There’s masses of space of course, but
crucially it is very deep and comfortable. You
feel very secure, like you’re in, not on, the boatPrincess and Fairline, Sealine claimed
that it had the largest interior volume
of any boat in its class, a claim that
was frankly easy to believe.UNTOUCHABLE
It certainly convinced Ian Allison, who
was looking to upgrade and saw the
boat at its launch in Düsseldorf, where
he placed an order with UK Sealine
dealer Penton Hook Marine Sales,
trading in his Sealine S380. “We
keep our boat at Windsor on the
Thames and were looking to change
to a boat with more space. I looked
at everything I could find from 38
to 42ft, sportscruiser and flybridge,
and in terms of not just space but
also value for money combined with
reasonable build quality, there was
simply nothing to touch it.” And that
space isn’t just internal. Ian singlesout the flybridge for particular praise.
“It’s not just the sheer size, it’s the
way it’s configured. There’s masses
of space of course, but crucially it
is deep and comfortable. You feel
very secure, the sensation being
that you’re still sat in the boat,
not on the boat. I couldn’t find any
other flybridge cruiser below 42ft
that stood comparison with it.”
But good though the exterior is,
it’s inside where the F380 lives up
to its class-leading claim. For a sub-
40ft boat, it’s vast. Perhaps most
impressive is that Sealine hasn’t
‘cheated’ by putting the galley in the
saloon to free up space on the lower
deck, so you get ample social seating
on both sides and a generous galley
three steps down and forward. The
only area that could be accused of
slight compromise is the guest cabin,Early this decade, Sealine as we knew it stopped building
boats and the Kidderminster UK factory was closed
down. Within a couple of years, however, a new range
was introduced by the vastly experienced sailing boat
manufacturers Hanse, who acquired the brand. Hanse employed
a totally different build technique where the chop-gun glassfibre layup
method was abandoned in favour of superior resin infusion/multi-axial
matting techniques used at Hanse’s high-tech facilities, and my experience
of this new breed has been positive in all respects.
The Achilles heel of this build method, if any, is how the integrity of
the inner hull (a pre-moulded stiffening matrix) bonding is assessed, as
the majority of the jointing will be concealed out of sight of any surveyor.
This particular example is only three years old and I would not expect any
structural issues, but river boats tend to suffer more from superficial wear
and tear during lock negotiations. This freshwater example should have
no electrolysis issues and the poor reputation of the Volvo D4 intercoolers
should hopefully be negated in freshwater.
Finally, a more obvious point for consideration is the Inland Waterways
certification which will have required safety checks to the gas, electrical
and fire-fighting systems as well as a toilet holding tank requirement.
Tony McGrail, yacht surveyor
Tel: +44 (0)7711 329314. Web: http://www.superyachtsurveys.comHELM LEAKS
Look out for signs of leaks through
the upper helm console on to
the lower helm. Easily resolved
with an application of sealantPORTHOLES
Check to make sure all the
porthole seals are intact with
no evidence of water ingressPLUMBING AND ELECTRICS
Occasional issues with plumbing
and electrics but will almost
certainly have been rectified
under warranty by nowSURVEYOR SAYS
104USEDB OAT BOAT MASTER