Sealine F530 used boat review: More bang for your buck

Pretty much everything about the Sealine F530 is big and arguably you get more for your money here than with any other 50-footer of its era

There’s no question that boats like the Sealine F530 are perfectly at home in the Med and other sunspots around the world. But in the UK? Well, that’s up for debate, especially for those who do their boating in places such as Britain’s south coast where marina space is at a premium – not just in terms of cost but also with regard to pontoon availability for plus-size boats.

At a shade over 16m in overall length, the Sealine F530 may not be the biggest boat in the ocean but it’s plenty long enough to warrant forward planning when it comes to looking for a visitor’s berth.

However, finding a berth was not a concern for us as we tickled our way along the Hamble for a photoshoot on a baking summer’s afternoon. On days like this, the appeal of the big Sealine becomes immediately apparent.

As we surveyed all around us from our lofty, expansive and sun-drenched flybridge perch, Richard, our broker from Solent Motor Yachts, who is offering this vessel for £649,950 VAT paid, fiddled with the Dynamic Position System (DPS) to hold the boat rock-steady as another vessel inched past us on the river’s narrow and crowded channel.

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Despite the Hamble’s notorious tide running fast, the DPS performed its task admirably, impressing not only us but also the somewhat nervous-looking helm of the passing vessel.

Richard just grinned: “Good, isn’t it?” he said. And yes, it was.

Bang for your buck

DPS is just one of the many impressive features of this boat. Pretty much everything about the F530 is big and arguably you get more for your money here than with any other 50-footer of its era.

For starters, there are no fewer than three outdoor entertaining areas. Occupying around half of the boat’s length, the flybridge is the largest of these.

Accessed via a set of seven steps from the aft cockpit, the rearmost section of the fly features an enormous U-shaped settee, capable of seating up to nine people very comfortably.

Fronting the settee is a king-size fold-out table with five drinks/bottle holders integrated into its top. Butting up against the aft edge of the settee is the boat’s wet bar and grill.

This means the entire upstairs catering and dining are seamlessly connected but also neatly separated from the fly’s business end.

In fact, it’s not all business up front, as opposite the double helm seat and fully-appointed helm station is a second double seat, ahead of which Sealine has added a spacious double sunpad so you can keep the skipper company.

Extra outdoor fun

The second outdoor entertaining space is the aft cockpit. Nestled beneath the rear end of the flybridge, it feels wonderfully well protected and makes full use of the F530’s wide beam.

There are two integral three-seater couches and bags of room for free-standing chairs around the other two sides of the floor-mounted fold-out table, which, like its upstairs counterpart, also incorporates a five-glass/bottle holder.

With the saloon’s rear doors open, the aft cockpit links directly to the galley area and a fold-out countertop completes the connection, making serving very easy.

In inclement weather, the aft cockpit can be sealed from the elements with wraparound canvas covers.

Keeping the warmth in the main saloon is then simply a matter of closing the folding glass doors. To find the third outdoor entertaining zone, it’s necessary to take a trip along the boat’s wide and well-protected side decks.

For the first half of the journey, the side decks are step-free with gunwales that are almost waist high. Thereafter, three steps and a set of beefy handrails lead up to the bow.

There’s a tremendous sense of safety and security throughout this boat – and that’s just as well, as we imagine countless bottles of Prosecco must have travelled this route in order to reach the guests lounging at the foredeck’s large horseshoe settee.

While there’s no fridge up here, there is a very accommodating table. Returning to the saloon, the galley occupies the rear section abutting the aft cockpit.

This is a large, well-appointed space with a full range of appliances and storage space integrated into high-quality, high-gloss cabinetry. On our review boat, a sleek black worktop added greatly to the galley’s look and feel.

Acres of glass

Moving forward, the single most striking feature of the saloon is the amount of glazing. In fact, the sides of the saloon are almost entirely made of glass and the result is one of the brightest and lightest spaces you’ll find aboard any boat.

In MBY’s original review of the F530 back in 2016, our writer noted that the windows are fantastic on the inside but, in his opinion, would take some getting used to from the outside.

Today, however, those comments seem less relevant, as vast glazing panels have become the norm. Perhaps the F530 was just ahead of its time but either way, the effect of all this light is stunning.

There’s another huge seating unit and table in here and dining in an environment like this would undoubtedly be a real pleasure.

Positioned to starboard, the lower helm affords excellent views all round. Side doors on both sides of the boat allow quick and easy access to the side decks, as well as improved ventilation.

The lower helm seat also has an unusual trick up its sleeve. Pull the metal lever protruding from the side and it can be folded down to provide a chaise in the dining area.

Accommodation

Four steps down the companionway, three cabins await. The entrance to the master is to starboard.

As you enter, a corridor runs aft past the ensuite to the cabin proper – a full-beam midships affair, luxuriously equipped with a large double bed, wardrobe and dressing table plus a two-seater table unit to port.

The VIP cabin is in the forepeak. This also has a large double bed and plenty of storage space.

The ensuite comes with Jack and Jill doors, allowing it to be used as a day heads, and by the occupants of the boat’s third cabin, which came either with a double bed or a pair of singles.

Performance

For propulsion, Sealine opted to fit Volvo Penta IPS drives as standard on the F530. Featuring forward-facing counter-rotating props on steerable pods, it offers several advantages over shafts in terms of fuel efficiency, speed, handling and quietness.

We certainly had no major complaints in our original F530 test – and that’s despite our (prototype) boat being equipped with IPS600s.

Later production models had either IPS700s with a top speed of 30 knots or IPS800s, which could achieve around 34 knots.

Whichever rig you chose, the space aft of the engine room was also well used with one of three alternative options – a no-frills empty space, a large lazarette or a compact crew cabin.

Sealine F530 specifications

DESIGNER: Dixon Yacht Design/Sealine
HULL TYPE: Variable V
RCD: B (12 persons)
LOA: 52ft 11in (16.13m)BEAM: 14ft 11in (4.56m)
DRAFT: 3ft 11in (1.2m)
DISPLACEMENT: 20,370kg
FUEL CAPACITY: 1,560l
WATER CAPACITY: 766l
TOP SPEED: 30 knots (with Volvo Penta IPS700 engines – Sealine figure)
FUEL CONSUMPTION: 7.06L/nm @ 21.1 knots (all fuel figures derived from 2016 MBY test of the prototype, which (in contrast to subsequent production models) used the smaller IPS600 engines.
RANGE: 176nm at 18.5 knots with 20% reserve

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