NIMBUS 380 CARISMA
BUILT: 2004 PRICE: £127,850
LOA 37ft 9in (11.5m) Beam 11ft 10in (3.6m) Draught 3ft 3in (1.0m) Displacement 7.5 tonnes Fuel capacity 755 litres Engines Twin Volvo Penta KAMD 43 230hp diesel
FOR SALE James Dickens Marine; www.jamesdickensmarine.com
Amongst the Princesses, Fairlines and Sealines that dominate this sector, Nimbus isn’t the obvious choice, but it is a good one.
The Swedish builder is better known for its deck saloon boats, and in fact this model is based on the 380 Coupe. Built between 2000 and 2008, it typifies the practical nature and hard-wearing, high quality we expect from Scandinavian boats.
INTERIOR
A galley-up layout creates space for two decent double cabins, the forward one with a centreline double berth. There’s a decent heads on the lower deck too. Head up to the main deck and a comparatively narrow beam couples with wide side decks to squeeze the saloon a little, but it still feels like a generous space. The galley is incorporated into the sideboard to starboard opposite a large dinette that converts to a double berth. The finish is traditional teak with inevitable blue upholstery and carpets. Cutting edge it isn’t, but robust and long-lasting it certainly is.
EXTERIOR
A deep cockpit with a full canopy makes this a sheltered spot, and wide side decks ensure it’s easy to crew.
Proper stairs lead up to a flybridge with a single helm seat plus a forward-facing seat for your crew ahead of an L-shaped seating area that adapts easily into a sunlounging zone. Built into the flybridge overhang above the cockpit is overhead lifejacket storage – a neat touch.
PERFORMANCE
All the later twin installations got Volvo Penta D4 diesel engines following their launch in 2006. Earlier boats like this one had 230hp KAMD 43 motors for a top speed of about 25 knots. The conventional shaft drive engines are under the cockpit floor, courtesy of vee drive gearboxes that take the power forward before transmitting it to shafts beneath.
SEAKEEPING
A planing hull rather than an oft assumed semi-displacement hull, the Nimbus 380 is a decent sea boat, typical of its Scandi heritage. A small keel aids low speed directional stability at low speed.