Motor Boat & Yachting - January 2016 UK

BOAT MASTER USEDBOAT

96 JANUARY 2016

RIVALS

Linssen Grand Sturdy 380

The big name in Dutch aft-cabin

cruisers, the Linssen is available

with Vetus or Volvo engines,

and a 2008 version can be had

for £180,000.

Privateer 11.5 Vlet

Powered by a 130hp Volvo engine,

the alternative from Privateer

boasts plenty of headroom

throughout and a 2004 version is

on the market for under £170,000.

Aquanaut 1150

Powered by a 135hp Perkins

Sabre, a 2003 Aquanaut will set

you back around £170,000.

WHAT’S ON THE MARKET

Date 2002 Price £169,950

Located Caversham

Fitted with larger fuel tanks and twin

100hp Volvo Penta TAMD31s with

350 hours. Featured in this article.

Contact http://www.tingdeneboatsales.net

Date 2003 Price €189,000

Located Netherlands

Powered by a single 135hp Perkins

Sabre, this well-travelled model has

more than 2,000 hours. Contact

http://www.karlfarrantmarinesales.com

twin 100hp Volvo Penta TAMD315s or

twin 114hp Vetus Deutz, mainly for

those who wanted the reassurance and

greater maonouevrability of twins for

coastal passage-making.

The result is a top speed that varies

from 9 knots to 14 knots – hardly

breakneck stuff, but more than enough

for overcoming a stubborn tide or even

crossing the Channel, should you want

to explore the waterways of France and

Holland. Wherever you go, you can be

confident of a cosy night’s sleep, thanks

to the Eberspächer heating and 12mm

thick insulation (a combination of

plywood and cork, to combat

condensation), although double glazing

was a cost option.

In terms of handling, it is very much

the same theme of comfort over speed,

with the 1180S making stately progress

in most conditions. The chunky

strengthening frames that run laterally

along the bilge at 50cm intervals make

for exceptional rigidity, whether you’re

braving coastal waters in a Force 8, or

pottering along the inland waterways,

where the hydraulic folding radar arch

comes in particularly handy for

squeezing under low bridges.

Our former sister publication Motor

Boats Monthly took a test drive of the

Stevens 1180 in August 2002 and

concluded: “She is a stable, easily

directed craft with impeccable close-

quarters manners. A boat that feels

liveable aboard, whether that be for a

week or a year.”

When the time comes to access the

engine bay beneath the saloon floor, a

juggling act involving 18 cushions is

required, but once you have gained

access to the actual work space, there

is more than enough room to carry out

daily checks.

Smelne fitted a crawl-in hatch

underneath the central companionway

stairs to access the stern gland and

gearbox on single-engined models, but

this is of limited practical use on the

twin-engined model we inspected.

Meanwhile, access to the electric

systems is provided overhead through

a chunky wood-panelled cabinet.

Despite this, prices have held firm and

depreciation is very gradual for these

models, partly due to their relative

scarcity. Back in 2002, prices for a

brand new 1180S started at £228,000,

whereas today you can pick up a

13-year-old model for just under

£140,000, making for a depreciation

rate of around 3% per year.

Comfort and practicality are two

words that come up a lot when

analysing the Stevens 1180S, but

perhaps just as important is value

• you certainly get a lot of boat for
  your money, and one that is resolutely
  built to last.

VALUE 

BUILD QUALITY 

ACCOMMODATION 

PERFORMANCE 

OUR VERDICT 80%

Next month Rodman 1250

BE OUR GUEST

Moving forward and the guest cabin is

another strong point of this model’s

design, with plenty of headroom (6ft 3in

to be precise), an overhead hatch, and

four portholes to maximise light and

ventilation. Storage is taken care of by a

hanging wardrobe, fiddled lockers and a

linen drawer beneath the bed.

There is even room for a compact

ensuite to port, complete with

toilet, sink and a telescopic mixer tap

that can double up as a showerhead.

The window in here doesn’t open,

so you need to use the overhead hatch

for ventilation.

Meanwhile in the galley, the

designers have struck a fine balance

between eye-level storage and

preparation space. What’s more, the

chunky wooden fiddled edges, stainless

steel basin and hardwearing granite-

effect work surfaces show that no

compromise has been made in terms

of raw materials.

A knee-height fridge-freezer was

fitted as standard on the 1180S, but for

those who wanted more cold storage, a

second fridge was offered as an

optional extra in place of the portside

larder cabinet. On the other hand, if

seating space was the main priority,

then buyers could do away with the

guest heads and storage space in

favour of a lower level dinette.

Indeed, the sheer number of optional

extras means that the price differs

quite dramatically from hull to hull on

the used market. The wide range of cost

extras, such as a larger 5.4kVA Fischer

Panda generator, stern thruster, double

glazing, saloon drinks fridge and even a

lower helm station, meant that the

launch price varied from £200,000 up

to as much as £300,000.

Plenty of all-weather

protection when

everything’s done up