Jeanneau has announced EX, a new line of powerboats built around a simple idea: a boat you understand as soon as you step aboard, ready to go out in any season. The first two models are the EX 34 Hard Top and the EX 34 Cabin, both 34-foot day boats with two cabins.
The thinking behind the line is about stripping things back. Jeanneau says the technology on board is kept discreet, with nothing unnecessary standing between the crew and the time on the water. It's pitched equally at people who have been boating for decades and at those just starting out, which is a fair aim for a boat that's meant to be easy to live with.
The two versions share one platform but take different approaches to the weather. The Hard Top is the more open of the pair, with a hard top overhead and a soft enclosure, so you get shade and some protection while staying close to the sea around you. Jeanneau describes it as the most open expression of the EX concept.
The Cabin wraps the same layout in a fully enclosed, sheltered space. That makes it the one to look at if you want to keep using the boat well beyond the summer months, with comfort taking priority but, as Jeanneau puts it, always with a connection to the outside.
Both boats are laid out across five areas: the aft swim platforms, the aft cockpit, a central saloon, the helm station and a lounge at the bow. The idea is that the boat adapts to however the day unfolds. You might run along the coast, stop for a swim, drop anchor somewhere quiet, take a couple out for the afternoon or load up kit for water sports, and the deck plan is meant to handle each of those without fuss.
For owners, having the two cabins on a 34-foot day boat is worth noting, as it gives you the option of staying aboard rather than simply heading home at the end of the day. And the choice between open and enclosed versions on the same hull means you can pick according to how and when you expect to use her, rather than compromising on layout.
Jeanneau, founded by Henri Jeanneau at Les Herbiers in the Vendée and now part of Groupe Beneteau, has long built both sailing yachts and motor boats, and EX adds a new strand to its powerboat range.
If you'd like to talk through the EX 34 Hard Top or the EX 34 Cabin, and which might suit the way you use the water, the team at Largs and Troon will be glad to help.
