Nimbus T8 Review: Multi-Modal Day Cruiser with Test Video

Boaters love center console boats for their open day-boating layout, they love cuddy cabin boats for their weekending abilities, and if they’re searching for both attributes in one package they’re going to love the Nimbus T8. It combines the best of these designs by incorporating a cabin into an expanded centered console, a tack we’ve seen others take, but generally only on much larger models.

Nimbus T8 aft passenger seats in sunpad mode. Nimbus Photo.

Nimbus T8 Key Features

That this 7.93 meter (26-foot) boat has a cabin with a berth large enough for a couple to spend the night aboard is certainly a stand-out feature, but the Nimbus T8 has one more ace up its sleeve: the cabin also has an enclosed head compartment. On most boats of this size, you’ll find a portable MSD tucked under a section of the berth or beneath a seat. In this case, however, the aft starboard section of the cabin is closed off for the head, a sink, countertop, and mirror.

Outside of the cabin, the boat’s main attraction will be the convertible nature of its cockpit layout, which switches around into several different modes. In cruising mode, helm and passenger chairs face forward, as does an aft settee. At lunch time, the seats at the helm station turn and face aft and a swing-up dinette table deploys between the fore and aft seats to create a dining mode. Then in lounge mode, the forward chairs face aft while the settee’s backrest flips forward to convert into an aft-facing lounger. Finally, in sunbed mode, the table folds back down, the backrest of the settee folds flat, and the settee/lounger becomes one huge tanning pad. In sunbed mode, the bow also comes into play, because the front of the console cabin has a large lounger on top. You can even drop in a filler to bridge the gap between it and the foredeck to create a mega-lounger. Then put up the sunshade, and you’ll have basically turned the entire T8 into one big relaxation machine. 

Another highlight comes into play when considering that forward lounger. On most boats with this sort of feature, the lounger is either fixed in place, or sometimes swings up to provide stowage underneath. The downside to adding a stowage compartment here is that it eats into potential cabin space. Yet again in this case, Nimbus figures out how to enjoy the best of both worlds. There’s cabin space beneath, but the lounger still swings up on hinges to allow access down below. So if you’re using the cabin for stowage as opposed to sleeping quarters, you can access it from the bow or by entering via the sliding door next to the helm.

Editor’s Note: Want more visuals on the Nimbus T8? We’re happy to share here a 2023 features walkthrough and performance test video produced by our content partner, BoatTest.com:

Nimbus T8 Performance

As we dig into the Nimbus T8 performance, it becomes apparent that in this case, performance counts as a key feature as well. The T8 is available with a single Mercury Verado of 200-, 250-, or 300-hp. Naturally most of us will want the max power—more power always equals more fun, right?!

With the 300-hp powerplant, the T8 can rip across the water at hat-stripping speeds, well in excess of 40 knots. Cruising speeds in the mid-30s are common, with the most efficient cruise coming at around 4000 rpm and 27 or 28 knots with efficiency at around 2.6 to 2.7 nautical mpg. It’s also important to recognize that the T8 has a very low planing threshold and can easily scoot along at 18 knots, an excellent get-home speed when the seas kick up. Part of the trick here lies in hull design, which incorporates twin steps to break adhesion to the water, reduce friction, and increase both speed and efficiency.

Nimbus T8 under way. Nimbus photo.

Nimbus T8 Description

The Nimbus T8 world premiere was in 2020, when the boat was rolled out as a model that functions well both as a tender and as a day-boat for socializing. And thanks to the versatile design and convertible nature it’s proven adept for both uses and then some. In addition to the extensive seating arrangement we’ve already discussed, the T8 has a number of features adding to its day-boating appeal. There’s a drawer refrigerator integrated into the aft lounger seat base, a pull-out hot/cold freshwater transom shower, a three-step boarding ladder on the swim platform, and a ski-tow arch for pulling the kids around on water-toys.

Whether you’re pulling up to a beach while day-boating or you’re in tender mode and pulling in for a Med-moor, you’ll love the stern anchor arrangement. The anchor sits on an aft-facing pulpit on the port side with the line running into a locker in the transom. It’s secure but ready for deployment at any moment, and is also a very clean, out-of-the-way system.

The T8 is also quite customizable and can be fitted out for the way you intend to use it. The biggest optional feature is the top, which is supported by pipework and framed with fiberglass but doesn’t cut off the outdoors thanks to six tinted Lexan panels that provide shade while allowing natural light to pass through. Also note that the boat can be fitted to serve better as a weekender by adding cooking capabilities. There’s a sink/stowage module available for the cabin and an optional outdoor propane grill plus dedicated stowage for a propane bottle. You can also have the T8 outfitted with goodies like a windlass for the stern and/or the through-stem bow anchor, a bow boarding ladder, and another refrigerator. Anglers will be interested to learn that fishing rod holders can be added to the T-top, while paddle-sports fans will want the roof rack (which can support up to 60kg/130 pounds) on top of the hard top.

It's important to point out that several features related to handling the boat, which would often be considered optional by many builders, are included on this one as standard equipment. There’s a bow thruster to ease your docking woes, a Zipwake dynamic trim control system to smooth out the ride, and even a Simrad Go 7 MFD at the helm, which can be upgraded to a 16” NSS Evo 3S.

Nimbus T8 Cabin. Nimbus Photo.

Nimbus T8 Pros and Cons

Just in case it isn’t already evident, versatility is the hands-down number one pro for this boat. It’s exceptionally rare to find a 26-footer that works well as a day-boat, a weekender, and a tender. It’s got the goods to serve as the ideal family boat, and the flexibility to be customized in a number of ways to meet your individual boating needs. It’s also surprisingly well adapted to both the European and American markets, while most models designed for both sides of the pond fall short in one measure or another.

Finding cons for the Nimbus T8 will be tough unless it’s simply the wrong sort of boat for your needs; obviously, it won’t be the choice of a cruiser who spends weeks aboard at a time, or the hardcore angler who chases pelagic species offshore. Beyond that, some may feel that the 240-liter (63-gallon) fuel capacity is a bit on the thin side for a boat of this size. Others may wish for a power option including twins as opposed to the single engine.

Also keep in mind that this is a relatively narrow boat for its length, which does reduce the interior volume as compared to most other boats with the same LOA. That said, the low beam also means it can cut waves better than some competitors, and with less wetted surface, the T8 enjoys better efficiency than it would if the hull were wider.

Why Buy the Nimbus T8 Used

The Nimbus T8 has proved popular from the start, so there are already more used boats on the market than one might expect for such a youthful model. You’re likely to see more in Europe and the UK as opposed to America but either way the selection should include a range of options. Buying used will allow you to avoid the initial devaluation that’s a given for new boats, and hulls no more than two or three years old can often be found for 25- to 35-percent less than those being purchased new. Additionally, due to the youthful nature of the line, it may also be possible to find used boats with some warranty coverage still in effect for the motor, electronics, or other major components.

Nimbus T8 Technical Specifications

Length – 7.93 m/26’2”

Beam – 2.55 m/8’4”

Displacement – 2,300 kg/5,070 lbs

Draft – 0.96 m/3’1”

Transom deadrise – 19 degrees

Fuel capacity – 240 l/63 gal.

The “T” in T8 stands for tender, but this model is clearly a whole lot more. Whether it’s a tender, a weekender, or a day-boat, you’re looking for this one can fit the bill—and then some.

See all Nimbus T8 boats for sale on Rightboat.