Riviera 4700 Series II Enclosed Review

This new Riviera combines luxury, performance and value.

If you’re in the market for a new cruiser this one’s a beauty. The new Riviera 4700 Series II Enclosed maybe a little on the big side for a first boat buyer (maybe not), but any boater looking to upgrade to a bigger vessel should give this totally new 47-footer a closer look.

She features all of Riviera’s latest innovations, such as underwater exhausts with no hull protrusions for quieter running; props in mini tunnels for greater manoeuvrability and better fuel economy and an enclosed flybridge that helps make this big boat seem even bigger. 

And ‘big’ is the optimum word here. This boat has almost as much usable interior room as the new 51 Enclosed ? her beam’s only 1in narrower and her waterline length is 4ft less ? but the price tag is much slimmer. In the value for money stakes the 4700 Series II with a base price of $1,116,237 takes some beating.

The 47 is also a real people mover. Not only can she be stacked to the gunwales with bods when you entertain, but she sleeps eight in the staterooms, 11 if you also use the double day bed and the single bunk on the enclosed flybridge.

The saloon is open plan, there’s a rod locker in the cabin roof, the dinette converts into a double bed and you step down to the U-shaped galley. The enclosed flybridge is the second storey to this ‘house’ ? it’s huge. Except for the skipper and navigator’s chairs, all the seating is forward of the helm, but it’s lower than the skipper’s line of sight and doesn’t impede his/her view. 

Out on the water the 47 Series II quickly adopted the familiar Riviera ‘waltz’ (lope) as she cruised effortlessly over the 1m swells at 24 knots pulling 2000rpm. There was little banging as her almost 23,000kg bulk came off the waves and lateral stability was never a problem. The boat turned sweetly and the steering remained reasonably light. 

Put the hammer down and the twin Cummins 660hp engines wind up quickly, the turbos cut in and she planes in around eight seconds. With a clean bum, she tops out at 30 knots pulling 2350rpm. The heavily flared bow recovers quickly after coming off a wave, throwing all wash and spray down and away from the hull. 

For our money the Riviera 47 Series II Enclosed is exceptional value for money, her finish is impeccable and her standard of fit-out is first class.