DECEMBER '08 / JANUARY '09
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Modern Boating and Big Hat Productions head out for a glorious day on the water to give the Seawind 1160...
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A good sport
WORDS & PHOTOS:
SCOTT AMON
Built for serious fishing, the Steber 3800 also offers the luxuries of a cruiser.
I hadn't been for a run in a Steber bigger than 22ft for a decade. The last time was aboard their old 41-footer (12.5m), and that was a good, stable, fisher-cruiser and live-aboard boat. So it was a surprise when I recently jumped aboard one of the newer style hulls that this iconic family boat-builder has developed.
NEW HULL
It was their 3800 Sportsfisher (as the name suggests, based on a 38ft hull), and I reckon that it had a lot more space than the old 41-footer. This particular one was customised for the Australian boating industry company BLA (Bob Littler Agencies) under strict instructions from Scott Littler. It was laid out specifically for fishing—and the end product is a very comfortable, economical and effective fishing platform.
This new hull shape offers distinct benefits over the older style Steber and many other current hulls on the market. The more streamlined hull offers far more efficient and much easier planing. A finer entry delivers a soft ride, while a combination of hull design, planing strakes and double chine keep this boat amazingly dry and provide level cornering. All this equates to tremendous fuel efficiency.
read on below advertisement
On the water the boat performed with outstanding power (see specs for rpm and speed stats). The hull has a general confidence about it and you can feel that it rides high on the water with very direct and responsive steering. It tracks true in a following sea and stayed dry taking about 12 knots of south-westerly and a 1.5m swell on a front quarter. There appeared to be no keel grab or any tendency to bury its nose— even without activating the trim tabs.
The two big electronic Yanmars provide smooth, quiet power with virtually no vibration, and zero smoke when the revs are cranked up! The boat backs up well and loses water in the cockpit very quickly.
SENSIBLE LAYOUT
The basic layout is very sensibly thought out, offering simplicity, practicality and ultimate functionality for its intended use.
Layout of choice for the cabin takes the form of vee-shaped bunks, supplying comfortable sleeping for four. The companionway gives wide access from cabin to galley/dinette and provides locker space fitted with coat rails.
A high-gloss timber table and U-shaped lounge form a dinette on the port side. Opposite is a snug—though very functional—galley. A dark marble work top and sink is surrounded by stylish high-gloss timber bench top on a higher tier. The forward sections of both galley and dinette have hinged bench tops that create safe and spacious storage for glasses and cups. An Isotherm fridge, microwave and cupboards provide all things necessary for a functional galley. The main switch panel is fitted just forward of the galley.
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SCOTT AMON
Built for serious fishing, the Steber 3800 also offers the luxuries of a cruiser.
I hadn't been for a run in a Steber bigger than 22ft for a decade. The last time was aboard their old 41-footer (12.5m), and that was a good, stable, fisher-cruiser and live-aboard boat. So it was a surprise when I recently jumped aboard one of the newer style hulls that this iconic family boat-builder has developed.
NEW HULL
It was their 3800 Sportsfisher (as the name suggests, based on a 38ft hull), and I reckon that it had a lot more space than the old 41-footer. This particular one was customised for the Australian boating industry company BLA (Bob Littler Agencies) under strict instructions from Scott Littler. It was laid out specifically for fishing—and the end product is a very comfortable, economical and effective fishing platform.
This new hull shape offers distinct benefits over the older style Steber and many other current hulls on the market. The more streamlined hull offers far more efficient and much easier planing. A finer entry delivers a soft ride, while a combination of hull design, planing strakes and double chine keep this boat amazingly dry and provide level cornering. All this equates to tremendous fuel efficiency.
read on below advertisement
On the water the boat performed with outstanding power (see specs for rpm and speed stats). The hull has a general confidence about it and you can feel that it rides high on the water with very direct and responsive steering. It tracks true in a following sea and stayed dry taking about 12 knots of south-westerly and a 1.5m swell on a front quarter. There appeared to be no keel grab or any tendency to bury its nose— even without activating the trim tabs.
The two big electronic Yanmars provide smooth, quiet power with virtually no vibration, and zero smoke when the revs are cranked up! The boat backs up well and loses water in the cockpit very quickly.
SENSIBLE LAYOUT
The basic layout is very sensibly thought out, offering simplicity, practicality and ultimate functionality for its intended use.
Layout of choice for the cabin takes the form of vee-shaped bunks, supplying comfortable sleeping for four. The companionway gives wide access from cabin to galley/dinette and provides locker space fitted with coat rails.
A high-gloss timber table and U-shaped lounge form a dinette on the port side. Opposite is a snug—though very functional—galley. A dark marble work top and sink is surrounded by stylish high-gloss timber bench top on a higher tier. The forward sections of both galley and dinette have hinged bench tops that create safe and spacious storage for glasses and cups. An Isotherm fridge, microwave and cupboards provide all things necessary for a functional galley. The main switch panel is fitted just forward of the galley.
next page »
« go back
