Fairline Squadron 58, Volvo D12-715 evc- experiences?

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TrondS

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I am looking at a 2007 model Fairline Squadron 58, with twin Volvo D12 715hp EVC engines, used around 800 hours.

Do any of you have experience with this boat and engine combination?
I'm particularly thinking about the engines. Are there any known issues, or things to look out for? Reliable engines?
Any comments are welcome.
 
Well I had a 2007 S58 but with the D12 800's. The boat in general was excellent - great layout (particularly the flybridge), bombproof hull which flattened most seas! and my D12 800's were very reliable with me putting around 750 hours on them in 7 years with complete confidence and no issues. Not sure whether there was much difference in terms of reliability and/or suitability to the S58 between the D12 715's and the 800's, but I'm sure other people will have a view.
 
We had a Targa 52 with D12 800 engines, 2008, 350 hours when we bought it,nearly 800 hours when sold 5 years later, total problems , 1 alternator !!!!! ,but also 1 gearbox failure,which i was told is a known problem on 800 hp models but apparently not on 715hp models. Gearbox sorted under warranty. Starboard oil filters a pig ,as was port impeller, but this was on a Targa not a Squadron.
 
Depending on what you are used to, you would struggle to find a great accessibility in any sub-60' planing boat engine room, I'm afraid.
Imho, FLs aren't among the best in this respect, Sq58 included - brilliant boat in several other respects, but not this one.
Others are worse, mind - some MUCH worse!
IIRC, the most annoying thing in the VP powered Sq58 (not sure about the Cat version, but they rare anyway) is the need to remove the saloon floor and the sofa to access the valves for registration.
 
MapisM said:
...the most annoying thing in the VP powered Sq58 (not sure about the Cat version, but they rare anyway) is the need to remove the saloon floor and the sofa to access the valves for registration.
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This is definitely worth keeping in mind. But as long as the more frequent/daily used service items, like impellers, fuel and oil filters, and so on, have relative easy access, I guess it is acceptable.

I'm used to a much smaller boat, but with good access all around the VP D6 engine engine. So I am prepaired for more limited access with twin engines in a crowded engine room.
 
The D12s in the 58 are a delight to service because there are no outboard fuel tanks , the tanks are in front of each engine.
I’ve serviced a few including JFM one he had on the south of France , the only service item you cannot carry out is the valve check as the floor is too low to lift off the valve cover , JFM took care to remove the floor and settle which made the job an absolute delight .

Watch out for blocked heat exchanger because they will overheat and under perform , the heat exchanger has to cool the coolant , the coolant also cools the oil cooler and more important the intercooler as that is a closed circuit type plate cooler , they also require the intercooler cleaning on the the air passage side as it blocks up from the turbo oil mist .

As already stated the flywheel couplings break up so look for bits of rubber on the bellhousing .
 
I have a s58 d12/715

They have 700 hrs.

I have had no engine issue

When I bought it I removed injectors. All failed. Refurbished all good. Made no difference to performance !

Heat exchangers I clear out regularly with acid.

Removing the floor is a non issue. For access I can remove the stbd side in 5 mins ( lift carpet and a few screws ) it is better than crawling in

The rest does not take much longer. You do not need to remove the sofa.

I did have oil pan leak. You drop the pan and replace the seal. Takes 4-6 hours.

I have evc a and that has had random ( incorrect ) warnings since I bought it which I believe is relatively common.

I have fuel flow monitoring from yacht devices and prop / hull fouling increases fuel consumption significantly

Depending on the age the exhausts are probably dead. I have replaced mine
 
I had 2 of this series of s58 both bought new. A 2004 model with d12 715 and a 2009 with d12 800. 850 hours and 250 respectively.

Fantastic boat for many reasons, which is why I bought 2. Never had a problem with the enigines- just serviced every year, most recently by super knowledgable Volvo paul on this forum.

Oil pan gasket leaks were nothing on my engines. Tiny weeps in couple of places. As you get with plenty of engines.

I agree with jrudge. The fantasy stories about lifting the saloon floor to adjust valve clearances amounting to a big job are from people who never did it. The job is quick and simple. You don’t remove the floor, just two Pre prepared plywood hatches in the floor made for the job. You lift the carpet obviously. Starboard hatch is 5 minutes literally as jrudge says. Port side is 30 mins because you remove a few screws from the sofa base to slide the hatch out. The plywood panels are big- about 1.5 m long and 60cm wide, very roughly. I have done this personally (once with volvopaul as he says above) on my own boats. There was a post on here 10 years ago with pictures where an engine servicer removed the whole sofa, and some of the rumours flow from that. The service guys just didn’t know their job - perhaps charging by the hour. :). Plus, valve clearance adjustment is every few years not annual.

Volvo’s EVC electronics were glitchy on early A versions but will have B or C in a 2007 boat.

I also found you need to replace the Halyard exhaust elbows every 5 years or so. Made by halyard in Uk. Over £1000each so a £3k job with labour. You don’t need to replace any other components. Easy to spot when they start leaking and they don’t stop you getting home if they leak on a voyage.

It’s a great boat/package. Strongly recommended! If you can say, which exact boat are you buying? ( hull number or link?).
 
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JFM, thank you very much for your valuable comments! Very good to hear from someone who owns the same boat/engine.

Right now I am in a very early stage, so just briefly been in touch with the sales agent. Haven't been onboard the boat yet, so I don't know the hull number. But from the pictures in the sales add, it looks well maintained.

I will keep you updated with more details, if/when I go forward with the purchase process and buy the boat. Might have more questions for you later.


The link is to the sales add on a Norwegian website, so unfortunately all text is in Norwegian:
https://www.finn.no/boat/forsale/ad.html?finnkode=151157308
 
volvopaul said:
The D12s in the 58 are a delight to service
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Blimey VP, you must be used to work inside some pretty tight e/rooms, if you are delighted by the Sq58.
Which surely ain't among the worst in this size bracket, as I already said, but it's pretty far from being one of the best either.
You'd better not see the e/r of a (quite older) Canados 58, because you'd feel very cramped in a Sq58, afterwards...! :rolleyes:
 
TrondS said:
from the pictures in the sales add, it looks well maintained
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She definitely does, all the very best for your next steps! :encouragement:

Generally speaking, she's a great boat indeed.
A few years ago I made a very extensive search for a late 90s to mid naughties 55/60' boat, and the Sq58 was the only one I considered, among those built by Brit builders.
 
Folks (I'm now asking to other owners or ex-owners), has the bow cleats/fairleads arrangement always been like this, in all Sq58s?
I'm wondering just out of idle curiosity, because it's rather silly, and I'm surprised I didn't notice it on the boat I viewed...

308_1158958882.jpg
 
TrondS, from the pictures that looks a very good/clean squadron 58. It has twin beds in port cabin; only about 10% of them had that. Perfectly ok. It also has the horrible Jabsco loos but they are easy to change for Tecma (€1000 each). But looks a really well kept boat. 850 hours = good.
 
Yes the bow is normal for sq58. It worked fine in my 6 years of ownership and I can’t see what you are unhappy with! I would rotate the cleats 90 deg if I designed it (and they did on sq78) but it’s a tiny point.
 
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jfm said:
It also has the horrible Jabsco loos but they are easy to change for Tecma (€1000 each). But looks a really well kept boat. 850 hours = good.
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Agreed! Changing to Tecma would be easy. Not a deal breaker.

Yes, the cleats should have been rotated 90 degrees, but looks like it has worked fine so far.
 
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