Elling E3
Building commenced June 2005, delivered November 2005. Owned from new by one owner, this Elling E3 Ultimate has a superb specification including leather upholstery in the deck saloon, combi-boiler & radiator heating, airconditioning, Onan 5.5KVA generator, teak decks, passerelle with remote, wonderfully wide sidedecks and double glazing which elminates condensation. Hydraulic radar arch, 7.4hp bow- and stern-thrusters and huge opening sun-roof over deck-saloon. Microwave, full domestic oven, domestic fridge-freezer and halogen cooker with overhead extractor-fan. A washer-dryer completes a well equipped galley, with extensive storage and under-floor wine-rack. A 1.5Kw inverter provides 240V AC with an automatic transfer switch to either shore-power or generator.

With a top speed of 17knots and a very comfortable cruising speed of 13knots, passages may take a little longer but are far more comfortable than on a typical planing boat. Dropping the speed to 9knots gives a fuel-efficient 2.2litres/nautical-mile. Slowing further brings even more efficiencies - so much so that an Elling E4 has crossed the atlantic! (Also see Motorboat and Yachting, April 2009)

Constantly upgraded with extras such as wireless master on/off (so the lights can be turned on as you return from a night out), wash system for the windscreen wipers, external wifi aerial (capable of receiving signals from 2.5nm), AIS receiver with second VHF aerial (cabled to allow use for the main VHF in an emergency), second chart plotter (as backup and able to drive the autopilot and display AIS info). NMEA and AIS data is also fed wirelessly to the onboard computer system to continuously track routes and conditions whilst underway.

Capable of serious sea trips - we have taken her to Brittany (Summer 2009), the West Country (Summer 2008), the Isles of Scilly (Summer 2007), the Channel Islands (many times) and of course, to the Dutch inland waterways

Informative reviews available from Passagemaker Magazine (actual article available on request), Motorboat and Yachting. See the videos page for reviews by boattest.com and Motorboat and Yachting.

Also see my writeup of the build, launch, and delivery trip. Finally, experience being underway on an Elling with a video taken on this boat in the North Sea in December.

Full Specifications

New-style hull with longer water-line length
Tankage: 1500 litres Diesel, 800 litres Fresh Water, 150 litre black waste
Cummins 450C engine (784hrs as of November 2009)
Dual racor filters with water-trap alarm
24v DC throughout (exceptions: FM radio & internal lights - supplied via 4 DC-DC converters for stability & resiliance)
Vetus 95KgF (7.4hp) bow- & stern-thruster with new high-efficiancy props for quieter, more powerful operation
Besenzoni Passerelle with stainless steel ram and 2 infra-red remotes
Kabola B-tap heating & hot-water system, radiators in all cabins
Onan 5.5kw MDKUB generator (170hrs as of November 2009)
Webasto air-conditioning with 1 chiller and 2 air handlers (master cabin & deck saloon)
Simrad CX-44 Chartplotter with 4kw Open Array scanner
Standard Horizon CP300i secondary plotter connected to AIS and Autopilot
Simrad AP25 Autopilot with gyro-compass
Simrad IS15 Instruments - Combi (depth, speed, log), Compass and Wind
Simrad RS82 DSC VHF
ICS Navtex with NMEA feed from Simnet bus
Oceanair blinds in deck-saloon, mosquito-nets for all portholes.
Tecma fresh-water flush toilets with holding tank
Teak laid decks and bathing platform
Solid teak table on aft-deck (with folding leaves)
Mini- and Full-Bimini
Blue & White seat cusions for the aft-deck
Double-glazed deck-saloon with 2 opening windows
KAB suspension helm-seat
Variable-speed twin-arm wipers with intermittent operation
Windscreen wash system from separate tank (so de-icer can be used if necessary)
Sterling Digital Advanced Alternator Regulator and diagnostic unit.
Twin full-sized bunk-beds in 3rd cabin
Ensuite aft-heads in place of storage area
Siemens full-sized oven with grill, Siemens Halogen Hob
Sharp combi-microwave, Zanussi Fridge-Freezer
Floor level red lighting in galley
Whirlpool washer-dryer, Siemens Vacuum cleaner
Philips 23" Widescreen HD Ready LCD TV on popup mount in saloon

The boat has full documentation including all owners and equipment manuals, the original VAT invoice and service history. She is Part 1 registered in the UK and is currently in commission and on berth, in the Solent.
All photos are of the actual boat





These two videos show the fleet of three Elling E4s which crossed the Atlantic from the Canary Islands to the Caribbean. Quite a trek, especially as one of the boats had just 10 hours on the engine when they set off!

In order to save time, the boats were delivered by ship to the Canaries, though the route from Amsterdam to the Canaries has been completed by an E4 under its own power. The boats then set off for Saint Maarten - 2500 nautical miles.





These reviews are of the E4, which differs from the E3 by an additional 1metre of space in the aft cabin.





And finally, underway on my Elling E3. This was taken during our initial delivery trip, along the Belgian Coast during December.