Marex 330 Scandinavia – Single Volvo Penta D6 440 DuoProp

Bluewater features and impressive quality

By Andy Adams

The Marex 330 Scandinavia is an amazing big water family cruiser with a single Volvo Penta D6 DPI – 440 diesel and Aquamatic sterndrive including DuoProp propellers.

Marex is not a brand we were familiar with in Canada but serious boaters in Europe certainly are. This was voted the European Power Boat of the Year in 2022. In fact, the Marex company has been around since 1973 when it was founded by Eyvin Aalrud. The company remains family-owned and is now run by two sons of the founder. They have a team of 355 dedicated and skilled people and thousands of Marex boats have been built over the years.

Exterior features

My first impression was that I had come to the wrong boat. The 330 Scandinavia looks larger and more substantial than its 34-foot length and 11-foot beam. Across the stern is a huge swim platform with a fold-out boarding ladder under a cover and our test boat was adorned with glorious real teak decking throughout. It’s an expensive option but if it were my boat, it would be worth every penny. On both the port and starboard sides are almost 10 inches wide (!), teak side decks with yacht-style recessed bulwarks and unusually high and sturdy oval tubing welded stainless steel rails plus, a thick cabin trunk side rail as well. They want you to be safe moving around this boat even out in the ocean! As we made our way up the three steps on the port side deck, we discovered that the steps hinged open for storage with one being large enough to handle three of the big fenders.

The fenders were one of my first clues to the level of finish we would find onboard the Marex. The fender was protected by a knitted fender sock with an embroidered Marex crest on it. Very elegant!

Wide angle shot shows part of the galley counter, the glass bulkhead door open and the dinette set up for dinner. Note the slide seat for a fifth person at the table.

Heading forward to the bow we found a large anchor locker and electric windlass and we later encountered a footage counter at the helm. The 330 Scandinavia includes four big cleats per side to really secure the boat.

For me, one of the most impressive features was the large inward-opening transom door. If I had small children on board this boat, I would not be concerned for a moment for their safety. Honestly, it concerns me that I’ve seen many boats over the past few years equipped with a little transom gate and a very open stern. This boat is intended to survive taking a big wave up the stern and not even having any water come onboard. It is one of the many bluewater features we were very impressed with.

The forward cabin really benefits from the large hull side windows and overhead hatch.

What caught my eye as soon as I saw the Marex 330 Scandinavia was the cabin greenhouse and roof design. It runs from the curved glass windshield aft to overhang the cockpit and there are two sunroof sections that slide open. The centre section looks like a handsome dark accent panel but in fact, it’s a big solar panel.

People want to avoid handling canvas these days, but Marex solved that. The side panels slide away into the cabin sides. Nothing to handle or fold into a locker!

The cockpit

Wraparound seating with high-tech suede-feeling upholstery that looks like your couch at home makes an elegant place for dining or cocktails and with the transom door closed, you feel very secure. With everything open and the sliding glass bulkhead visually opening up the cockpit to the salon, the layout is spacious and welcoming.

A beautiful fold-out cockpit table with a hi-lo mechanism can be a dining table for five or six people or a coffee table height. There is storage under the seat bases and the engine hatch is here.

The galley

Located to starboard at the cabin entrance, you can easily serve food or drinks from the galley out to the cockpit, or to the convertible dinette in the cabin on the port side. The ceramic countertop has a filler section that reveals a Dometic two-burner cooktop and another section for the sink. The Vitrifrigo refrigerator is under the helm seat and the test boat had an ENO oven! Make a roast for Sunday dinner aboard the boat! Love it. Also love the six soft-close drawers and lockers in the galley and the side glass that means you are cooking in daylight.

Salon and dinette

The convertible dinette could fold down to sleep two, or to seat four for dinner. Plus, there is a clever slide-out seat so a fifth person could sit in the companionway. The dinette seating also includes a flip-backrest, so that seat becomes a double-wide forward-facing companion seat. Making a passage, especially in inclement weather, up to five adults could ride facing forward, enjoying the view out the big windows.

The helm

Located on the starboard side and featuring a sliding side door, the helm is comfortable and functional. The adjustable seat has the same suede texture upholstery that looks so nice, and the captain enjoys a two-level footrest. The layout accommodates standing operation as well. The steering wheel tilts and the Volvo Penta control box is a nice shape to brace your hand on while you make small throttle adjustments, even in rough water. The boat included an automatic Zipwake interceptor system instead of trim tabs and this seemed to work very well. A lot of the controls are handled through a pair of Garmin screens and we love that Marex has included the redundancy of analog engine instruments. A big Fusion stereo is included and overall, this is a very complete yacht right down to ventilation to demist the windshield.

Accommodations below – the Head

The head is located to starboard with a big mirror over the sink, towel holders and two cupboards under the sink as well as two drawers and bins by the toilet. It has 6-foot plus headroom and a wonderful private circular shower stall with a sliding door that latches open. The fixtures were very nice and there were even two glasses in holders, an opening porthole in the side window glazing plus, vents for forced air.

We have to mention the companionway which has an underfloor locker by both the main cabin and the mid-cabin providing two huge lockers for boots and other bulky items.

The mid-cabin has a nice seat by the door, a full-length mirror and translucent overhead and door panels for lots of daylight. There’s a shelf, a hanging locker, queen-size berth and plenty of room for clothes and personal items.

The mid cabin view from the pillow. Note the opening port hole in the glazing, generous window areas and the seat by the door.

Main cabin

The main cabin includes a shaped queen-size mattress and impressive port and starboard hull-side glazing making the area very bright and open feeling. You have sitting height over the berth and an escape hatch plus port and starboard port holes for ventilation. Two big drawers and a hanging locker as well as side shelves, make it easy for everyone to organize their things.

Performance

The Marex 330 Scandinavia feels big and solid but the single Volvo Penta D6 440 DuoProp sterndrive with 440 horsepower provides a mighty “shove” when planning off a load. Remember that you have two counter-rotating propellors on the DuoProp drive and you can trim for best efficiency(,) plus, the automatically adjusting Zipwake interceptor system is responsive and seamless.

A cruising speed of 27 or 28 mph was the most economical speed, but the boat seemed to like 30 mph where it still had a modest 15 gallons per hour fuel burn. If you are in a hurry, pin the throttle, trim up the drive and you will hit 40 mph at 3,830 rpm. That’s flying along yet still comfortable. Handling around the docks was much like handling a cottage runabout plus, the bow thruster makes docking even easier.

Overall, the Marex 330 Scandinavia impressed us with excellent design, versatility and most of all, an apparent level of quality that made me feel this was a boat you could plan to keep forever.

SPECIFICATIONS

Engine: Volvo Penta D6 DPI – 440 with Aquamatic Sterndrive including DuoProps, power steering, 440 hp inline 6-cylinder diesel, 5.5 L displacement, dual overhead cams.

PERFORMANCE

RPM MPH

600 4.1

1,000 6.3

1,500 9.0

2,000 11.6

2,500 18.5

3,000 27.0

3,500 35.5

MAX 3,830 40.0

Time to Plane: 12.6 seconds

Length OA 10.5 m / 34’5”