Boatbuilders and designers are always trying to get more out of a design. Consumers have high expectations for looks, performance, comfort and quality. With the Hardy 65, all of those things are present, and more.

This trawler yacht has a British feel. It comes from the drawing board of Andrew Wolstenholme in England, and it combines traditional attributes with good looks and performance—including being able to reach 30 knots on a seaworthy, semi-displacement hull. True, that’s with the optional 1,200-horsepower MAN diesels, but the standard twin 800-hp units get the boat close to 25 knots, which should be more than fast enough for comfortable cruising.

And comfort is at the heart of this design. Nothing feels crowded on board, and with three en-suite, double-berth staterooms, there is space aplenty, particularly in the full-beam master amidships.

Because this is a semi-custom yacht, owners can dictate quite a bit of the layout. A cabin aft in the lazerette is designated for crew, but it’s optional, and the space could be used as toy and bicycle stowage. Access to the lazerette and engine compartment is from the cockpit, where seating and sunpads offer relaxation space in the shade.

Sun is in full supply up on the flybridge. Aft, there is space for a tender and crane. Dining and barbecue areas, plus sunpads and guest seating, are forward near the helm, with a commanding view of everything around.

Looked at from the outside, the Hardy 65 has sloping wheelhouse windows that create a functional, purposeful look, and the teak decking adds a note of quality. That combination of traditional seagoing elements and modern niceties continues at the main helm station, where the steering wheel is amid the latest helm displays. Secondary displays are in the pelmet above the forward windows, in view of the captain’s chair and companion seating.

The galley is abaft the helm with a dining area opposite. Abaft that is the salon, which has windows low enough to give seated guests a clear outside view. Farther aft are double doors with access to the cockpit. Light-tone American oak paneling and furniture is standard, and other woods can be specified, along with fabrics.

In fact, a number of other options are available. Owners can add another stateroom below, and have an inside stairway to the flybridge (in addition to the one aft). The galley can go down below, too. Some suggestions I’d make for owners who intend to cruise include mooring fairleads with rounded edges to prevent lines from chafing; more handholds in the accommodations areas; and the addition of fiddles in the galley countertops.

Regarding handling, the steering is positive and sharp. For docking, there are hydraulic bow and stern thrusters to assist, even in strong winds. So often, the hydraulics for thrusters rely on a single hydraulic pump, but on this Hardy, there is one pump attached to each gearbox. It’s a thoughtful backup.

Hardy has been in business for more than 40 years and built its reputation on a range of classic small boats, some of them open boats with instantly recognizable, thick-line fenders. Now, Hardy offers a range of trawler-type yachts from 32 feet up to this flagship 65, all with conservative British styling.

For traditionalists who also want modern comforts and components, the builder is worth a look.

HARDY 65 SPECIFICATIONS

LOA: 65ft. 5in.
Beam: 18ft. 
Draft: 5ft. 11in. 
Displacement: 36.6 tons 
Construction: Fiberglass
Engines: (standard) 2 x 800-hp MAN
Engines: (optional) 2 x 1,200-hp MAN
Speed: (max./cruise) 25-30 knots/10-20 knots
Fuel: 1,611 gal. 
Water: 265 gal.
Info: hardymarine.co.uk

Photo Gallery | Have a closer look at the Hardy 65 in the gallery below: