Fairline Targa 30/33

Hi are you looking for a type of targa? the 33/35 is a good boat but get a survey as there getting on in years now, some will have been run hard so get a hull survey for stress cracks and delaminating of the foam cores and bulkheads.

The main issue on old boats with volvopenta ad41/42 series engines is corrosion of the drives, transom shields and exhaust risers, buy one with these probs and its ££££ your looking at engines out to do all this work, so get an engine and drive survey, I can do that for you.

I do know of a very nice targa 33 that has had all the work done in the areas that matter it very nice and in turn key cond.

Fuel wise you will get a good 2mpg form these engines, petrol boats are a different matter!.
 
volvopaul said:
Hi are you looking for a type of targa? the 33/35 is a good boat but get a survey as there getting on in years now, some will have been run hard so get a hull survey for stress cracks and delaminating of the foam cores and bulkheads.
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To clarify the Targa 33 and 35 are different boats. The 35 was the transition between the older 33 and the later 34 with blue hull (usually) and swoopy windscreens. The 35 has a transom door and an altogether more modern feel than the older 33 albeit with similar layout. Sorry to be picky - we have a 35 :-)

PM sent.
 
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Sea keeping was way better on the 34/35. The 30/33 altough having a 19 degrees vee was way too light and anything from a force 4+ head sea was too bumpy IMO. The boats also suffered from various sea spray entrance trough the engine air intakes on the hull sides. I beleive this was fixed in later models. The engine room is a cramped as it gets and you can hardly fit a spanner in there, altough this is something common to all Fline of the period.
We have loads of 30/33s locally (I think 20) and so far I have only seen one with problems in stringers, bulkheads. Altough by eye look the stringers do look week i.e. small and thinnish for a serious boat. Props to Fairline for super enginnering I guess.
 
Hi harstonwood,

We have had a 1993 Targa 33 since new - it is the one with the rounded stainless steel windscreen, and the rearward sloping radar arch. (The squarer screen and forward facing radar arch was the slightly larger, older model of the same name).

Hull wise, look for obvious stress cracks, and signs of abuse (but the boats are tough). More cosmetically, make sure that the sliding door slides easily, as I am told that is a pig to get the tracks out from under the steering console. The furnishings may be tired, but I am only just now replacing the original (1993) cockpit cushions.

We have used the boat all round the Channel Islands and adjacent coasts of France, and, although I don't deliberately look for the rough stuff, the boat has always given me the confidence that it could take as much again as I was throwing at it.

As VolvoPaul said, most came with the 200hp Volvos. The quote from an owner of one such T30/33 was 'it planes eventually'. Up to you whether that would be sufficient performance...Usual caveats re weedy bottom, props etc. Engines may also be tired now, and indeed, I have re-engined mine from the original V8 petrols to a pair of the 315hp Toyota / Nanni engines that also come from Yanmar and Yamaha. You would need to let us know which engines you were looking at to give you an accurate guess of running costs, but I think I am doing about 10 gph combined cruising at 23kts.

I re-engined mine simply because I could not find a better boat for me. 34 feet overall is an ideal size for single handed operation, yet I can still get 8 or 9 people on board.

I won't bore you any more - good luck with what ever you decide to go for - keep us in touch!
 
They go fast enough with to 2 x 41s dont be mislead and are infact trouble free. New ones used also to do 35 knots+ which would go down to 32 to a used ten years plus model with good average maintance.
A friend of mine has just serviced some bits and peaces on his 41s with new injectors, and changed turbos to 42s model, and he is doing 37 knots. You have to consider that diesel here locally was quite high on sulfur up to 2, 3 years ago so that is why they slowed down.
Every 33 Targa I know with 230hp 42 had loads of trouble.

On the 41 issue they plain at 2700 with tabs inside, and stern drives all down doing about 17 knots which is not so bad considering the 19 degrees vee aft. With 230hp 42s they plain at 2400hp super charger still on, and can do 40 knots max.
 
Hi I own the later T33 which is also known as T30/33, Fairline did make model numbers confusing. Mine is 1992 with Volvo AD41's and have owned the boat for 9 years now, thats how much we rate it !! I skipper alot of different boats for a living and have to say the fairline hull on the targa range is excellent, very hard to beat. Some of the earlier boats like the first T33 had flatter and wider chines so did slam a bit in a heavy head sea. As mentioned before you do decide to buy, like on all outdrive boat from that age do really check the steering tiller arms, splines and all that goes through the transom sheild as very prone to rot, the tail tail sign is lots of salt crystals around the back of the engines. Check rams that lift the legs as they can leak. Check exhaust horns below exhaust elbows. Check portholes, some may leak. These symptoms do appear on some boats half the age. All that said and done, they are fantastic sea boats and built well. We have cruised all of brittainy, channel isles from our home port of Portsmouth and been in some serious seas and nothing has broken! I renewed both turbos and new injectors this year and the difference was amazing, good for 36 knots and rapid on the plane, always lower the trimtabs and tuck the legs right in and have never had any problems with getting up on the plane. Once up lift tabs up and legs best positioned around -2. I could chat all night but thats enough. Good luck, if you want any more advice please PM me.
 
targa 30/33

We have had one since 97,we love the boat,p m me if you want any more first hand experiance,alot of what has been said (imho) is not correct,also i am not sure i would spend out for surveys & so on if i were not sure it was the boat for me,regards mm1.
 
Thanks mm1
I would only payout for survey and trial etc if I really wanted a particular boat.
Looking at two this afternoon, so we shall see. Its important that the "living" aspects are good, as we plan to stay on it a fair bit when visiting inlaws, on days perhaps we may not go out to sea etc
Any advice?
Thanks
 
Hi the squared off rear canopy is crucial for living in the cockpit,we made modifications to forward berth,heating is allways nice,very easy to retrofit,we stay on ours for weeks @ a time & for two people there is plenty of room,we have been across to cherbourg & guernsey many times,it is a very good sea boat,regards mm1.
 
T30/33 does have a transom gate and rear facing arch but not an island bed, it has a large offset double bed. After nine years of ownership of my T30/33 I might be thinking of selling.
Brand new transom shields, rams etc, new injectors and turbos. The boat is immaculate.
 
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