we enjoy that.  We have been known to hold Christmas parties on board as we have cosy heating.  In the summer, if needed, we have A/C. The beauty of the design is that you can be fully open or fully closed. We’re not boating in the Med and we have to be realistic about that.  

The Parker Monaco was overall very cleverly designed and we quite often get positive comments from lockkeepers and other boat owners.  

How do you use your boat?

We tend to take weekends away and there is always a week or so vacation in the summer with the children and dogs.

What are some of your favourite anchorages?

There are so many.  Our top anchorages; mainly chosen for peaceful environs and ease of getting to shore for dog walking, are:

• Beaulieu
• Newtown Creek and Colwell Bay on the Isle of Wight
• Studland and Poole in Dorset
• East Head, Chichester Harbour

We love to paddleboard and frequently see seals and amazing bird life when afloat.

We have our own inflatable tender that is stored on the deck or under the sun platform. We can put the children and the dogs in and get to shore.

In the future, we will plan longer passages but first we do need to build upon our existing knowledge and confidence.

What are some of the benfits of boat ownership?

Our boat is the one area where you can truly switch off and relax.  We are busy people.

We play cards, enjoy family games and literally there is nothing else to do other than enjoy being in the moment. You can sit out on deck with a G&T, watch amazing sunsets and be mindful and in the moment.

Let’s talk maintenance; what have you learnt from boat ownership about boat maintenance?

• Use your boat frequently to keep everything working.  Try not to shut a boat up as that is when issues occur.  
• Deal with issues quickly and don’t put off dealing with anything that crops up.  
• Regularly maintain your boat and keep water out of the boat.
• A boat is not a car and issues will arise.  Don’t be surprised and have realistic expectations
• Keep a toolkit onboard.
• Maintain a stock of extra fuses.
• Plan ahead.
• Self educate; none of the manuals will teach you how the electrics work, so self education is important.
• Work through problems such as the toilet stops flushing; consider what could it be.
• At the beginning of each season, test everything fully.
• Have a good team around you; from the Marina to your dealership people.
• We’re not that technical but we do have a “have a go” attitude.

How was the purchase process?

It was pretty straightforward.  We had to arrange our own insurance, harbour conservancy payment and berthing; but that was not complicated. It’s just admin. We bought the boat at the Southampton Boat Show in the September and we had it October/November time.

What are your final tips for people about to upgrade or change their boat?

Consider the overall annual cost of maintenance and berthing (by the meter) vs how much you are going to use it.

Work with a “trusted partner” like Boat Shop, who will ‘de-risk’ it.  We trust Mick and his team to maintain our boat and we know that we will always have support.

Consider key questions such as:

• What am I going to do with it?
• Can I drive it?
• Who will be on it?
• How much time will I spend on it?
• Consider the final question “will I use it enough?”

NOTE: you can also view the Parker Monaco 110 at the Boat Shop dock M001 to M012 at Southampton International Boat Show