Boat Test: 2026 Navan T30

Overview

Navan’s T30 injects excitement and innovation into the adventure boat segment. Powered by twin 225 hp Mercury outboards, and running on the patented T-Step Hull, the boat topped 50 mph with five people aboard, and delivered a lickety-split 6 seconds to 30 mph during our acceleration trials. With a single-level sole, we found it an easy boat to move around aboard and it boasts a deeper cockpit than other boats in this category. We noted thoughtful design throughout, such as the storage and entertainment center integral with the second row of helm seating. Also, we found service access wide open aboard this new Navan—always a sign of a boat designed by boaters.

There’s more to like about the Navan T30. There are also a few things that didn’t please us. Want the whole story? Read on.

My first-ever run of a Navan T-Step Hull was a jaunt from Cannes to St. Tropez in France. I crossed a notoriously choppy stretch of water where the Med entrances mariners with its purple-blue color and disheartens them with its bone-jarring gauntlet of square waves. During the trip, speeds in the mid-20s were maintained and the crew remained smiling. The Navan’s higher-than-most-similar-boats’ freeboard, akin to that of an offshore center-console, combined with its spray-dampening hard chines, helps keep the boat dry.

During my official test day, which took place on a glassy Lake Lanier, I was able to cut loose with the T30. It jumps onto plane—the T-Step Hull rising evenly without excessive bow rise. Burying the throttles, it delivered a satisfying response, the kind which is absolutely fun, but also absolutely handy, especially in following seas. I turned the boat with the wheel locked-over at speeds up to 35 mph and the T-30 tracked around without fuss. Excessive? Yes, but it is evidence of the confidence instilled by the T30.

Engines

Notably, the T30 is available with a single 300 Verado V-8, which would save some money on the purchase price, maintenance costs, and fuel versus the twin 225 FourStroke V-6s I tested. That said, choose a single and you forego the more confident dockside handling (a thruster is optional, though) provided by twins, not to mention the redundancy. In the end, if you will be bringing a crowd aboard, the twins will deliver the aforementioned excitement whereas I’d expect a more pedestrian experience from a single engine. Navan bundles the 225s with Digital Throttle and Shift and power-assisted hydraulic steering—a nice touch, since those are technically options on Mercury Marine’s FourStroke-series outboards. Electro-hydraulic power steering is standard on Verados like the single 300. Boat buyers should always consider more than just horsepower when making propulsion choices.

Interior and Accessories

What sea trials are to ride and handling, the inspection is to function, comfort and construction quality. Starting at the anchor locker, it’s easy to see that the straight stem of this boat’s bow provides more than aesthetics: The anchor locker is tremendous. All that space not only makes any windlass snarls easy to untangle, but because there’s plenty of drop between the top of the rode pile and the windlass, it inhibits tangles from occurring in the first place. I noted with appreciation the anchor tie-off and also build features that included the lid being finished on its underside; through-bolted hinges; a deep gutter that directs water away; and an overboard drain in the locker’s bottom to thwart mildew. Wiring for the bow lights was routed clear of being snagged. Hallmarks of quality, all.

Also notable at the bow is the pulpit, with its railing open to serve as a bow-boarding platform. This facilitates boarding from a bow-in slip.

Seating around the boat is both high quality and comfortable, whether enjoying the view from the bow lounge, the aft bench or from the swiveling helm chairs or the second-row seating behind the helm seats. Flip that second row open and reveal storage and/or an optional sink, livewell and more. Also, our test boat featured two refrigerators in this seat’s base. The aft bench seats four.

In the cockpit sole in front of this bench is a huge hatch, granting great access to all systems in the bilge. The T30 is a DIY dream boat. On either side of the aft bench are wide walkways to the transom, where, among other things, excellent engine access and a four-step swim ladder await.

I noted great visibility from the helm at all speeds and during turns. Simrad touchscreen electronics and all switches were easy to see and reach. Inside the console, find a Spartan cabin that housed a china head aboard our tester. The space is bright and easy to clean due to an abundance of glossy gelcoat.

Read Next: Navan S30

Comparison shoppers should check out at the Axopar 29 CCX (starting at $167,300 with a single Mercury Verado 300). Also running on a double-stepped hull, it has lower freeboard than the deep-cockpit Navan, an open transom, and weighs about 1,000 pounds less. The Axopar offers more variety in deck layouts, including an aft cabin module. The Navan offers a more extensive list of fishing options. Monterey’s Elite 30 OB ($276,319 with twin 250 hp Mercury outboards) offers racier styling, a “sit-down” helm, an equally deep cockpit, but runs on a non-stepped hull.

The Navan T30 is a fun-to-run boat. It’s highly amenable to quiet anchorages, yet proved itself to me on rough, open water. While aboard—both times—I couldn’t help but visualize the numerous ways one could enjoy this versatile craft with family and friends.

How We Tested

• Engine: Twin 225 hp Mercury FourStroke V-6s 
• Drive/Prop: Outboard/13 ⁵/₈” x 21″ 3-blade stainless-steel 
• Gear Ratio: 1.85:1 Fuel Load: 50 gal. Water on Board: 10 gal. Crew Weight: 800 lb.

High Points

• Super ride and handling, plus the choice of single or twin engines.
• Great balance of features facilitates entertaining, fishing, overnighting and more. 
• Best-in-class service access via a huge cockpit hatch. 
• Handy cup holders between helm seats also feature inductive phone charging.

Low Points

• You can’t mount a wiper on an acrylic windscreen, so carry a spray bottle (comparison boats use glass windshields). 
• We believe all boats should come with a compass. 

Pricing and Specs

Speed, Efficiency, Operation