Yanmar power for Steber

When Alan Steber, of Steber Boats in the idyllic northern NSW town of Taree, decided to build a new family-sized cruiser, he didn't have to go far to get his inspiration for the hull.

He based the new Steber 3800 Twin Cab on the same hull he has used so successfully for NSW Marine Rescue and other commercial duties. A hull that can take any weather the sometimes-savage NSW coast can dish up.

At this year's Sydney International Boat Show, Alan Steber fielded a large number of inquiries from people who wanted a family boat that could comfortably sleep six -- without the hassle of converting the lounge and dining table into a berth.

His answer was to ditch the island double bed in the bow cabin of the Steber 3800 Twin Cab and replace it with four big bunk beds, stacked two each side. With the second twin cabin, the Steber now has comfortable accommodation for six. (The island double in the bow can still be ordered by those whose overnight boating doesn't involve a crowd.)

The Steber 3800 will be manufactured to comply with 2C Survey so it can be used as a charter vessel, for a share boat scheme or a hire boat. While sleeping six, it can legally carry 10 adults.

To provide the performance that buyers want, particularly for long offshore passages, Steber is fitting twin Yanmar 6LY3 diesel engines to the 3800. Steber says the Yanmar is not only his engine of choice but also the choice of many major government agencies across Australia.

"The Yanmar 6LY3 is a superbly engineered engine, that delivers its power smoothly, efficiently and quietly," Steber says. "This is a drive-by-wire, fully-electronic, engine that is easy to install and easy for our customers to operate,"

The low fuel consumption of the turbocharged, direct injected, intercooled, 5.8 litre, six cylinder engine is a major attraction. And while delivering a healthy 440hp, the engine weighs just 718kg, including Yanmar's purpose-built marine transmission.

Steber has seen the first 3800 top 32 knots and achieve a comfortable cruising speed on 21 knots, while using just over 40 litres per hour per engine. Steber has already run the boat from Taree to Sydney and return on less than one tank of fuel. He says it could easily travel from Sydney to Brisbane without refuelling.