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  • Selecting a boat or a yacht, part 4: Potential boats – detailed analysis

Selecting a boat or a yacht, part 4: Potential boats – detailed analysis

Posted on December 3, 2020December 3, 2020 By Jaykay No Comments on Selecting a boat or a yacht, part 4: Potential boats – detailed analysis
Boats general

Go to part 3: Boat selection criteria

The list

Based on the use cases and criteria I compiled a list of potential boats. The list includes Beneteau Antares 980, Jeanneau Merry Fisher 925, Jeanneau Merry Fisher 10/ Beneteau Antares 30, Tristan 315 Fly, Aquador 32C and Nord Star Patrol 31 Fly.

Many boat models were left out. All Sealine and Princess boats were left out because they were just so much out of the budget (considering the criteria). Bayliner and Carver boats were left out either because many of them had gasoline engines, or because of their relatively bad reputation locally (which makes getting rid of them very hard). Many others were left out because of limited deck space and lack of a flybridge. All boats with outboard engines were also excluded.


Beneteau Antares 980

Beneteau Antares 980
Length: 9.95 m
Width: 3.35 m
Draft: 0.82 m
Air draft: 4.3 m
Weight:  5 660 kg
CE category: B-8 / C-10
Engine: twin, Nanni or Volvo Penta
Drive: shaft drive
Years build: 2003 – 2009

Antares 980 is seaworthy twin-engine cruiser with two cabins and a flybridge. It has the galley untypically for this size of a boat in the front. You can find a brochure here and a datasheet here and a video here.

Beneteau Antares 980 interior
Beneteau Antares 980 stern
Beneteau Antares 980 interior 2
Beneteau Antares 980 forward cabin
Beneteau Antares 980 layout

Good

  • two engines with separate tanks and fuel lines,
  • low fuel consumption in speeds under 18 knots (especially with Nanni engines),
  • flexible speed range,
  • reliable shaft drive,
  • sizeable flybridge,
  • CE category B boat

Bad

  • no navigator’s seat (the galley is in the front),
  • over 3.5 m air draft with radar arch,
  • impossible to find locally

Jeanneau Merry Fisher 925

Jeanneau Merry Fisher 925
Length: 9.76 m
Width: 3.16 m
Draft: 0.85 m
Air draft: 3.24 m
Weight: 4 670 kg
CE category: B-8
Engine: single or twin, Yanmar, Nanni or Volvo Penta
Drive: shaft drive
Years build: 2004 – 2009

MF925 is a nice, a bit trawler-like semi-planing, semi-displacement cruising boat. It is a predecessor of Merry Fisher 10 presented below.

Merry Fisher 925 interior
Merry Fisher 925
Merry Fisher 925 helm
Merry Fisher 925 interior 2
Merry Fisher 925 layout
Merry Fisher 925 galley
Merry Fisher 925 cabin

Good

  • low fuel consumption in speeds under 16 knots,
  • flexible speed range,
  • reliable shaft drive,
  • flybridge,
  • navigator seat,
  • CE category B boat

Bad

  • only one bunk bed in the second cabin,
  • smallish flybridge,
  • hard to find locally

Jeanneau Merry Fisher 10 / Beneteau Antares 30

Length: 10,22 m
Width: 3.33 m
Draft: 0.9 m
Air draft: 4.3 m
Weight: 5 200 kg
CE category: B-8 / C-10
Engine: single (or rare twin), Yanmar or Volvo Penta
Drive: shaft drive
Years build: 2009 – 2012
  • Jeanneau Merry Fisher 10
  • Beneteau Antares 30

Jeanneau Merry Fisher 10 and Beneteau Antares 30 are in most parts the same boat. They have the same hull and basic features. The largest differences are the window shape, the shape of the radar arch / mast, and the navigator seat (which is stationary on Antares 30, but folds as part of the U-shaped sofa on MF10). MF10 is the successor of MF925 and was made only 2009-2012 and was continued as Beneteau Antares 30 after that.

This boat model meets most of the criteria. The photos and layouts below are from MF10.

Merry Fisher 10 galley
Merry Fisher 10 forward cabin
Merry Fisher 10 salon
Merry Fisher 10 flybridge
Merry Fisher 10 second cabin
Merry Fisher 10 layout 1
Merry Fisher 10 layout 2

Good

  • two cabins with beds for 4,
  • reliable shaft drive,
  • very large flybridge for this size of a boat,
  • large salon,
  • walkable side deck due to asymmetric design,
  • navigator seat,
  • CE category B boat

Bad

  • air draft over 3.5 m with mast,
  • impossible to find locally

Tristan 315 Fly

Length: 9.60 m
Width: 3.15 m
Draft: 1.0 m
Air draft: n/a
Weight: 4 000 kg
CE category: C
Engine: single Volvo Penta or Yanmar
Drive: stern drive
Years build: 1997-
Tristan 315 Fly

Tristan 315 is a single engine cruising boat with a flybridge, which is very rare on Finnish boats. It is of a classical, but a bit old fashioned, design.

Tristan 315 salon
Tristan 315 forward cabin
Tristan 315 helm
Tristan 315 flybridge
Tristan 315 second cabin

Good

  • lowest fuel consumption in 8-30 knot range (partly due to low weight),
  • sizeable flybridge,
  • some versions have a 3rd cabin (although very tiny),
  • pretty stylish interior,
  • navigator seat,
  • easy to find locally

Bad

  • seaworthiness not it the same level as in others on the list,
  • worse stability due to lower weight than other boats on the list
  • CE category C boat,
  • most narrow side decks,
  • small cockpit

Aquador 32C

Length: 9.7 m
Width: 3.45 m
Draft: 1.1 m
Air draft: n/a
Weight: 5 200 kg
CE category: B
Engine: single Yanmar or Volvo Penta
Drive: stern drive
Years build: 2000 – 2016
Aquador 32C

Aquador 32C is the only non-flybridge boat accepted on the list. It was accepted because it has good walking side decks, side doors and large roof hatches.

Aquador 32C galley
Aquador 32C interior
Aquador 32C side deck
Aquador 32C forward cabin
Aquador 32C layout

Good

  • good driving capabilities,
  • quality build,
  • good resale value,
  • walking side decks,
  • CE category B boat,
  • navigator seat,
  • easy to find locally

Bad

  • expensive,
  • small cockpit,
  • high fuel consumption,
  • no flybridge
  • less outdoor space than on others

Nord Star 31 Patrol Fly

Length: 10.1 m
Width: 3.15 m
Draft: 0.85 m
Air draft: n/a
Weight: 5 000 kg
CE category: B
Engine: twin Volvo Penta
Drive: stern drive
Years build: 2003 – 2012
Nord Star 31 Patrol Fly

Nord Star 31 has a utility boat design, but it is actually also pretty well designed for leisure use. It reminds the other high-quality Finnish boats from Targa and Sargo, but separates itself from those being the most family and leisure boating oriented.

Nord Start 31
Nord Start 31 forward cabin
Nord Start 31 second cabin
Nord Start 31 cockpit and swim platform
Nord Start 31 helm 2
Nord Start 31 salon

Good

  • two engines with separate tanks and fuel lines,
  • large deck area,
  • great walking decks on both sides,
  • CE category B boat,
  • great driving capabilities,
  • good resale value,
  • quality build and finish,
  • stylish interior with a lot of wood surfaces,
  • great visibility from the lower helm station,
  • navigator seat,
  • flybridge (although a very small one)

Bad

  • expensive (slightly over the budget),
  • high fuel consumption in 8-20 knot range,
  • very small flybridge,
  • small salon (walking decks take a lot of space),
  • small galley

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Tags: Antares 30 Antares 980 Aquador 32C Merry Fisher 10 Merry Fisher 925 Nord Star 31 review selecting a boat Tristan 315

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