Considering new Princess V42

Sounding like a sports boat v 42 ish? One of the best designed layout wise in this class.
Cannes boat show w/e after SIBS) , yeah i know an added layer of complication,
Bit if in the back of your mind there is a the faintest glimmer of a move to the Med over the horizon ,then Go to Cannes , to get a handle on the Med thing !
I think UK boaty scene is a bit incestuous and insular and one dimensional and it's easy to get sucked into the " club"

At this level sub 50 ft the dealers are desperate all of them especially Ferreti group Pershing Mochi, Itama , etc
Buy with your heart , boating is about fun , try not to do the numbers too much - nothing adds up makes sence from a comman sence buisness point of view .Its an extravagant indulgence , but so what ! Go out and enjoy every moment
 
I like your approach Portofino :)
And I agree that it's an indulgence, it's pleasure. But having said that, I want it to be pleasure, and if my boat will be out of the water for repairs during half of the season, the pleasure aspect will be gone. Hence the search for a quality boat, and I believe Princess offers that (Fairline probably as well). I'm not suggesting all other boats are vastly inferior, and I hear what you say about the "club". But given what I read/hear about those Volvo outdrives etc, it will influence my final decision (will be taken in the next few weeks). Itama etc produce gorgeous boats, but I just like the Princess/Fairline styling, feel etc.
And everyone is desperate to sell their boats so deals can be found everywhere (at least for this size of boats).
Thanks for your input - much appreciated.
 
As has been said already any engine issues will be common to all manufacturers not withstanding installation errors which do occur once you start moving away from centre field.

Don't forget that P42 has shafts which require less than no maintenance and big old props which will end up lining some museum or curiosity shop in a hundred years :) We lost a grand total of zero seconds due to mechanical ailments in the 5 years we owned our P42.

With regard to the Cannes suggestion UK owners might struggle with after sales support regardless of any build quality or pricing differences as might exist. Your friend who had the problems did at least have someone holding his hand whilst things (not the fault of the boat builder) were being sorted. That might not always be the case with some off the wall (in the UK) builders.

When it comes to resale you might find yourself having to explain what your boat is to everyone if selling in the UK whereas the Princess brand is fairly well known in Europe already. Proof of that pudding was then number of overseas enquiries I got when selling my P42 prior to the current P50. If the other builders are tripping over themselves to offer deals might there be a reason? I'm not saying anyone is having things easy at the moment and everyone is having to go the extra mile but whilst other builders have struggled or gone to the wall Princess has carried on growing steadily bringing out new models including their 40 metre of which 3 have now been commissioned. That gave me confidence when pushing the button, I didn't feel I was going to be left stranded at any time in the near future.


Did I mention how good flybridges are by the way :)



Henry

Edited to say typing as you were posting!
 
No Henry, you never mentioned anything about a flybridge. :)

The V class is really fun to drive. Great for water sports with the kids as well, and we could cruise alongside the coast. The flybridge obviously provides more comfort for the cruising bit, and I'm able to stand up in the saloon. Engines can become a pain in the V42, I understand I will only put some oil in from time to time on the P42.
Gosh...not easy to be torn between 2 magnificient boats. Having said that: I sold my 911 for a Lexus so I guess the dream of something more sportive will soon be replaced by something more comfortable anyway...
 
Well, lets not forget the exchange rate, Henry, up until recently. UK builders have had a nice ride on the back of that into Europe, I am sure. You only had to walk from boat to boat at a show to notice the foreign boats were painfully expensive for us in UK.
Worm might be turning a bit now.
 
I know - doesn't read well, does it? Apparently something to do with kids growing, not enough space in the back, Amnesty International against chopping of kids' legs etc...
 
I now see the appeal of the V. Inject some fun back in your life :)

In Jimmy the builder's case I think it was the realisation he was getting old and desperately wanted to cling onto the last moments of mobility. Being so much younger I am comfortable enough to own a flybridge in the same way I am happy to wear pink and eat quiche. With guns like mine no one would dare question my masculinity ;)

H :)
 
henryf said:
I now see the appeal of the V. Inject some fun back in your life :)

In Jimmy the builder's case I think it was the realisation he was getting old and desperately wanted to cling onto the last moments of mobility. Being so much younger I am comfortable enough to own a flybridge in the same way I am happy to wear pink and eat quiche. With guns like mine no one would dare question my masculinity ;)

H :)
Click to expand...

:D And we're off...! I completely respect your decision to enjoy a slower pace of boating Henry, it goes with your cardie and the quiche. And didn't you say you'll be enjoying the cruising scene in a couple of weeks too? Good for you! :D:D

Cheers
Jimmy
 
jimmy_the_builder said:
:D And we're off...! I completely respect your decision to enjoy a slower pace of boating Henry, it goes with your cardie and the quiche. And didn't you say you'll be enjoying the cruising scene in a couple of weeks too? Good for you! :D:D

Cheers
Jimmy
Click to expand...

Sorry for the delay in posting Jimmy, just got in. You must remember nightlife. Don't forget to tune into Ken Bruce on radio 2 a bit later on I know you're a big fan..... :)

Whilst you're napkin folding, tossing your quoits and line dancing us young 'uns are trying to avoid the cougar cruisers ;)

Anyway how did you know I wore cardigans, have you been rummaging through my wardrobe looking for some fashion tips again? Don't make me get the restraining order out.......

H. :)
 
And even after all those outings and publicity for M&S cardigans, I still don't know whether there is more headroom in the V45 compared to the V42, and if I need to drop the V42 from my list because of the Volvo sterndrive issues :)
 
For what its worth, for me, the V42 HT is the boat with the looks and perfect for the Med. The P42 is the boat with the practicality and perfect for the UK waters.

I know what one i would choose and why but this is a personal thing based on the very very slim chance of us getting to the med in the next 10 years so would have to be the P42 for me.

I looked around a new P42 a few years back (pre Hunton era) at London and was very tempted but life took a different direction and we went down the Hunton route which is of course, a differnt kettle of fish!

If i recall this is your first boat? have you thought about chartering one of each style for a week / weekend? I know in the past when we have bought "wrong" boats, it became evident very quickly! (in one case almost the first night we stayed on the boat!) so a small investment in "try before you buy" might just save you £££ over the next few years...
 
If you buy new any stern drive issues will be an inconvenience rather than an expense. As has already been said it doesn't matter which manufacturer you choose because any faults will be Volvo related (although how they get resolved will vary manufacturer to manufacturer).

Many of the smaller boats will opt for stern drives on account of their space saving advantages. They do also have advantages such as being able to dry out on a tide in somewhere like Newport on the Isle of Wight. I group all non shaft driven boats (IPS etc.) together when looking at propulsion and it's simplicity.

Many stern drive boats are sold each year and have been for decades. Of course Noah's Arc was shaft driven (just waiting for Jimmy to suggest he was a personal friend of mine!) so that technology is very well proven.

Have I mentioned trying a flybridge ? ;)



Descisions descisions. In truth all good choices so buy what suits you. Don't worry about what others would choose. You know your needs and what floats your boat. We are all very different people in boating and an Internet forum doesn't exactly help you judge who you are "talking" to.

My advice, get it sorted. I can honestly say I haven't had a minutes buyers remorse on the last 2 boats I've bought. I felt guilty when I bought them but first time out that went away and after a few weeks the boat just feels like home and you can't imagine you haven't owned it for ever. They say the best days in boating are the day you buy and the day you sell, well not for me.

Henry :)
 
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It will indeed be my first motorboat. I did think about a weekend charter, so that's definitely a very good suggestion.
Although I have a slight preference for the V42 in terms of styling, experience etc I am worried about the engines. On this and other forums I read quite a lot of worrying comments regarding the Volvo sterndrives. You always have the risk that something goes wrong with an engine, but it seems like it's almost a certainty with the Volvo outdrives. I don't mind paying the £2000-£3000 a year to have them properly serviced, but don't look forward to potentially having the boat out of the water several times per season to have it fixed. Boating is about pleasure, and spare time is very precious.
And of course being 6ft5 it's not always pleasurable to use the heads whilst sitting on my knees or bumping my head every time I make a cup of coffee :)
 
z1ppy said:
I know in the past when we have bought "wrong" boats, it became evident very quickly! (in one case almost the first night we stayed on the boat!) so a small investment in "try before you buy" might just save you £££ over the next few years...
Click to expand...

I completely agree with this - only one of the five boats I've had has been completely wrong, and I knew it at the end of our first trip on it. I tried to stick it out for a bit but I never shook off that first impression, and I've never regretted selling it.

Cheers
Jimmy
 
Alwaysbyboat said:
It will indeed be my first motorboat. I did think about a weekend charter, so that's definitely a very good suggestion.
Although I have a slight preference for the V42 in terms of styling, experience etc I am worried about the engines. On this and other forums I read quite a lot of worrying comments regarding the Volvo sterndrives. You always have the risk that something goes wrong with an engine, but it seems like it's almost a certainty with the Volvo outdrives. I don't mind paying the £2000-£3000 a year to have them properly serviced, but don't look forward to potentially having the boat out of the water several times per season to have it fixed. Boating is about pleasure, and spare time is very precious.
And of course being 6ft5 it's not always pleasurable to use the heads whilst sitting on my knees or bumping my head every time I make a cup of coffee :)
Click to expand...

Hmmm, this is a bit of a doomsday scenario. I've never had to lift a boat several times in a season for maintenance. In four seasons (nearly) of T40 ownership, I've only had one unscheduled lift for maintenance, which was a failed gear selector assembly in the top of one of the legs. Well-known issues like the steering rams tend to get addressed when you're doing your annual maintenance anyway.

Ref your headroom comment - I think there's more in the V45 than in the V42, but you need to go and try this for yourself :D.

Cheers
Jimmy
 
When considering IPS v Sterndrives, having the chunk of Aluminium dangling in brine is the same for both. The IPS wins over the VP Sterndrive in not having the steering rams available for marine creatures to wreck oil seals. However, I would love to see an IPS boat on a drying mooring :D

With sterndrives you can clean the props when you need to without a lift, or diver, which you cannot with shaft or IPS.

My Merc sterndrives have the steering rams in the engine bay, just the tilt rams in the water. Merc drives also seem less likely to be ravaged by stray fishing line, and you can also see the drive oil in the engine bay to check for levels and water ingress.

If buying new, I see little risk with sterndrives or IPS, if they are maintanied to spec, and you are not unlucky with fishing lines/lobster pots, or clouting something solid with them.

There are other advantages with shafts, as I'm sure others will point out, and our next boat is likely to have shafts, but for other reasons than reliability/maintenance.
 
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these are 9 years old no probs at all Regular annual VP agent maintained as per book /manual .
Sits in the water all year SoF
kad 300s (550 hrs ) with DPG outdrives , just routine service ,bellows changed every 2 years .
At one bellows change a single U/J jiont was replaced added 80 ish euros to bill.
( The sterring ram is inside to boat dry) on this set up

criuses @ 60-70 LTrs/hour arround 27Knots @ 3000rpm -ish
seen 39 Knots @ GPS -clean bottom light load ,dead calm - WOT
160,000 of these units worldwide 2001-2005

I think by now all the "well documented " on the forum early issues with the D6 DPH set up should be resolved.

Diesel is only going one way ----er-- let me think ----- up
 
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