Altima 45 Euro Sedan boat test and performance review covering photos, features, the layout, and engine statistics.

I noted that the diesel fuel fills were cleverly concealed by small doors in the cabin’s superstructure. However, the water fills in the cockpit deck protrude to the point where someone could bang a toe. These should be concealed, too. In addition, the trim-piece seal on the sliding-door to the saloon was spot-welded, which had caused what appeared to be small gouges in the metal frame. This weld should span the height of the door and be ground down and polished to a clean finish. Sciortino agreed and assured me that this would be done on future models.

Last, while the lazarette is spacious, the engine room, with 4'4" headroom, is confining. There’s no access to the outboard sides of the engines due to the saddle tanks flanking them. (Racors, however, are located aft of the motors and outboard and are easily reached.) The oil-exchange system was mounted on the inboard starboard engine bed—extending over each side of it—which leaves room for someone to catch a leg or foot on the hose clamps and fittings. That said, the engine stringers looked beefy and were covered in substantial stainless steel caps.

Despite these admittedly minor criticisms, the Altima 45 is solidly built and the layout makes the most of available space. She’s also safe to move around on, thanks to 14-inch-wide side decks and 26-inch-high bulwarks with 134" stainless steel handrails easing transition fore and aft. A molded-in stairway to the flying bridge features a gradual incline and is an attractive feature for those who are done with climbing up and down ladders. The area up top offers great sightlines in all directions and is also a relaxing spot for entertaining with seating abaft the helm and to port.

In an environment where affordable midsize boats seem to be disappearing as fast as rainforest frogs, the Altima 45 fills an important niche. At $792,000 she’s a total package that offers owners the ability to put their stamp on her, provides long-range cruising capability, has all the comforts of home, and drives as smooth as a Cadillac—even up the New River.

Noteworthy: Central Vacuum

The Altima 45 Euro Sedan has a nicely finished standard teak-and-holly sole, and the last thing you want to do to is track abrasive sand and dirt across it after a day on the hook by your favorite beach. Enter the NuTone CV350 central vacuum system.

The unit is standard equipment and is stealthily mounted to a bracket in the lazarette. It operates on a dedicated 120-volt/15-amp circuit and sports overload protection as well as built-in low-voltage protection.

According to NuTone, the vacuum’s six-gallon capacity enables it to clean spaces of up to 3,000 square feet, so there’s plenty of room in the bag for any beach sand, cookie crumbs, etc., that accumulate on this boat.

In fact NuTone says this central vacuum, which features a steel housing with a white polyester finish, should require emptying only about twice a year. Even better.

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