GALEON 325 GTO: entry-level outboard

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GALEON 325 GTO: entry-level outboard

The Galeon shipyard is entering the outboard cabin-cruiser market with this 325 GTO which incorporates all the codes of the Polish brand, namely incredible manufacturing quality, an atypical look and the famous tilting gunwale. All this on a unit of less than 10 meters…

This cabin cruiser of less than 10 meters is the first model of the Galeon brand to be motorized by outboard. It was developed to ensure the junction between the Galia – open and outboard sun-decks up to 28 feet, also built by the Polish shipyard Galeon – and the Galeon range.

Intended for a short-cruise program, it is a direct competitor to the Sea Ray Sundancer 320 Outboard, Bénéteau GT 32 or Bavaria Vida 33 HT. Like these models, it combines the open and friendly deck plan of the day-boat with facilities allowing cruising over a weekend and a fairly sporty line.

The 325 GTO also benefits, like all models from the Polish shipyard, from a high level of finish and a good perceived quality.

A bow-rider type front axle

Everything on board exudes solidity! Remember that the Polish shipyard has the particularity of not subcontracting anything: all of the boats, from the manufacture of the hull to the installation of the engines, including the joinery, stainless steel, upholstery, etc., is carried out directly on the shipyard's production and assembly sites, which thus offers tailor-made and customizable boats.

The deck layout, unique to Galeon, includes a bowrider-style built-in saloon forward, consisting of a U-shaped bench seat, convertible into a dining area after adding a table or into a bath of sun once the table has been lowered and a cushion added.

Thanks to a very square front, this space is spacious and user-friendly. From the cockpit, it is accessed by a single side gangway on the port side which is closed by a three-part door. The Galeon 325 GTO has a full-width hard-top that covers the cockpit as well as a large part of the cockpit.

Unlike those of competing models, the hard-top of the 325 GTO does not open, a voluntary choice on the part of the builder, ventilation being done perfectly and naturally by the sides which are not closed.

These large side openings also make it easier to pass the line for mooring in Mediterranean ports.

This hard-top, like the deck superstructure, is made of carbon, a material that provides good rigidity and weight savings.

The rear sundeck as an option on the Galeon 325 GTO

Rather well equipped as standard, the 325 GTO is nevertheless available with several options including the Sundeck pack which results in a platform covered with a sundeck and which is fixed above the outboard motors.

Although aesthetically this appendage is debatable, it nevertheless has the advantage of offering a solarium that is always in position. Billed for just under €10,000, this sundeck can be raised electrically to allow the outboards to be raised without risking damaging the covers.

The cockpit therefore includes an aft bench seat, leaning against the sunbathing area and framed on each side by a passage leading to the bathing beaches, and another L-shaped bench seat facing aft and installed behind the helm station seats to starboard.

The other side is occupied by an imposing kitchen unit, incorporating a sink and storage as standard and which can optionally accommodate a grill, a plancha, a refrigerator or an ice maker.

The tilting bulwark for more volume

The particularity of the 325 GTO is to have, like the rest of the Galeon range, a tilting bulwark. The Polish shipyard can pride itself on having been one of the forerunners in this field and it has managed to bring this benefit to this unit of less than 10 meters which thus benefits from an enlarged cockpit at anchor.

A real platform on the water, the bulwark, once opened, not only serves as a diving board but considerably increases the volume of the cockpit.

The cockpit is not only magnificent, it is also ergonomic with its electrically adjustable seats, its footrest and its huge dashboard that can accommodate two large 16-inch Raymarine screens, and its numerous storage pockets.

Galeon 325 GTO: Entry Level in outboard

To the left of the helm station, a beautifully crafted sliding door, like the handrails and cleats, opens into the cabin. This one has a nice headroom and includes a saloon forward that can be converted into a berth.

The brightness is impressive due to the many skylights that illuminate this cabin. Opposite the refrigerator, installed in the companionway on the port side, the head compartment is spacious and includes a basin as a washbasin and marine toilets, as well as a shower separated by a curtain.

Finally, by raising the four companionway steps, you access the mid cabin which offers a second double berth.

Up to 2 x 450 hp at maximum power

The 325 GTO can receive up to 2 x 450 hp at maximum power, but it was equipped for our tests, which we carried out with the company CSB, distributor of the Galeon brand and installed in the port of Mandelieu La Napoule, two 300 horsepower Yamahas.

A motorization which seemed to us a little fair from the point of view of performance. The boat takes a long time to plane – a period during
during which medium-sized pilots will have limited visibility due to the pitch-up of the unit – and requires pushing the throttle fully.

Once the boat is in its lines, the pilot can then reduce the throttle a little but not below 4,500 rpm if he wants the boat to stay on plane. Thanks to the regulator – offered as an option with the Yamaha joystick, the virtual anchor and the autopilot – staying at a speed of 22/23 knots is nevertheless quite easy and offers good comfort in navigation.

Especially since the hull passes very well, does not hit and deflects perfectly. Its angle of heel in tight turns is very marked, which can impress the passengers on board. With a little more power, the boat will certainly be a little more expensive but should be more responsive and allow you to sail at lower engine speeds.

Not to mention the fact that it could also gain a few knots in top speed and compete more on this point with the competition.

Conclusion on the Galeon 325 GTO

With its tilting bulwark, its very nice level of finish and its fairly complete standard equipment, the 325 GTO has serious advantages in this new cabin-cruiser market “ hybrid".

It will nevertheless be necessary to equip it with a minimum of 2 x 350 horsepower to take full advantage of its marine qualities and its hull.