Beneteau Antares 6 Guide, from the Diesel Original to the Antares 6 OB

Which Antares 6 are you looking at?

Type Antares 6 into a listings site and two unrelated boats come back. The first is the inboard Antares 6 of the 2000s, which Beneteau describes as the first inboard in the cruise-oriented Antares range: a 6.53 m diesel boat with a shaft drive, a Patrice Sarrazin profile and a U-shaped saloon. The second is the outboard Antares 6, sometimes called the Antares 6 OB, a 5.52 m hull that Beneteau's website was showing by late 2017 and that stayed on European price lists into the 2020s.

Most people searching for the Beneteau Antares 6 today mean the outboard boat, so that is the focus of this page, with the diesel original covered in its own section below. The two share a name, a badge and a love of fishing, and almost nothing else. Do not mix their specs when you compare listings, because some sellers do exactly that.

The outboard Antares 6 in numbers

Beneteau's 2023 equipment list gives a hull length of 5.52 m (18 ft 1 in), a standard overall length of 5.62 m and up to 6.50 m (21 ft 4 in) with the extended swim platform and other options. Overall width is 2.43 m (just under 8 ft), so the boat trailers without permits. Light displacement is 1,320 kg (2,909 lbs) without engine and 1,400 kg (3,086 lbs) in EC trim, a good 1,000 lbs lighter than the inboard Antares 6.

The fuel tank holds 100 liters (26 gallons), a 50 liter (13 gallon) rigid water tank is optional, and the boat takes a single outboard of up to 115 hp on an extra-long 25 in shaft. Draft is 0.30 to 0.60 m (1 ft to 2 ft), air draft is 2.21 m (7 ft 3 in), and the CE category is C6 / D6. Beneteau's own copy makes the point plainly: space and comfort were rethought for trips with up to six people on a boat this short.

• Hull length 18 ft 1 in, LOA 18 ft 5 in standard, 21 ft 4 in maximum with options
• Width 7 ft 12 in (2.43 m), EC weight 3,086 lbs
• Fuel 26 gallons, optional water 13 gallons
• Single outboard up to 115 hp, 25 in shaft
• CE C6 / D6, six people

A pilothouse that moves its furniture around

The outboard Antares 6 earns its keep with modular pieces. The three-seat aft bench slides forward so the outboard can tilt up without losing the seat, and the cockpit can be dressed with an optional U-shaped saloon that converts into a sunpad. Starboard has a swim access with a safety door and a telescopic ladder, which makes climbing back aboard far easier than going over the outboard.

Inside, the wheelhouse measures 1.50 m by 1.59 m with 2 m (6 ft 7 in) of headroom. The helm is to starboard with a bolster pilot seat; a kitchenette with a sink tub hides under it, and an optional 42 liter fridge can be added. To port, an inward-facing saloon seat has a copilot backrest that swivels between driving and dining positions. Forward is a small cabin with 1.36 m (4 ft 6 in) headroom, a berth, shelving and a location for an optional marine toilet with holding tank. An extra wheelhouse berth was offered for those who sleep aboard.

Engines, electronics and the connected-boat box

Like its siblings, the Antares 6 left the factory with pre-rigging and the dealer fitted the engine. The 2023 list includes Suzuki mechanical and electronic keyless pre-rigs from 40 to 115 hp, Yamaha from 80 to 115 hp, Honda from 40 to 115 hp and a mechanical Mercury pre-rig from F40 to 115. Beneteau's site emphasizes that with a single engine up to 115 hp the boat is impressively maneuverable around harbors; listings we saw nearly all carry a Suzuki 115.

Electronics packs moved to Garmin, with a 7 in ECHOMAP or an upgraded 9 in UHD display and a transom transducer. Later boats carry Beneteau's Seanapps box, which reports battery charge, tank levels and position to an owner's phone. Beneteau has not published speed or fuel data for this boat and we did not find an independent test, so we leave performance figures blank rather than guess.

The diesel Antares 6 of the 2000s

The older Antares 6 belongs to what Beneteau calls the fourth Antares generation (2001 to 2011). Its February 2010 inventory lists a 6.53 m overall length (7.21 m with swim platform), a 6.42 m hull, 2.59 m beam, 1,940 kg EC displacement, 0.70 m draft, 120 liters of fuel and a 110 hp maximum. The engine at that date was a Yanmar 4JH4 HTE of 110 hp on a shaft line, while the 2007 range brochure shows the Antares 6 Fishing with a Volvo D3 of 110 hp, trolling valve and twin controls.

The layout is closer to a small cruiser: galley to port, helm to starboard, a U-shaped saloon forward that converts to a double of about 1.90 m by 1.40 to 1.80 m, and an enclosed toilet compartment under the helm. Beneteau's copy praised the gull-wing hull for stability and the cockpit for its bench, dining and sunbathing options. Listings we found are 2006 to 2009 builds at roughly 22,000 to 35,000 euros.

How to tell them apart on a listing: the diesel boat has no outboard on the transom, a 2.59 m beam, an engine hatch in the cockpit and a CE C7 rating, while the Antares 6 OB has an outboard, a 2.43 m width and a C6 plate.

Buying a used Antares 6 OB

Antares 6 for sale listings are concentrated in France and Italy. We saw a 2019 boat with a Suzuki 115 at 35,000 euros and a 2024 boat at 55,000 euros, which tells you depreciation on this model has been gentle. The model no longer appears in Beneteau's current Antares lineup, which now starts at the Antares 7, so buyers who want this size have only the used market.

Because the boat was sold with factory pre-rigging and dealer-installed engines, check that the controls, gauges and harness match the outboard and that the installation has a proper dealer invoice. On newer boats, ask whether the Seanapps subscription transfers.

Costs and the owners it suits

An outboard 6 is cheap to run: one four-stroke service a year, a trailer, insurance and fuel. We estimate 3,500 to 8,000 dollars a year without a slip, more with marina storage. The diesel 6 costs a little more to maintain (shaft seal, cutlass bearing, raw water pump, exhaust elbow) but sips fuel at displacement speeds.

The outboard boat suits couples and small families who want a sheltered helm for coastal fishing and swimming trips. The diesel version suits a buyer who values range at low speed and an enclosed toilet, and who keeps the boat in the water.