A 3-TIME AXOPAR OWNER
Dave O’Connor is a self-proclaimed “fruit loop”, owning three cars in six months, and now, three Axopars in under three years. Despite having his Axopar 28 Cabin on the market, this man with a will for change, states that he has certainly not fallen out of love with Axopar.
Dave owned his 28 T-Top for only six short months before upgrading to a 37 Sun Top, and now owns a 28 Cabin. We think it is safe to say he has a bit of experience with Axopars and would be the perfect person to talk to about the various models, likes, dislikes and the adventures they have taken him on. Dave loved his Axopar 37 Sun Top stating his regret for selling it in the first place. “On a sunny day, the Sun-Top was great, open and not too hot,” said Dave.
However, Dave owned the previous 37 model that did not have the option for a separate toilet, which his family liked about the Axopar 28.
This led to the decision to purchase a new Axopar 28 Cabin. It was love at the first sight of twin 200hp Mercury outboards, an extra 50hp from his first 28 with a single 350hp. “With the twin outboards, the boat jumps on the plane before you can think about it. In the cabin, with the doors slightly ajar you could hold a conversation at any speed, even up to 38 to 40 knots. When at anchor, if you open everything up, there is a good flow for conversation across the boat.”
For Dave, the Axopar is certainly all about speed and performance. As Gold Coast boaties would know, Tipplers is the go-to location. A journey that could take 30 minutes from Runaway Bay for the average boat can be done in just 15 minutes on the Axopar. Dave also often took the Axopar offshore for whale watching at the right time of year. Moreton Island is another “go-to” destination, featuring sunken shipwrecks blessed with an abundance of sea life. The island is a snorkeler’s dream. The ever-popular Tangalooma is 100km from the Gold Coast. Boat owners would usually travel here for overnight stays, but the Axopar can get further, faster (around 2 hours) making it possible to complete the journey there and back in a day. Dave noted that although it was busy on weekends, on weekdays he might only find five or so boats on the bay.
The area is known for hosting some unexpected weather systems, and on previous boats, Dave admits he had been too intimidated to take on the trip, but “the Axopar inspires confidence”. Especially with the comfort of the cabin, even when the weather did turn ugly and guests were on board, everyone felt safe and secure.
On a recent trip aboard his 37 Sun Top, Dave admits to thinking to himself, “Why am I selling this?” He has told us that the new Axopar 37 Cross Cabin may be the perfect fit for him in the future. We have no doubt that we will be hearing from this three-time Axopar owner sometime very soon.
www.eyachts.com.au
Published in print July-September 2021
