tcm
...
They are thoroughly testing this in the UK, as i understand, between september 2002 and march 2003, and them take it to the med. This seems very thorough. But in the med, will they find different probs?
The rear swim platform is quite narrow for an afternoon jumping in the sea, more like that on a 40 footer, even smaller with the deck door hatch open (see "port quarter pic). Not sure why swimplatform needs all those handrails around the edge - safer if it was left off for retrieving things/people if MOB?
The flybridge has beige plastic, which looks much better than plain white. But it all seems stuck permananetly to the seat backs and bases - it needs to be removable for end of season, and have towelling overcovers as standard to be bearable in hot sun.
The nice wood cappings/handle around the rear sundeck are nice, but a bit of a maintenance nightmare, especially when so easily available to be whacked by craned toys from above.
At the rear quarters (see starboard quarter pic) - the blue switch panel to the left is the manual controls for besenzoni paserelle, I think, which is not really waterproof/sunproof enough to be outdoors permanently and needs to be under a cover.
The forward part of the foredeck is where (in the med) monster dirty smelly ropes or chains are dragged up from the botom of the marina and hauled onto the forward cleat to hold the boat pointing outwards for a stern-to mooring. But this is all in teak, should be plastic, or otherwise have the teak protectable. Especially if using that windlass (couldn't there be two of these? or could the one of them be a bit bigger for 2-inch rope?) the crud will be squeezed out of the marina rope and spill crap (literally) all over the teak deck. Any teak that is hidden by ropes over winter (could be a fair bit) will go nasty black. Also the forward holes through which a bight (double thickness) of heavy warp or chain (from bottom of marina) must pass seem too small for most marina berths designed for 30-60 ton boats. Also, for winter, many skippers like to put FOUR ropes at the front, double each side for redundancy, but no room for that. Won't discover any of this until med.
The saloon looks good, but narrow width for dining room table is a prob as AH says. Ferratti 68 for example uses chairs with thinner seatbacks to win more space. But regardless, can't see how dinner would be served as not enough dining table area/width with the galley being so wide. AH's idea of smaller table won't work - the table is narow enough already. From the pics, it doesn't seem that even just two people can sit opposite each other comfortably. Especially if they are fat gits. With eight, can anyone go to the loo during a meal? Or storm off after a row? Bit impractical with cream carpet under there too.
As AH says, the galley is bit too big, fine if owners wife buying it, but who cares - crew will make the food and they don't need it so glitzy with hi-gloss counter top edges that get bashed. It should be a bit more sealed-away and functional on this size of boat, less woodified imho. If you drop some food or wine and seems it rushes off under the units. Needs an openable window for when someone burns summink.
Lower helm station could be more accessible - like on flybridge, where seats can be approached from either side.
Those side cleats - there doesn't seem much space for rope to be figure-of- eighted? Probly discovered this already!
Light switches and door furniture seem same stuff as on £100k entry level fairlines with floppy door handles and nearly-chrome non-dimming light switches.
The foredeck sunpad should be bigger, so don't have to cuddle up to the one other person on there. Should have pillow-shape foam for slumping, and room for everyone (yes, that's eight) to sit out front and watch the fireworks and so on. Should be thicker cushions you can leap onto.
The sunpad cushions are nice in material -but they should be covered in plastic and *then* material -those cushions only have material covers I think -which means the foam grabs onto the material rather than slips back tight - so any rucks or creases (when you sit onnem) stay in place rather than slip back, hence the rucks as in the pics.
Sunpad doesn't need the grab handles on such a big boat, even in quite a big sea, would just bang yer head on them. Needs slip-proof access (not high gloss as it seems to be) for bare feet to gain access onto the sunpad, and for leaping from and over the walkway into the sea, which everyone likes doing. Foredeck window isn't needed except as escape hatch- the window always just wakes people in forecabin at 6 am (in med sun, not UK) even with a blind shut.
Where are all the TV's and stuff in the cabins? Praps it gets fitted later.
With some lightening of build , (use foam core instead of veneered ply?) they could win extra speed - currently almost same speed as others with smaller engines.
The rear swim platform is quite narrow for an afternoon jumping in the sea, more like that on a 40 footer, even smaller with the deck door hatch open (see "port quarter pic). Not sure why swimplatform needs all those handrails around the edge - safer if it was left off for retrieving things/people if MOB?
The flybridge has beige plastic, which looks much better than plain white. But it all seems stuck permananetly to the seat backs and bases - it needs to be removable for end of season, and have towelling overcovers as standard to be bearable in hot sun.
The nice wood cappings/handle around the rear sundeck are nice, but a bit of a maintenance nightmare, especially when so easily available to be whacked by craned toys from above.
At the rear quarters (see starboard quarter pic) - the blue switch panel to the left is the manual controls for besenzoni paserelle, I think, which is not really waterproof/sunproof enough to be outdoors permanently and needs to be under a cover.
The forward part of the foredeck is where (in the med) monster dirty smelly ropes or chains are dragged up from the botom of the marina and hauled onto the forward cleat to hold the boat pointing outwards for a stern-to mooring. But this is all in teak, should be plastic, or otherwise have the teak protectable. Especially if using that windlass (couldn't there be two of these? or could the one of them be a bit bigger for 2-inch rope?) the crud will be squeezed out of the marina rope and spill crap (literally) all over the teak deck. Any teak that is hidden by ropes over winter (could be a fair bit) will go nasty black. Also the forward holes through which a bight (double thickness) of heavy warp or chain (from bottom of marina) must pass seem too small for most marina berths designed for 30-60 ton boats. Also, for winter, many skippers like to put FOUR ropes at the front, double each side for redundancy, but no room for that. Won't discover any of this until med.
The saloon looks good, but narrow width for dining room table is a prob as AH says. Ferratti 68 for example uses chairs with thinner seatbacks to win more space. But regardless, can't see how dinner would be served as not enough dining table area/width with the galley being so wide. AH's idea of smaller table won't work - the table is narow enough already. From the pics, it doesn't seem that even just two people can sit opposite each other comfortably. Especially if they are fat gits. With eight, can anyone go to the loo during a meal? Or storm off after a row? Bit impractical with cream carpet under there too.
As AH says, the galley is bit too big, fine if owners wife buying it, but who cares - crew will make the food and they don't need it so glitzy with hi-gloss counter top edges that get bashed. It should be a bit more sealed-away and functional on this size of boat, less woodified imho. If you drop some food or wine and seems it rushes off under the units. Needs an openable window for when someone burns summink.
Lower helm station could be more accessible - like on flybridge, where seats can be approached from either side.
Those side cleats - there doesn't seem much space for rope to be figure-of- eighted? Probly discovered this already!
Light switches and door furniture seem same stuff as on £100k entry level fairlines with floppy door handles and nearly-chrome non-dimming light switches.
The foredeck sunpad should be bigger, so don't have to cuddle up to the one other person on there. Should have pillow-shape foam for slumping, and room for everyone (yes, that's eight) to sit out front and watch the fireworks and so on. Should be thicker cushions you can leap onto.
The sunpad cushions are nice in material -but they should be covered in plastic and *then* material -those cushions only have material covers I think -which means the foam grabs onto the material rather than slips back tight - so any rucks or creases (when you sit onnem) stay in place rather than slip back, hence the rucks as in the pics.
Sunpad doesn't need the grab handles on such a big boat, even in quite a big sea, would just bang yer head on them. Needs slip-proof access (not high gloss as it seems to be) for bare feet to gain access onto the sunpad, and for leaping from and over the walkway into the sea, which everyone likes doing. Foredeck window isn't needed except as escape hatch- the window always just wakes people in forecabin at 6 am (in med sun, not UK) even with a blind shut.
Where are all the TV's and stuff in the cabins? Praps it gets fitted later.
With some lightening of build , (use foam core instead of veneered ply?) they could win extra speed - currently almost same speed as others with smaller engines.