Cancelli Akes 25 Walkaround: aluminum, tailor made

A seaworthy hull, a light yet sturdy build, many chances of customization: each Cancelli Akes 25 Walkaround has to be the perfect boat for her owner.

Cancelli Akes 25 Walkaround gains a cabin to the Fisherman version, which we tested already ( read here our full report). But a touch of sportfishing is still there: hard top, rod holders, live well, many lockers. It’s just even more versatile.

The way you want me

Advantages of aluminum, in particular when worked with handcraft care and expertise like at  Cancelli Boatyard, are already known: weight (and power, and fuel) saving, customization, virtual life-long durability. This 25 Walkaround shows how the customer fully appreciates the pros of this material, and will use his new boat for real. On this unit called “The Big Dog” the main target was gaming activity, but there’s a full range of different solutions available, all on the proven hull by Akesdesign.

Thanks to the limited displacement (just 1200 Kg) the Akes 25 can perform well with a single engine developing 200 HP, with lower consumption when compared to a boat the same size, up to one mile per liter at cruising speed. More, a hull which behaves steadily with waves from any direction allows to navigate safe and get back to the harbor even in very bad weather. As for the passive safety, given that is really tough to punch a hole through the aluminum, which is one of the sturdiest materials to scratch, the boat is divided into watertight chambers and hides warm-cut, glued polystyrene. It’s virtually unsinkable. Last but not list, it’s also very easy to tow on a trailer.

Two swim platforms beside the engine give access to the water, with the left one sporting an extension that works as a diving platform. It’s also very easy to move from one to the other, which is rarely seen on outboard boats.

The cockpit is simple, in order to leave customization to the client. So, the bench is rather small to allow the presence of a live well, while the empty space could be used to istall a dinette or a wet bar. Abaft the pilot’s seat, a back-facing bench hides a locker. On the deck, two hatches grant easy access to the pumps, and batteries are just beneath the aft seat.

The driver will pilot in standing position, with a complete dashboard and a protective windshield before him. Just a pity that the Suzuki instrument is mounted horizontally so it’s tough to read, while the GPS is perfectly located.

The hard top on Cancelli Akes 25 Walkaround is completed with many hand rails, which allow to move safely also thanks to the large passageways.  Even the fore solarium features two hand rails, while the anchor winch stays underneath the deck level not to be in the way. A 60-cm-wide companion hatch leads to the cabin, which boasts a large double berth (185x190cm) and could host a separate heads, although not in our case.

Crafting of aluminum is top level, even too much when realizing how some details (read: cupholders) are built with it when another, cheaper material like perspex or wood could return a better look. The yard has already planned to do so. Another small detail that we would change, is the opaque black color, but there’s a full catalogue of shades and wraps to chose from. In the end, what is really good of this Cancelli Akes 25 Walkaround is the “sincerity” of the boat, and so it’s time for us to put on test all this substance.

The test

Lake Iseo in northern Italy is calm, so we won’t have the chance to properly stress the hull. Crossing some random wakes from our wakes, the impact is always soft and the feeling is of extreme sturdiness of the whole construction. I try to turn sharper and sharper, with no worries at all. The engine on test is a  Suzuki DF300 APX with a 3-blade 20” propeller: the choice seem perfect for our situation, so it should probably be tuned when at full load. Progression is excellent: in less than 4 seconds the Akes 25 gets to plane, another 4 and we reach 40 knots. Working with the trim, the top speed reads 44 knots, with a sensation of full control and stability. The performance and consumption sheet return very good values, thanks to the light construction and the efficient hull; the minimum plane is at 2400 rpm and 13 knots, for a need of 15 liters per hour: cost saving navigation, still at a good pace.

Technical features
Length overall 8,55 mt (28ft 1in)
Length hull LH 7,50 mt (24ft 7in)
Beam 2,55 mt (8ft 4in)
Displacement1 200 Kg
Min power 200 HP
Max power 350 HP
Fuel tank 270 lt (71.3 US gal)
Fresh water tank 100 lt (26.4 US gal)
Passengers 8
CE design category B/C

Performance

Test conditions

Calm water, temperature 30° C (86° F), clean hull, fuel 40 lt (10.5 US gal), fresh water 80 lt (21 US gal), passengers 3

Indicative price
Cancelli Akes 25 Walkaround, excluding enginefrom €80.500 euro + VAT