Fairline Targa 43, has any one owned or skippered one?

Greg01

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If you own, have owned or have skippered a Fairline Targa 43 I would like to hear from you, good and bad points.
This is for an article in MBY on buying a used Targa 43.
My e mail is: gregory_copp@ipcmedia.com

Greg Copp
MBY .
 
I remember some time ago, someone asked the same question about the T43 (it was the Targa 43 and not the S43). The only negative I remembered was TCM saying he'd been on one, and it suffered from chine riding. As an ex owner of a boat that suffered that problem, I would not wish that on anyone!!

I would not have thought, however, that an Olesinski designed hull would suffer from it, but someone may know otherwise.
 
I remember some time ago, someone asked the same question about the T43 (it was the Targa 43 and not the S43). The only negative I remembered was TCM saying he'd been on one, and it suffered from chine riding. As an ex owner of a boat that suffered that problem, I would not wish that on anyone!!

I would not have thought, however, that an Olesinski designed hull would suffer from it, but someone may know otherwise.

Found it! April 2009, TCM said "make sure you test the boat in a beam sea - the one I tried suffered from quite bad chine riding"
 
The chine riding of the Targa 43 is a lot less then that suffered on on the Sealine (S41, S43, and S48 or these are better to the other)
I would compare it with that of the S48, and with a bit of tabs play you can actually make it unnoticable.
 
I've got one, love it. Goes really well, very happy in head sea, very fast in a following one, very well screwed together. Doesn't chine ride ?????
Most things are easy to access. Very easy to handle and moor up single handed. Cockpit space and layout great.
 
The chine riding of the Targa 43 is a lot less then that suffered on on the Sealine (S41, S43, and S48 or these are better to the other)
I would compare it with that of the S48, and with a bit of tabs play you can actually make it unnoticable.

The S43 does not suffer, and particularly not the S48, which is widely recognised as having one of the best sea hulls ever made in it's class. When we tested ours, it was in a F6 outside Brighton Harbour. It was truly awesome, and in the big seas handled itself perfectly. I particularly put it beam on to the substantial waves with no reaction at all. In following, quartering or head on seas, it's poise, soft ride and absolute refusal to slam at 22 knots was hugely impressive. It sold the boat to me!!

The S41 however, is a different kettle of fish.....!

I know little of the Targa 43, just repeating TCM's comments, and as I said, cannot see an Olesinski hull doing it. I'd still opt for a sea trial though
 
My mate has one which I skipper fairly often. As a sea boat absolutely fantastic!! I drive all sorts of different boats and I must say these boats handle any sea you might wish to go out in. The only niggle is access to the generator and batteries if it is a later model.
 
I owned a 2005 Targa 43 from new for a year. Great Sea boat and a marked improvement over the Targa 40 she replaced. Was quite lively when forward gear was engaged and almost had the wife off the back of the boat in the lock at Chichester. Good engineroom access apart from the Generator and batteries that required the tender garage floor to be removed. Very good fuel consumption on the TAMD75Ps. Attached are pictures of the handover at Peters.
 
Watch out for corrosion around the generator. The later Targa 43's had a removable inspection hatch in the garage floor to allow access to the generator without removing the complete garage floor. These hatches leaked water directly into the generators electrical box.
I have replaced many Onan generators but the older HFL ones are not effected as much.

Other than that they are fantastic boats.
 
Was quite lively when forward gear was engaged and almost had the wife off the back of the boat in the lock at Chichester.

Gorgeous boat! The TAMD 74/75's really do lurch the boat forward on tickover don't they? I tend to warn passengers when engaging gear now, having once sent someone tumbling across the cockpit!!

Out of interest, what sort of economy did you get with it. We find our S48 quite thirsty, averaging around 2.4/2,5 litres per mile per engine at 2000 PRM (22 knots) in slack water conditions (I guess around 0.9 mpg?) Mind, our boat does weigh in at water 16000kg dry weight!!..
 
I owned a 2005 Targa 43 from new for a year. Great Sea boat and a marked improvement over the Targa 40 she replaced. Was quite lively when forward gear was engaged and almost had the wife off the back of the boat in the lock at Chichester. Good engineroom access apart from the Generator and batteries that required the tender garage floor to be removed. Very good fuel consumption on the TAMD75Ps. Attached are pictures of the handover at Peters.

The 43 Targa actually did not replace the 40, and is an older model. It started life in 1997 and produced till 2004 before being replaced by the 47.
The 40 Targa is a newer boat and was produced from 2000 to 2008. The Targa 40 takes the hull of the old 38/39 Targa produced from 1992 to 1998. This is said by many to be one of the best Olenski hulls, and I must say I have to agree.
You can say it replaced the old 41 Targa but that was stopped in production in 1994, and it was a not very succesful model. The 41 replaced the old 42T.

Yes it does chine ride a bit though and if you play with tabs it is fixed.
The S43 chines too albeit much less to the 41 which is a pain. Do not know about the S48, as I never helmed one but some skippers told me it does. And the comments are always in the direction, that all this series was born from the S41 and it was just an improving mess....
 
What I meant was that I had a Targa 40 and replaced her with a Targa 43 - As per the picture with the T40 at the front and the T43 behind. Can never understand how much stuff you load up on a boat - took at least 3 hours to move everything and you can see how close the boats were.
 
Have had a few gos in a 43 and a found it a very solid and stable craft,this one had 2 x 480 Hp engines.Most trips from memory seem to have been in moderate Majorcan swells and chine riding did not feature in any trip I went on
CAB1.jpg
 
Have had a few gos in a 43 and a found it a very solid and stable craft,this one had 2 x 480 Hp engines.Most trips from memory seem to have been in moderate Majorcan swells and chine riding did not feature in any trip I went on
CAB1.jpg

Classic looking boats aren't they. Simply leave the more modern creations in their wake to my eye. Seems TCM didn't know what he was talking about!!
 
Fairline Southampton loaned us one for our cruise last year. Cracking boat, used it to run up and down the line of boats. good turn of speed and very economical for it's size.

DSC_00401.jpg
 
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