Griff
New member
Thinking of buying a 1997 Fairline 43 Aft Cabin. Anything special I should look for? Understand there were only 19 made, anyone know why? Thanks.
Fairline 43 aft cabin
- Thread starter Griff
- Start date
petem
Well-known member
I don't have first hand experience but understand that they didn't sell well because the looks aren't to everyones taste and they were very expensive. Saw one in the November MBY for £175,000 that looked like a fair buy as most seem to be £200k plus. BA Peters used to run one as their training boat if that's any recommendation.
Oh year, my wife likes them!
Oh year, my wife likes them!
david_steward
New member
Re: They were...
Very expensive and a bit of a compromise. The steps from the different levels are very steep compared to similar vessels. They were billed as the successor to the venerable Turbo 36 but were nearly twice the price. over 250 Turbos made v 19 of the 43 ac so it was a bit of a failure. Consider a Broom 38/42 cl as an alternative.
Happy hunting
Dave S
Very expensive and a bit of a compromise. The steps from the different levels are very steep compared to similar vessels. They were billed as the successor to the venerable Turbo 36 but were nearly twice the price. over 250 Turbos made v 19 of the 43 ac so it was a bit of a failure. Consider a Broom 38/42 cl as an alternative.
Happy hunting
Dave S
byron
RIP
I was given to understand that they pulled out of the aft cabin market (N.Europe) because there was more money in making cockpit boats for the Med market. Maybe they hope to repeat their success of the Turbo 36 and it just failed to happen. Personally I prefer the 36 anyway.
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G
Guest
Guest
In my humble opinion these are dreadfully ugly, and a difficult boat to move about on. A friend had one, name of In Focus, with a lot of problems. Later models had a grey-painted rear in an effort to lessen the fat-arse appearance. Not at all liked, so I'd imagine that the price for a sizeable boat is relatively low.
Will_M
Member
Peters do still run the 43ac as their training boat, before that it was a Turbo36.....
G
Guest
Guest
Re: mebbe couldn\'t sell it? nm
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D
Deleted User YDKXO
Guest
The 43AC was'nt successful for a variety of reasons. Firstly Fairline hyped it as a successor to the Turbo 36 and Princess 435 and a lot of people (like me) held off changing our boats until it arrived. The trouble was that with an inc VAT price of close to £300k it was much too expensive for the average T36/P435 owner to trade up to. Secondly, although it was badged a 43AC, the amount of accomodation it offered was no more than the T36 and actually less than the P435. For the same money, you could buy a Broom 41 or slightly used Broom 44, both of which offered greater internal volume. Some people felt that the little cubby hole under the helm on the 43AC should have been designed as a third cabin. Thirdly, some people percieved it as pig ugly although I would'nt necessarily agree with that as at least it looks different to the average aft cockpit boat and I think the aft deck arrangement works quite well.
Basically Fairline cocked it up; apparently it cost far more to build than they estimated and then they misjudged the ability of the market it was aimed at to afford it.
Having said this, the reports are that it's actually not a bad boat. I believe MBM tested it and pronounced that the seakeeping was particularly good and, certainly, the aft cabin is spacious, if thats what you're looking for. It's nearest competitor on the used market would be the Broom 41 and since it does'nt offer as much space or be as desirable a used buy, you shoud'nt pay as much as for the B41. Since B41's are on the market for £185 - 210k, an asking price of £200k for the 43AC is too much so, as has already been said, dont pay more than £175k even for a good one
Basically Fairline cocked it up; apparently it cost far more to build than they estimated and then they misjudged the ability of the market it was aimed at to afford it.
Having said this, the reports are that it's actually not a bad boat. I believe MBM tested it and pronounced that the seakeeping was particularly good and, certainly, the aft cabin is spacious, if thats what you're looking for. It's nearest competitor on the used market would be the Broom 41 and since it does'nt offer as much space or be as desirable a used buy, you shoud'nt pay as much as for the B41. Since B41's are on the market for £185 - 210k, an asking price of £200k for the 43AC is too much so, as has already been said, dont pay more than £175k even for a good one
ari
Well-known member
Agree with all the above and would add that they all seem to have TAMD 63P 370hp diesels, which must be a bit lightweight for such a voluminous boat.
Personally I'd look at a Princess 440, circa £200K (depending on age), three cabins, stairs (not ladder) to the flybridge and usualy TAMD 72's (430hp) giving 30 knots plus.
Ari
Personally I'd look at a Princess 440, circa £200K (depending on age), three cabins, stairs (not ladder) to the flybridge and usualy TAMD 72's (430hp) giving 30 knots plus.
Ari
D
Deleted User YDKXO
Guest
Ari, I would agree that the 440 would offer more volume/performance than the 43AC but, if you want an aft cabin boat then the 440 is out. I know from my own experience that if SWMBO decrees only an aft cabin will do for her vast selection of girly things, then a lot of nice boats are off the shopping list.
The problem with aft cabin boats is that, not having a lazarette, all the oily bits like generators, batteries, calorifier etc. have to be squeezed into the engine room which does'nt leave much room for the engines so I guess the TAMD72's were never going to fit in the 43AC. Actually, the TAMD63's are quite strong engines so I guess the 43AC would go well, especially if you consider that its really only a 40 footer or less in old money
The problem with aft cabin boats is that, not having a lazarette, all the oily bits like generators, batteries, calorifier etc. have to be squeezed into the engine room which does'nt leave much room for the engines so I guess the TAMD72's were never going to fit in the 43AC. Actually, the TAMD63's are quite strong engines so I guess the 43AC would go well, especially if you consider that its really only a 40 footer or less in old money
ari
Well-known member
Fair enough.
As you say, it's all a matter of personal taste.
Great though the aft cabins of aft cabin boats are, I've always felt that they're never worth the trade off of having an aft deck rather than an aft cockpit (having to sit up on the back of the boat exposed to the weather and onlookers rather than in a cockpit, steps every time you want to go from cockpit to saloon, sloping door so you can't have it open if it is raining, almost impossible to enclose the area unless you want a really ungainly tent thing rather than a canopy extending from the trialling edge of the flybridge etc etc).
But as you say, "She Who Must Be Obeyed" must be obeyed, hence her job title!!
Each to their own.
Ari.
As you say, it's all a matter of personal taste.
Great though the aft cabins of aft cabin boats are, I've always felt that they're never worth the trade off of having an aft deck rather than an aft cockpit (having to sit up on the back of the boat exposed to the weather and onlookers rather than in a cockpit, steps every time you want to go from cockpit to saloon, sloping door so you can't have it open if it is raining, almost impossible to enclose the area unless you want a really ungainly tent thing rather than a canopy extending from the trialling edge of the flybridge etc etc).
But as you say, "She Who Must Be Obeyed" must be obeyed, hence her job title!!
Each to their own.
Ari.
byron
RIP
Oh God Ari, you've depressed me now, anyone wanna buy a Princess 435 ?
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ari
Well-known member
Oops, sorry B, they're lovely, honest!!!
Lets face it, any boat's nice really........ (with one or two exceptions!!)
Ari
Lets face it, any boat's nice really........ (with one or two exceptions!!)
Ari
petem
Well-known member
Griff,
Have you bought? Please let us know.
Pete
Have you bought? Please let us know.
Pete
G
Guest
Guest
I'm just catching up on old bulletin board posts, hence this one may be too late for you. If you've already bought, don't read on. Otherwise ...
We don't have a boat but hope to buy one soon. Apart from short trips on boats, the only boat we've spent time on is a 43ac. It was 3 or 4 nights a year ago. Very mixed weather. The 43ac, we were told, is known as a 'wet' boat. We found out why in more ways than one. Look at the dodgers (is that what the plastic bit around the front of the flybridge is called?). Look which way it slopes. It's the same angle as a targa i.e. towards the flybridge so it doesn't catch the spray, merely aims it for your head rather than body.
We were in the aft cabin. there were two water leaks. We had both rising damp and falling damp. The first, we were told was because of loose things around the shafts underneath the aft cabin (don't know what they were called) which in rough conditions threw water upwards to the underside of the cabin floor. We also had leaks coming down. It was suggested that some new electronics on the flybridge had been fitted and couldn't have been sealed properly causing water to seep down.
By the end of our trip, the bed was all wet, we were wet and we both said we were definitely not going to buy our own boat! But we are! Shortly, we hope.
Look at the adverts in the magazines. Count up how many 43acs are for sale. I did sometime ago and it seemed half the entire production run was for sale at that time. Now that tells you something, doesn't it?
We'd endorse what's been said about all the steps. Seemed
We don't have a boat but hope to buy one soon. Apart from short trips on boats, the only boat we've spent time on is a 43ac. It was 3 or 4 nights a year ago. Very mixed weather. The 43ac, we were told, is known as a 'wet' boat. We found out why in more ways than one. Look at the dodgers (is that what the plastic bit around the front of the flybridge is called?). Look which way it slopes. It's the same angle as a targa i.e. towards the flybridge so it doesn't catch the spray, merely aims it for your head rather than body.
We were in the aft cabin. there were two water leaks. We had both rising damp and falling damp. The first, we were told was because of loose things around the shafts underneath the aft cabin (don't know what they were called) which in rough conditions threw water upwards to the underside of the cabin floor. We also had leaks coming down. It was suggested that some new electronics on the flybridge had been fitted and couldn't have been sealed properly causing water to seep down.
By the end of our trip, the bed was all wet, we were wet and we both said we were definitely not going to buy our own boat! But we are! Shortly, we hope.
Look at the adverts in the magazines. Count up how many 43acs are for sale. I did sometime ago and it seemed half the entire production run was for sale at that time. Now that tells you something, doesn't it?
We'd endorse what's been said about all the steps. Seemed
