Pardo Yachts 43 (2019-)

Brief Summary

The Pardo Yachts 43 is a walkaround designed for a special someone who wants Italian style and innovation in a striking and functional day boat. She has large entertaining and sunning places on deck with stunning accommodations belowdecks. She is powered by twin Volvo Penta 435-hp IPS pod drives.

Test Results

Specifications

Length Overall	45' 11'' / 14 m
Beam	13' 9'' 4.19 m
Dry Weight	21,780 lbs. 9,879 kg
Tested Weight	23,426 lbs. 10,626 kg
Draft	3' 4'' 1.02 m
Deadrise/Transom	N/A
Max Headroom	N/A
Bridge Clearance	N/A
Fuel Capacity	312 gal. 1,181 L
Water Capacity	78 gal. 295 L
Total Weight	23,426 lbs. 10,626 kg

Acceleration Times & Conditions

Time to Plane	6.4 sec.
0 to 30	7.5 sec. (0to20)
Ratio	N/A
Props	N/A
Load	2 persons, 2/5 fuel, 3/4 water, 50 lbs. of gear
Climate	88 deg., 81 humid; wind: 8-12 mph; seas: calm

Engine Options

Tested Engine	2 x 435-hp Volvo Penta IPS600
Std. Power	2 x 370-hp Volvo Penta IPS500
Opt. Power	2 x 435-hp Volvo Penta IPS600

Contents of Report

• Mission

• Overview

• Major Features

• Features Inspection

• Main Deck

• Swim Platform

• Stern Area and Cockpit

• Dining Area

• Galley Console

• Side Decks

• Foredeck

• Helm Station

• T-Top

• Accommodations

• Guest Cabin

• Engine Room

• Hull Construction

• Performance

• Handling

• Docking

• Standard Features

• Options to Consider

• Price

• Warranty

• Observations

Mission

The Pardo Yachts 43 is intended for people who like to turn heads: The design stands out in the harbor by bringing together numerous elements, including an axe bow, vertical topsides, carbon-fiber T-top, and a steeply raked windshield – and a grand al fresco dining table for all to see. She is a day boat extraordinaire which exudes elegance and sophistication.

Overview

This boat is made for day-boating on tony lakes and seaside locations in Europe and the rest of the world, with an optional, broad swim platform, large forward and aft sun pads, an on-deck dining area with adjacent galley counter, and teak decks. And, if the mood strikes, overnights are possible, since belowdecks there’s a master berth forward, a head with separate shower, and available twin berths beneath the helm deck.

The Pardo Yachts 43 is the middle boat in a planned line of open powerboats that is expected to include a 38’ (11.58 m), as well as the already introduced 50’ (15.24 m) sold under the Pardo Yachts brand. The 43 is a distinctive design from Italian atelier Zuccheri Yacht Design in Bologna, Italy, and is built by Cantiere del Pardo, an Italian builder in Forlì that also builds Grand Soleil and Grand Soleil Custom sailboats.

Major Features

• Striking profile
• Outdoor galley with three refrigerators
• Jackshafts between engines and pods to improve balance and performance
• Head compartment with separate shower
• Broad helm console
• Optional extended hydraulic swim platform

Features Inspection

Main Deck

Swim Platform

The Pardo 43 takes the concept of day-boating very seriously, and, as any watersport enthusiast knows, the swim platform is a key part of the equation. The swim platform on our test boat was the optional hydraulic model ($22,302) measuring 10’11 ½” (3.34 m) wide by 4’4 ½” (1.33 m) long, and has a lifting capacity of 800 lbs. (363 kg).

It can be fitted with chocks to launch a tender or personal watercraft. The standard platform is fixed and is 2’ (0.61 m) long, while still another option is to have a fixed version of the extended platform ($10,030).

Stern Area and Cockpit

To board the Pardo 43 from the swim platform, there’s a 10” (25.4 cm) step up to port and starboard walkways to either side of a large sun pad. The walkways are 2’2” (66.04 cm) wide and are open to the transom, without the usual gates to keep people, and in particular children and pets, from falling off the back of the boat, though Pardo tells us they will be installed on boats sold in the U.S. and were on order for our test boat.

The bulwarks aft are 2’2” (66.04 cm) high, and the covering boards are 9” (22.86 cm) wide. There’s a good handrail along the top of the bulwarks on the inside edge, but it starts a bit far forward to be of help to someone boarding.

The aft sun pad is 7’2” (2.18 m) wide and 6’11” (2.11 m) long. The backrests for the bench seat at the forward end of the sun pad flip and fold over independently, transforming into pillows for the sun pad.

The sun pad raises on electric rams to reveal a cavernous locker that measures 6’6 ½” (1.99 m) wide and 6’7” (2.01 m) long. It’s 11 ½” (29.21 cm) deep and has a clamshell lid that’s 10 ½” (26.67 cm) deep for loads of stowage for water toys and gear. In the sole of this locker is a steel hatch that grants access to the engine room (this is the second access point).

Dining Area

The forward end of the aft sun pad also serves as the aft bench seat for the on-deck dining table. The table has a folding leaf at each end that essentially doubles its size when folded out. The table is 27 ½” (69.85 cm) wide and 43 ¼” (109.9 cm) long when folded. It becomes 86 ¾” (220.3 cm) when unfolded, serving the 86” (218.4 cm) wide settee.

The table is mounted on pedestals that have a gas-assist feature to make them easy to raise and lower. Our test boat didn’t spec the optional electric hi-lo table with filler cushions ($4,661).

The design of these flipping backrests is a key factor to the versatility of this boat since each backrest on the bench seats served by the dining table is independent on its own stainless steel flipping bracket. This means two people can stretch out on the sun pad while someone sits next to them at the table. It’s a good design for days when everyone has their own agenda on board.

The backrests on the forward settee served by the dining table have the same flipping backrests, so the forward bench can transform into forward-facing seating. The pedestals under this bench each had available Isotherm refrigerator drawers ($3,776), which make good use of onboard space.

The center section of this cockpit bench seat has a hinged section that flips up to allow the hatch to the engine room to open.

Galley Console

The only galley on the boat is located abaft the helm seats. It has a 40 ½” (102.9 cm) wide by 21 ¼” (53.97 cm) fore-and-aft tempered-glass cover over the sink and two-burner induction cooktop. When the glass countertop is closed it becomes an ideal place to serve beverages and food when entertaining.

The galley console on our test boat had a locker to port with drawers for stowing kitchen tools, linens, and serving trays. The second locker is hinged at the bottom and fold out to offer access to a trash receptacle.

A Note on the Galley Console

Pardo tells us they will work with owners to customize the galley console to suit their needs, whether it’s to add a grill or another cooktop, or just a large tub to fill with ice to chill champagne, or to add more refrigeration or freezers.

Side Decks

The side decks take up a substantial amount of deck space on the Pardo 43, and it’s a good design because they allow unobstructed fore-and-aft movement to everyone on board. This lets family and friends move about freely or stay put without getting in each other’s way. Bulwarks to both port and starboard have stainless grab rails 13’5” (4.09 m) long, to make it safer to get around.

Dedicated stowage for optional, pad-style fenders behind stainless rails in each of the bulwarks is another well-executed idea. Packaged with a set of mooring lines, these fenders ($2,183) are less obtrusive and much easier to stow than cylindrical designs.

The side decks on either side of the helm console are 14 ¾” (37.46 cm), where the bulwarks are 30 ½” (77.47 cm) above the deck.

A teak boarding step on a fold-up steel frame is located to either side of the helm area amidships for stepping on and off the boat. The step measures 15 ¾” (40 cm) by 11” (27.94 cm) wide.

Foredeck

The foredeck is another social area that combines a sun pad and an aft-facing seat at the bow. Numerous stereo speakers served this area on our test boat.

The large sun pad atop the trunk cabin that measures 6’10 ½” (2.10 m) long and is 6’4” (1.93 m) wide at the head and 4’4” (1.32 m) wide at the foot. The hatch in the overhead above the forward berth is located at the foot of the sun pad and a removable section allows it to be uncovered.

A bow seat faces aft, completing the forward social area. The seat has a trapezoidal shape that measures 4’6” (1.37 m) wide with a 2’10” (0.86 m) wide backrest. The seat would benefit from grab handles per ABYC standards, but it would be a good spot to catch fresh breezes at anchor.

The ground tackle is managed in a locker beneath the bow seat, which flips up on gas-assist struts to grant access to the Quick electric windlass, telescoping pulpit, trefoil anchor, wired remote control, and rode locker. The locker measures 4’10” (1.44 m) long, 3’9” (1.14 m) wide, and 4’6” (1.37 m) deep, so there’s plenty of room for the rode.

The concealed, automated anchor pulpit that was an option on our test boat ($11,446) worked very well with the axe bow design and includes a 33 lb. (15 kg) trefoil anchor, 164’ (50 m) of chain, and a video camera positioned to show the anchor on the helm multifunction display for remote operation.

Helm Station

The command center on the Pardo 43 has a centerline wheel position on a shiny black composite dashboard. The leather-wrapped wheel is on a tilt base and the Volvo Penta throttle-and-shift binnacle and joystick are located to starboard.

A compass atop the helm console was aligned with the wheel, and a leather-covered brow to shade the dashboard. Our test boat had a pair of optional Raymarine Axiom Pro 16” (40.64 cm) multifunction displays on an angled surface. The dedicated Volvo Penta engine-monitoring display is positioned to starboard of the MFDs. There’s more helm real estate to starboard for additional electronics.

The helm dashboard had a flat surface beneath the displays with a couple of trays to hold odds and ends, such as a smartphone. A raised section between the trays held the Raymarine autopilot control. To starboard of the trays were the Fusion stereo control head and the Quick windlass control head with chain counter.

All the devices on this level were handy but a slight angle would make the displays easier to read at a glance or from the seated position – especially the autopilot.

The next panel down had switches for the electrical systems, as well as a grab handle for the starboard companion position and a couple of beverage holders. The wired microphone for the Raymarine VHF as well as its loudspeaker were located beneath the wheel on an angled surface.

A raked, curved acrylic windshield has a steel frame covered in canvas with a zipper to secure an optional enclosure. The windshield was a good height to protect us from the direct wind when running, but still let plenty of ventilation onto the helm. We noticed the curving corners of the windshield introduced distortion to the view, but it was easy to look past the windshield, if needed.

The three helm seats had fixed sides to help hold the helmsman and companions in comfort. The seats each had two-tone, double-stitched upholstery, custom embroidery, and seats that flip-up to serve as bolsters for leaning. Optional tropical air-conditioning keeps the helm area cool.

T-Top

The distinctive carbon-fiber T-top adds to the profile of the Pardo 43 and provides shelter for the helm area and galley console from both sun and rain. It has two large, tinted skylights. The forward one over the helm measures 5’8 ½” (1.74 m) by 3’9” (1.14 m) while the aft skylight over the galley measures 5’8 ½” (1.74 m) by 1’3” (0.38 m).

The T-top is 7’½” (2.15 m) above the helm, and has angled stainless steel stanchions forward that have minimal impact on lines of sight. The T-top on our test boat had the optional electric Bimini ($12,862) aft that extended at the push of a button to shade the dining area, and also was equipped with the optional LEDs ($814). An optional color for the T-top can also be spec’d ($5,782).

Accommodations

The companionway is located on the port end of the helm console, where an acrylic and stainless steel pocket door slides inboard. The horizontal top of the door measures 28” (71.12 cm) while the vertical front of the door is 30 ½” (77.47 cm). It opens to be 18 ¾” (47.62 cm) wide.

Entering the interior, it’s a 13” step down to the top step of the companionway stairs. The stairs have 9” (22.86 cm) by 19 ½” (49.53 cm) treads and 8 ¾” (22.22 cm) risers, with a teak finish. It’s a 9” (22.86 cm) step to the sole of the salon.

The interior is finished in a combination of wood and molded composite, which feels updated and user-friendly. The oak-finish veneer on the joinery of our test boat is light-colored and bright and makes the space warm and welcoming, yet not overdone.

The clean design has a modern European feel. Consider, too, this is the first boat of this size we have tested in quite some time that doesn’t have hullside windows. No matter, there are portlights that open along the trunk cabin sides, as well as on the forward side of the helm seat base.

At the base of the companionway stairs, the overhead is 6’5” (1.96 m) and the door to the head compartment is to starboard. The electrical breaker panels are behind tinted glass covers in the bulkhead to port of the companionway, as well as a display for the genset controls.

A credenza is built-in along the port side, with drawers for stowage. There’s a sliding-door locker adjacent to the stairs, so no stowage space is wasted.

The sole has four lockers with lift-off lids that allow access to ship’s systems and plumbing, including the pumps for the shower sump and the water system. One hatch offers access to the top of the fuel tank.

The berth forward measures 79” (200.7 cm) head to foot by 62” (157.5 cm) wide. Headroom at the foot of the berth is 6’ ½” (1.84 cm) and 44 ¾” (113.7 cm) over the berth. To accommodate the curve of the hull shape, there are 6 ½” (16.51 cm) and 7 ½” (19.05 cm) high steps to either side of the berth.

Three opening ports positioned up high ventilate the cabin and add natural light and they measure 22” (55.88 cm) long by 4” (10.16 cm) wide and have three dogs to secure them and tension hinges to keep them open.

A hatch over the berth opens to add light (when the filler cushion is removed from the bow sun pad) and ventilation, thanks to rams that hold it in position. It’s equipped with a screen and a shade that roll into its frame and slide into place.

A flatscreen TV is mounted on the bulkhead that encloses the head compartment. Shelves above and below stow incidental items, such as remote controls. There’s a hatch below the TV that conceals a shallow locker with a flat surface suitable for mounting entertainment system electronics.

Guest Cabin

An available additional guest cabin ($6,490) with stoop-height 4’6” (1.37 cm) headroom is located amidships, abaft the companionway stairs, and has a pair of twin berths. The cabin is open to the main cabin, though there is an optional bulkhead ($3,304).

Berths measure 75” (190.5 cm) head to foot by 33” wide (83.82 cm). The berths have 2’7” (78.74 cm) of headroom over the head and foot of each berth, and 4’ 3 ½” (1.31 m) over a 1’5” (0.43 m) wide section athwartships of the middle of the guest cabin. On the forward bulkhead of this high-overhead section, there are two opening portlights for ventilation and natural light.

Guest berths have shelves with fiddles for stowing incidentals and a shared nightstand with a recessed leather top.

Head Compartment

The head is located to starboard and has 6’6” (1.98 m) of headroom. There’s a solid-surface counter with a vessel-style sink and a mirror mounted to the bulkhead above. The built-in vanity has a fiddled shelf just beneath the counter and a locker beneath that to stow toiletries, as well as a toilet-paper roll holder mounted on the door.

Additional lockers are above the toilet with concealed latches along the top edges of the doors. A separate shower has an acrylic door and 6’2-¾” (1.90 m) of headroom, and a rain shower fixture in the overhead as well as a Euro-style wand shower.

Engine Room

The engine room has two access points. The primary entry point is through a deck hatch at the galley console. The hatch is positioned so the aft third of it is beneath the forward dining settee, but there’s a fold-up section on that seat to make it easy to open.

Once it is open, there’s a diamond-plate step that is 10 ¼” (26.03 cm) by 16” (40.64 cm) and it simplifies entry with a 1’6” (0.46 m) down step, then a 1’11” (0.58 m) step down from that.

The engine room fits all of the equipment, with a good layout to access the gear. Insulated with foil-covered foam on the overhead and sides, the engine room has 4’ (1.22 m) of headroom and the Volvo Penta IPS600s are placed 1’7 ¼” (0.49 m) apart. There’s access on the forward end of the port engine with 1’3 ½” (0.39 m) of space forward, while starboard has 3’10 ½” (1.18 m) of space forward.

There’s 1’4” (0.41 m) of working room above the forward part of mains, and 7” (17.78 cm) above the aft end of each.

There’s 2’8” (0.81 m) of space outboard of the engine and pods, so one can get there as needed by climbing over the jackshaft (when the engines are turned off). This installation uses 2’10” (0.86 m) long jackshafts between the engine and the pod to place the engine weight in the proper location for the best longitudinal center of gravity and balance.

Hull Construction

Pardo uses all vinylester resin in an infusion process to create a monolithic structure from keel to hullsides with a high-density PVC sandwich that provides a solid structure with good thermal-insulation and sound-attenuation properties. For additional strength, the stringers and crossmembers in the hull are made of carbon fiber.

Bottom Design

Below the waterline, her hull has a versatile running surface with a sharp forefoot where the deadrise is more than 50-degrees. The bottom then flattens out to 16-degrees at the transom, a design that works with the boat’s Volvo Penta IPS propulsion.

Performance

The Pardo 43 has a LOA of 45’11” (14 m) and a beam of 13’9” (4.19 m). With an empty weight of 21,780 lbs. (9,879 kg), 40% fuel, and two people onboard, we had an estimated test weight of 23,426 lbs. (10,626 kg).

With the twin 435-hp Volvo Penta IPS600s powering our test boat, we reached a top speed of 35.7 knots (66.1 kmph) at 3630 rpm. Best economic cruise came in at 2200 rpm and 17.6 knots (32.6 kmph). It was at that speed that the 14.0 gph (53.0 lph) fuel burn translated into 1.3 nmpg (0.61 kmpl) and a range of 358.8 nm (664).

Handling

The Pardo 43 handles like a yacht, thanks to her Volvo Penta IPS propulsion. The pods are programmed to turn at different angles and use their forward-facing contrarotating props to optimize the throttle and wheel commands. While some people find IPS-powered boats are too slow to turn, owners should know a technician can tune the system to any boater’s liking.

Her axe bow, while aesthetically pleasing, is really a non-factor at speed since it’s out of the water, but the spray rail, chine and strakes on her running surface kept the interior dry.

Docking

Around the dock, dynamic positioning allows a single-handed boater to hold station while getting the boat set up with docklines and fenders before heading into the dock. Then, the boat can be easily nudged into the slip with the joystick. And with high bulwarks and open deck space from stem to stern, we were able to tie her up easily.

Standard Features

• Exterior teak with black caulking
• Black carbon-fiber T-top
• Black waterline
• Exterior silvertex upholstery
• Twin Volvo Penta IPS500s with joystick and interceptor
• Head with separate shower

Options to Consider

Our test boat was fitted with several equipment options, including:

• Upgraded 435-hp Volvo Penta IPS600s ($38,822) from IPS500s, with Racor fuel-water separators
• Upgraded 8-kW Fischer Panda 10000i generator ($21,004) from the 4-kilowatt Fischer Panda 5000i
• Quick gyro stabilizer ($29,382)
• Reverse-cycle tropical air-conditioning ($15,222)
• Volvo Penta interceptor-style trim tabs with auto trim ($9,381)
• Electric Bimini sunshade ($12,862)
• Extended swim platform with hydraulic lift ($22,302)
• Volvo Penta IPS dynamic positioning system ($21,830)
• Isotherm icemaker ($2,714)
• 2 Isotherm refrigerator drawers ($3,776)
• T-top LED lights ($814.20)
• Extra USB 2.0 ports by berth ($460.20)
• Underwater LED lights ($3,174)

Depending on how boaters will use the Pardo 43, the builder offers the following options:

• Electric barbecue ($1,475)
• Coffee machine ($578.20)
• Hydraulic passerelle ($18,762)
• T-top color choice ($5,782)
• Leather interior upholstery ($3,363)
• Lacquered interior furniture ($22,302)
• Interior carpet ($1,416)
• Aft awning with removable poles (in lieu of the electric Bimini, $3,776)

Price

$553,420 base price.

Warranty

Two years bow to stern, five years hull and structural. The engine and drive train warranty is carried by Volvo Penta.

Observations

Boaters looking for a Southern European day-boating experience might be enticed to give the Pardo 43 a closer inspection. She definitely conjures up images of the rich and famous at play in places like St. Tropez, Portofino, and Lake Como. It is not hard to imagine Italian yachtsmen, such as the late Gianni Agnelli, at the helm of this boat.

Her broad beam aft and her 16-degree deadrise should make her relatively stable at anchor, but one never knows when an onshore wind or passing traffic might roil the waters a bit – thus the Quick gyro stabilizer. This stabilizer was undoubtedly fitting not only because it is Italian, but also because it gets up to speed quickly for stabilization.