Fairline Sunfury 28 / Fairline Targa 27

[zaria123]

So we were looking to swap from sailing to a Motor Boat.
I;ve seen these two boats for sale
1990 Fairline Sunfury 28
1990 Fairline Targa 27
I'm wondeirng has one a benefit over the other, they seem to be very similar boats sold by the same manufacturer in the same year.
Although one says 28 and the other 28 the main actual dimensions appear the same.
Both showing 28ft 4 length and 10ft beam.
Both twin diesels, and both what appears to be very similar layouts.
Does anyone know if one offers any benefits over the other?
Thanks so much

 

[tico]

AFAIR they are both built on the same hull - one of Olesinskis best.
Personally I loved the Sunfury (great use of space)but the T27 is probably slightly more modern inside.
More important is the state of the engines.
Which engines in the sunfury - they were rare with diesels, more usually AD171

 

[LBRodders]

AFAIR they are both built on the same hull - one of Olesinskis best.
Personally I loved the Sunfury (great use of space)but the T27 is probably slightly more modern inside.
More important is the state of the engines.
Which engines in the sunfury - they were rare with diesels, more usually AD171

^^agree.

In any boat this age you have to put aside mere details and choose on condition, performance and service history.

Very few of these boats now work as they should [sea boats]. A lot are sat retired on inland waterways pootling around at 4knts on one engine. Albeit there are exceptions.
As Tico mentioned both have a great hull for sea chop, but are dogs at slow speed.

I have noticed with the Sunfury there are a few that have been re-engined in their lives with inadequate diesel engines. Stay clear.

The Targa / Sunfury as a boat needs at least 260hp to perform as a decent planing boat [>18knt it cruises effortlessly]. Something 30+years old with 260hp on the badge, wont deliver 260hp at the prop, thats just life.

So in summary performance is key and will help to sell it on. Buy on condition and history. There's not much between the boats functionally, they'll both do the same.

Post up the details of said boat. I'm sure some members will be along shortly to persuade you to buy a 50ft shaft drive flybridge!

We had a Sunfury for 3 years - put a new 350hp Mercruiser in her. Had great times. Loads on our YT channel.

 

[tico]

Wot he said ^^
Had a Sunfury for 10 years and loved it - Once I had fitted it with 2x 140 hp diesels. With those and correct props performance was great, 30kts top and cruise at 25 all day.

 

[Parabolica]

I have no real value input to this thread other than to say, my love of boats started when i was 11yrs old in 1979 and my Dad decided he needed a boat and bought a brand new Fairline 26’ sport Fury (which i assume was the predecessor to what you are considering)), and even now, many many years on i remember absolutely everything about that boat. It was white and fawn in colour, had twin Volvo Penta 140 petrol engines with 280 outdrives and was bought from their official desler at the time in Bedford, Harry Kitchener Marine. This was when they were in Bedford itself, rather than a short while later at Priory marina on the river Great Ouse.
That boat ignited my love of boats and here i am many years later with a boat of my own and a marine manufacturing business too.

It just shows how stupid us human beings can be !

i digressed, if you find a good one, enjoy it we did 40+ years ago !

 

[ari]

It's a Sunfury 26, not 28. The Targa 27 replaced it and is essentially the same boat but facelifted, so an integral bathing platform instead of a 'bolt on' one, a transom door (I think), a curved one piece windscreen instead of two flat panes, different hull graphics, etc. The inside was smartened up too.

Twin diesels were AQAD 31 130hp, anything else is a re-power. Performance is adequate with these engines but not sparkling.

As to which is best, everything else being equal, the Targa 27. But at this age, everything rarely is equal, so go for whichever is the best looked after and the best condition, the gains of the Targa 27 are purely cosmetic.

 

[PowerYachtBlog]

I was in love with the Sunfury 26 mk.II, back in the days. Yes 2 x 130hp usual power, and the one I used to crew had the twin 110hp from 86 in 1986 Summer.
They where very popular in Malta and I think at the time had an exquisite interior above most boats in that size.
Mk.I came out in 1983 as replacement to the Fury, Mk.II came out in second half 85, while Targa 27 in 1989 and was produced till 1991.
You recognize the Mk.II for its fiberglass radar arch.
Fairline also made a sportier SportFury without the midships cabin and a forward looking radar arch, in 1987 to 89. This one looked like a smaller first generation Targa 33.
The Targa 27 looks more modern also because of the sloop stern, which is still more or less mandatory nowadays, and also have a bit larger aft deck, the interior is very similar in sizes.
But having crewed boat the Sunfury felt better sea-boat.
I was going down following seas Force 5 beaufort with a Targa 27 once and the boat nose dived a few times which was a bit scary, we had to drive her really bow up to avoid this.

 

[stelican]

We even sold some Sunfurys with Twin 6 cylinder BMW engines.
Found the T27 to be a bit of wet boat at times as seemed to dip its bow easily as PY mentioned

 

[tico]

Sunfury an excellent sea boat (one of Oli's best) had ours out in some horrendous overfalls (my fault) and it handled them fine. Its not the big waves that are a problem, its the 'hole' behind them. The sunfury never buried the bow once.