Blue Book of Boats

What do Jack Nicholson and James Bond have in common? They both driven the Monte Carlo 30. Built by Riva, the Italian yacht builder in the 80’s and 90’s, the Monte Carlo 30 Offshore is very popular in Europe. With a maximum cruising speed of 55 knots, it is easy to scoot in and out of popular destinations.

Here is Jack Nicholson having fun with his guests. As shown on the photo, the cockpit deck is large and can easily accommodate up to 8 guests. The master cabin offers overnight accommodation for two people. With the right weather, and the right company, small boats can be just as much fun. Price tag for this boat, around $50,000 to $60,000.

Developed together with Bob Hopps and Cal Connell, the Monte Carlo offshorer 27 (70’s), 30 (80’s) and 32 (early 90’s) was built out of fiber glass and was the first production runabout with a “stepped” hull to improve ride and stability. The engines and fittings were mostly the same as those used on Rivas at the time. Most of the Monte Carlo 30 offshorer used 2 crusader 454 bringing them up to 55 knots in standard configuration (faster engines were BPMs while a slower diesel BMW engine set was also offered). The boats were built by R.A.M. – the maintenance part of the former Riva company, still owned by the Riva family.

About 400 hulls of the Monte Carlo 30 were built and they mostly replaced aquarama specials (built by the Italian yachtbuilder Riva from 1992-1996) on the riviera or were used as yacht tenders.

A Monte Carlo 30 offshorer was the speedboat driven by James Bond during the helicopter chase in the movie Goldeneye.For more information and photos about the boat, click here.