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Jeanneau DB/37 OB premiers in the US

Just a year after her larger sibling made a splash, the new Jeanneau DB/37 OB was introduced at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show this October. The previous DB/43 was such a hit that the French builder developed a smaller model which doesn’t require as big of a slip or as fat a wallet. The “DB” stands for “day boat” but this Michael Peters and Camillo Garroni collaboration is so much more. With her versatile deck and comfortable interior, she’s like an open express boat but with a cruiser’s heart.

The inside scoop

I joined a group aboard the DB/37 OB at the show. I assumed they were fellow journalists but it turned out I was an interloper in a dealer training session designed to teach their sales personnel how to walk a client through this new boat. They let me stay and I learned a lot.

The overall design leans into the Nordic aesthetic with a plumb bow, contoured hull sides and a low hardtop that swoops back from the one-piece windshield. It’s a good-looking profile and one which is gaining popularity in the US, especially when powered by outboards.

You board by stepping onto the swim platform by the engines. Immediately, you’re met by the main social area that includes twin facing benches flanking an athwartships hi/lo table. It’s a bit of an origami installation because you can move the bench seatbacks forward or aft creating different seating configurations, and you can also lower the table and make the whole thing into a giant sunbed with a filler cushion.

Back here, the Jeanneau DB/37 OB has a trick up her sleeve – in fact, two tricks. The hull bulwarks on the quarters of both sides drop down to form twin terraces, each with stanchions and added rope rails. These expanding decks lower electrically and increase the usable space aboard with a 16-foot beam when open. They’re also terrific places to put on snorkel gear, play with the kids, jump into the water without coming near the engines, or just lounge and soak up the sun. Many boats in this class offer one terrace but the DB/37 OB serves up two.

Amidships is the outdoor galley with a grill on one side, a cooktop on the other, and a sink in the middle. Popup lights and cupholders are outboard on both sides. The work surface is Corian and below the counter you’ll find storage space and a refrigerator. The chef is in the center of the social hub to serve diners at the table with just one or two steps. The galley is tucked under the full-beam hardtop and the settee is protected with an extending electric sunshade.

Just ahead is a line of triple bucket seats, the middle of which is for the helm on the centerline. Twin Garmin screens meet the driver, displaying all onboard information from navigation to boat systems via the digital switching platform. To the right of the wheel are the throttles and joystick. When alone, the driver can quickly walk to either side and tie up a spring line onto the well-placed midship cleats.

The glass windshield has two wipers and is held up by relatively thin mullions so there aren’t large blind spots. The hardtop can hold side curtains so for climates that are either too hot or cold, you can enclose the helm and galley with isinglass and extend your boating season.

The DB/37 OB is symmetrical so the side decks that lead to the bow are identical. The walkways are deep and offer secure stainless handrails all the way forward. At the bow, there’s another enormous sun pad with integral cupholders, an opening anchor locker and a bow roller.

To my eye, a short, integrated composite bowsprit would be a more aesthetically pleasing way to carry the anchor since the stainless roller sticks out in an odd way and takes away from this boat’s overall sleekness.

Comfort inside the Jeanneau DB/37 OB

Two cabins and a fully enclosed head welcome you below. The master is forward with a centerline island bed, good headroom, lots of stowage options, and plenty of light from the hull windows, the overhead hatch, and indirect lighting. The second cabin aft has twin berths that can be made into one bed with a filler cushion in between. This full-beam cabin could serve as the master stateroom for owners who prefer a king-sized bed and don’t mind lower headroom.

The fully enclosed head has a separate shower stall that can accommodate someone up to 6’ 3” tall. At the foot of the steps, there’s more galley equipment including another fridge and microwave.

The finishes include light wood colors, modern hardware, and fabric-clad bulkheads to help dampen sound. I could spend a week on this “day boat” and not miss any creature comforts.

Propulsion & Options

The Jeanneau DB/37 OB is available with inboard engines and stern drives, but the American market will probably gravitate toward the outboard version which is what I visited at the show. The choice is twin Mercury Verado 400-hp V10s or twin Yamaha 450-hp engines. Joystick control is available as is a supplemental bow thruster. Expect speeds of 28-30 knots so this little cruiser is no slouch.

Additional comfort options include a generator and a Seakeeper gyrostabilizer. The genset can be accessed via the cockpit sole by the galley but the rest of the machinery space is revealed with an electric switch that raises the aft cockpit seating bench and table as one unit. This is where the inboard engines would normally reside but with outboards on the transom, this opens up the boat to additional equipment and plenty of garage stowage space.

Day goes into night

The DB/37 OB is billed as a day boat and it’s certainly a handsome entertainer. That said, there’s no reason you couldn’t coastal cruise on this model for a week or more. In fact, it would also make a viable Great Loop traveler. At just under seven figures fully equipped, this capable little sister holds her own in the DB line and addresses a segment of cruisers looking for a sub-forty-footer that can do so much more than party by day.

Specs for Jeanneau DB/37 OB

LOA	40′ 0”
Beam	11′ 68”
Draft	3′ 84”
Weight (dry)	14.208 lbs
Fuel	126,84 gallons
Water	66,04 gallons

Zuzana Prochazka

Zuzana Prochazka is a freelance writer and photographer with regular contributions to more than a dozen publications. A USCG 100 Ton Master, Zuzana has cruised, chartered and captained in most parts of the world and she’s the Executive Director of Boating Writers International.