Quarken 27 Cabin first look: All-weather SUV enters the fray

Words by Alex Smith, May 26th, Motorboat & Yachting

The high-performance SUV market is an exciting place to be at the moment...

We’ve seen some extraordinary boats in the last couple of years from Nordic brands like Axopar, XO and Saxdor. And having burst onto the scene in 2021 with its 27 Open and 27 T-Top models, Finnish builder, Quarken, looks well set to get in on the act with its new Quarken 27 Cabin.

Conceived as a recreational all-rounder, it uses the same twin-stepped hull and elegantly raked hull windows as the two existing Quarken 27 models, but it adds a useful extra dose of flexibility thanks to its clever pilothouse design.

To help preserve easy onboard movement without compromising internal space, the wheelhouse is offset to starboard, freeing up a proper port walkway that runs all the way from the aft swim platforms to the squared-off forepeak.

Inside the pilothouse itself, floor-to-ceiling glass and wraparound windows provide impressive 360-degree views. And the use of a portside door and sliding glass roof hatch means lots of fresh air, as well as natural light.

For extra integration with the external decks, the three-part aft door can be secured to port, creating an easy route aft, past the folding edge of the pilothouse bench. Or it can be fixed to starboard instead, enabling you to flip the bench’s backrest and face out across the aft deck for a sociable outdoor lunch.

Up at the bow seats, the elevated moldings mean that, instead of having to conceal a double bed and toilet compartment beneath a svelte foredeck, the Quarken 27 Cabin is able to provide some welcome extra light and headroom for long weekends away.

And yet in spite of all this extra utility, performance remains broadly similar to that of the Open and T-Top models…

With Yamaha’s V6 300hp outboard on the transom, you can expect a top end of 43 knots, alongside cruising efficiency in the region of 1.6 litres per nautical mile.

In tandem with its intelligent deck layout and leisure-friendly pilothouse, that ought to make the new Quarken 27 Cabin a genuine contender, even in this dynamic new sector of the market.

Quarken 27 Cabin specifications

LOA: 8.35 m / 27’5”
Beam: 2.59 m / 8’6”
Draft: 0.85 m / 2’9”
Displacement (ex. engine): 2,700 kg / 5,953 lb
Fuel capacity: 300 litres / 79.25 US gal.
Engine: Single Yamaha F300 V6 outboard
Top speed: 43 knots
Cruising range: 150 nautical miles
CE category: C
Starting price: £101,238 (ex. VAT)