Antares 805 Buyer's Notes for the Beneteau Antares 8.05

Antares 805, a 1990s Antares in a sentence or two

The Antares 805 is the boat Beneteau's heritage archive calls the Antares 8.05: a wheelhouse fishing and cruising boat of about 26 feet, driven by a single inboard diesel and drawn by Andre Beneteau. It sits in the third generation of Antares motorboats, which the yard dates from 1990 to 2001, and it replaced the late 1980s Antares 8.00 in the 8 meter slot of the range.

Beneteau's own description is short and confident. It says the 8.05 handles offshore fishing and comfortable cruising equally well, that its ability to hold a course is remarkable in any sea state even at low speed, that anglers will reach the best fishing spots before everyone else and that cruising owners get speed and comfort for longer trips. That is the brief: a dependable diesel boat for people who go out when it is a bit rough.

What changed with the third Antares generation

Beneteau describes the third generation as the moment the range changed direction. In the yard's words, the double-tunnel hull designed and patented by Andre Beneteau marks a turning point in the range's history. The idea behind running a propeller in a tunnel is to let it sit higher, which reduces draft and shaft angle and so improves efficiency and protects the running gear. Beneteau's heritage pages do not say which individual third generation models used the tunnels, so ask the seller for hull photos from the last haul-out and look for the recesses forward of the propeller before you pay for a survey.

The rest of the 1990 to 2001 range shows how wide the family was. It ran from small outboard boats such as the Antares 4.50 HB and the 500 and 550 Calanque through the 6.05, 6.20, 6.55, 6.80 and 7.60 to the 8.05, 9.05 and 10.80, plus the Serie 6, 7, 8 and 9 models. The 8.05 was one of the bigger diesel inboard boats in that lineup.

Dimensions and engines from real boats

Beneteau's archive page for the 8.05 does not publish a specification table, and we could not find an original equipment list. The figures on this page therefore come from the boats themselves. Several European listings give the same 8.10 m length and 2.95 m beam, about 26 ft 7 in by 9 ft 8 in, and describe one cabin with three berths and a single diesel. We have left displacement, draft and tankage blank rather than guess.

The engines we found are all Volvo Penta or marinized diesels between roughly 140 and 200 hp: a Volvo Penta TAMD 41 of 200 hp in a 1991 boat, an unnamed Volvo of 190 hp in a 1992 boat, a 141 hp Volvo in another 1991 hull and a 200 hp diesel listed under the MerCruiser name in a 1992 boat. Some of these will be repowers. When you inspect a boat, confirm the engine model from its plate, then check the propeller size and the rated rpm, because a mismatched repower is a common reason older diesel boats underperform.

A wheelhouse, a cabin and a working cockpit

The 8.05 follows the Antares template that Beneteau had refined through the 1980s. A deck saloon with a forward-raked windscreen holds the helm and a dinette. Steps lead down to a forward cabin and a small head. Aft, a self-draining cockpit gives anglers room to fish from the stern and the quarters, with side decks wide enough to walk forward to the anchor.

Gallery photos on Beneteau's heritage page show a pale wood interior and upholstered seating, in keeping with the period. Expect that the original fabrics, foam and headliners will be tired on any boat that has not been refitted. The boats we saw listed are described as one-cabin boats with three berths, which suggests a forward double and a single elsewhere, but layouts can vary with the market and with owners' changes, so check the actual boat.

Inspection priorities on a thirty-five-year-old diesel boat

Start with the engine. A Volvo Penta TAMD 41 or similar diesel from the early 1990s can run for many thousands of hours if it has been cooled and serviced well, but its heat exchanger, aftercooler, turbo, exhaust elbow and injection pump are expensive to rebuild. Ask for invoices, then have a marine diesel mechanic run compression and blow-by checks and look for oil in the coolant or coolant in the oil.

Next, the running gear. On a single-shaft boat, worn cutless bearings, a weeping stern gland and a bent or corroded propeller make the boat vibrate and steer badly. If the hull has tunnels, check that the propeller tips have even clearance to the tunnel roof and that there is no impact damage or grinding marks.

Then the structure. Look for moisture in the deck around cleats, rails, the windscreen and the wheelhouse roof, and look for stress cracks in the cockpit sole where fishing gear and coolers are dropped. Windows set in aluminum frames on boats of this age often leak; follow water stains inside the wheelhouse back to their source.

What an Antares 805 costs to buy and keep

European asking prices for the boats we found ran from 25,000 to 37,000 euros. That is a premium over the 1980s Antares 8.00 and 8.60, which ask from roughly 13,500 to 24,000 euros, and it reflects both the newer design and, in many cases, newer engines. In dollar terms, plan on about $25,000 to $42,000 for a good boat before transport.

Annual costs are modest if the engine is healthy. With a slip or mooring, insurance, one haul-out with antifouling, an engine service and the usual small repairs, $6,000 to $12,000 a year is realistic in most US regions. A single diesel and no outboards keep fuel and maintenance far below a modern twin outboard boat of the same length. The wild card is a major engine repair, which can quickly match a year's normal budget.

Should a US buyer import one?

Only if you specifically want this kind of boat. An Antares 805 offers a seaworthy French diesel hull with an enclosed helm at a price that is hard to beat, but shipping a 26-footer from France, clearing customs and adapting a 230 volt shore power system can add a large share of the purchase price. You will also be maintaining a model that few US yards have seen.

Buyers who simply want a pilothouse weekender on this side of the Atlantic may do better with a domestic boat. A Ranger Tugs R-27 or a Cutwater 28 costs far more but comes with a US dealer network, modern engines and easy resale. If what draws you is the French working-boat character and the efficiency of a single diesel, the 805 is worth the effort, and the right boat may already be sitting in a Breton or Vendee harbor.

The 8.00 before it and the 8.8 and 8.80 after it

The Antares 8.00 that preceded the 805 is about 8.00 m long and 2.86 m wide, with a long keel and a 160 hp diesel. After the 805, the fourth generation (2001 to 2011) produced the Antares 8.8, an 8.60 m twin inboard boat of 2006, and the Antares 8.80, an outboard-powered boat with Beneteau's Air Step hull unveiled at the end of 2010. They share little but the name.

If a listing is vague, compare the beam and the propulsion. Roughly 2.95 m of beam with a single shaft diesel and an early 1990s build year is the profile of an Antares 805.