Varazze
New Member
I'm just looking into buying a preowned Fairline Squadron 58 from 2008 with approx. 500 hours and 1 owner. Who has experiences with this type of yacht? Handling, any known niggles of this type etc. Every feedback is appreciated!
Fairline Squadron 58
- Thread starter Varazze
- Start date
MedMilo
Well-Known Member
Hi - I bought one new in 2007 and did 800 hours over 7 years. It was without doubt the best boat I've ever owned; fantastic hull, well built, strong and reliable and great layout (esp the flybridge). IMHO it's one of the best models Fairline ever built and when paired with the Volvo D12's makes for a superb long range cruising vessel. The only 'issue' is obviously the master cabin in the bow (rather than full beam) but I'm guessing you've reconciled yourself to that or else you wouldn't be considering the model. In any case, one major advantage of the bow master is that you're the first to know if the wind picks up when you're overnighting on the anchor! A super boat and the later ones (like your 2008 model, which must be hull c200) are even better built than the earlier ones because FL has really got the hang of it by then 
You can now get even '07/'08 models for a £ number beginning with a 3 which seems like superb value. Good luck with the search; if you end up buying one I'm sure it'll give you many, many years of happy cruising.
You can now get even '07/'08 models for a £ number beginning with a 3 which seems like superb value. Good luck with the search; if you end up buying one I'm sure it'll give you many, many years of happy cruising.
jfm
Well-Known Member
I owned 2 of these from new - a 2004 model, then a 2009 (this one http://www.boats.co.uk/boats-for-sale/fairline-squadron-58-975). I did 800 hours in the forst, 260 hours in the second one. I agree everything MedMilo says above - this really is one of the best boats in its class, ever. I could tell you 1000 things that are good about this boat, and almost nothing bad. They were well built.
2008 will be around hull 180-195, so they knew how to build them. I had #74 and #201. Another poster on here has #210. Please can you tell us the exact hull number, and/or send a link to the advert, and then I might tell you something specific about the boat
The D12 engines are excellent and the boat runs very quietly.
2008 will be around hull 180-195, so they knew how to build them. I had #74 and #201. Another poster on here has #210. Please can you tell us the exact hull number, and/or send a link to the advert, and then I might tell you something specific about the boat
The D12 engines are excellent and the boat runs very quietly.
Varazze
New Member
Great, tahnks. I will find out the hull number from the broker, no problem.
Nick_H
Well-Known Member
If you're tall then you may find the patio door and saloon ceiling are a bit low. I'm 6'4", and I could stand in the saloon, but only just.
Varazze
New Member
The boat is called "Buoy-Oh-Buoy", you can find it in the latest MBY Sunseeker brokerage section. No link I'm afraid.
jimmy_the_builder
Well-Known Member
Varazze
New Member
You found it! Good detective work!
jimmy_the_builder
Well-Known Member
perhaps not the trickiest bit of googling I've ever done...Same price as jfm's old boat which is listed by BCU (link above). Interesting to compare the two, at that price point - the BCU boat has much higher hours, but arguably a better spec. Are you particularly a fan of the gloss cherry interior over the satin oak?
Varazze
New Member
Checked the BCU link, they show the jfm boat unfortunately as sold. Would have loved the interior design.
jimmy_the_builder
Well-Known Member
Good point. Whichever you buy, I'm another fan of the Sq58, it has a great hull and the flybridge layout is easily best-in-class. If you're ok with not having the on-trend mid master, the utility room that Fairline put in that midships space is very handy. What you really want is one that's had the flat-pack tumble dryer installation!
[/injoke]
jfm
Well-Known Member
Nice boat but overpriced obviously at 495k. Mine, now showing sold on BUK website, has been stuck several months with its asking price of £495 and only just sold, and I don't know what price was achieved. But it is much higher spec and a year newer than this sunseeker one
The sunseeker boat is definitely 2008. Spec is ok, not stunning. The nav gear is basic. The awful dark blue in the port/stbd cabins is easy to change by buying a few yards of alcantara in a better colour and stapling it over the blue. The panels are held on with Dual Lock. I did more than this on an old "blue" boat in a weekend. The bed cover things (useless, throw them out) are in a colour/stripe called Sarabande that I thought FL had dropped from their catalogue about 100 years ago. Boat must have been specced by a, er, traditionalist!
Has the new flat hilo TV which is nice.
The wood floor looks nicely done except for the awful carpet strip under the TV and on the stair risers. Easily fixed. The entire floor has to come out at either 800 or 1000 hours to do the tappets on the D12s. you'll need a good shipwright because those wood floors tend to be fitted quickly by someone who doesn't care about the future cos that aint his problem. It may be glued onto blobs of sikaflex. Good luck with that... (Also many firms remove the saloon sofa to do the tappets but you do NOT have to do that).
Has the bigger dishwasher which is good
Shame there is no picture of the cabin to port downstairs from the galley. 5th cabin. Usually set up as utility room but you can have single pulman bed in there easily. Can also fit freezer, w/machine and tumble drier and loo in here if you want serious cruise ability
The 2 toilets are awful base spec Jabsco things. You should have them replaced with Tecma silence plus. Tecmas will fit, and the control panels will fit in the space where the Jabsco switch is, so hiding all evidence that the Jabscos were ever fitted
Colours are neutralish (apart from the blue in the 2 cabins) but if you want to change anything the guy who made all the sofas and stuff is in Essex and will change the leather to factory original standard at very good pricing. Just saying, in case you want. Probably no need to
Anyway, this is a very nice example of a class-best boat, and if you can trim the price to £415 or so you have a very sensible buy there
One alternative: hull 210, almost the last built, 2009, is for sale in Antibes. High spec too, and has the light oak interior with Wenge wood highlights and dark brown sofas and black biminis. I don't know the asking price but it may be a bit under this sunseeker one. It has the very unusual but exceptionally good Caterpillar C12 engines. These were a £50k upgrade when ordered new and while the Volvo D12s are great engines and perfectly ok, the Cats are even better, if you're fussy. If your handle "Varazze" is because you're in that marina, then the Antibes boat is a pleasant 3 hours along the coast as you know, whereas the sunseeker boat is £25,000 worth of shipping away from Varazze or you could put it on a lorry @£12k and take a bit of scuffing risk. Antibes boat sounds better. No link yet - I'll ask its owner to PM you
If you can get the hull number come back to me as there is one possibly useful further bit of info, but I need the hull number. It will be around #190.
The sunseeker boat is definitely 2008. Spec is ok, not stunning. The nav gear is basic. The awful dark blue in the port/stbd cabins is easy to change by buying a few yards of alcantara in a better colour and stapling it over the blue. The panels are held on with Dual Lock. I did more than this on an old "blue" boat in a weekend. The bed cover things (useless, throw them out) are in a colour/stripe called Sarabande that I thought FL had dropped from their catalogue about 100 years ago. Boat must have been specced by a, er, traditionalist!
Has the new flat hilo TV which is nice.
The wood floor looks nicely done except for the awful carpet strip under the TV and on the stair risers. Easily fixed. The entire floor has to come out at either 800 or 1000 hours to do the tappets on the D12s. you'll need a good shipwright because those wood floors tend to be fitted quickly by someone who doesn't care about the future cos that aint his problem. It may be glued onto blobs of sikaflex. Good luck with that... (Also many firms remove the saloon sofa to do the tappets but you do NOT have to do that).
Has the bigger dishwasher which is good
Shame there is no picture of the cabin to port downstairs from the galley. 5th cabin. Usually set up as utility room but you can have single pulman bed in there easily. Can also fit freezer, w/machine and tumble drier and loo in here if you want serious cruise ability
The 2 toilets are awful base spec Jabsco things. You should have them replaced with Tecma silence plus. Tecmas will fit, and the control panels will fit in the space where the Jabsco switch is, so hiding all evidence that the Jabscos were ever fitted
Colours are neutralish (apart from the blue in the 2 cabins) but if you want to change anything the guy who made all the sofas and stuff is in Essex and will change the leather to factory original standard at very good pricing. Just saying, in case you want. Probably no need to
Anyway, this is a very nice example of a class-best boat, and if you can trim the price to £415 or so you have a very sensible buy there
One alternative: hull 210, almost the last built, 2009, is for sale in Antibes. High spec too, and has the light oak interior with Wenge wood highlights and dark brown sofas and black biminis. I don't know the asking price but it may be a bit under this sunseeker one. It has the very unusual but exceptionally good Caterpillar C12 engines. These were a £50k upgrade when ordered new and while the Volvo D12s are great engines and perfectly ok, the Cats are even better, if you're fussy. If your handle "Varazze" is because you're in that marina, then the Antibes boat is a pleasant 3 hours along the coast as you know, whereas the sunseeker boat is £25,000 worth of shipping away from Varazze or you could put it on a lorry @£12k and take a bit of scuffing risk. Antibes boat sounds better. No link yet - I'll ask its owner to PM you
If you can get the hull number come back to me as there is one possibly useful further bit of info, but I need the hull number. It will be around #190.
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Varazze
New Member
Great info, thanks a lot. Very helpful for judging this boat. Especially the hint regarding the tappets service is quite useful, I did not know that. Learning never stops. =
If you can get hold of the contact for the Antibes boat that would be great.
If you can get hold of the contact for the Antibes boat that would be great.
A&K
Active Member
Hi Varazze, i'm the owner of the sq58 in Antibes that jfm mentioned. I'll pm you my details and we can discuss.
jfm
Well-Known Member
Don't worry too hard about tappets on sq58 generally. It's a piece of cake in a carpeted boat. My point was only that if the wood floor fitters glued the thing down without allowing for it to be lifted then you'll have to pay several hours labour lifting and refitting the floor. Lifting and refitting the carpet takes 2 minutes. Only @ 800 or1000 hours on the later series of d12 engines that are applicable hereGreat info, thanks a lot. Very helpful for judging this boat. Especially the hint regarding the tappets service is quite useful, I did not know that. Learning never stops. =
If you can get hold of the contact for the Antibes boat that would be great.
Varazze
New Member
Just got a copy of the builder's cerificate. The hull number is 196.
Varazze
New Member
Unfortunately I just found out that your hunch of a refitted wooden floor was spot on and it was done in France. Considering my experiences with the quality of work down there I guess we face some additional costs there.
benjenbav
Well-Known Member
How does the schedule for adjusting valve clearances compare: D12 vs C12?
jfm
Well-Known Member
I've been in Antibes 10 yrs + and there are some great craftsmen among the idiots, but there is a "hurried" approach and I'd guess that floor is just glued down on sikaflex. If you need to service tops of engines you'll therefore have to destroy the floor and start again. nice though wood floors are of course and I have one in my current boat, there is a case for sticking with carpet on Sq58 at least
Hull 196 is a late 2008 model year boat. 200 or 201 was the first 2009 boat (hull 201 was at Southampton boat show september 2008). The last one they made was 211. I'll PM you about something regarding "190's" boats
Varazze
New Member
Seems we all had the same experiences in Antibes, have been there 1991 to 2013.