Beneteau Antares 30 and 30S: Small Flybridge, Big Cruising Ideas

Antares 30: the range's first flybridge

Beneteau billed the Antares 30 as the range's first flybridge motor cruiser, and MBY's 2009 preview repeated the claim, even though bigger Antares models such as the 10.80 and 13.80 had carried flybridges before. What was genuinely new was a cruising flybridge on a single-engine boat this small. MBY's used-boat feature in 2018 recorded the launch at the Paris Boat Show in 2009. YachtBuyer gives production as 2010 to 2018, and Beneteau's equipment list was still current in July 2018.

Despite the name, the boat is 10.22 m (33 ft 6 in) overall with the platform and 9.98 m on the hull, with a 3.39 m (11 ft 1 in) beam. That is right at the lower limit for a flybridge, and MBY admitted that very small flybridge boats made its tester nervous before he drove this one. The verdict after a choppy day in the Solent was that the hull could hardly perform more impressively.

The Antares 30S sedan, same hull without the bridge

Searches for the Antares 30s are almost as common as for the flybridge boat, and they refer to the sedan version. Beneteau describes the 30S as the non-flybridge Antares 30, with a conventional hard top fitted with two large sliding glazed hatches that have integrated blinds. Below the roofline, layout, tankage and hull are the same.

Losing the flybridge saves weight and height. Beneteau lists the 30S at 4,550 kg light against 5,130 kg for the flybridge model, with 3.40 m of air draft against 3.60 m. The 30S was also offered with a smaller engine: Beneteau's list gives a single Volvo D4-260 or D6-370, while the flybridge boat used the 370 or 380 hp engines. For river and canal cruising or a covered slip, the 30S is the practical choice.

• Antares 30: flybridge with saloon and sunpad, optional second helm, 5,130 kg light
• Antares 30S: hard top with two sliding roof hatches, 4,550 kg light, lower air draft
• Antares 32: twin-engine derivative of the same hull with Nanni diesels

One engine, one shaft and why it suits this boat

MBY's 2011 test boat had a single Yanmar 6LY3 of 380 hp driving a conventional shaft, and twins were not offered on the 30. Beneteau later switched to the Volvo Penta D6-370 when Yanmar stopped producing the 6LY3, according to MBY's 2018 used-boat report. That report found a south coast boat-share club, Pure Latitude, running an Antares 30 for years precisely because one reliable diesel on a shaft is cheap and simple to maintain compared with sterndrives.

The trade-off is close-quarters handling. A small keel and the shaft help the boat track well underway, but MBY found the high windage blew it around in a Force 2 to 3 in a busy marina and called the optional bow thruster essential. Do not buy an Antares 30 without one unless you are prepared to retrofit it.

Ride, top speed and the 20 knot sweet spot

On MBY's choppy Solent test the 30 ran to a 26 knot top speed without slamming, even with the trim tabs largely ignored, and firmed up positively above 12 knots. The French low-profile flybridge felt secure rather than top-heavy. Using the Yanmar's display, MBY found a surprisingly useful sweet spot just under 20 knots returning about 2 miles per gallon. Because MBY works in imperial gallons, that equates to roughly 12 US gallons an hour at around 20 knots.

The weak point is fuel capacity. With only 375 liters (99 US gallons), MBY joked that the tank would get you from the Solent to Dartmouth at 9 knots or more but certainly not back. Efficiency does not improve again until you drop below about 9 knots. Plan passages around fuel stops and treat the boat as a coastal hopper.

Inside: huge windows and a clever galley

MBY's tester said the saloon windows would blow your mind. They are enormous and include large sliding sections on both sides, which make the wheelhouse one of the best ventilated boats at this size. A three-leaf glass door opens to the cockpit, the U-shaped saloon converts to a double, and the helm seat back hinges forward so four can sit around the table. The galley to starboard has a gas hob and oven, sink and a 65 liter fridge.

Below, the owner's double sits on a base that lifts on struts to reveal four lockers and the bow thruster, and has windows on both sides. The guest cabin has two bunks, with the upper one folding away by day. One head with a shower and an 88 liter holding tank serves both. The only real grumble is engine access through the saloon floor, which MBY said takes about five minutes to open up.

Lazarette, cockpit lockers and a small but useful flybridge

The Antares 30's party trick is storage. MBY praised an amazingly generous lazarette and three cockpit lockers, more stowage than on some 60 footers its tester had driven. Fenders, lines, bikes, a paddleboard and a generator's worth of cruising gear all fit, which is why the boat works as a weekender for four.

The flybridge is compact but complete. Beneteau's 2009 preview offered it either as a lounge with a sunpad and dinette and no helm, or with an upper steering station, and later boats list the dual station as an option. The U-shaped flybridge seating surrounds a table, the pilot seat converts to a sun lounger, and a stainless pulpit runs all the way round.

Antares 30 for sale: what to pay

Prices for an Antares 30 for sale or an Antares 30s for sale mostly fall between about $85,000 and $165,000. The newest flybridge boats with Volvo D6 engines, bow thrusters and electronics packs ask the most. The 30S tends to sell for a little less, and boats with the 260 hp engine are slower and slightly less sought after.

Running costs are among the lowest of any diesel flybridge cruiser: one engine to service, one shaft, one head and simple systems. Budget roughly $9,000 to $18,000 a year in a typical US marina, excluding major engine work, and remember to factor the 220 volt question into any European import.