Absolute v Sessa

Also two friends often cruise together one with a Pershing 46 and the other with a Targa 47 they travel the same distances at the same speeds but the owner of the Pershing always has to pay much more at every fuel stop.

Pershing 46 is about four tons heavier to a Fairline 47 Targa and has Man R6 800hp vs Volvo D9 575hp. I mean a 20% more fuel bill would be the least if both cruise at 25 knots.

The original seals usually last from 5-10 years and I agree not the best of them but so are of other EU builders. The ones which give you better ones are some of the high spec American builder or the more custom Italian builders.

For the hot water problem I think you mean that the boat does not have a heating-engine system like smaller boats have. I am actually surprised the Fairline has this, but easy to do off spec if you are a bit technical. Ferretti used to offer this as optional but they always where very much against it. Anyways if you put the Genny for a cup of tea and put on the water heater you have it.

Not sure about 46 as I am not an expert on them.
Batteries are usually in a box in between or fore of the engines, the shower box is also again in other Pershing in front of the water tank under the flooring in the galley so not a difficult job.
As for the visibility I think Pershing are pretty comfy seated, and are not designed to stay on your foot since they run at a linear level to the Fairline/Princess/Sunseeker.

Pershing has a reputation cause they have a style, and even there smaller models are build like a bigger boat.
Surface drive models also eat miles like few other boats (Magnum, Otam, and Baia being the others).
I had a client who did Cala Galera to Croatia in two days driving only in day times, stayed a month enjoying Croatia and was back taking it comfy in five days.

I mean if you go and buy your groceries with a Porsche you mind find a few stupid design choices that make it a bit more difficult then going with your usual SuV.

Having sold a few and cruised on a few Pershing I can only say good things about them.
 
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Yes the helm seat is comfortable but you can't see where you are going when sat in it! Standing infront of the seat is not any better either.

The batteries are on the outboard side of the port engine and you have to climb over the engine to get at them. Changing them is not easy.

The shower box is under the floor of the forward head and can be accessed by removing the saloon aircon unit or sliding upside down into the bowthruster compartment then rotating your body when in there. The box can then be worked on at arms length.

The water heater is an instant hot water system with no tank so can't be connected to engines coolant circuit.

Sunseeker, princess and fairline dont seem to have these problems.
 
What makes them better than say a princess or Sunseeker, from a design point they seem 10 years behind.
Funny that you should say that, because for each and every Sarnico owner I met, the design of their boats (I mean, also for other models, not just the 50) was the main selling point - surely more so than build quality, which actually deserves a higher ranking than overall design, 'fiuaskme...
I suppose that with anything strictly aesthetic, at the end of the day it's always an "each to their own" matter... :)
 
Sunseeker, princess and fairline dont seem to have these problems.

Mmm wasnt my experience with the Targa 48 that I owned which was supposed to be one of Fairline's finest. Seated at the helm, my eyeline coincided exactly with the windscreen top rail which meant that I either had to sit hunched to look under the rail or stand to look over it and if the cover was in place if I was standing, I had to stand with knees bent because the clear panels were lower than my eyeline. I'm 6ft 1" tall so hardly a freak in terms of height. The boat itself was about the most poorly constructed of all 14 boats I've owned and those have included 3 Sealines. Everything seemed to be fixed with self tappers, including handrails which inevitably gave way if you actually used them as they were intended, bulkhead bonding to the hull cracked in several places, sound insulating material in the engine bay would regularly fall on to the engines causing a horrible smell throughout the boat, an exhaust elbow cracked filling the engine bay with soot, the HFL aircon units were a joke, the shower doors would fall out of their mountings regularly and the pasarelle failed regularly. I could go on because there's more but I wont. On the plus side it did have an engine calorifier for hot water

Entirely FWIW of those 14 boats, 4 have been Italian and I know which ones were better built
 
Yes the helm seat is comfortable but you can't see where you are going when sat in it! Standing infront of the seat is not any better either.

The batteries are on the outboard side of the port engine and you have to climb over the engine to get at them. Changing them is not easy.

The shower box is under the floor of the forward head and can be accessed by removing the saloon aircon unit or sliding upside down into the bowthruster compartment then rotating your body when in there. The box can then be worked on at arms length.

The water heater is an instant hot water system with no tank so can't be connected to engines coolant circuit.

Sunseeker, princess and fairline dont seem to have these problems.

Anyways battery are always a pain on most boats of this size. Ah so the 46 has an instant heating system like the 37. It's true not very practical when on an anchor but I am sure a heat tank can be retro fitted or ordered on the options list. The 43 has a good space engine room, being based on the same thr 46, and R6 being just a bit bigger to thr 630hp Man I do not think the 46 has a small engine room.
As I said I am not a big fan of the 46, competing her against the 47 Targa GT (which BTW I think is one of Fairlines best ever made boats) is a bit apples and oranges as they different boats.
Pershing 46 has 3 cabins 3 bathrooms and is 50 feet overall, FL is 48 feet two cabins but has the big garage. The engines on the 46 are again bigger Mans and are bigger.

Again Pershing are different to a Fairline, and I also think they look to a different market clientele while at the same time the boats do fit the same purpose.
If you look at the equipment of the Pershing Twin Disc gear boxes Rolla props Man engines SidePower bow thruster you can see why a Pershing 46 would cost more then a Fairline 47 Targa GT, without taking away nothing from the FL etc etc
 
The batteries are on the outboard side of the port engine and you have to climb over the engine to get at them. Changing them is not easy.
Maybe someone in Ferretti Group decided that the batteries can be placed wherever there's some space left after fitting everything else...
No idea about the P46, but I can assure you that it can't be worse than in the Ferretti 53 - a great boat in almost every other respects, possibly the best in class, back in her days.
Deleted User knows that very well, btw.

That said, during my recent search of a f/b boat in the 50 to 60 feet range, of mid 90s to early naughties vintage, in a contest for the worse e/r accessibility overall, I must say that for me the winner is the Squadron 55 - hands down.
 
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Maybe someone in Ferretti Group decided that the batteries can be placed wherever there's some space left after fitting everything else...
No idea about the P46, but I can assure you that it can't be worse than in the Ferretti 53 - a great boat in almost every other respects, possibly the best in class, back in her days.
Deleted User knows that very well, btw.
I never had a problem with checking the batteries Mapism. Maybe its because I'm slimmer and more agile that you;);)

Ooh look there's a pig just flown past my window
 
Just to come in on the hot water issue and Italian mid size boats .
Mine has no colorifer as such ,but it's got some thing else a dedicated inverter to heat the water while underway -engines running .
3 ways of getting hot water without interfering with the MAN engine cooling circuit of onside
220 v @ shore .
220 V @ Geny operation
Inverter @ niether of above but engines running .
All the above not automatic need switching on etc -only poss to have one at a time of course .

So I would imagine its pretty easy to retro fit a dedicated inverter to power the water eliment .

Of course it was all planned from scratch with sufficeient beefy battery bank (s) ..

Back to a 54-55 ft HT sports cruiser for the med ,for me
SS Porto 53 ,Sarnico 45.or 55 -they look fine in the flesh --plenty @ Sanremo .
Pershing 50 over a smaller 43/46 --- it just looks right and feels right .
Targa 47 too looks right and seems well built ,it's just the D9 575,s for a physically big boat .
I would prefer to be north of 10 L not south .

Arneson s -agian depends what you want to end up doing ? How relaxing in terms of concentration Helming .
We find approaching and exceeding 30 knots cruise stress full due to the general busyness and hazards .
Of couse you can go further out away from the crowds .
Another thing as well as obvious mile munching cruising @ say 38-42 knots you tend to get there too soon ,so the pleasure of driving is short lived .
We find 26-28 knots plenty fast ---and ecomonical and easy on the engines .

How ever having said that I would not be put off an Arneson boat .
As far as seals go -submerged underwater rams -milky hydraulic oil .
I would just learn how to change them in the rams and do it ever haul out ,along with the pipe conections which go too .
It adds to the cost .
You need loads of hydraulic fliud ,a good set of Allen tool s to remove the ram covers some tonka size spanners (one off €1000 for a set ) and another bloke who would not look out of place in a worlds strongest man competition .
A lot of yard time too .
Or just factor in € 2000-5000 for rebuilds every two years + breakdowns early leaks haul out etc .

Portofino 53 comes in Arnesons under the guise of Preditor 55 .
Of couse if want to munch miles efficiently fine ----but when you are bored of frighten of that ------ ?
 
ER access is important IMHO .
It's was pretty high up on my "next boat " list .Mines got two hatchs front and back , nice easy ladder .
Lost count how many I've been in @Cannes and other shows .I know it's near impossible at LIBS /Si BS to lift the hatch ( 45-55 ftrs ) let along get in -elf n safety in the UK .
They are thank full a bit more relaxed here .
My bats are outboard of the engines .I have to climb over .A smaller bloke could get round from over the rear gearboxes .
Once over nice wide shelf to sit on I can turn around easy enough to do service work ,like change filters -chk bats etc in relative comfort ..

The Itama 46 has a walk in door from the centre of the crew cabin ,you have to step over the Geny buy nether the less a good design -there are hatches /ladder too .
 
Mrs Duck is firmly in the Sessa c46 camp, & I am not silly, so will go look at one in not too distant future !
Anyone want a nice mint Abs 41/43 ? :D
C46 is a very good looking boat but its a bit above my budget and there doesnt seem to be many around, ohh and whats a gyro ?
 
C46 is a very good looking boat but its a bit above my budget and there doesnt seem to be many around, ohh and whats a gyro ?

Thing that reduces roll on boats, Mrs Duck has been unwell when sitting still watching air shows etc. meaning I get to drive up & down while everyone else has all the fun, not cheap but in our case its either some form of stabilisation or hotels for holibobs. https://www.seakeeper.com/
 
Thing that reduces roll on boats, Mrs Duck has been unwell when sitting still watching air shows etc. meaning I get to drive up & down while everyone else has all the fun, not cheap but in our case its either some form of stabilisation or hotels for holibobs. https://www.seakeeper.com/

I'll be able to tell you how well my gyro works in a couple of weeks time! According to a skipper who's driven the boat since the gyro was installed it works very well so it sounds like a very worthwile addition
 
Thing that reduces roll on boats, Mrs Duck has been unwell when sitting still watching air shows etc. meaning I get to drive up & down while everyone else has all the fun, not cheap but in our case its either some form of stabilisation or hotels for holibobs. https://www.seakeeper.com/

Bloody hell.........you can buy a nice boat for the price of one of them !
 
I'll be able to tell you how well my gyro works in a couple of weeks time! According to a skipper who's driven the boat since the gyro was installed it works very well so it sounds like a very worthwile addition

Have spoken to a few on here that have them & yet to have a bad report. Nicky is not that bad, its just when it tries to imitate a cork bobing about she doesn't like it.
 
P, I don't want to sound as a scaremonger, but while intuitively you might think the opposite, it's actually harder to stabilize a boat like the C46, compared to a larger and heavier boat, with a higher rolling period - particularly at zero speed.
I'm not saying that it can't be done, but if that is a key requirement for you, I would ask Seakeeper their technical assessment of the installation, before jumping into the boat purchase and a pretty expensive retrofitting...
 
P, I don't want to sound as a scaremonger, but while intuitively you might think the opposite, it's actually harder to stabilize a boat like the C46, compared to a larger and heavier boat, with a higher rolling period - particularly at zero speed.
I'm not saying that it can't be done, but if that is a key requirement for you, I would ask Seakeeper their technical assessment of the installation, before jumping into the boat purchase and a pretty expensive retrofitting...

Thanks, have spoken to one of their installers but will take it further before parting with any money.
 
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