RODMAN 800

IN BUILD 1998 - 2003

PRICERANGE £40,000 - £100,000

There’s a reassuring element to the roots of Spanish builder Rodman. Dating back over 40 years and steeped in the construction of commercial vessels such as fast patrol boats and passenger ferries, its leisure boat offerings, from the luxury Muse flybridges and Spirit fast cruisers through to its pilothouse/fisher range, have a ‘hewn from solid’ appeal that is rarely found at this price point.

The Rodman 800 launched in 1998 and made its UK debut at the Southampton Boat Show in 2001. When we tested a basic version early in 2002 the 800 started at just £63,000, and that included VAT.

“Construction is very solid,” says Bob Elliott, who runs a Rodman 800 as part of his Quality Time Training sea school fleet based in Portland. He bought his 2005 example in 2008 and has put over 3,000 engine hours on it since. He rates it highly. “It’s a great training boat, it’s not too imposing