Ferretti 68 vs Uniesse 66

[hkikis]

Hello guys!

I have 2 very interesting choices.

Ferretti 68
Year 2000, Hours 3000, MAN 1200hp overhauled before 350hrs, very good condition.
4 cabin, 2gens, 4beds for crew, bow-stern
Interesting advantage 2 anchors. If something will go wrong with your anchor you can leave it in the water and continue your trip and you will get it later.

Uniesse 66
Year 2004, Hours 1700, MAN 1300hp, very good condition.
4 cabin, 2gens, 3beds for crew, bow-stern

I would like to use it for charter in Greece so that's why I prefer 4cabin boat.
I don't know a lot about Uniesse. Do you think that they have equal price with a Ferretti 68?
If yes so the deal with the Ferretti isn't good because it is 4year older and with a lot more hours.

There is another choice. Aicon 64 3cabin with 800hrs. I like it more than others. Fresh modern interior with more space at cabins. Exterior is far more beautiful too.
But I know that the Aicon will have worse resale possibility and because it is 3cabin will have worse charter request.
For personal use I like it more!! It is a rare edition with wenge woods.

 

[BartW]

Both interesting boats, but don’t know that much details of them, fe how are the interiors? At the time I had a look at a Ferretti 185, but the styling of the interior has put me off.

If the Ferretti man engines only ran 350hrs since overhaul, they would be nearly new, but it has to be checked what was included in the overhaul, If the owner spend a big chunk of money, it does not mean that it was a complete overhaul, fe at 3000 hrs its about time to fit new liners and new pistons...nut just the injector nozzles..

Comparing these two boats, interior styling and condition would decide on my choice.
In that segment and that age, you might also look at Alalunga, Azimuth, maiora, canados or San lorenzo ?

Personally not a fan of Aicon nor 3 cabin boats.

Interesting plan, good luck !

 

[hkikis]

Yes overhaul is a word that they use it easy but it doesn't mean new engine. The overhauls of Ferretti was to put off the boat the engines and change rings and bearings. Everything else was ok he said.
Also he did full overhaul at fuel pumps and new injector nozzles. I think turbo too. This doesn't mean that the engines are perfect. Also they are old engines not with mechanical pumps, not electronic with ecu.

Yes Ferretti looks old. They really look like museum but the 68 isn't so bad. Specially after some small refresh.
LUMAR Yacht for Sale | Fraser
They changed:
- The sofas with fabric with flat cushions,
- Bedrooms mirrors and headboards removed and they put a new nice fabric.
- They hide some pieces of wood with fabric.
- Wood floor at saloon (The boat that I am looking it has)
- Glass tables
- Also all stock dark cream alcadara of roofs and walls changed with white.

So they did a lot of fabric job. Without to change woods or anything else they did it to look great!!
Of course all this refit cost, but not forbidden too much.


Uniesse interior looks good with light oak woods. 1750hours with excelent condition everywhere.

As about Aicon... It is the most beautiful outside and inside. But ok I know that some people look first the brand. Ferretti sell very easy.

 

[MapisM]

Also they are old engines not with mechanical pumps, not electronic with ecu.

Yes Ferretti looks old. They really look like museum but the 68 isn't so bad. Specially after some small refresh.
LUMAR Yacht for Sale | Fraser

The MAN 1200hp V12 were indeed mechanical engines, but according to the pics in that ad, there are the so-called MMDS displays in the main pilothouse.
Which is remarkable, because (unless the pics are wrong of course) making them work with mechanical engines is a helluva job.
All sensors are different, and quite a few are completely missing.
If someone spent all the money necessary to make those display fully operational, I think it's reasonable to expect that they also spared no expense in the engines overhaul.

Uniesse build quality used to be above average.
Overall, I would put them roughly on par with Ferretti, in fact.
But yes, as with any builder that doesn't exist anymore, they tend to fetch lower prices compared to brands which are still alive, like Ferretti.
Are you sure you aren't talking of a 72, BTW?
I would have thought that the 66 was only introduced a few years later.

Different story for Aicon: they sell for relatively low prices also because they are technically inferior in more ways than one.
In fact, they would fetch even lower prices, if it weren't that at first glance they are somewhat attractive.
If their evaluation would only be based on what any half decent surveyor can tell about them, you wouldn't want them regardless of price.
But you've already been warned of this, and as I understand it's something you don't like to hear.
So, as the old saying goes, you pays your money and you takes your chances.

Pretty sure, if you don't mind having 3 rather than 4 cabins, there are MUCH better boats around, of that size and age.
For instance, I would take either this DP or this VZ in a heartbeat, rather than anything Aicon ever built.
Like Aicon, neither of these yards (as well as Uniesse) exist anymore.
But at least, they did build solid boats, in sharp contrast with Aicon.

 

[hkikis]

MapisM in the link is an other 68 with very nice refit. It is also newer model 2005 with electronic engines MAN 1360hp.

Yes I am talking about Uniesse 66! I cannot find neither fotos on google but yes it is 66! The 72 is different. Also I have seen 70!

Uniesse and Aicon are open. They build new boats.
I have read a lot bad reports about Aicon construction but from my inspection I didn't seen anything bad. At sea trial also it was very good.
Marine people are full of myths and legends. In a marina you can hear uncountable stories.
Everyone sailor will say you that with his boat had success stories with 6-7 bf sea.
All uk boat owners will say you that all Italian boats like Azimut, Ferretti etc are bathtubs not boats.
Princess Fairline Sunseeker have more deep V and they have better performance at sea but these doesn't mean that Italian aren't good.
All people in my country they laugh with Azimut boats. About building quality and sailing performance.
So why Aicon to be good boats? Sure thaey are scrap. Haha

If you will ask me about Uniesse and Aicon difference in quality... Yes of course they have difference.
Uniesse are more solid with very thick polyester constructions.
Aicon has easier access in anything. Uniesse has very difficult access. Very small access panels for anything inside (bildge pumps, hydraulics, tanks.)
I think that with both boats you can have very nice moments.

 

[MapisM]

MapisM in the link is an other 68 with very nice refit. It is also newer model 2005 with electronic engines MAN 1360hp.

Nah, the 1360 was a CRM engine with 4 valves heads, whose covers were different from all previous 2 valves engines, and are clearly recognisable.
Not sure of what version of the V12 are the engines visible in the pics of that Fraser ad, but CRM they definitely are not - so, neither 1224 nor 1360.

Uniesse and Aicon are open. They build new boats.

Have you ever seen any?
From when they revamped the websites and published renderings to nowadays, they had enough time to build dozens of them.
If they would have had any actual orders, that is.

 

[hkikis]

I am more close to the deal with the Ferretti 68..

What's your opinion about this type of engines. They are d2842 le 406.
They aren't electronic engines. I am not sure if this is good or not.

 

[Portofino]

I am more close to the deal with the Ferretti 68..

What's your opinion about this type of engines. They are d2842 le 406.
They aren't electronic engines. I am not sure if this is good or not.

At this age they are only as good as there maintenance history.
Secondly how hard a life they have run .Thrashed , overloaded with dirty fouled stern gear or run sympathetically?
Generically which is what you are asking they are fine nothing outside maintenance to look out for .

 

[MapisM]

What's your opinion about this type of engines. They are d2842 le 406.
They aren't electronic engines. I am not sure if this is good or not.

I agree with PF that maintenance can make it or break it, much more than the engine model.

That said, the LE406 was the very last of the 100% mechanical V12s, which means the most refined evolution of an engine that has been around since the late 80s. And whose Mercedes-Benz block is essentially the same that powered the German tanks in WWII, by the way.
AOTBE, I would pick that rather than their earliest semi-electronic, not yet CRM stuff (like for instance the D2842LE404), any day of the week.

 

[PowerYachtBlog]

Uniesse 66 was introduced in 2004. Uniesse tend to have one of the best running hulls in its size and type. Although the Ferretti 68 is no slouch.
The Aicon 64 was the best model in seakeeping and quality Aicon ever made.
Many will tell you that only some sportfisher boats used to run better to most Uniesse boats. The 48 and 57 Open models are really great running boats.
I actually have a friend who had quite a few important boats including a legendary Bertram 54, and an Uniesse 48, and he said the Uniesse ran as good as the Bertram in big head seas.

BTW both AIcon and Uniesse have reopened again, with US ownership but still build in italy; Uniesse have already introduced two new models, while Aicon is launching a new 66, which is based on the old 64 with new spray rails. Also the Aicon 64 had naval architecture by Sergio Cutolo of CDM fame.

As for the comments on Azimut, it is sort of funny, as Azimut has up until end 90s used the same hull designer as Princess and Fairline for example, i.e Bernard Olesinski.
The old Azimut 54/58 Full was a great running boat. And even the 68 is not a bad boat. I also used to run an Azimut 42 for a season in charter in coastal cruising and that boat which was five years old never missed a beat.
I am not saying Azimut is the best boat, but the RandD they put into each product is second to none, and really a step above all and most boat builders.
Now Azimut sells a lot, and possibly some QC is not always up to scratch, which seems to be an issue with many boat builders when they sell a lot of boats.

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

All uk boat owners will say you that all Italian boats like Azimut, Ferretti etc are bathtubs not boats.
Princess Fairline Sunseeker have more deep V and they have better performance at sea but these doesn't mean that Italian aren't good.

As somebody who's owned 3 x Ferretti, 1 x Azimut, 2 x Princess and 2 x Fairline, I can tell you there is not a lot of difference in the sea performance between any of them. When people talk about this or that model having a deeper V or a sharper angle of attack, its bollox. In the end, all these boats are modified medium V hulls which are sharper at the bow than the stern.

FWIW and this is only my personal opinion but the Ferretti seems to be a bit more solidly built than the others and with some better quality equipment but at the age of boat you are looking at, the condition of the boat and how well it has been looked after is far more important than the brand