kashurst
Well-Known Member
moored next to a Jeaneau 46 last week - big boat looks nice, how does it compare to a Fairline phantom 46???? any owners care to feed back? also which would be better caterpillars or volvos ?
jeaneau 46 or fairline phantom 46
- Thread starter kashurst
- Start date
The Fairline is a superior brand by some margin, but the Prestige 46 offers SOOOOOOOOooooo much boat for your money.
There are some compromises on style and quality, but they are very good at sea and sit very solidly in the water when negotiating the marina.
I personally feel the Fairline is vastly better looking, but it doesn't hold a candle to the layout of the Prestige which really is fabulous.
Style and ooozing quality or a great boat for the money with (IMHO) the best layout in it's class.
You pays your money and takes your choice
There are some compromises on style and quality, but they are very good at sea and sit very solidly in the water when negotiating the marina.
I personally feel the Fairline is vastly better looking, but it doesn't hold a candle to the layout of the Prestige which really is fabulous.
Style and ooozing quality or a great boat for the money with (IMHO) the best layout in it's class.
You pays your money and takes your choice
MikeJ42
Well-Known Member
Why is Fairline a superior brand?
Nautorius
Well-Known Member
Talking to a skipper of a Charter 46 Prestige on Saturday. He says the layout is best in class and that it is an easy boat for overnight charters. Feels it is well put together, rides well and is solid. Maybe fitout appears functional at time, but it all works and the electrics etc are tried and tested. Believes it is equivalent of most 50ft boats. I broached the subject of the new Sealine but he hasn't seen one.
Given you can pick up a few year old 46 prestige for under £250k......it has to be the best Value on the Market.
Paul
I love the Jeanneau and Prestige ranges from the bottom of my heart.
I own a little MF695 which I think is also the best in class, but there are far better boats out there... I just have to pay more for them.
I sold Jeanneau for 8 years, not because it was the only job I could get, but because I truly love what the brand represents.
The Prestige 46 DOES have the best layout in class and if I was buying a boat for charter then it would be something of a no brainer in as much as the daily rate will be the same as boats costing £150K more.
But, they are a little functional with some rough edges and corners cut to save money (the tiniest thing, but so easy to fix would be the transom door and it's silly little catch. An extra fiver on a good catch would go a million miles for example)
Functional is good, but when spending the best part of half a million you might expect the quality to go a little deeper than the leatherette saloon.
I would be enormously proud to own a Prestige 46, but I'd need to see a dramatic difference in buy price from the "designer" competition.
crazy4557
Well-Known Member
Jeanneau vs Phantom
I've had a Phantom 46 for a year and recently sold it so I speak from experience. I've never looked at the Jeanneau but have always admired it's looks and I think it's slightly better looking that the Phantom but that's a really personal thing.
The Phantom is a very well built, and yes sometimes functional, but I know which boat I would rather be caught in bad weather. The Phantom rides incredibly smoothly through any sea you choose and gives a real solid feeling which is reassuring when you have the whole family aboard.
All the fittings were of a high quality although certain components are probably found on both boats like waterpump's etc which are not representative of each brand. Those things fail whatever boat they're screwed onto!
It has plenty of space in both forecabin and the second twin bunk but the 3rd cabin with bunks is very cramped but fine for smaller people like kids.
The fly is well designed although it's notorious for having a windy driving position with almost zilch protection. Occasionaly you get wet on the flybridge but it's never a big issue.
One great aspect is the storage...there's masses everywhere and also space for a washing machine, a great crew cabin aft for chucking all your gear like fenders into and excellent engine access for quick checks.
Worst aspect was the galley which had very poor storage for almost everything and whilst the worktops were a good size it was difficult to stow normal cooking bits without resorting to the huge underfloor storage in the galley. Trouble is that was too big for kitchen stuff really, you could almost make another cabin out of it! Another great area for stowing stuff that you never use!!
Re engine's...that's another personal thing. For me Volvo's always overheat, all my boats fitted with this brand bar the one I have now have had overheating issues. This one will probably have the same if I can get the weather god's to let me use it
All in all a great boat, showing it's age in the accomodation area's now compared to the new breed of Sealine's etc.
Either one is a fab boat so enjoy.
I've had a Phantom 46 for a year and recently sold it so I speak from experience. I've never looked at the Jeanneau but have always admired it's looks and I think it's slightly better looking that the Phantom but that's a really personal thing.
The Phantom is a very well built, and yes sometimes functional, but I know which boat I would rather be caught in bad weather. The Phantom rides incredibly smoothly through any sea you choose and gives a real solid feeling which is reassuring when you have the whole family aboard.
All the fittings were of a high quality although certain components are probably found on both boats like waterpump's etc which are not representative of each brand. Those things fail whatever boat they're screwed onto!
It has plenty of space in both forecabin and the second twin bunk but the 3rd cabin with bunks is very cramped but fine for smaller people like kids.
The fly is well designed although it's notorious for having a windy driving position with almost zilch protection. Occasionaly you get wet on the flybridge but it's never a big issue.
One great aspect is the storage...there's masses everywhere and also space for a washing machine, a great crew cabin aft for chucking all your gear like fenders into and excellent engine access for quick checks.
Worst aspect was the galley which had very poor storage for almost everything and whilst the worktops were a good size it was difficult to stow normal cooking bits without resorting to the huge underfloor storage in the galley. Trouble is that was too big for kitchen stuff really, you could almost make another cabin out of it! Another great area for stowing stuff that you never use!!
Re engine's...that's another personal thing. For me Volvo's always overheat, all my boats fitted with this brand bar the one I have now have had overheating issues. This one will probably have the same if I can get the weather god's to let me use it
All in all a great boat, showing it's age in the accomodation area's now compared to the new breed of Sealine's etc.
Either one is a fab boat so enjoy.
D
Deleted User YDKXO
Guest
This is largely a UK forum so its natural that UK marques are well represented amongst forumites. It would be interesting to ask the same question in other countries as the answer might be different
My opinion is based on selling quite a few Prestige 46s over a number of years. Not just a salesman though, but an avid user of all out boats so more familiar than many (boat sales people) with their attributes.
It's a fabulous boat that has an incredibly practical layout with acres of storage and easy access to everything. The thought that has gone into things like saloon window height, galley position and height, helm, foreward dinnette, massive third cabin, crew cabin etc etc is exceptional.
But, without a doubt she is let down by too much plywood backed surfaces, cheap catches and inferior upholstery. I personally believe that another £10K spent by Jeanneau on the build process would actually bring the boat up to match the standard of all the designer brands and still retain the boats exceptional usability.
Oh, she's bloody good at sea too.
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MapisM
Well-Known Member
I can answer that, at least as far as IT is concerned.
Around here, FL surely has a good brand recognition, but definitely not superior.
Particularly for their bigger stuff, where they would hardly be considered on par with some others. Sorry jfm, but that's the way it is.
Otoh, as I understand it, Nautibusiness said that FL is superior to Jeanneau, and nobody would argue with that.
Mind, I'm strictly talking of brand recognition, nothing else.
D
Deleted User YDKXO
Guest
I don't doubt it but we're talking about brand superiority which is the way a customer perceives the brand and thats not necessarily based on reality. In France, I would guess that the Jeanneau Prestige brand is perceived differently from the way it is in the UK and certainly in the Med, Fairline is less recognised as a brand than it would be in the UK. This is a UK forum and many more forumites have chosen to buy Fairlines than Jeanneaus because Fairline is a UK brand and obviously Fairline is heavily pushed in its home market. All I'm saying is that the 2 brands are likely to be perceived differently in different markets and a blanket statement that Fairline is superior brand to Jeanneau may not be the case in other markets
I wasn't talking about perception. I was talking about how the two boats are actually put together.
Both are lovely and actually the Prestige 46, due to it's layout is my preferred boat, but there are fewer short cuts on the Fairline. The Prestige has been built as a value proposition.
At a pre boat show meeting once, we (Jeanneau dealers) were being asked to give opinion on the boats and I mentioned to one of the heads of the design department about the transom door catch (my pet hate). In my best French accent the reply was, "but Tom, ziz whil mek eit moor expenseive."
I am no longer affiliated with either brand, but I am proud to sell both if they come my way used. I do know boats reasonably well and whilst neither is perfect, the Jeanneau offers better design features, but the Fairline is better finished off. That's fact and not perception.
D
Deleted User YDKXO
Guest
yeah but your original post was in reply to a statement about brand superiority which is why I responded!
MapisM
Well-Known Member
Still not sure where I have missed the point here.
The OP (fairdoes he asked for owners, I am just a relatively experienced user) asked for opinions on the two boats.
My opinion is that the Fairline is better screwed together using better materials, but the Prestige is not to be sniffed at in as much as it is hugely capable with a fabulous layout.
The Fairline IS superior in build quality.
The Prestige IS superior in layout.
The OP (fairdoes he asked for owners, I am just a relatively experienced user) asked for opinions on the two boats.
My opinion is that the Fairline is better screwed together using better materials, but the Prestige is not to be sniffed at in as much as it is hugely capable with a fabulous layout.
The Fairline IS superior in build quality.
The Prestige IS superior in layout.
