Beneteau Antares 8 Review: a 26-Foot Pilothouse Pocket Cruiser

Antares Beneteau 8: a pilothouse boat sized for two

The Antares Beneteau 8 is the most compact way into a line of French pilothouse boats that André Beneteau started with the Antares 7.50 in 1977. It measures 26 feet 5 inches overall on a 9-foot 2-inch beam, carries a single outboard of up to 250 hp, and packs an enclosed wheelhouse, a forward double cabin and a head into a boat small enough to trailer with the right rig.

Boating magazine spent a night aboard one on Sarasota Bay and called it a pocket cruiser, a term from the days when many builders sold small trailerable cabin boats for near-shore cruising. That is the right frame. The Antares 8 is not a yacht in miniature; it is a well-designed day and weekend boat for a couple, or a family that does not mind close quarters.

Two generations of the 8, and the 2022 refresh

Two Antares 8s share the name. The first outboard Antares 8 belongs to the fifth Antares generation that Beneteau dates from 2012 to 2022. Beneteau's heritage page lists it at 27 feet overall, 9 feet 2 inches of beam, 5,402 pounds dry, 74 gallons of fuel and 250 hp maximum, with a real double cabin forward and a separate shower and head, walnut-stained woodwork and three possible cockpit seating layouts.

For the 2022 Miami show Beneteau refreshed the boat. Power and Motoryacht reported that the running surface stayed the same, but the boat was offered in two versions, cruising and fishing, with refined fit and finish, a 250 hp outboard instead of the earlier 225, and options such as lithium-ion battery-powered air conditioning. Beneteau's current figures are 26 feet 5 inches, 5,609 pounds dry and 90 gallons of fuel.

When shopping, ask which generation a boat is. The later boats have more fuel, the two-version layout and the newer equipment list, and they carry a premium.

Speed, fuel and how it rides

Beneteau quotes a top speed of 35 knots with the 250 hp engine. Power and Motoryacht reported that the earlier Antares 8 reached 37 knots with a 225 hp Mercury Verado and returned a very economical 3.2 miles per gallon at a 17-knot cruise. We have not seen an independent fuel curve for the 250 hp version, so treat those numbers as a guide.

Boating's editor took the boat to the mouth of a Gulf inlet in a steady west wind and found it handled short, wind-driven waves admirably and kept him and his wife completely dry. He was clear that it is not a dedicated offshore boat, which matches its CE category C rating for coastal waters, and that is where it belongs: bays, sounds, the ICW and good-weather coastal hops.

A bow thruster is available and Boating found it made single-handed docking easy, especially in current. The windlass can be operated from the helm, so one person can anchor without going forward.

Wheelhouse, cabin and a sliding cockpit bench

Beneteau splits the deck into thirds. The aft third is the cockpit, entered through a starboard boarding door or from the swim platforms. In the cruising version a bench seat slides forward so the outboard can tilt up, with a cooler beneath and a filler cushion that turns the area into a sunpad. A stowable table converts the bench into a dining spot or lounge.

The middle third is the enclosed wheelhouse with 6 feet 7 inches of headroom at the helm, a swiveling captain's chair, a co-pilot seat whose backrest flips to face forward or aft, a dinette that converts to a double berth, a small galley with fridge and cooktop, and room for a 12-inch display. Beneteau says the boat has two double berths, one in the cabin and one in the wheelhouse, sleeps up to five, and can add a berth in the space under the saloon.

Forward is the cabin with a double berth and the head, then the bow sun pad, rails and anchor locker. A roof rack on the hardtop carries paddleboards or kayaks, and the wide starboard walkway makes the bow easy to reach.

The fishing version

Beneteau's fishing configuration replaces the aft bench with a sliding fishing station that includes a bait box, storage trays, a tilting chair, a hand rail with five rod holders, a circulating fish tank to port and a raw-water washdown. Power and Motoryacht added that anglers can mount a rear-facing display in the cockpit to watch the sounder while dropping baits, and the hardtop carries extra rod holders.

Boating's test boat had the fishing package and still worked well as a weekender, which is the clever part: the fishing station slides, so the cockpit is not permanently given over to tackle.

Overnighting aboard, honestly

Boating's night aboard is a useful reality check. The battery-powered air conditioning struggled against a Florida summer midday, and the two small cabin windows did not move much air, though by evening the cabin cooled down and the system ran quietly on battery. There is no generator. The berth is a converted cushion, so an air mattress and proper bedding help, and there is a cockpit washdown rather than an enclosed shower.

With expectations set correctly, the boat delivered: anchoring from the helm, a sandbar afternoon, dinner at a waterfront restaurant and a night aboard for two. For longer trips, the Antares 9 adds a second cabin and twin engines.

What it costs to own an Antares 8

One outboard keeps running costs low. Budget roughly $8,000 to $16,000 a year for insurance, storage or a trailer, outboard service, bottom paint if kept in the water, and incidentals. Fuel depends on use, but on the earlier version Power and Motoryacht reported more than 3 miles per gallon at 17 knots.

The starting price of $99,200 before engine makes the Antares 8 one of the least expensive new pilothouse boats with a real cabin and head, and Beneteau's dealer network makes service straightforward. Resale is supported by brand recognition in both the US and Europe.