15 years after the last model rolled off the production line, Alan Harper takes another look at the impressive Aquanaut Drifter 1350 AK
They like quality, the Dutch, so it comes as no surprise to learn that when the ISO 9001 quality standard was introduced back in 1987, firms the length and breadth of Holland began champing at the bit to gain accreditation.
Leading that charge was Aquanaut’s range of steel-hulled boats and, to this day, the firm’s website proudly boasts that it was the first in Holland to receive the ISO 9001 stamp of approval.
At the time, the company was known as Dutch Craftsmanship BV. Founded in 1961 by brothers, Johan and Wim Bakker, in the picturesque Dutch Lake District town of Sneek, the business enjoyed many years of success.
Initially, cabin cruisers were the order of the day, but these were soon superseded by trawler-style motor yachts. Built for comfort and ideal for cruising Europe’s inland waterways, they were equally capable of putting to sea.
There’s lots of space for chairs and tables so you can keep the skipper company on a cruise
Well-travelled boat
It was partly this flexibility that saw the firm’s Aquanaut-branded motoryachts become a popular choice throughout the Netherlands, Germany and France. However, like so many others in the marine industry, the company eventually fell on hard times and in 2022, Dutch Craftsmanship was declared bankrupt.
Happily, the business was rescued by another Dutch family business, De Driesprong Yacht Center, and today, known as Aquanaut Yachting Sneek BV, the yard continues to build steel-hulled boats. There are currently 13 model lines in lengths from 12 to 20 metres and among the numerous Aquanaut variants produced over the years is the Aquanaut Drifter 1350 AK featured here.
Slow speeds, big side decks and raised rails are perfect for relaxing family use
While Hebe is a 2002 model, sitting serenely on the Thames at Bray Marine Sales for a list price of £210,000, she is a very well-travelled boat, as owner Simon Dowden, a former pilot on the Thames, explains: “My wife, Jenny, and I bought Hebe in 2014. For the first two years, we kept her in the UK and then we crossed the Channel and went along the Seine to the French canals, living on the boat all the time.
You’re a long way from the galley so a fridge, a coolbox or a flask of tea could be useful
“We came off the canals and on to the Saône, travelled down to Lyon and then on to the Rhône, going all the way down to the Med. We spent some time in Aigues-Mortes and then Port Leucate, where we kept Hebe for a couple of years.
We travelled some of the canals down there and then we went to the Étang de Thau, which is a lovely place to visit, before going on to Marseille. After that we went along the coast a bit before coming back up the Rhône and Saône to St-Jean-de-Losne, another lovely spot.
We then took the canal to join the Rhine near Mulhouse before heading on to Strasbourg and eventually Holland, where we took the boat back to Aquanaut in Sneek for a refit, before bringing her back to the UK.
“Aquanaut repainted the boat, did a major service and the interior saloon was French polished. The reason we decided to do this goes back to the day I was in the doctor’s waiting room and picked up a copy of Motor Boat & Yachting. There was an article inside which said how good Aquanauts were and how well they held their price – so I decided to make sure I kept mine in the best condition I could.
“The boat has always been well looked after and when we bought her, she had already had her water and waste tanks swapped from steel to polyurethane, so they’re modern – not the same age as the boat.”
It’s great to see bow and stern thrusters on a boat with a single shaft
On-water manners
Simon is equally enthusiastic about the boat’s manoeuvrability on the water: “It’s very good indeed – you can steer even when the engine’s going astern. As long as you’re making way through the water you’ve got steerage because she’s got a nice big rudder. She’s only got a single engine, so the bow and stern thrusters obviously help as well.
“In terms of sea passages, she’s perfectly fine but I would say pick your days. She’s an RCD Category B vessel, which means she’s capable of operating offshore in winds of up to 40 knots and seas of 13 feet. And while she’ll roll and crash about a bit in a head sea, she’ll be absolutely fine. She’s a pretty robust boat!”
The lower dinette provides the option of a third double berth, just down from the saloon
Unusual layout
On their Continental odyssey, Simon and Jenny were often joined by guests, so her accommodation has been well tested. Even so, we have reservations about her layout because, despite being 44ft 9in in length, this is just a two-cabin boat. And while the owner gets a lavish full-beam aft cabin, the guest cabin comprises a short vee-berth tucked away in the forepeak – fine for kids but less so for adults.
We put this to Simon and he replied that it was never an issue: “The friends we had on there didn’t complain about the sleeping arrangements at all.” And in fairness, with the two cabins at opposite ends of the boat, privacy certainly isn’t an issue.
Even so, the washroom arrangement is another area that caught our quizzical eye. While the guest cabin is equipped with an ensuite, it only contains a toilet and a washbasin. And at the owner’s end of the boat, the ensuite is limited to a shower and a washbasin because the toilet is in the corridor outside. This means the captain’s loo doubles up as the day heads; and guests looking for a shower have to venture back into the owner’s cabin.
But if that all feels a shade unconventional, where this boat really comes alive is in the day spaces…
The Aquanaut’s galley enables you to enjoy proper cooked meals on board
Located four steps down from the saloon and butting up against the forward cabin, is the galley. Fully equipped with a four-burner hob, oven, fridge, sink and bags of storage and worktop, it’s laid out in a large horseshoe arrangement that will bring joy to a chef’s heart.
Opposite this is the dinette, which is capable of seating five in comfort. The table also drops down and converts into a third berth, enabling up to six people to spend the night on this boat.
However, back up those four steps from the galley is the star of the show. Fully glazed all round, the supersized saloon simply drinks in the light. As there’s no helm here (we’ll come to that in a minute) the entire space is given over to relaxation and socialising. There’s a gigantic seven or eight-seater U-shaped settee on the starboard side, plus a heavy wood coffee table and a superbly crafted set of cabinets that oozes quality (and French polish) on the port side.
The quality of cabinetry is as strong in the owner’s cabin as it is in the saloon
Leaving the saloon and heading up a second set of steps, a companionway leads to the helm and aft deck, both of which are designed to be enjoyed in the open air – and you really do get a sense of how fabulous it would be, pootling gently along Europe’s canals in the height of the summer.
Together, the helm and the aft cockpit form a wonderfully spacious area with plenty of room for a large freestanding table and chairs. But should the weather close in, the entire helm section can be quickly screened off with a set of all-round canvas covers. And if you enjoy cruising with family, you’ll love the walkways around the superstructure, which are nearly two feet wide and guarded by some seriously beefy rails.
A short vee berth in the bow feels a shade mean on a two-cabin boat of this scale
Slow and serene
With a single 159hp Vetus Deutz DT 64 engine, Hebe is very much built for comfort rather than speed. Even so, while that modest power means you’re unlikely to exceed 10 knots, makes for some amazingly economical cruising.
Simon tells us that, over the years, he’s averaged just one litre per nautical mile at six knots. At current diesel prices, that means the cost of travelling the 800 nautical miles from northern France to the Mediterranean, via the rivers and canals of Europe, could be comfortably achieved for less than £1,200. Pretty good for a big, sturdy 18-tonne liveaboard, wouldn’t you agree?
The big, flat roof spaces are tailor-made for a solar array
Aquanaut Drifter 1350 AK specifications
DESIGNER: Aquanaut/Vripack
HULL TYPE: displacement
RCD: Category B
LOA: 44ft 9in (13.7m)
BEAM: 14ft 4in (4.4m)
DRAFT: 3ft 11in (1.2m)
AIR DRAFT: 9ft 10in (3.0m)
DISPLACEMENT: 18,000kg
FUEL CAPACITY: 2 x 600L
WATER CAPACITY: 2 x 400L
TOP SPEED: 10 knots (owner’s figures)
FUEL CONSUMPTION: 1L/nm @ 6kn (owner’s figures)
RANGE: 960nm at 6 knots with 20% reserve (based on owner’s figures)
Aquanaut Drifter 1350 AK costs and options
FUEL: 650 litres per year, based on 25 hours at 9 knots and 25 hours at 6 knots
BERTHING: £10,672 per year (based on £779/metre for a Hamble River marina downstream of Bursledon bridge)
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