Jeanneau NC 895 Sport
The real sport utility vessel
By Andy Adams and John Armstrong
The brand new Jeanneau NC 895 Sport is a boat that will be of real interest to a lot of our readers because it is leading the way in fashion, function and design in a world dominated by sport utility vehicles and a newfound fondness for outdoor activities.
The NC 895 model was introduced a couple of years ago as an express cruiser. Where car makers seem to put some stripes and fat tires onto a regular SUV and then call it a “sport” model, Jeanneau totally re-designed the decks, the cabin and all the accommodations. This is a real sport utility vessel!
The NC 895 Sport brings a new sense of adventure and outdoor activity to a boat that proved to be a strong performer when we first tested it as the NC 895 express cabin version. The new NC 895 Sport that we ran in Florida this summer, was powered by twin Yamaha 250 horsepower engines and the performance was very impressive with a 30-mph cruise at 4,000 RPM and overall great handling.
The glass sunroof is manual and that’s light weight, simple and reliable.
Topside features
The new Sport version cabin and deck layout is logical, functional and accommodating. The Sport carries on many of Jeanneau’s innovative and clever design features from the cabin version. These include floor tracks so the aft bench seat can slide forward, enabling you to tilt both of the F250 Yamaha engines clear of the water. Then, when you are ready to head out, tilt the engines back down into the water and you can slide the seat about a foot and a half back, greatly increasing the cockpit area.
The brilliant designers at Jeanneau gave the NC 895 Sport a very innovative and highly functional bow treatment making this an enjoyable and separate living area.
With the twin outboards, the swim platforms are split port and starboard with the starboard side being equipped with the pull-out boarding ladder and a pair of hand holds as well as stainless steel rails beside the engines.
To make even better use of the cockpit space, the transom, port and starboard seats fold out from the hull sides, and there is a large removable teak table. This creates a wonderful outdoor dining area. You can buy a sunshade that extends out over the cockpit for more protection from the weather.
The new deck design is asymmetrical for greatest versatility, and features recessed decks on the starboard side and substantial welded stainless-steel rail all around. An important living area is the bow, that offers quite a substantial seating and recreation area. Clever design features include an offset anchor chute and Lewmar electric windless with remote control for easy anchoring. There’s a very large anchor locker with plenty of room for chain and rode. The bow rail is split so that you could step off forward when beached, or for swimming.
The NC 895 Sport has a great c-shaped bow seat with a forward-facing bench wrapping around up the port side and with padding on the bow rail as a back rest. This makes the bow a really complete living area, not just a place you visit when docking.
Another neat feature is that the area just ahead of the windshield has been finished with a large glass panel to bring light into the cabin below, there’s also an opening porthole on the bulkhead and to my surprise, when we lifted the centre section of the bow seat expecting a storage area, we found an open access to the cabin below; smart and safe!
On the port side is a large storage space and there are four different drink holders for everybody’s convenience. Jeanneau sees real value in the bow area and they have a come up with a brilliant design.
Another unexpected and excellent feature is the hull side door. This is handy for boarding or can be used as a dive door.
More sport – fishing
The NC 895 Sport is well equipped for fishing duties with a total of seven rod holders on the transom and two more on the side gunwales. As we mentioned earlier, all three of the cockpit seats fold out for use and fold away to keep the cockpit floor clear for fishing action.
Also doing double duty, the seat backs serve as padded coaming surfaces that you can lean against while working a fish. There are two wells over the transom where you could store such things as lures, bait and so on and there are four drink holders there too.
With standing heights at the entrance for dressing and a generous berth, the mid-cabin makes great use of the space.
Cabin and roof
Continuing the innovative design and features, the new cabin is both practical and “salty looking”. The reversed windshield with a brow will shelter the glass from rain and sun, while a pair of articulated wipers will clear the large curved section of glass when you’re running into your own spray during heavy weather. The cabin glass wraps right around 360° for excellent outward vision – perfect for exploring. Of course, curtains are included in the cabin.
Jeanneau has made the most of the cabin roof and our test boat had a substantial roof rack where you could carry stand up paddle boards, kayaks and other recreational equipment. There was also a mount for the radar, a search light and roof-mounted LED lights for night use.
Almost 360 degrees of window makes the cabin bright and enjoyable and navigation easier as well.
Then, on the starboard side where the helm is located, there is a large sliding side door for the captain. This is a great feature! It brings in lots of fresh air when running so you don’t have to use the air-conditioning system if you don’t want to, and you can open the sliding glass door to the cockpit, open the sunroof and open the sliding side glass on the port side to really help with flow-through ventilation.
Other than the obvious comfort considerations, there’s another reason these features are important. In the cabin, at the companion seat, the top of the dashboard lifts up to reveal a galley unit. An Eno single burner alcohol stove and a sink with running water are under the dashboard. This stays open on gas struts. Then there is a wooden cover over the companion way that can double as a food preparation surface. This combines the features of the galley with the cabin. A Dometic refrigerator is located under the helm seat and there is a cutlery drawer as well as lockers for dishes and other items behind the helm seat. Underneath the seat for the convertible dinette on the port side is where the air-conditioning system is located if you choose that option. Otherwise you can use that space as storage.
The head is compact but complete with MSD, sink, shower with a fold down seat and an opening porthole.
The convertible dinette feeds a small group and makes down into a berth suitable for one or two. Then, the seat back folds back to create a double companion seat so passengers can face forward when running.
Before we leave the galley features, our test boat had a rod holder-mounted BBQ in the cockpit area and it’s a great solution to many cooking tasks.
Cabin areas
Stepping down into the forward cabin you find full standing height as you enter, doors that can be closed for privacy and in addition to the glass area as described in the bow section, there are large hull-side glass areas as well so it’s bright and inviting. The cabin also has storage under the berth and a hanging locker on the port side.
Taking advantage of the NC 895’s deep hull design, you get quite a substantial mid-cabin with storage in the sides and a generous double size sleeping area, kept fresh by an opening porthole and with reasonable sitting height as well. So, with two sleeping in the forward cabin, two in the mid-cabin and one more in the convertible dinette, we have an explorer that sleeps four or five.
Keeping everyone comfortable, the NC 895 Sport also enjoys a fully enclosed wet head with a grated seat over the MSD. The head includes a sink, opening porthole and a mirror although it’s not located over the sink. It’s a small but functional head compartment. The test boat was also equipped with air conditioning for the cabin areas. Always appreciated on those hot summer days!
With the dinette folded down into a berth, there is more seating or relaxing room in the cabin.
Performance
The helm features a tilt wheel and binnacle mounted controls for the twin Yamaha F250 engines. There’s a nice place to brace your hand when adjusting your speed and the test boat had an automatic Zipwake system. This trims the boat automatically as you accelerate and also as you are running to adjust for optimum running angles and to adjust for heel in a sidewind for example.
The forward cabin gets lots of natural light from the overhead and hull side glazing.
The twin Yamahas hit 20 mph in under 5 seconds and the most economical speed is 26.4 mph at 3,500 rpm. There’s plenty left after that too! Top speed at 6,100 rpm 47.6 mph so you can get to the fishing grounds or your dive site quickly. The boat can also tow a tube or handle other wake sport activities. Docking is relatively easy too. This is a nice boat to handle. At cruising speeds, the steering is light and accurate. The ride is comfortable and the NC 895 Sport really delivers on the sport description. You can crank it hard over and the boat just comes around smartly.
For couples and active young families, the Jeanneau NC 895 Sport can really deliver on the sort of lifestyle dreams you probably have!
SPECIFICATIONS
ENGNES: Twin Yamaha F250, 250 horsepower, 4,169 cc / 254.4 ci V6 DOHC design with 24 valves and multi-point fuel injection. Stainless-steel props.
RPM MPH
1,000 5.6
1,500 7.6
2,000 8.6
2,500 9.5
3,000 10.2
3,500 26.4
4,000 31.2
4,500 33.5
5,000 39.5
5,500 43.4
6,100 47.6
Length OA: 8,56 m / 28’1’’
Beam: 9’9’’
Weight (without engines): 3,300 kg / 7,275 lbs
Fuel capacity: 2 x 300 L / 2 x 79 US gal
Water capacity: 100 L / 26 US gal
Price:
Boat and price supplied by: Jeanneau America, jeanneau.com
