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Aquador, a Finnish shipyard part of the Nimbus Group, is making a name for itself for the superior quality of its boats at an attractive price. We tested the flagship of the range, Aquador 400HT, a 12.10 m wide 3.96 cruiser.
Watch the full test here – VIDEO
The typically Scandinavian design is simple and pragmatic: The pilot-house, defined by an isosceles trapezoid, or the windows, which scale up the side, are true stylistic features of the brand. At the stern, we find an immense, wide, long, and completely free beach, while an L-shaped sofa with its coffee table is integrated in the transom, defining a convivial area at the water’s edge. HT stands for Hard Top, but in this case, more than protecting the cockpit, it goes to define a cabin: inside the roof pillars, in fact, there is a Norwegian, folded, which, sliding on rails, goes to create a real salon, usable in any climate.
A diagonal corridor separates a large dining area, consisting of a C-shaped sofa with its table, on the port side, from the corner galley, on the starboard side, which comes abreast of the helm station. Below decks are no less than three double cabins, with the owner’s stateroom forward, large and livable, while those aft have a more limited height. The bathroom is a single, central one, but it is very large, well usable, and above all has a completely separate shower stall, a real convenience.
The torque provided by the two Volvo Penta D4 inboards of 320 hp each immediately pushes the not inconsiderable bulk of this hull, which begins to plane as early as 10 knots. From 2600 rpm every vibration transmitted by the engines goes to zero, revealing a quiet interior environment, with no annoying squeaks or creaks in the furnishings often audible when hitting the waves.
Truly remarkable consumption: from 20 to 32 knots there is a range of speed with consumption stably under 3 liters per mile. The maximum speed we reached was 37.5 knots. Aquador 400HT will soon come in an outboard version, motorizable with 400 hp torque, but you can feel that it was designed for inboards. However, on its smaller sister 300HT, the difference between the two versions is abysmal, with a clear victory for the EFB version in terms of comfort.
On the entire Aquador range, the attachment price is certainly competitive in a market crowded with competitors: 400 HT, with the pair of inboard diesel outboards, starts at €486,000 + VAT. Given the upper-class features, it can be an attractive alternative to the more highly rated brands.
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