Beneteau Antares 8.60

[zikzik]

Hi. My first visit to the MBF. I sail, though currently have a 5m rib as well.

I have an aim to go through the French canals. Yachts are not ideal due to deeper draft and the mast, but of course often doable. But I have a French business friend who has told me he is selling his fathers Antares 8.60. It is French registered and moored in a marina in the Gironde, so a pretty good location to start from. I need help with the following:

It has 2 x Volvo Tam30 engines. They have 1400 hours on them but have recently been reconditioned. Will it go too fast at tick over for the low canal speed limits, and will they (or one of them at a time I guess) overheat if run that slowly?

Am I just dreaming to think I can buy at, say £20k, use it for 3-5 years on and off, both in France and perhaps peter the Thames, then sell it for £10-£15k.

It was built in 87, so is condition probably more relevant to value than age? I am told they are a good sea boat but not very fast. Thats ok if I get to the med and want to take to Majorca or somewhere (though I would rather be sailing in that situation really).

I look forward to getting some guidance.

 

[zikzik]

So I guess nobody has been through the French canals with their boat at 5knots, and not in an Antares?

 

[Kawasaki]

No experience of French canals excepting for falling in one once!
However, I would imagine your water draft will be suitable and prob your air draft
Are the Volvos TAMD30'S which will have a Turbo?
Again I don't think that is a prob because of the age of the vessel, I wouldn't think by now 'glazing' of the cylinders, which peeps reckon happens at low revs etc etc and all that there will matter.
Set the tickover low or run on one motor from time to time
What's the Plan, to run from the Gironde to Blighty?

 

[zikzik]

I have read that canal draft is min 1.2m, so 0.8m of the Antares should be ok as you say.

I assumed these engines were naturally aspirated. Are all tam30's turbo? If so, that's a worry at constant low speed.

Thanks for mentioning bore wear. If they have been recently reconditioned, maybe they were re-bored. I will have to check.
If I buy this boat, my plan is to carry on down the Gironde from her current berth, into the canal lateral to Toulouse, then the canal du midi to the med. The eventual return would be canals up through Paris to the channel, then over to the UK to maybe have a go at the Thames. Notice these are the places I can't really go to in a yacht, but would like to travel. All this could take 5 years with real life getting in the way.

So tickover speed with one engine at a time is my main concern, unless you guys think I am looking at the wrong boat altogether?