Yacht Spotting And New Launches

FAIRLINE’S TARGA 48 OPEN

With a nod towards Mediterranean flair, the British builder presents its latest in a very popular model line.

Long noted for a quality build, racy profiles, and sparkling performance, Fairline now adds another exciting boat to its Targa line. The T48 OPEN is an elegantly appointed two cabin, double en-suite model geared towards the design trend of spacious sociable areas for entertaining inside and out. The model offers an electric canvas roof as standard, as well as a garage for optional jet tender and submersible bathing platform.

The Fairline T48 presents a sporty profile with European elegance.

For the kind of performance Fairline delivers, as well as the ease of maneuverability while docking or in tight quarters situations, the Targa 48 OPEN offers a pair of Volvo Penta IPS600 D6-435 Diesel at 435 mhp each and, according to the company, is capable of powering the boat to a 32 knot turn of speed.

While ample light floods the salon and helm area through large windows all around, open the retractable sunroof for an even greater feeling of being with the environment.

The Volvo Penta IPS with joystick control is matched to a dynamic new hull designed specifically for the range, making significant use of new technologies and industry-leading production systems. This has ensured the new Targa offers the highest levels of quality and performance, with considerable weight reduction, exceptional engineering and excellent sea-keeping – everything you would expect from a Fairline.

Oliver Winbolt, Head of Marketing at Fairline Boats, commented: “Fairline enjoyed a strong year in the US market in 2013 and we anticipate building on this in the year ahead. We’re looking forward to launching the Targa 48 OPEN to the US market and showcasing the best of British to visitors at the show. Our new 48 foot models have been created using the very latest technology and we’ll be welcoming Fairline owners and prospective customers onboard to experience it for themselves.”

The excitement continues inside with a contemporary design that is sure to please the eye as well as the comfort of all who stay aboard.

There’s space, and lots of it. Beautifully considered sociable areas, luxurious and stunning in their simplicity. The cabin layout features a fabulous mid master with an optional sofa that converts into an additional bed, there’s a forward double cabin that can convert to a V-berth and the option of a third cabin in lieu of a dinette. The perfectly formed galley enjoys a tall fridge/freezer and pull out larder.

Large panoramic windows add to the sense of light and space in the generously well-appointed saloon. Moving out to the cockpit you can take a seat or stretch out on the large sunpad, with the luxury of being able to control how much sunlight you get by simply activating the powered retractable cockpit cover. The integral garage is home for the optional jet tender and the option list extends to a hydraulic passarelle and a submersible powered bathing platform.

SPECIFICATIONS

1.  Length overall (inc. pulpit): 48ft 6in (14.79m)
2.  Length overall (inc. pulpit): 50ft 9in (15.46m) with submersible platform
3.  Beam (inc. gunwale): 14ft 2in (4.32m)
4.  Number of berths: 4-7
5.  Draught: 3ft 10in (1.18m) unloaded
6.  Height above waterline (inc. arch + nav. light mast): 15ft 1in (4.60m)
7.  Transport height: 15ft 10in (4.83m)
8.  Dry weight (approx.): 12.79 tons (13,000kg)
9.  Fuel capacity: 288 gals/346 US gals (1,308L)
10.  Water capacity (inc. calorifier): 106 gals/127 US gals (480L)

For more information on Fairline’s exciting Targa 48 Open, please visit the company Website at http://www.fairline.com

 

Yacht Spotting and New Launches

Just got this image preview of the new Sea Ray 650 Fly that will be on display at the Collins Avenue in-water Yacht & Brokerage Show at Ramp #37 starting on February 13-17. If I get any more information on this particular boat, I’ll pass it along right away. Until then, enjoy the pictures!

-Capt. Ken

The 65 Fly sports a high-style exterior with its swept back window design topsides as well as the dramatic approach to those in the staterooms below decks.

The excitement continues inside with this contemporary design.

The aft deck area provides ample room for exciting water activities or casual alfresco dining.

The master stateroom aboard the 650 Fly utilizes maximum space for maximum comfort.

For more information on the Sea Ray 650 Fly’s appearance at the upcoming Miami Boat Show in-water display on Collins Avenue starting on February 13th, please contact the company at http://www.searay.com

 

Sea Trials

Apart From The Rest

The Sealine F48 makes a bold design statement with an outstanding, well-built cruising boat whose primary function is to keep you away from the dock.

By Capt. Ken Kreisler

In my world, this is what powerboat cruising is all about. A spectacular day with warm sunshine, flat calm seas, blue skies with only fair weather clouds drifting by and just the notion of a breeze as, with my hand on the wheel, and a quick glance at the instrument panel telling me all is okay, I can sit back in the comfortable chair up on the open bridge and take it all in. And of course, there is a great deal to be said about the boat I am presently on as well: The all new Sealine F48.

Sporting a contemporary profile, the Sealine F48 offers something a bit different for the cruising boater.

In the very competitive cruising market, and right in the sweet spot for a boat like the F48, Sealine has come up with a design that fits hand in glove as it were, for a couple or a family that considers, as their paramount function, the ability to get from here to there and back in comfort, with economy and safety as added perks.

This open bridge on the F48 puts the pleasure in pleasure boating for this sea-trialing scribe. Note the fully equipped helm as well a the conveniently located joy stick control just to port of the wheel.

“The thoughts that went into this particular design, as well as in all our boats, including the detailing, are geared towards people who want to be on the go and are active boaters. All the collected data from Sealine owners shows our people are not in the marina,” said Sealine PR rep Sue Hardwick as she hosted me on my day out on the F48, and away from the dock.

This cruising boat’s aft deck offers just the right amount of open space for comfort as well as exciting entertaining opportunities.

My first impressions, as I made my way aboard and boat shoe met deck, was that I had stepped on a very solid platform. There was not even the hint of flexing underfoot no matter where I went both inside and out. And that also included the sturdy construction I discovered on all the cabinetry, drawers, hatches, doors, and those extra beefy rails. “While we are exploring utilizing more infusion procedures going forward, we’re basically a hand-laid boat, using all the latest in materials and techniques to make sure we build a safe, secure, and strong boat,” Hardwick said.

To that end, and according to Richard Crocker, Sealine’s Design Director, the company designs and manufactures all hulls, decks, and overheads to meet the strict ISO regulations concerning, among numerous other recognized international standards, structural integrity, stability, and buoyancy. In addition, all new designs are verified by two independent third-party engineering consultancies for integrity and development before prototype manufacture.

Vinylester and polyester resins are used in the hull construction and all hulls are a mixture of hand and spray layup. The first two layers of each hull are hand laminated using vinylester resin as a skin coat. The bottom shell laminates are a single skin while the topside laminates include a thick balsa core. The hull structure is strengthened by longitudinal stiffeners, which are supported by transverse frames, deep soles, and composite bulkheads.

With her lower helm, should the weather or sea conditions necessitate it, safe and comfortable navigation is available.

Topsides, on the flybridge, the deck and structural bulkheads are of foam sandwich panel construction and are fabricated using resin infusion. Carbon fiber is used as reinforcement in strategic locations to stiffen the overhead and hull structures.

While Richard Corbett, Sealine’s media relations person got our F48 ready for sea, it was time for me to have a look around.

Sealine’s F48 offers a contemporary exterior; one that, while pleasing to the eye, not only indicates a rugged, no-nonsense approach to the design but presents something a bit different from the usual lines we are used to seeing. “Sealine has always been known for innovation and with this design, we fell we are once again, out in the forefront,” Hardwick said as we entered the main deck salon area.

Here is where the pleasant surprises begin to materialize and serve to show off the versatility of the Sealine design team’s vision for the F48. The cockpit area features a comfortable aft couch and plenty of room for alfresco dining. Add to that, the convenience of a wet bar and bbq station, and that time on the hook in a special anchorage will be a memory in the making. There is also a large hatch in the sole here for accessing the engine room, a space I found adequate for inspecting any critical maintenance areas as well as being able to check the all-important fluid levels on the mains and genset.

The main deck salon utilizes all the ambient light coming in from large windows fore, aft, and to either side.

Stepping inside the main deck salon, I was greeted by wide open spaces, finely finished woodwork—dark walnut here, with many types of woods available—plenty of ambient light courtesy of large windows all around, including the glass doors aft, and the kind of interior headroom, averaging almost 6 ½ feet, usually found on larger boats. The lower station is to starboard and as I eased myself down into the comfortable helm seat and immediately, whether seated or standing—no head bumping or leaning over courtesy of the excellent headroom—noted favorable sight lines into the seaway.

Directly opposite the helm is a two-person seat that if desired, can be a dinette area. Aft of that is an entertainment center and opposite, a C-shape seating area. “Because we are flexible on the interior layout, there are options that an owner can genuinely feel will create the kind of elements that are personal to them,” Hardwick added as we discussed the possibilities of changing certain aspects of the interior design.

The forepeak VIP continues with the contemporary theme in both design and practical living space.

The well-appointed accommodation deck below, accessed via a centerline staircase, also defines the imaginative and purposeful Sealine approach to space configuration. Noting, of course, what has become apparent aboard the F48, that being the excellent headroom, there is a dinette to starboard, available as either an office space or, as would be my particular preference by placing the dinette topsides, pick up a third stateroom. The fully equipped galley, with a full size refrigerator freezer unit, lies over to port and forward is the forepeak VIP quarters with an en suite head. And the amidships, full beam master offers a sumptuous, natural well-lit stateroom, en suite head, seating area, and room for a washer/dryer.

The master stateroom takes full advantage of the boat’s 14’8″ beam to provide not only comfortable accommodations but ample storage as well.

Again, and as before, as I examined all the fit and finish throughout, I found painstaking attention to detail and more than ample space for ships stores and clothing and equipment for that extended time away. Sealine uses fine quality hardware and hinges, and there is a sturdy and robust feel when opening and closing stateroom and cabinetry doors, and storage drawers.

The highly efficient Cummins 480-hp diesel.

With the twin Cummins 480-hp QSB diesels, tied to a pair of Zeus pod drives, now purring along in the dock, my attention turned towards getting this F48 where she belonged: out on the water.

Effortless maneuvering around the dock and in close quarters situations is courtesy of Zeus drives.

After negotiating a rather extra slow bell from our dock—the joystick-operated Zeus drives turning a close-quarters situation due to a sailboat sticking out a bit too far into the channel into quite the manageable one—we picked up the markers and headed for open water. “The joystick control is so sensitive and responsive, most new boaters, with the proper instruction and practice time, are able to get a comfort level with the vessel’s operation quite quickly,” said Corbett.

The expansive flybridge area, accessed via a molded-in stairway instead of the usual ladder, is also available in two layouts; a large sunpad aft or, in its place, couch seating. Either way, there is plenty of room for entertaining and for you and your family and guests to enjoy, as I did, the time underway.

I found the F48 to be a sensible performer, clocking in almost 20kn at 2800rpm with a total fuel burn of 34.3 gph. And for those of you who find themselves in no hurry, knock her down to 1500rpm and settle into a 9kn turn of speed while sipping on a 7.2gph total fuel burn.

The medium to deep-V hull, with 18.5 degrees deadrise at the transom, transitioning to 21 degrees at the amidships sections, was designed for the pod drives right from the F48’s initial drawings and therefore, avoided any compromise associated with a conversion from a shaft drive. To maximize the experience at high-speed, she has four spray strakes per side with the pods in an aft tunnel. Her steering is quick and responsive, she tracked straight and true, and I got the sense I was driving a big sports car instead of a 48-foot boat across the waters of Long Island Sound.

On several full throttle runs, she achieved her top end in just about 30 seconds, indicating a well-designed running bottom that does not sit in the hole wasting time and energy. In addition, she barely lost her rpm rate when I put her into several hard-over and 360 degree turns.

Sealine engineers and designers made sure the F48 had the kind of galley capable of providing everything from an intimate, sit-down dinner to casual dining while underway or at a favorite anchorage.

So, whether you are a European-based cruiser or a Stateside traveler who journeys from Traverse City to Gore Bay, has the time for some extended time along the Great Loop, or, would like to find yourself in warmer climes during the winter season by choosing to visit the Florida Keys or get across the Stream to the Bahamas, having a boat like the Sealine F48 to take you there and back will not only make a world of difference to your boating experience but will set you apart from the rest as well. http://www.sealine.com

Performance: Based on the average of two reciprocal runs. Speeds measured on GPS. Fuel consumption taken from the electronic engine monitoring system. Sound levels gauged at the upper helm. 65 dB(A) is the level of normal conversation. Conditions: calm seas, winds less than 10 kn, ½ fuel, full water, 20’ of water on Long Island Sound. Results are for this particular day under these conditions. Similar results are not warranted and can differ due to load, weather, and other situations that can alter performance.

RPM      Kn    GPH    dB(A)
600       4.5    1.6g        58
800       5.6    2.2g        62
1000     6.8    3.3g        64
1500     9.0    7.2g        74
2000    10.5    16.7g     76
2500    14.7    28.0g     78
2800    19.9    34.3g     79
3000    22.8    39.6g     81
3230    27.4    50.4g     83

Fuel consumption is based on (2) engines at any given RPM. Speed and ranges, if any, are estimates based on engineering calculations. Range is based on 90% fuel capacity. Actual performance will vary and be affected by water and weather conditions, load and conditions of boat, engines, and propellers. Speed will increase as fuel is consumed. All data is illustrative and not warranted.

Specifications
LWL: 41’0”
Length overall: 49’6”
Length overall w/Hi-Lo swim platform: 50’8”
Beam: 14’8”
Draft: 4’1”
Height above the waterline: 20’6”
Headroom: 6’5”
Fuel: 396 gal.
Water: 133 gal.
Displacement: 34,763 lbs.

For more information, visit the company Website at http://www.beneteau.com