Design and Construction
The 890 follows RM’s established construction method: the hull is plywood, while the deck and superstructure are GRP. The hull is built from epoxy-impregnated marine ply and painted to such a fair finish that testers have mistaken it for molded fiberglass. Above it, the cabin house has smooth curves that plywood alone could never produce.
The chines aren’t merely a styling device. Their flat sections help the boat surf more quickly than most when the breeze fills. A narrow static waterline, fuller bow sections, and greater beam aft create an easily driven hull with a displacement/length ratio of just 111.
RM builds its hulls on template molds rather than in female molds. This avoids plug-and-mold costs and allows the yard to adjust the shape during construction. Each hull takes only about three weeks to build. Top-grade marine ply, sealed with epoxy and two-pack polyurethane, should outlive a routine GRP hull and remains straightforward to repair.
Keels and Rig
Every RM offers a choice of a T-bulb fin keel with twin rudders or twin bulbed keels with a single rudder. Lombard gave the twin keels a higher aspect ratio and deeper draft than traditional twin-keel designs. The keels bolt through a steel frame that distributes loads laterally and fore-and-aft. The twin-keel version can dry out upright, a genuine advantage for shoal-water cruising.
The 890 carries a high-fractional rig with long, well-swept spreaders and outboard chainplates. Its aluminum Z Spars mast—carbon is optional—is stepped farther aft than usual, allowing the mainsail and headsail to share the sail area evenly.
A short bowsprit stows the anchor and projects an asymmetric spinner. A free-flying staysail, set on a 2:1 halyard at the upper spreaders, remains a standard RM option. The mainsheet leads to a full-width traveler just forward of the transom. Ahead of the traveler, the tiller helm sits close to the inboard primary winches.
Handling and Performance
Practical Boat Owner found the 890 remarkably stiff and never feeling over-pressed. She rarely heels beyond 15 degrees. Form stability, created as the center of buoyancy shifts to leeward, works with low-down ballast to keep her on an even keel.
Polars for the fin-keel version show 6.3 knots at 35 degrees to the apparent wind in 15 knots of breeze. Test sailors elsewhere reached 9.4 knots on a beam reach in 20 knots.
The 890 maintains steerage when pinched and heaves to gently. She gybes without hesitation, and the helm remains light, with only a modest tug at speed, although one tester found the steering slightly stiff. The tiller-and-cockpit arrangement suits short-handed sailing, helped by a click-adjustable Wichard extension and well-angled coamings.
Accommodations and Stowage
Below, the 890 has an open-plan interior finished in white-painted plywood. There are no enclosed cabins: curtains separate the bow V-berth and port aft double rather than solid bulkheads and doors. Abaft the heads to starboard, RM’s well-known “utility room” provides systems access and stowage.
A large forward-facing window brings plenty of light into the saloon and forward berth. Even so, lighting farther forward is modest, and headroom beneath the hatch barely exceeds six feet.
A bow locker takes fenders that won’t fit in the aft locker beneath the cockpit sole, beside the liferaft. Vented stowage beneath the bunks and abundant handholds reflect the boat’s practical emphasis. Testers concede that the galley is basic, the shelved stowage somewhat rudimentary, and the finish less luxurious than those of mass-produced rivals. Privacy is also limited.
Known Quirks
The flat hull sections that help the 890 surf can also cause her to thump or slam when she drops off a wave and lands upright in a trough. That’s a consequence of the plywood-and-chine approach rather than a defect, but buyers should expect it when reaching in choppy conditions.
Verdict
The RM 890 is a thoughtfully modern interpretation of the plywood cruiser: light, stiff, and genuinely fast for her length. Her rig and cockpit are made for two people, while the twin-keel version can take the ground upright. In return for that sailing performance, easy access, and straightforward repair, she gives up interior privacy and polished trim.
Pros
- Easily driven hull with a 111 D/L ratio; capable of surfing and exceeding 9 knots
- Stiff sailing manners, a balanced helm, and a tiller layout suited to short-handed crews
- Plywood-epoxy hull faired well enough to pass for GRP and straightforward to repair
- Twin-keel option can dry out upright
- Keels attached through a load-distributing steel frame
Cons
- Open-plan interior offers little privacy
- Basic galley and rudimentary shelved stowage
- Flat hull sections can slam when the boat drops into a trough
- Modest headroom and forward lighting
