The Nimbus 495 Fly has finally arrived in Seattle and was just on display at the Anacortes Boat & Yacht Show featuring Trawlerfest. After dozens of conversations on board with curious boat lovers, the word "clever" may best describe the Swedish shipyard's flagship model. The Nimbus 495 Fly is not simply a bigger Nimbus. It is a clear message from one of Europe's largest boat builders that has been long associated with practical coupé cruisers, intelligent deck layouts, and all-weather usability. At just under 50 feet, the 495 Fly is the largest model launched to date by Nimbus Boats.
"If you look at the brands that Nimbus is often compared to - Axopar, Saxdor, NAVAN, and others - there is a different feeling when you're cruising at 20 knots," said Patrick Harrigan, General Manager for Seattle Yachts. "Nimbus separates itself through its stable, quieter, and safe performance. The difference is tangible when you're on board and the 495 Fly is no exception. This is 100 percent a cruising boat built for a couple that wants to travel in comfort without a captain on board. From the Dynamic Positioning System and easy access to the side decks, to the big comfortable cabin below deck, this is a boat you can cruise on for weeks and continue to enjoy the experience."
NIMBUS VIDEO OF THE 495 FLY
What makes the Nimbus 495 Fly intriguing is not that it tries to out-glamour the established Italian flybridge builders. It does not. This is a boat with a more Scandinavian flare and build. A liveaboard-capable, owner-operated cruising yacht that can handle long distances, mixed climates and short-handed docking without becoming intimidating. Perfect for the Pacific Northwest or California coast. The “an island of its own" concept is more than marketing fluff by Nimbus. The 495 Fly feels designed around the idea that a couple or family might genuinely live aboard for weeks, perhaps for a cruise up to Alaska or around the San Juan Islands.
WHAT ARE THE EXPERTS SAYING?
If you hadn't heard, the Nimbus 495 Fly recently won the European Powerboat of the Year Award in the category of "Powerboats Up To 18 Meters (59-feet)" and was lauded for its "exceptional design, features, and performance" according to the judges.
Access to the Nimbus 495 Fly to journalists has allowed the industry experts to test the new model and put it through its paces. Here's what they had to say:
- Lars-Åke Redéen, Boating Magazine: "The yacht feeling truly hits you on the flying bridge. A big part of the noise disappears when you run the boat from here. The journey feels calmer and the experience is better. In addition, you can more clearly see the shallows and other boats. The bliss is enhanced by Volvo Penta IPS with joystick. With it, one person can handle this 49-foot-7-inch, 42,000-pound boat. With the joystick you simply point and go."
- Jeff Moser, Power & Motor Yacht Magazine: "The 480-hp Volvo Penta IPS drives are an ideal match. We cruised effortlessly at 21 knots on the way to her top speed of just under 29 knots. Running at displacement speeds, she showed coastal cruising prowess, achieving a 677-nautical-mile range at 8 knots and 1500 rpm. As we increased speed, the average range never dipped below 300 nautical miles, up to 15.3 knots and 2750 rpm."
- Jack Haines, YachtBuyer: It’s not the flashiest boat in its class, and the interior design leans more toward the practical, but nearly every detail feels considered. The ergonomics, the access, the systems integration - it all seems to stem from real boating experience. Nimbus has aimed to create a yacht that feels easy to handle, easy to maintain, and usable for long stretches aboard - and in that regard, the 495 Fly is arguably one of the most convincing boats they’ve ever built. One of the best owner-operator yachts in the 15-metre range we've seen so far.
- Alex Smith, Motor Boat & Yachting: "If the idea was to deliver simple sportsbridge flexibility rather than flybridge volume, alongside a faithful coupé-style aesthetic, all wrapped up in a package that echoes Nimbus’s heritage while differentiating itself from the rest of the market, then it’s worked. If you own a Nimbus and are keen to upsize without abandoning the brand, this is the solution; and if you enjoy Nimbus coupés but fancy the extra flexibility of a flybridge, this will hit the mark."
(Below: The 495 Fly cruises in Washington with Mount Rainier in the background.)
WIDE DECKS BUILT FOR MOVEMENT
One of the most important things about the Nimbus 495 Fly is how easy it is to move around from bow to stern. In this size range, side decks can become afterthoughts, sacrificed on behlaf of more interior volume. Nimbus has gone the other way. The boat uses an asymmetric deck layout, with the starboard side deck given priority. For an owner-operator, the fact that the helm door aligns perfectly with the side boarding gate matters more than almost any soft furnishing. When the captain can step from the lower helm directly to the side deck and then to the dock, docking becomes calmer, safer, and less dependent on a crew of four.
The foredeck is another area where the boat feels thoroughly Scandinavian. While many models in this class might forget about how much this area of the boat is enjoyed, Nimbus has integrated a usable social zone with seating, a table, sunpads with adjustable backrests, cupholders, handrails, and a forward bow ladder.
Aft, the bathing platform can be specified as a hydraulic platform which is capable of carrying a Williams Minijet 280 with an integrated ladder and a design that still allows movement across the transom when the platform is lowered. The message is consistent throughout the boat; the 495 Fly is meant to be boarded, handled, tied up, washed down, and lived on.
A CLEVER COCKPIT FOR COMFORTABLE ENTERTAINING
The aft cockpit may be the 495 Fly’s signature space. On many flybridge cruisers, the cockpit is either open to the elements or enclosed with canvas in a way that feels temporary. Nimbus has created something more architectural.
A standout feature is the retractable glass panel aft of the salon and galley. This panel can be adjusted to either opening the galley and cockpit into one large entertaining space or dropping down to close the cockpit off from weather. Also to note is the semi-closed aft deck where the chosen glass arrangement gives better light and views than a canvas curtain. In warm weather, the cockpit, galley, and salon become a continuous indoor-outdoor living area. In fall weather, the aft deck becomes a sheltered extension of the salon rather than a space that everyone on board avoids.
The galley’s aft location is equally important. It faces the cockpit, the salon, and the outdoor dining area, which keeps the chef on board involved in the conversations. The main deck galley is split across both sides with a sink, induction hub/oven, top-loading freezer, under-counter fridge, and dishwasher. This is a proper galley for a couple to cruise comfortably for long distances and periods of time.
THE SALON IS THE HEART OF THE 495 FLY
Nimbus has always understood protected salons, one only need to look back and some of the older Coupe' models. The 495 Fly’s salon doesn't try to be a ultra-stylish palace of glass. This is a practical, comfortable, intelligently designed social area meant for relaxation and good conversation.
There is a proper lower helm forward on the starboard side, companion seating found portside, a dining area, sociable seating, an aft galley connecting to the cockpit, and excellent visibility that allows for good sightlines and great sightseeing. The table in the salon opens and twists into different positions depending on your needed arrangement. Additionally, the sunroof opens electronically for light, ventilation, and starry night views. This is a unique feature for this size and type of boat, as most flybridges have not been designed with the option for a sunroof.
Have you ever been cruising for long distances where the captain's seat is high up, but the guests have to sit much lower? Not on the 495 Fly. The companion seat at the helm is parallel with the captain chair's same level. That may sound like a small detail, but it changes the mood underway for guests. This also involves your friends and family much more in the navigation process.
THE FLYBRIDGE: BUILT FOR CRUISING
Anyone expecting a massive party deck may be underwhelmed. The 495 Fly’s flybridge is intentionally compact with lots of seating, and designed for comfortable cruising. It is more sportsbridge than sky lounge and that decision keeps the boat’s lower profile, allows for the popular sunroof, and preserves the boat's coupe-like performance underway.
That said, the flybridge deck is far from an afterthought. It has good size, enough bench seating to lie down, a large table with an integrated sink, a bimini for shade, refrigeration, a large sunpad, and an upper helm with two multifunction displays. The upper helm also benefits from twin helm seats with space between them, so your friends can move without disturbing the captain.
For excellent views while cruising, star watching, or just enjoying the sunshine high up above the water, the flybridge on the Nimbus 495 checks all boxes. Its practicality is its best strength.
ACCOMMODATIONS BELOW DECK
Following suit with the salon and flybridge design of comfortable usefulness, the lower deck accommodations do not disappoint. There is a 3-cabin, 2-head design that includes an owner's suite found amidship which benefits from the wide beam, a VIP suite forward, and a third guest cabin that can also be used for storage or office utility.
The owner's cabin is very spacious for this size vessel with an ensuite, separate shower cubicle, a large bed, storage, and the option of an additional sleeping space. The forward VIP is bright and spacious, with large hull windows and good headroom, while the third cabin can be specified with bunks or as an office.
This configuration, particularly with the bunk option in the third cabin, can turn your couple's cruiser into a full family outing on the water without feeling cramped. Whether just camping out for the evening or taking the boat for a longer trip up the coast, the 495 Fly takes sleep seriously so everyone can feel rested to enjoy the following day.
RANGE & PERFORMANCE OF THE NIMBUS 495 FLY
The 495 Fly is outfitted with twin Volvo Penta Pod IPS650 D6 engines and combined with the Dynamic Positioning System, the experience to operate this boat is delightful. Nimbus says the cruising speed is between 20 to 24 knots and has a top speed at 30 knots. That puts the boat in the sweet spot for fast coastal cruising, making it quick enough to cover distances, but not so much horsepower that you're burning the fuel bill with every trip.
In a test of the 495 Fly, Boating Magazine reported the below numbers:
The 495 Fly’s long-cruising intent is clearest in the tankage and systems:
- 449 gallon diesel tank
- 137 gallon freshwater tank
- 89 gallon grey-water tank
- 45 gallon black-water tank
- 21 gallon hot-water heater capacity
Those numbers matter because they support the boat’s “island of its own” concept. A 50-foot cruiser can have beautiful upholstery and still feel limited if its water, waste, storage, battery, and generator systems are not up to extended use.
This is where Nimbus’s Swedish-roots pay off. The boat is not simply designed to run from marina to marina, but for longer trips when equipped with options such as additional lithium battery capacity, solar, generator, diesel heat, Starlink or Wi-Fi, watermaker, and a stabilizer.
The Nimbus 495 Fly is not the loudest boat in the marina. It is not the biggest-volume 50-footer, the flashiest entertainer, or the obvious choice for buyers who want crewed-yacht theater in a compact package. It is something more interesting - a flybridge cruiser designed by one of Europe's biggest shipyards that still seems to believe boats should solve problems.
It solves the problem of changing weather with a brilliant enclosed cockpit, of short-handed docking with a helm door, side gate, joystick control, and sensible deck geometry, of more flybridge space by keeping the upper deck compact and preserving a sunroof, and by giving the boat the tankage, storage, accommodations needed to stay away longer.
For experienced owners moving up from a smaller Nimbus, it will feel like a natural evolution. For newcomers to the brand, it may feel like a revelation: a 50-foot yacht that puts seamanship, shelter, and usability ahead of spectacle.
Seattle Yachts is proud to be your West Coast Nimbus dealer with new inventory locations in California and Washington. Contact us today for information on pricing and availability or search all Nimbus Boats available on the market today.
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- Introducing The Nimbus 12 Series
- How Does Nimbus Compare To Other Brands
- Buyer's Guide: Nimbus Weekender 11
- Nimbus Begins The Great Loop
