Fountain 48 Express Cruiser Pros/Cons

[SageMaster]

Dear Shipmasters and Experienced Seaman,

What are the Fountain 48 Express Cruiser Pros/Cons.

1. What are they like to liveaboard for short period?
2. How are they placed as fishing platforms?
3. How to they handle moderate to heavy seas?
4. pros and cons of stern drives to surface drives.
5. Has anyone had experience with one that has outboards set up.
6. Advice on restoring one and replacing inboards with a set of 4 x 400hp Outboards.
7. what other vessels compare for speed, quality and seaworthiness.

Thank you for your knowledgeable feedback in advance.

 

[Portofino]

It’s better more vol then the Sunseeker 48/50 s on your other thread .
Its still not balanced per se .The rearwards weight (A triple btw ) is got around by the twin steps redistribution of the lift rearwards .This as I said on the other thread only works when the sea states allow air under to ventilate the hull .
A narrow hull , but not as bad as the S/ Sker SHs along with the reduced drag of the steps and triple Yanmar = fast speed on flat ish seas only .
As the wave height rises and the steps get wave washed , covered that balance is lost and slippy hull lost .It may start to porpoise and even slam on the leading edges of the steps ….bang bang bang .

There’s no such thing as free lunch , bit like a kids park see saw when one is up high the other side is low etc .Both kids don’t rise together.
Note the wave height and look at it monetarily banging down as a wave obscures the air step / ventilation ceases .
Is this what you could live with ?listen to the engines gulping as well .

Here a 23 maybe 24 degree dead-rise ? + your desired Arnesons in a far heavier hull better balanced / trimmed unaffected by waves .Trad deep V no gimmicks large cubic capacity low revving CAT diesels

Then these ( ok iam slightly bias ) but it illustrates the sum of the little bits added together.Deep V s22 degrees up wards , Beamer for stern lift , weight and stability , mid mounted engines helms feet are directly on top of the header tanks .
Note smooth ride circa 30 knots .Ok it’s lower than the theoretical Fountain.But which one’s gonna be the best ride ? Especially as the seas rise ? Go to 1.50 the last half . Both have larger low revving engines and the tankage ( read weight ) to support .= wave crushers .

There are others eg Rizzardi 48 or some 45 with Arnesons and few rare as hen teeth Itama with surface drive at this lengh.
Pershing too make a mid engined 46 none Arnesons or a 50 with Arnesons .Both mid engined with a cabin @ the stern the space the Fountain 48 has two of its three engines the third staggered is forward .Thats a helluva weight at the transom …..if the extra lift from the steps is not available due to wave height .

There are plenty of other trad built heavy mid ish engined

 

[SageMaster]

Brilliant videos thank you Portofino This is really helpful. Yes the F48 does have some bounce in relative small swell. Food for thought.

WOW that heritage Cigrette is hardly ticking over at 48mph it simply humming and what a beautiful ride.
WOW the Itama what beautiful boats riding so smoothly. Do you have one of these yourself?

 

[MapisM]

In your other thread on Superhawks, you said...
"I was looking at spending a few nights aboard and was ship one to Australia. We have some big seas here so may need a more suitable hull. A pity as they look damn sexy."
Now you add that you're interested also in fishing.

Now, my 2c on this has to be simple: for the usage you have in mind, you're better off with a proper boat, rather than with a sexy toy.
In fact, it's no coincidence that having been in more marinas all around Aus than I can remember (and also in Tas and NZ, for good measure), I never came across Superhawks or Fountains - and neither Itamas, obviously.
There must be good reasons, I suppose.

 

[Portofino]

Brilliant videos thank you Portofino This is really helpful. Yes the F48 does have some bounce in relative small swell. Food for thought.

WOW that heritage Cigrette is hardly ticking over at 48mph it simply humming and what a beautiful ride.
WOW the Itama what beautiful boats riding so smoothly. Do you have one of these yourself?

Yes a 42 ( later remained 48 ) with twin MAN 700 s and a 23 degree deadrise .
We previously had a Sunsseker portofino 35 as a family intro into med boating . Despite the idyllic image it gets windy in the Med and we found the boat slammed too much .
So took professional advice from Riva based to in Monaco , Princess and Sunseeker dealers based in my then home port La Napoule near Cannes .Sun cap yachts based in St Tropez and the Riviera ( your guys with a R 42 ) dealer in Cogolin .
They all pointed me towards Itama ….The Riva dealer just happened to have a Rivarama 44 on the dock and he took me over and introduced me to the term deadrise .It’s accommodation wasn‘t suitable for the family so I passed on that .

That’s how I ended up after looking at a few with one .Guided .

So the common denominator is the early offshore racing scene .The ability to carry the speed in waves racing from Miami to Nassau.
Which Italian designer was the father? Theodoli, Martin or Amati? - Offshoreonly.com

PYB is in the trade and hopefully will be along soon .
PowerYacht Mag Global Informative Motor Yacht Page
here he is on below another candidate for you ?



 

[SageMaster]

In your other thread on Superhawks, you said...
"I was looking at spending a few nights aboard and was ship one to Australia. We have some big seas here so may need a more suitable hull. A pity as they look damn sexy."
Now you add that you're interested also in fishing.

Now, my 2c on this has to be simple: for the usage you have in mind, you're better off with a proper boat, rather than with a sexy toy.
In fact, it's no coincidence that having been in more marinas all around Aus than I can remember (and also in Tas and NZ, for good measure), I never came across Superhawks or Fountains - and neither Itamas, obviously.
There must be good reasons, I suppose.

Great point MapisM Appreciate insight. Whats your suggestion for Aus waters with short term stay aboard in mind.

 

[SageMaster]

Yes a 42 ( later remained 48 ) with twin MAN 700 s and a 23 degree deadrise .
We previously had a Sunsseker portofino 35 as a family intro into med boating . Despite the idyllic image it gets windy in the Med and we found the boat slammed too much .
So took professional advice from Riva based to in Monaco , Princess and Sunseeker dealers based in my then home port La Napoule near Cannes .Sun cap yachts based in St Tropez and the Riviera ( your guys with a R 42 ) dealer in Cogolin .
They all pointed me towards Itama ….The Riva dealer just happened to have a Rivarama 44 on the dock and he took me over and introduced me to the term deadrise .It’s accommodation wasn‘t suitable for the family so I passed on that .

That’s how I ended up after looking at a few with one .Guided .

So the common denominator is the early offshore racing scene .The ability to carry the speed in waves racing from Miami to Nassau.
Which Italian designer was the father? Theodoli, Martin or Amati? - Offshoreonly.com

PYB is in the trade and hopefully will be along soon .
PowerYacht Mag Global Informative Motor Yacht Page
here he is on below another candidate for you ?

Again really appreciate your experience and insight Portofino the European boats are very well made. Deadrise and weight all big factors. I'm jealous of your Itama. Beautiful boat great space below.








 

[Portofino]

I found this image of a quad outboard 48 attempting to answer the 6 th th Q ^ .


Art is subjective and people see / read different things from different images .

My take on the pic is this …lts a lightweight boat and because it’s being where legally permitted in the States towed by a large SUV .It’s narrow too impacting on the accommodation and general livability
Balance is all wrong , but OBs can be presumably trimmed in to lift the stern . Could be tricky to drive fast get keeping it correctly trimmed out , otherwise in waves it may start to porpoise.Meaning a wave at speed hits the less sharp mid to rear sections and you get that bang , bang, bang illustrated on the vid I posted earlier.= becomes uncomfortable and tiresome .
Deep ish dead rise and it’s parked at a what appears fuel station filling up .

Another tell tale to quote MapishM s phrase “ sex toy “ is bolstered helm seats whereby the guys end up standing with white knuckles grabbing hand rails / steering wheel etc to stay upright.

There is place for them don’t get me wrong a few hrs blast around the bay in begin conditions. Then back on the trailer home .
Setting off on 100 mile trip not really knowing ( unless you still believe in accurate sea forecasts ? ) how the sea states gonna unfold …….you are leaving a lot to luck .

I am guessing it around 1/2 the weight of a magnum 44 , that Otam and eq Itama , 42,46, 48 and the Rizzardi .

Read somewhere ( sorry can’t find the link ) F 48 s fall apart at the stringers .If this is so , then it’s the unbalanced hull striking the waves hard at speed whacking the less V rear areas .You see if you can run straight and flat and fast in waves with minimal helm input then the front sharper fore foot strikes firsts at the bow .This tends to part the waves = smooth ride .
If the hull porpoises or fly s off a wave and stern ( excess weight ) drops then the mid to rear sections strike first = uncomfortable rid like in the vid .So we are back to balance when running fast keeping speed in waves .

 

[SageMaster]

I found this image of a quad outboard 48 attempting to answer the 6 th th Q ^ .
View attachment 147874

Art is subjective and people see / read different things from different images .

My take on the pic is this …lts a lightweight boat and because it’s being where legally permitted in the States towed by a large SUV .It’s narrow too impacting on the accommodation and general livability
Balance is all wrong , but OBs can be presumably trimmed in to lift the stern . Could be tricky to drive fast get keeping it correctly trimmed out , otherwise in waves it may start to porpoise.Meaning a wave at speed hits the less sharp mid to rear sections and you get that bang , bang, bang illustrated on the vid I posted earlier.= becomes uncomfortable and tiresome .
Deep ish dead rise and it’s parked at a what appears fuel station filling up .

Another tell tale to quote MapishM s phrase “ sex toy “ is bolstered helm seats whereby the guys end up standing with white knuckles grabbing hand rails / steering wheel etc to stay upright.

There is place for them don’t get me wrong a few hrs blast around the bay in begin conditions. Then back on the trailer home .
Setting off on 100 mile trip not really knowing ( unless you still believe in accurate sea forecasts ? ) how the sea states gonna unfold …….you are leaving a lot to luck .

I am guessing it around 1/2 the weight of a magnum 44 , that Otam and eq Itama , 42,46, 48 and the Rizzardi .

Read somewhere ( sorry can’t find the link ) F 48 s fall apart at the stringers .If this is so , then it’s the unbalanced hull striking the waves hard at speed whacking the less V rear areas .You see if you can run straight and flat and fast in waves with minimal helm input then the front sharper fore foot strikes firsts at the bow .This tends to part the waves = smooth ride .
If the hull porpoises or fly s off a wave and stern ( excess weight ) drops then the mid to rear sections strike first = uncomfortable rid like in the vid .So we are back to balance when running fast keeping speed in waves .

You make a good case. Logical and common sense. Grateful for your input.

 

[MapisM]

Whats your suggestion for Aus waters with short term stay aboard in mind.

It's always difficult to suggest a boat to anyone, but based on what you told us so far (48/50 size, to be used down under, occasional liveaboard, seakeeping, fishing), a Riviera springs to mind.
Even better with enclosed bridge - ugly as it may look.
In fact, there are excellent reasons why they are so successful in your neck of the woods, and they are exactly the same reasons why I bet you've never seen in flesh any of the boats discussed so far.
See, nowadays we are used to internet shopping, and to look for suggestions in the very same way.
But for something like a boat choice, by asking on the cyberspace you're bound to get suggestions potentially zillions of miles away from your own situation - also literally, in this case.
And both your Superhawk and Fountain threads prove this beyond any reasonable doubt.

Anyway, Riviera is just the first thing that popped to my mind, of course there are many other options.
But 'fiuaskme, you'd better forget sexy toys for good, 'cause they can only serve one of two purposes, or both:
1) marina show-off, and/or 2) adrenaline hunting by jumping on waves at 50+ knots, heading back home as soon as you've had enough of it.

Just walk around the marinas in the area where you are planning to be boating, and look what sort of boats are moored there.
And ask some owners why they chose whatever boat they have and not a Fountain.
Chances are that they'll have no clue about what a Fountain is, but if they do, rest assured that they will laugh at such question.
THOSE are the guys you'd better trust, not anyone (myself included, of course) whose boating experience has nothing to see with your future one.

Oh, and mind, I'm saying this as the only forumite around here (to my knowledge) who ever owned a Fountain.
And I used it exactly as above - mostly, say 90% or so, for #2 purpose, though I'd be lying if I wouldn't admit that in my choice there was also a small show-off component.
Also because in Lake Como where I was based, and where there's plenty sportboats builders, Fountains were unheard of before the arrival of mine.
Kept the thing for two season, scared the sh!t out of myself and my guests by taking off on ferry waves a few times, ticked that box and sold the thing.
If that's your plan, the Fountain EC is a good choice, and the more extreme Lightning would be even better.
But is it?

 

[Portofino]

I think what you see dock walking is more to do with if there is a dealer nearby , rather than a boats detailed suitably.
Suitability plays a part in a Darwinism natural selection kinda way of course it does .But the choice WW is wide .
Take the Australian Riviera brand with its Carolina bow flare sharp entry and no so good ( read deep ) dead rise .
It works because they are not fast .20-25 knots cruise is there sweet spots .

There is a dealer doing exactly what my opening sentence says selling theses into the French / Cote D Azur market slap bang at the head of Bay St Tropez .

Index

This with local French builders and the UK builders , never mind the classic Italian like the FG competition as well .
Dock walk around Port Grimaud or Cogolin and the places are littered with Rivieras ……All the way from Oz .

Talk about transporting coal back to Newcastle .

Great well made beamy straight shaft mid mounted motors , smooth running but no speed demons .Thats how they manage the low ish dead rise .

As said going fast on a lake or mill pond is easy for any thing .
You have to decide what you want .

Returning to dock walking and my emphasis on a dealer ….FWIW the FG have this year for the first time appointed a Itama dealer in Athens .Sales are booming so in few yrs you start to see them more and more in that neck of the woods .It was never really anything to do with suitability.Thats assuming Ferretti group can meet the new demand ?

 

[PowerYachtBlog]

For Australia I would look at some of the older Rivieras like the 4000 Offshore or M430, with the first being a favorite or mine.

The 4000 Offshore is a brilliant boat and should be had at a budget. It is also a platfrom easy to go fishing and working on it is a breeze with all the floor that lifts up.
It was produced from 1997 up to 2007 for ten years selling 244 units. We have one in Malta, and quite a few can be seen in Italy.
If speed is your thing I would look at one with the bigger Cummins 430hp or Cats 420 (6 six) engines, altough she is not a speed demon. The Cummins one would be the one to go for.
Also if you want to boat all year round I would look for the hard-top version. But it is also an advantage if you want to cruise a lot out-season and liveaboard anytime of the year.

The M430 is a slimmer powerboat type sport cruiser, a sort of a competitor to the Fountain (without the racing pedigree of the US name) with more creature comforts.
Produced for seven years from 2001 to 2008 in like 145 units.

We have a 4000 Offshore with HT locally in Malta and that boat is surprisingly seaworthy and build to very high standards, as I had a couple of occasions where I could inspect it.
Mid to end nineties and early 2000s Riviera where in a roll with a superb standard and strong construction and really top notch engineering to be told.
I think since the models became more eye candy, the quality has gone down a bit, although still a generally good standard.

But in those times Riviera was competing to rival the standards of the US sportfish builders like Viking, Hatteras, Cabo, Bertram etc etc
While in the last decade (plus) Riviera is more looking to compete with the like of AzFrPrSs, which is offering a more eye candy Gin Palace product and less of substance....

A Riviera also you being in Australia will be an easy resell come time for this.

 

[SageMaster]

I found this image of a quad outboard 48 attempting to answer the 6 th th Q ^ .
View attachment 147874

Art is subjective and people see / read different things from different images .

My take on the pic is this …lts a lightweight boat and because it’s being where legally permitted in the States towed by a large SUV .It’s narrow too impacting on the accommodation and general livability
Balance is all wrong , but OBs can be presumably trimmed in to lift the stern . Could be tricky to drive fast get keeping it correctly trimmed out , otherwise in waves it may start to porpoise.Meaning a wave at speed hits the less sharp mid to rear sections and you get that bang , bang, bang illustrated on the vid I posted earlier.= becomes uncomfortable and tiresome .
Deep ish dead rise and it’s parked at a what appears fuel station filling up .

Another tell tale to quote MapishM s phrase “ sex toy “ is bolstered helm seats whereby the guys end up standing with white knuckles grabbing hand rails / steering wheel etc to stay upright.

There is place for them don’t get me wrong a few hrs blast around the bay in begin conditions. Then back on the trailer home .
Setting off on 100 mile trip not really knowing ( unless you still believe in accurate sea forecasts ? ) how the sea states gonna unfold …….you are leaving a lot to luck .

I am guessing it around 1/2 the weight of a magnum 44 , that Otam and eq Itama , 42,46, 48 and the Rizzardi .

Read somewhere ( sorry can’t find the link ) F 48 s fall apart at the stringers .If this is so , then it’s the unbalanced hull striking the waves hard at speed whacking the less V rear areas .You see if you can run straight and flat and fast in waves with minimal helm input then the front sharper fore foot strikes firsts at the bow .This tends to part the waves = smooth ride .
If the hull porpoises or fly s off a wave and stern ( excess weight ) drops then the mid to rear sections strike first = uncomfortable rid like in the vid .So we are back to balance when running fast keeping speed in waves .
[/QUOT

It's always difficult to suggest a boat to anyone, but based on what you told us so far (48/50 size, to be used down under, occasional liveaboard, seakeeping, fishing), a Riviera springs to mind.
Even better with enclosed bridge - ugly as it may look.
In fact, there are excellent reasons why they are so successful in your neck of the woods, and they are exactly the same reasons why I bet you've never seen in flesh any of the boats discussed so far.
See, nowadays we are used to internet shopping, and to look for suggestions in the very same way.
But for something like a boat choice, by asking on the cyberspace you're bound to get suggestions potentially zillions of miles away from your own situation - also literally, in this case.
And both your Superhawk and Fountain threads prove this beyond any reasonable doubt.

Anyway, Riviera is just the first thing that popped to my mind, of course there are many other options.
But 'fiuaskme, you'd better forget sexy toys for good, 'cause they can only serve one of two purposes, or both:
1) marina show-off, and/or 2) adrenaline hunting by jumping on waves at 50+ knots, heading back home as soon as you've had enough of it.

Just walk around the marinas in the area where you are planning to be boating, and look what sort of boats are moored there.
And ask some owners why they chose whatever boat they have and not a Fountain.
Chances are that they'll have no clue about what a Fountain is, but if they do, rest assured that they will laugh at such question.
THOSE are the guys you'd better trust, not anyone (myself included, of course) whose boating experience has nothing to see with your future one.

Oh, and mind, I'm saying this as the only forumite around here (to my knowledge) who ever owned a Fountain.
And I used it exactly as above - mostly, say 90% or so, for #2 purpose, though I'd be lying if I wouldn't admit that in my choice there was also a small show-off component.
Also because in Lake Como where I was based, and where there's plenty sportboats builders, Fountains were unheard of before the arrival of mine.
Kept the thing for two season, scared the sh!t out of myself and my guests by taking off on ferry waves a few times, ticked that box and sold the thing.
If that's your plan, the Fountain EC is a good choice, and the more extreme Lightning would be even better.
But is it?

Well said. Agreed testing first hand will help answer these questions. What is you vessel now? Love to know

 

[MapisM]

What is you vessel now? Love to know

If you check out this post, you can see both my current and previous boats.
BTW, I used to own, use, and liveaboard the latter in Sardinia also during the couple of years when I also had the Fountain in Lake Como.
If a timber, displacement trawler doesn't explain why I'm calling Fountains, Superhawks, etc. "toys", I don't know what else can!

 

[MapisM]

Dock walk around Port Grimaud or Cogolin and the places are littered with Rivieras…… All the way from Oz.

Fine, but if you are suggesting that also the reverse is true, well think again.

Off the top of my memory, the marinas where I walked around in Aus are - in no particular order:
All along the coast from Perth to Geraldton;
From Port Lincoln to Adelaide;
Melbourne area;
The whole stretch of coast from Sydney to Cairns (and further N actually, up to Port Douglas), clocking in excess of three thousands km (one way) during a three months stay;
The area around Devonport and Hobart, respectively in the N and S of Tasmania, including a great inland river cruise in Launceston, courtesy of AndieMac of this parish (thanks again C!).
And attending also the AWBF (Australian Wooden Boat Festival) in Hobart, which believe it or not is waaaay more interesting than anything you can see in Cannes, Genoa or even Ft.Lauderdale.
I'm leaving aside NZ, both N and S Islands, which would deserve another whole chapter.

Now, guess how many Fountains/Sunseekers/etc. I spotted during all the time I spent there, in countless marinas and among thousands of other boats?
Yep, your guess is correct: zero is the exact number.

OTOH, even leaving Rivieras aside, which are obviously all over the place, guess how many radically different bluewater boats (which you rarely see in the Med, like Delta Marine, Northern Marine, Nordhavn, FPB and also others) did I spot?
Here an exact answer is more tricky, because I can't honestly remember.
But if I say plenty, I'm sure to be accurate enough.

 

[Portofino]

Fine, but if you are suggesting that also the reverse is true, well think again.

Off the top of my memory, the marinas where I walked around in Aus are - in no particular order:
All along the coast from Perth to Geraldton;
From Port Lincoln to Adelaide;
Melbourne area;
The whole stretch of coast from Sydney to Cairns (and further N actually, up to Port Douglas), clocking in excess of three thousands km (one way) during a three months stay;
The area around Devonport and Hobart, respectively in the N and S of Tasmania, including a great inland river cruise in Launceston, courtesy of AndieMac of this parish (thanks again C!).
And attending also the AWBF (Australian Wooden Boat Festival) in Hobart, which believe it or not is waaaay more interesting than anything you can see in Cannes, Genoa or even Ft.Lauderdale.
I'm leaving aside NZ, both N and S Islands, which would deserve another whole chapter.

Now, guess how many Fountains/Sunseekers/etc. I spotted during all the time I spent there, in countless marinas and among thousands of other boats?
Yep, your guess is correct: zero is the exact number.

OTOH, even leaving Rivieras aside, which are obviously all over the place, guess how many radically different bluewater boats (which you rarely see in the Med, like Delta Marine, Northern Marine, Nordhavn, FPB and also others) did I spot?
Here an exact answer is more tricky, because I can't honestly remember.
But if I say plenty, I'm sure to be accurate enough.

Any links to the Sunseeker / Fountain dealers in each and every place you listed ? To prove why you infer the locals swerve them .

For clarity my point illustrating the link to the riviera dealer in the Cote d Azur was if there wasn’t one there wouldn’t be any boats .This is nothing to do with the local sea states its more to do with dealership reach.There’s every other dealer btw to choose . If you were to do a scatter diagram , put dots on a Med map it’s no surprise port Cogolin will end up with the greatest dot density ……erh cos the biggest boat dealer perched on a 2000 car / hr roundabout to St Tropex has a yard / showroom stuffed with Riviera s .
Not Jeanneau or Beneteau or any other btw .
If the Villanova Bros sold say Benys then there would be even more in that bay .

Similarly in a few yrs times ( 2030 ) do a map dot density of Itama within say a 50 radius of Athens and compare that to today .
Whats changed do you think since a dealer opened in 2022 ? .Well 8 boats a yr say new 64 dots .It isn’t the sea state that’s got worse forcing buyers to seek them out .It’s a dealer popping up supported by the FG .

Unless there’s a dealer on or near the docks you list you visited in Oz , how can it be the pontoons are awash with Sunsseker SH s / Fountain’s ? The folks are denied access simples .They are not passing on them because of there sea keeping or speed .
Same reason there’s no Della Pietra in Poole or Plymouth.It’s got nothing to do with any aspect of your fly bridge 58;seakeeping inc .
Its to do with zero dealer presence in the shadows of Sunseeker / Princess’ home turf factories and support .

Sometimes the boat factories just don’t have the capacity to meet demands of existing markets so why should they in a McDonald’s kinda way strive for global reach …..a dealer in every marina in every continent?
No McDonald’s = no burger sales - simples .


Blue water boats are erh blue water they move across continents spread out naturally.Not sure what that point is either .Oz is naturally geopolitically placed to stop over or indeed keep one there .
Where as keeping said boat in tucked up in Venice is gonna be a bit boring and limited after a while .It’s a long way to Gibraltar to get out of the Med into true “blue water “ trans ocean passage.

 

[AndieMac]

You have had some great advice and observations from experienced boaters, imo the take away for you is investing in essentially an expensive day boat, and if you are considering a major renovation like outboard conversion on a large boat, the costs will get out of control.
As PYB mentioned, stay with home grown brands to ensure solid resale, Riviera, Maritimo or Caribbean. It sounds as though you haven’t got any specific form of boating as the sole focus, so keep your options open.
Perhaps even a more conventional mothership, and some go fast toys, jetski, fast tender/fishing boat etc, to satisfy your need for speed?
Which ever way you intend on going, make sure you allow plenty of money for annual ownership, buying them is one thing, keeping them is another ;-)

 

[SageMaster]

Fine, but if you are suggesting that also the reverse is true, well think again.

Off the top of my memory, the marinas where I walked around in Aus are - in no particular order:
All along the coast from Perth to Geraldton;
From Port Lincoln to Adelaide;
Melbourne area;
The whole stretch of coast from Sydney to Cairns (and further N actually, up to Port Douglas), clocking in excess of three thousands km (one way) during a three months stay;
The area around Devonport and Hobart, respectively in the N and S of Tasmania, including a great inland river cruise in Launceston, courtesy of AndieMac of this parish (thanks again C!).
And attending also the AWBF (Australian Wooden Boat Festival) in Hobart, which believe it or not is waaaay more interesting than anything you can see in Cannes, Genoa or even Ft.Lauderdale.
I'm leaving aside NZ, both N and S Islands, which would deserve another whole chapter.

Now, guess how many Fountains/Sunseekers/etc. I spotted during all the time I spent there, in countless marinas and among thousands of other boats?
Yep, your guess is correct: zero is the exact number.

OTOH, even leaving Rivieras aside, which are obviously all over the place, guess how many radically different bluewater boats (which you rarely see in the Med, like Delta Marine, Northern Marine, Nordhavn, FPB and also others) did I spot?
Here an exact answer is more tricky, because I can't honestly remember.
But if I say plenty, I'm sure to be accurate enough.

Great to hear you spent some time downunder. My mothers partner regular enters his boat in the wooden boat festival. Tassie boy I herald from had to move to Sunshine Coast QLD for a sea change now need a home on the water.

 

[SageMaster]

You have had some great advice and observations from experienced boaters, imo the take away for you is investing in essentially an expensive day boat, and if you are considering a major renovation like outboard conversion on a large boat, the costs will get out of control.
As PYB mentioned, stay with home grown brands to ensure solid resale, Riviera, Maritimo or Caribbean. It sounds as though you haven’t got any specific form of boating as the sole focus, so keep your options open.
Perhaps even a more conventional mothership, and some go fast toys, jetski, fast tender/fishing boat etc, to satisfy your need for speed?
Which ever way you intend on going, make sure you allow plenty of money for annual ownership, buying them is one thing, keeping them is another ;-)

Great advice Thanks Andie.

 

[AndieMac]

Great to hear you spent some time downunder. My mothers partner regular enters his boat in the wooden boat festival. Tassie boy I herald from had to move to Sunshine Coast QLD for a sea change now need a home on the water.

Wooden boats are on again in a couple of months, a huge festival for Hobart. Maybe a good excuse to visit and escape the humidity of QLD for a while.