46 Grand Banks Eastbay SX Boat Review

46 Grand Banks Eastbay SX – Mby.com

Source: Jack Haines, Mby.com

The traditionalists at Grand Banks have done it again with the 46 Eastbay SX

For: Build quality, layout options, engine & machinery access, saloon view, attention to detail

Against: No lazarette (deck stowage), no Zeus efficiency gains

You know what to expect with a Grand Banks, in this case the new 46 Eastbay SX, right? A boat which is strong, reliable, beautifully constructed, and graceful in a traditional, time-honoured way. And largely unchanged with the passing of time.

Well, the first part of that sentiment may be true, but certainly not the latter. Hidden beneath its conservative attire lies the biggest change Grand Banks have made to an Eastbay since their introduction in 1993. Out go those old-fashioned shaft drives, in go those newfangled pod drives, in this case the Zeus drives from CMD (Cummins MerCruiser Diesel).

So now Eastbay owners can experience the wonders of joystick manoeuvring, and in theory the lower levels of noise and vibration that pod drives promise. However, it’s the knock-on effect of moving the engines to the stern that creates the most immediately visible and dramatic changes. Here is a 46ft-long boat which, thanks to the extra space in the middle of the boat (vacated by what would have been the shaftdrive engines), can potentially provide up to four cabins and three en-suite heads. A miracle indeed!

However, miracles only occur in works of fiction, and there is a price to pay for this glut of room inside. Plus, CMD’s Zeus pod drives dished up an unexpected surprise of their own.

Boat Specification: 46 Grand Banks Eastbay SX

Length Overall 49ft 11in (15.21m)

Beam 14ft 7in (4.45m)

Displacement 17.2 tonnes light; 18.9 tonnes loaded

Air Draught 11ft 10in (3.61m) ex mast

Fuel Capacity 416 imp gal (1,893 litres)

Range 21.2 knots, 256 miles @ 2,200rpm

Water Capacity 50 imp gal (227 litres)

Cabins 4 (optional)

Engines Twin Cummins QSC8.3-600HO. 600hp @ 3,000rpm, 6-cylinder 8.3-litre diesels Cruising Speed 25.9 knots, 240 miles @ 2,800rpm

Top Speed 32.7 knots

RCD Category B (for 10 people)