SEALINE F43
BUILT: 2002 PRICE: £139,950
Sealine has never been afraid of coming up with something genuinely different, and the F43 is a case in point. Built between 1998 and 2006, it’s the layout that sets this boat apart. Where every other manufacturer made its customers decide between an aft cabin boat with its full-length accommodation and huge master cabin but a flat exposed deck above it, or an enclosed cockpit aft of the saloon but accommodation that stopped just ahead of it, Sealine offered both, simultaneously. It was a big success – almost 170 were sold.
INTERIOR
The secret to how Sealine managed to create the best of both worlds can be found in that master cabin aft. Unlike most aft cabin boats, the bed was placed with the head at the forward end of the cabin so as you enter, it’s next to you, not ahead of you. Then the headroom directly over the bed was lowered, creating a large well in the deck above and voila, a cockpit and an aft cabin!
It’s even got separate shower and toilet facilities in the aft corners. There’s a large saloon a couple of steps down from the cockpit with a lower helm, then on the lower deck forward you’ll find a decent galley opposite a dinette that can create occasional extra sleeping and a forward cabin with ensuite access to the day heads.
EXTERIOR
That aft deck/aft cockpit is the defining feature for sure, but there’s plenty more to like. The flybridge is a few shallow steps up and the side decks, though slim to maximise internal volume, have high rails and plenty of non-slip going forward.
PERFORMANCE
Sealine offered a variety of engines, all twin Volvo Penta. 430hp TAMD74LS or 480hp TAMD75PS were on the menu, and the last six boats got common rail D6 370hp motors. But by far the most popular were a pair of TAMD63P engines that gave 29 knots with a clean hull when new and a comfortable 22-knot cruise.
SEAKEEPING
For a big, beamy accommodation-biased boat, the F43 puts up a decent enough showing out at sea.
LOA: 43ft 5in (14.2m) Beam: 13ft 8in (4.2m) Draught: 4ft 2in (1.3m) Displacement: 10.5 tonnes Fuel capacity: 1,134 litres Engines: Twin Volvo Penta TAMD63P 370hp diesels
FOR SALE: Boats.co.uk www.boats.co.uk