aaaaaaaaaaaah Sprint or Carrera

[Raymond]

Hi all

I'm new to motor boats and have spent the last few weeks looking for a family cruiser for the Solent area.
With a budget of £15k - £20k a Fairline Sprint or Carrera seems favorable but
I would be interested in your opinions especially in areas such as:-

advantages of 2 engines as oppose to 1.
which are the best engines
gallons per mile oops i mean miles per gallon LOL
what weather conditions thay can take
how far can i go
is a 15-20 year old boat worth buying or would i ultimately spend less if i spent more now
Sprints and Carrera seem value for money but is there anythinig else in my price bracket that i'm missing

Many Thanks
Raymond


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[prb]

Raymond
I would go for the Carrera any day. It is a far more spacious boat and will be much more comfortable for overnighting and / or cruising. Why not go for one of the single engined ones (there are a few around)? Mine was re-engined a few years ago with a single 280hp Volvo GSi motor and DP drive and it outperforms the twin engined Carreras at very reasonable maintenance/running costs.
Before buying mine I considered various other (mainly US makes) but build quality of Fairline was much better and they also give a better ride if you are caught out in unfavourable sea conditions. I have done several offshore trips (e.g. France) without any problems.
Regards

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[Raymond]

Many Tanks prb

Have also looked at US boats and came to the same conclusion as you unless anyone can convince me otherwise.

Have seen some really neat sprints but makes more sence to go for the Carrera.
Only thing is as yet i haven't seen any in A1 condition.

O 1 more thing, roughly how many £ per hour is it likley to cost me ?
i'm cringing already.

many thanks again



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[Col]

I'm used to 30ft+ twin engines, so when I was invited for a spin on Solitare ( F/line sprint) I wasn't sure what to expect. What a revelation! It is a fantastic boat. PM Solitare for 1st hand guidance.
It really is a well made boat.
To start with, I found it a little bit rolly, but that is because the cockpit sole is quite high above the waterline to give the space down below, consequently it carries weight of crew fairly high.
Once you are used to it, it is very stable in fairly choppy water. If I was looking for that size boat, I would definately put a sprint on my list. Hope this helps.

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[duncan]

stable on the plane - rock and roll of it, drifting or anchored.

carrerra seems much much better

for the money I would also consider a 2455 or 2655 Bayliner; there is a much bigger range and it is a buyers market.

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[Solitaire]

Steady! Now you 've bought he calorifier - wallow? Thing of the past!/forums/images/icons/laugh.gif. Bayliner? Yer havin a laugh! Been there done that - gave the T Shirt away! Oh yes, did I mention the joy of it being diesel now?

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[prb]

Hi
If you are asking about running cost for fuel, If I remember rightly, I am paying about £80 to fill the tank (at CI prices), for which I guess I get 75-80 miles at cruising speed. Dunno what that works out at "per hour" but you can probably do the calcs.
Not sure that you will get an immaculate example within your price range but mine is for sale if you are interested (just moved up to something bigger) and is probably one of the best examples on the market.
Rgds

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