Absolute 45 Boat Report in MBY

  • Thread starter Thread starter Deleted User YDKXO
  • Start date Start date
D

Deleted User YDKXO

Guest
I know that a fellow forumite is the UK dealer for this boat and this post is not meant to rubbish the boat itself. I'm sure it's a jolly fine thing but my point is that David Marsh's boat reports are becoming increasingly like advertorials for the manufacturer concerned, hysterically over praising any good features and glossing over any bad ones. I can understand that magazines have to keep their advertisers on side but IMHO this lack of objectivity is seriously reducing the credibility of the magazine
In this particular test, Marsh described the A45 as 'so significant that it has the power to reshape this section of the sportscruiser market' and Absolute's achievement as 'scary'. Eh? All they've done is taken advantage of the new more powerful sterndrives and bunged them in a bigger boat. Hardly ground breaking and its been done before on a large sportscruiser (Superhawk 48) . Then there's is the cover of the mag which screams 'absolute bargain'. Yeah right, as if anything costing £279k can be described as a bargain
Worse, Marsh fails to ask any awkward questions like why the manufacturer has gone for sterndrives when the boat seems to be a no brainer for IPS. Then what about the low speed handling? No word at all on that. I hope this thing has got a bloody great bowthruster. Then there is the question of the cabin space. If Fairline can sqeeze 3 cabins into a shaftdrive 48' sportscruiser, why have'nt Absolute used the extra internal space freed up by the sterndrive installation to do the same? OK, maybe they deliberately chose to provide only 2 larger cabins but then you've got to ask why put double berths in both cabins? Well I guess its because all Absolute 45 owners are never going to want to go cruising with kids who refuse to share a bed or guests who are not a couple?
Again, I'm not raising these points to be critical of the boat itself just to point out that Marsh is either failing to do his job or has been told to write uncritical glowing reports that don't offend anyone. I, for one, do not subscribe to MBY to read the same kind of tosh I can get from the manufacturers' brochures
Rant over
 
Funny that - I have been thinking the same thing about boat mags in general for a very long time.

I don't know this individual case Mike, but if you look at the smaller end mags such as Sports Boat & Rib, you will find that evry boat they test is "brilliant". And then at the top end with MBY or Boat International, every boat is "fantastic" and a "triumph".

Well they can't be, can they? You would think that for your half a million quid or whatever, they would be brilliant - fact is they can't all be. And there must be some stinkers out there.

I would quite like to read a "this boat is total crap" type test report, coz it would probably have some real amuzement value.

And no dear readers, CI is not up for the inaugral "total crap" test report. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
I can answer a couple of your questions, as I have played with this boat, the same one as on the cover too. Someone wanted a heads up on where not to run aground around the Solent /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Her close quarter manoeuvring is very good, I was berthing her in a force 5 to 6 at Hamble point with the tide flowing with out using the bow thruster at all, and at about 12 tons she has the advantage of weight to hold her steady,her helm seems to be more forward than normally sports boats her size. I am sure Trev will answer any other questions.
She does Handel exceptionally well at low or high speeds and I pushed her ability on both. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Like all boat you take your choice and pays your money.

I am just saying what I think, not an advertisement,
 
"but then you've got to ask why put double berths in both cabins? Well I guess its because all Absolute 45 owners are never going to want to go cruising with kids who refuse to share a bed or guests who are not a couple?"
___________________________________________________________________


Yup have to agree on this one our Gobbi 425 has two double cabins both with double beds :~( problem here is if we get four students one couple plus two singles, we cant put them all on the Gobbi.

There is a Superhawk 48 in our Marina which has three 230hp volvos which at the time of manufacture got over the 300hp restriction on the leg. Did hey do one with two engines Mike.

I agree its getting a bit long 45ft for stern drives, pretty lively but safe handling though from what I hear. Love the triple rich tea biscuit type windows. Gives the usual dim cabin on sports cruisers a bit of day light
 
That engine access doesn't look too clever, either. One of the pluspoints of the sports cruiser layout (vs some, but not all, midengined flybridges) is that if the green oily bits self-destruct, you can at least lift out and replace them without cutting out chunks of boat: with the Absolute, it looks as if you will need a chainsaw. Similarly, with no access to the actual hull (just the liner), you have almost no chance of detecting any (hull) problems until it's too late, far less any chance of fixing...

These niggles are unlikely to make any difference at all to the first owner unless they keep it for 10yrs+, but it would be enough to cause me to look elsewhere.

dv.
 
Hi Jules believe it or not I can of course put a couple and two singles on my humble little F36 and yet a 42ft Gobbi I cant /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

What I do in this situation is put two up on one of the other boats /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
 
"I pushed her ability on both" - I like these words. Do you think we get this in boat reports??. Top gear thrashes the cars around the track. Do you think boat reports should be the same so we can truly see what the boats on report are made of???
 
What amuses me is that every boat they test "feels like a much bigger boat". If every fifty footer you go on feels like a sixty footer, then that's what a fifty footer feels like!
 
Thank you for your interesting post.

Your comments about our range of boats are welcome.

If you would like to come for a spin in the boat, I am sure some of your queries would be answered. I would like to answer all your points about close quarter handling etc but in all honesty the only way you will be able to confirm how very well this boat performs is to actually try it for yourself. I perhaps could tell you my own thoughts but I am sure most here would consider me just a salesman so I don't really carry much credibility.

We have won several awards for this new 45 and not only from just the media but industry experts as well.

It is not quite as easy as it may seem to drop in a pair of 350hp engines on drives into any boat over 43' and the results would be same as the Absolute 45. This would be over simplifying the design and engineering required to make such a boat work. The design and preproduction work consumed thousands of hours in the technical office and many hours of tank testing before the first prototype was built and thereafter further modifications had to be made before production commenced.

With regard to IPS, I am afraid you will have to wait until Cannes show next year to see what we have acheived with IPS. If the 45 has rocked the market what we have coming next will probably push it over the edge!.

Many other builders have kept away from this size of sports cruiser with outdrives because it is a difficult formula to put into practise.

The industry was well aware for some considerable time that the new engines and drives would be available, yet Absolute to date are still the only builders who where prepared to fund the R&D required to build a class leading sports cruiser that actually reached 14m.

As far as your comments regarding David Marsh is concerned, I thought he was very fair and did have some adverse comments to make. Whether the boat is ground breaking or not I think you could only really judge that for yourself after having had a drive in one and in fairness to David he really did drive the boat to the limit.

May it not just be possible that once in a while a really great boat does come along?.

If you prefare to have two singles in the aft cabin with an infill to make into a double we do of course have the recently launched 41 with such a configuration. It has the same size forward master double and en-suite, almost idential saloon and galley the only loss of length is in the aft cabin where you do not require the island berth. She still has the same aft en-suite as well. So if you want two en-suite doubles you buy the 45 and if you want a double and two singles both en-suite you buy the 41.

In the end, I think most people are astute enough to read between the lines of most test reports and in my experience the boat buying public are a fairly switched on group of consumers. In the case of the Absolute perhaps the only true gauge of whether it is something special is to see how they are selling and what the public are buying.

Has it the power to change the market?, ....other manufacturers 2006/7 brochures may answer that particular question for you.

I have no idea about the publishing and media world, however I think a strapline...... ' here is a boat, it goes ok' does'nt really inspire you to buy the magazine.

As an aside, if you would like to order a 45 and savour the joys of owning one of the latest generation of performance sports crusiers along with the probably the most fuel efficent 14m, 12 ton 30 knt cruising in the world, our next new build slot available is October 2006.

Trevor
 
I would just like to say that in the interest of fairness and in keeping with the rules of the forum I should like to say the following.

My name is Trevor White and my company is Ocean Nautic Limited and we are the distributors of Absolute yachts for the UK and Ireland.

I think it only right now that having posted the previous I will gracefully retire and leave the YBW forum. I have not been asked to or has it been suggested but I think it is the right thing to do.

I have really enjoyed my time here it has been geat fun and I have made some very good friends.

I hope some of my postings have been usefull and informative and although some may have feelings with regards to my passion for new technology in the marine industry I hope it has added to the colour and spice of the many debates.

Once again thank you all for a great year on the forum and I wish everyone a wonderful Christmas and peaceful new year.

Kindest regards

Trevor
 
eh? Why you leaving? loads of nautical business types post here, either with caps off, which is fine, or with caps on, which is even better, as long as they don't abuse forum which you never have. Stick around, keep posting, and if any threads come up which mention your brand, then you have free remit to post opinions and facts as long as they don't get silly
 
errr, Don't be an arse /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif I don't see any problem with you staying around. I think you're taking the perfect approach to being on the forum, by contributing in lots of threads rather than just trying to promote your business. This reflects well on you. There are others that do less well in this respect though.

The more folks 'in the business' that we have contributing, the better - I think.

Rick
 
You really should stay around. The fact that you have taken an interest in the forum is a plus point not a negative. You have declared your interests and the forum needs all flavours to make it work properly - to have people in the trade as members is a very good thing - I only wish all the manufacturers or their agents were so keen as to be active members.

I think the point of this thread is right - all the boaters I know take the current boat reports with a pinch of salt - they are far too pro the boat and nowhere near enough pro the reader. Its just a sad fact and we all seem to know it but that is not your fault.
 
In support of the others who have said don't go! There have been those who have come on the forum over the years and have been very blatant in terms of advertising, they get very short shrift. You have contributed very well and have become part of the regular contributors without "forcing" your products down people's throats.

There are those here, myself included who make a living out of the boating world. It takes all sorts to make up a community and shared knowledge only adds to the quality and the reasons why the YBW forums have such a following.

You have declared an interest, so be it! So has Sun Coast, Powerskipper, myself and others. Most forum members know what we do, in most cases our bios reflect this. So, don't go! /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
 
Dont go anywhere Trevor. As others have said, there are those of us in the boating business who contribute to the forum, and would do so wether we were in the boating business or not.

I for one started on this forum as a fledgling boater asking for sound advice and I got it from the folks here. I like to think as my knowledge has grown, I have also contributed and despite my now being in the boating business, (did I mention that /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif) will continue to do so.

You have made valuable contributions and I assume have enjoyed it so far, so stay and carry on.
 
nautical, I feared this would happen. I did say twice in my original post that I was not being critical of the boat itself, only the style of the report and now you've gone and taken it personally. I have no doubt that the boat itself is wonderful and you'll sell them by the bucket full, I just think that Marsh's increasingly gushing style of boat reports does the credibility of the mag no good. I suppose what I want is a far more objective and critical style of testing such as served up by the car mags
I see in another post that you have stated you intend to leave the forum. FWIW, I wish more dealers/manufacturers/marina operators etc etc would get involved with the forum as it is always interesting to hear the other side of the story as we have heard from you this time. Please reconsider
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Other threads that may be of interest

S
Leaving my boat in Orkney
Replies
17
Views
588
dunedin
D
Canopy Locked
Transom strength
Replies
10
Views
366
Canopy Locked
Canopy Locked

Share this page

Top