Design and Construction
Alubat built the Ovni 365 in aluminium, and the material choice defines the boat’s character. The hull is 65% as strong as steel but one-third as heavy, a ratio that makes her robust, if not bullet-proof, while keeping displacement sensible for a 39-footer at 8,800kg. With the keel lifted she draws just 0.77m and with it down 2.35m, while a length overall of 11.94m, a waterline of 11.44m, and a beam of 3.92m give her the footprint of a proper offshore cruiser that can still be beached — a genuine bonus for remote exploration.
Rig and Handling
The lifting keel and rudder are the heart of the 365’s versatility, enabling her to slide into the shallowest creek and then open up for ocean passages. Yachting Monthly’s review treats the boat as one that can cross oceans as a matter of course, and the shoal-draught expedition brief is exactly what those who value remote inlets and bays are buying. Being able to take the ground gently extends the range of anchorages and storm refuges far beyond what a fixed-keel 38-footer can reach, and the aluminium hull’s low weight relative to steel aids both beachability and lively performance under way.
Accommodations and Expedition Role
Though the sources stay silent on interior arrangement, the boat’s stated role fills the gap: she is a long-distance liveaboard cruiser built to spend weeks or months away from support. The perfect-expedition-yacht framing and the ability to explore from the Arctic to the tropics imply a cabin meant to be lived in, not merely weekended aboard. A 3.92m beam and 11.94m LOA give the volume such a brief demands, and the rugged hull lets an owner treat the boat as a tool rather than a showpiece.
Known Issues
The one documented concern is electrolysis, and an owner’s warning bears repeating: ensure you are not a giant anode. Aluminium in seawater demands careful isolation from dissimilar metals and stray currents, and the 365’s robustness elsewhere should not lull a buyer into ignoring bonding, zincs, and shore-power practices.
Refits and Ownership
Ownership of an Ovni 365 centers on respecting the aluminium envelope. The lifting keel and rudder need routine attention to stay free, and the electrolysis caution means any added gear must be properly isolated. Beyond that, the boat asks little unusual of her keeper beyond what a shoal-draught expedition cruiser inherently requires.
The Verdict
The Ovni 365 is a purpose-built aluminium expedition cruiser that trades a little interior polish for reach: she goes where fixed-keel boats cannot and still crosses oceans. Her hull strength-to-weight story is genuinely distinctive, and the lifting appendages make her a tool for remote cruising rather than a dockside statement.
Pros
- Aluminium hull 65% as strong as steel at one-third the weight
- Lifting keel and rudder for 0.77m shoal draught and beaching
- Documented ocean-crossing, liveaboard expedition capability
Cons
- Electrolysis risk demands disciplined isolation and bonding
