Fairline Turbo 36 - opinions on the 200hp engines?

[mainguy]

Hi Folks,

Buying a Fairline Turbo 36 at the moment, and found a particular one with TAMD 41 200hp engines. Not sure if any of you have knowledge of this model, it is my first boat, but I'm concerned these may not have the umph for coastal activities? Other Turbo's have the 306s, so I was just wondering if this is an underpowered model or even if it's had these put in.

It's a 1990 model and is up for £53000.

Thanks for your time!

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

You'd be right. The TAMD41 engines are indeed underpowered for the Turbo 36 especially if the boat is heavily loaded or well fouled. I owned a Turbo 36 many years ago with TAMD60C 255hp engines and I would say that this horsepower is about the minimum for the Turbo 36. My boat did 25-26kts flat out and less if it was heavily fouled. You should get about 27-28kts from the TAMD61 306hp engines which leaves a bit in reserve for loading or fouling. The very last Turbo 36 models (actually called Turbo 38) had TAMD62 340hp engines which should push the boat to around 30kts

The Turbo 36 is a great boat, one of Fairline's best, if not the best boat Fairline ever built. As you have probably found out already, it has a huge accommodation for its length and a superb hull. When we owned our Turbo 36 we were still inexperienced boaters and used to take it out in some awful conditions without really appreciating the risk and the boat just ploughed on and looked after us. Fantastic boat which Fairline never really managed to replace. I can still hear the very distinctive exhaust note of our Turbo 36 now

 

[Mr Googler]

I have 61a’s in my sedan 36 and agree, 200 is under powered.

I have the same exhaust note too. Straight through rumble.....can’t beat it

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

I have the same exhaust note too. Straight through rumble.....can’t beat it

Like the nautical equivalent of the Harley Davidson potato-potato exhaust burble at idle That plus the clouds of exhaust smoke on start up used to drive yotties mad wherever we went

A bit wearing at speed though. I fitted some cowlings over the exhaust outlets of my Turbo to try to direct the noise more underwater. Made sod all difference

 

[Mr Googler]

I’m not that smokey to be honest. Injectors will be going to volvopaul this winter which should lessen it further.

I’ve been looking at vetus inline silencers which are supposed to be pretty good with no increase in back pressure. Did a 4 hour run last week and inside with the doors shut it was fine to be honest. Not sure whether to change or not.

Sorry for the drift!

 

[Murv]

+1 to all the above.

I have the 306's in mine and wouldn't want anything smaller now that they're pushing 30 years old.

 

[superheat6k]

IMHO it will be underpowered with the 200 HP, and at minimum needs the TAMD60C 255 HP. When I had mine even with those it wouldn't plane with a fouled hull and props.

I would also be looking very closely at the price. It would have to be A1+ immaculate and very well equipped with modern (not original) nav gear etc to get that price from me with those engines.

I know nothing else about the boat but it will likely be a ~1985 model (pre TAMD60C) and therefore probably a £45k boat, so be careful. I sold my 1986 in 2015 for not much more than you are paying and that was reasonably sorted out with decent inventory and I felt I got a better price than I had expected (I was expecting ~ £50 - 52 k).

Having said this, the smaller engines are likely better for slow speed river cruising. The Turbo hull does not travel well between 10 - 13 knots - its like the Grand old Duke of York - neither up nor down ! This means if you can't make the plane at 14 knots you will be stuck at just 9 - 10 knots displacement speed.

Also be aware if a marina measures it they will want fees for a 40' boat plus davits.

Lots of details on my blogsite for my Turbo 36 www.turbo36.wordpress.com

 

[petem]

I sold my 1986 in 2015 for not much more than you are paying and that was reasonably sorted out with decent inventory and I felt I got a better price than I had expected (I was expecting ~ £50 - 52 k).

 

[mainguy]

Thanks so much!

The boat is absolutely immaculate and a 1990 model, see
https://cache.apolloduck.com/image_bin/540396_2.jpg?1506936129
https://cache.apolloduck.com/image_bin/540396_1.jpg?1506936129

I have a feeling the engines were swapped out, one has 800 hours on it the other 1500 hours. The boat was bought by a brokerage for resale, so I have a feeling they maybe replaced the engines? They're in great condition, like the rest of the boat.

With the 200hp engines do you think coastal boating is pretty much ruled out? How plausible would it be to cross the channel on something like this?

Thanks again guys, been super helpful.

 

[Murv]

I'm really not sure it would plane with 400hp, so although channel crossing is, of course, perfectly feasible at 8 knots or so, it will be slow and you'll be rolling a lot.
Maybe you could plane if carrying an absolute minimum of weight and the hull/sterngear are spotlessly clean? But even if that is the case, do you really want those restrictions in place?
It looks a nice boat, and probably a good buy for someone river based, but maybe not the boat for you?

As a side note, we picked up our 1989 with 306's for <50K. She's far from immaculate, but perfectly usable in that the carpets are in good condition, fairly new and the upholstery is blue alcantara so fairly inoffensive for an 80's boat and she has extensive 10 Year old Raymarine nav gear. Even at 10 years old it's obsolete now, but still perfectly functional and far better than a lot of the original kit still floating around in these boats.

 

[Bandit]

I had a Sedan 36 with the same hull, it originally had the Volvo Penta 60c's at 255 hp Cruise 17 knots. I repowered her with a pair of Volvo Penta 63p's at 370 hp cruise 23 knots top about 30.

The standard fit tor most of the boats and there were about 550 Turbos or Sedans built on the same hull was the Volvo Penta 61A's at 306hp.

There were a number built however with the 41 series engine at 200hp I assume for fuel conscious owners or river use, I would assume cruise speed about 14 knots without too much weight on and I doubt if she would plane.

I would expect a healthy discount for a boat with 41's with 200hp against the 306hp standard fit.

 

[oldgit]

Thought the T36, came with 3 power plants.A few really early examples with 165 HP, and then have seen mentions of 235HP and 255 HP versions, with the 306 Hp version at the top of the pile until the very last few production boats.
Couple of weird BMW versions on the Thames.
I am a member of the same club as Murv, we have around 10 T36 on club moorings and can probably spot another two or three in the distance.
An very successful boat with interior volume that rivals modern craft am a great fan , but, the exterior space is not weather friendly and can be a bit exposed in inclement weather,unlike boat with an aft cockpit.
Access to stern tubes and one or two other bits is awful, this does result in previous owners not doing jobs that probably would get done more often on non aft cabin boats.
Although access to raw water pumps is suprisingly good unlike a old Princess 33 in desperate need of some water pump seals a few weeks ago.
Get your surveyer to check stern tube condition.
Not sure if bilge pump under aft cabin bed was standard but the fact the pump was always functional appeared blimming important to owners,
One skipper had to have his trim tab motor replaced due to immersion.
All our club boats with davits are charged for a 42 ft mooring.

One other teeny weeny criticism of no real consquence, but if you are cruising in company and are helming from below ( surely not in UK weather ) you can see bugger all out the back because of those solid panel infills fixed to aft stantions.

 

[dpb]

My experience of these engines of similar age was that they needed a lot of fettling, stuff like leaking rubber seals and drain cocks and other minor issues. Most of these simple jobs were made very difficult and physically painfull by poor access. Probably not an issue during the first 10 years of the boats life but increasingly so as they get older.
For me, knowing that I am going to be doing most work myself, the first thing I look at on an older boat is access to the mechanicals.

 

[volvopaul]

Hi Folks,

Buying a Fairline Turbo 36 at the moment, and found a particular one with TAMD 41 200hp engines. Not sure if any of you have knowledge of this model, it is my first boat, but I'm concerned these may not have the umph for coastal activities? Other Turbo's have the 306s, so I was just wondering if this is an underpowered model or even if it's had these put in.

It's a 1990 model and is up for £53000.

Thanks for your time!

I assume this is at Newark. ?

 

[superheat6k]

One other teeny weeny criticism of no real consquence, but if you are cruising in company and are helming from below ( surely not in UK weather ) you can see bugger all out the back because of those solid panel infills fixed to aft stantions.

A primary reason for me selling the Turbo was the lack of forward vision from the lower helm when planing - with the bow raised you simply couldn't see pot markers closer than ~100m, this meant long passages I was stuck up on the fly as Billy's no mates.

Plus points for the Turbo 36

Internal space in the main cabin - this is the one thing we miss with the Corvette
The aft cabin
Reputation
Slightly cheaper mooring fees when visiting anywhere as this is a 40' boat
Access to the flybridge - no ladders

Minus points

Forward vision from below when planing
High freeboard for mooring and difficult to get a large dog aboard
Outside space functional but not that attractive / usable
Access for maintenance tasks
Side decks very narrow - not good for large dogs

I replaced the seals and both cutlass bearings on both shafts - worse job I have ever had to take on on any vessel I have worked on.

Has the broker offered an explanation as to why someone would change the excellent 306hp TAMD61s for older and smaller engines ?

IMHO with these engines you will be disappointed if you wish to go offshore, they do wallow a bit at displacement speed especially with a following sea.

 

[volvopaul]

A primary reason for me selling the Turbo was the lack of forward vision from the lower helm when planing - with the bow raised you simply couldn't see pot markers closer than ~100m, this meant long passages I was stuck up on the fly as Billy's no mates.

Plus points for the Turbo 36

Internal space in the main cabin - this is the one thing we miss with the Corvette
The aft cabin
Reputation
Slightly cheaper mooring fees when visiting anywhere as this is a 40' boat
Access to the flybridge - no ladders

Minus points

Forward vision from below when planing
High freeboard for mooring and difficult to get a large dog aboard
Outside space functional but not that attractive / usable
Access for maintenance tasks
Side decks very narrow - not good for large dogs

I replaced the seals and both cutlass bearings on both shafts - worse job I have ever had to take on on any vessel I have worked on.

Has the broker offered an explanation as to why someone would change the excellent 306hp TAMD61s for older and smaller engines ?

IMHO with these engines you will be disappointed if you wish to go offshore, they do wallow a bit at displacement speed especially with a following sea.

Engines are standard fit , the 306 was an option which most buyer took.
The 200hp engine was the basic model, my friend Nige bought one that had the small engines in but had an interesting conversion to 350 yanmars , it went really well.

 

[petem]

my friend Nige bought one

Mansell?

 

[volvopaul]

Mansell?

Yes

 

[mainguy]

I replaced the seals and both cutlass bearings on both shafts - worse job I have ever had to take on on any vessel I have worked on.

Has the broker offered an explanation as to why someone would change the excellent 306hp TAMD61s for older and smaller engines ?

IMHO with these engines you will be disappointed if you wish to go offshore, they do wallow a bit at displacement speed especially with a following sea.

Thanks for all the info guys, it's been really useful.

The broker has told me that the boat will cruise at 20kts and has a max speed of 24kts, which seems reasonable considering. That said, I'm not sure why it has the smaller engines in, and the broker doesn't seem to be either.

 

[superheat6k]

Thanks for all the info guys, it's been really useful.

The broker has told me that the boat will cruise at 20kts and has a max speed of 24kts, which seems reasonable considering. That said, I'm not sure why it has the smaller engines in, and the broker doesn't seem to be either.

Down a steep hill with the wind behind you perhaps !

No way will it achieve those speeds with only 200 HP each side, even in flat calm. The highest I ever got out of mine was 22 knots clean bum and half up on the tanks with 255 HP per side, and the TAMD60C had a lot more grunt than the TAMD41.

Is the broker able to provide a sea trial to demonstrate this claim ? I understand the boat is river based some way from the sea, so very convenient for him to make this statement, but how will you challenge him after you have bought - Caveat Emptor.