New Boat Fairline 55 or 58 or Dominator 620!

[Truro Ex Pat]

Hi Everyone, I have now sold my Cranchi 48 Flybridge and looking for a replacement?

I would love a Princess 56 or 60 but its out of my price range!

I have looked at several options but I thought I had decided on a new shape Squadron 58, can pick one up for all but £500k but then felt that as its based in the Med and can't use as much as I would like, until all the kids are in Uni decided it was too much too spend!

I have therefore turned my attention to the 55 from 2008 on and can get one for £400K which looks more realistic however its missing the High low dock system, the hidden passerell and large window to crew cabin, and not sure if I can lift a Williams jet rib 325 with passerell and its a couple of years older and liked the idea of a newer boat.

Will I regret buying the 55 and it took 2 years to sell the Cranchi and a fair bit of depreciation! so want to make sure this boat will last me a few years.

I have also just stumbled across a Dominator 620 (2008) which I know nothing about and wondered if this was a sensible option. its bigger than the Sq and comes in at £375K so you save a bot to add in some toys.
Running costs will be higher and that is a consideration but can't find any fuel figures on it?

Any current owners who have a 55 or 58 and your views will be appreciated and also on the Dominator as I know nothing about them?

Thanks

 

[rubberduck]

Like the look of the Dominator, worth investigating IMO. Likely to to have good spec.
As a side note be careful about posting any well priced boats you may find, be more general & enquire about makes & build quality instead, then follow up more specifically with pm to those with experience. This is an open forum & if you announce a Bentley for tuppence, someone will buy it from under you.

 

[jrudge]

I have an s65. I don't know much about the 55, but if there is £100k in it and the 55 is older the 58 seems a much better deal.

The s60 is a 58 with a ridiculously sized bathing platform on it to make it bigger, so with the 58 you are getting what is almost a current model.

The squadrons are all well finished.

Keep it in the med. flights are not expensive and you can really feel you are on holiday.

 

[petem]

I have an s65. I don't know much about the 55, but if there is £100k in it and the 55 is older the 58 seems a much better deal.

+1 on that.

 

[admillington]

Hi Everyone, I have now sold my Cranchi 48 Flybridge and looking for a replacement?

I would love a Princess 56 or 60 but its out of my price range!

I have looked at several options but I thought I had decided on a new shape Squadron 58, can pick one up for all but £500k but then felt that as its based in the Med and can't use as much as I would like, until all the kids are in Uni decided it was too much too spend!

I have therefore turned my attention to the 55 from 2008 on and can get one for £400K which looks more realistic however its missing the High low dock system, the hidden passerell and large window to crew cabin, and not sure if I can lift a Williams jet rib 325 with passerell and its a couple of years older and liked the idea of a newer boat.

Will I regret buying the 55 and it took 2 years to sell the Cranchi and a fair bit of depreciation! so want to make sure this boat will last me a few years.

I have also just stumbled across a Dominator 620 (2008) which I know nothing about and wondered if this was a sensible option. its bigger than the Sq and comes in at £375K so you save a bot to add in some toys.
Running costs will be higher and that is a consideration but can't find any fuel figures on it?

Any current owners who have a 55 or 58 and your views will be appreciated and also on the Dominator as I know nothing about them?

Thanks

Good Morning,

I currently have a 2012 Squadron 58 and before that a 2011 Squadron 55. I would go for the 58 over the 55 for the following reasons:-

1. The Tender Launch system is far better than the passerelle system and unless the passerelle has been upgraded it will not lift a Williams 325.

2. The SQ55 had a complex electrical control system that has been replaced on a number of 55s with the unit installed as standard on the 58 - watch out for this as if it crashes (Windows based) nothing much works.

3. The windows on the SQ58 are squared off and look more modern.

4. Personally I think the extra length makes the boat ride better at sea.

5. Look out for the aft deck - if it is a bit green then the boat sits a little bow down - I had drains designed and installed so this doesn't happen.

6. There are a lots of steps around the boat but that is the compromise for the overall space.

7. There was a lot of experimental items on the SQ55 that we sorted out by the time the SQ58 came along.

8. Check the engines - most 55s were D12s and 58s were fitted with D13s

You will not be disappointed with either the Squadron 55 or 58.

I know of a 2012 Squadron going on the market today - high spec with all new Garmin electronics - full Med Spec plus deck drains. It is a part exchange for a new Princess 56 so will be sold by boats.co.uk

-Andrew

 

[Truro Ex Pat]

ok thanks for that, I think maybe hold out for a 58, it does have the D13 but not sure what difference that makes other than more modern design.
I would be interested to know what the fuel burn is and if you have the 800 or 900 engines and what the top speed is and the crushing, I got caught out last time as it was advertised on the Cranchi as 25 Crusing and this was maximum!
They say its 25 crushing and maximum 31?
Also be interested in the 58 you mention if you know any more details.
Many Thanks

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

I have also just stumbled across a Dominator 620 (2008) which I know nothing about and wondered if this was a sensible option. its bigger than the Sq and comes in at £375K so you save a bot to add in some toys.
Running costs will be higher and that is a consideration but can't find any fuel figures on it?

I think you've answered your own question! Its taken you 2 years to sell your current Italian boat in the UK (?) and now you want another one which is even less well known in the UK and will be even harder to sell on! AFAIK Dominator is a relatively small manufacturer which offers its customers a high degree of customisation so you would be buying somebody else's idea of taste rather than a standardised production boat like the Fairline. As for fuel costs, my Ferretti 630 consumes fuel at a rate of about 0.4nmpg at 20kts and I wouldn't expect the Dominator 620 to be much different. It took me a while to get used to that especially in Italy where diesel cost over €1.80/litre last year

Personally I like Italian boats and I have owned 4 of them but I wouldn't buy one for use in the UK for the simple reason that I know I couldn't sell it on in the UK except if I took a huge hit. The Fairline SQ58 is an excellent boat and would make a good UK buy

 

[Truro Ex Pat]

It was in the Med as not been UK based for 10 years and would not want to come back to the UK due to weather etc.
I do take your point though and the 58 is the preferred option so just hold out I think.

 

[rubberduck]

Why cant you sell an Italian boat based in the UK back to the Med, when & if the market over there sorts itself out.

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Why cant you sell an Italian boat based in the UK back to the Med, when & if the market over there sorts itself out.

Good question that. We Brits are quite happy to travel to the Med to buy boats but it doesn't seem that the reverse happens. Maybe thats because there are plenty of Brits who do their boating in the Med so the idea of buying a boat out there isn't so foreign(!). On the other hand I can't imagine that there are many Italian boaters who have happily forsaken their boating in Sardinia for the delights of the Solent so the idea of buying a boat here probably wouldn't occur to them

 

[petem]

When the £ was very weak against the € EBY used to sell a lot of UK boats to foreign buyers, the Ad they had on my website even targeted this market.

Personally its always struck me as a good idea to buy boats that are 'out of place' and return them to their home market for re-sale. So buy F'lines abroad when there's a strong £ and by IT boats in the UK when there's a strong €.

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Personally its always struck me as a good idea to buy boats that are 'out of place' and return them to their home market for re-sale. So buy F'lines abroad when there's a strong £ and by IT boats in the UK when there's a strong €.

Yup there's certainly some truth in that. I brought my Targa 48 back from the Med to the UK just to sell her in the hope of getting a better price and I think I did

 

[PowerYachtBlog]

Aren't you Brits all bored of buying all the same styled GRP. Your marinas sometimes look like those communist condos you saw / see in Eastern Europe. I.e all the same.

Personally I would go for the Dominator it is such a high quality build, from what I remember when I viewed a 680 some years ago. But then Deleted User is very spot on, and unfortunately resale is such an issue in the UK.

For those that know some of the personal and founders of Dominator come from the original Mochi Craft stable before the Ferretti Group bought the name without the premises.
More a safety precaution at the time, as Mochi was Ferretti's largest competitor till 1998/99 when they close to bankruptcy.

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Aren't you Brits all bored of buying all the same styled GRP. Your marinas sometimes look like those communist condos you saw / see in Eastern Europe. I.e all the same.

Well put it like this PYB. We all buy BMWs and Mercs but not Fiats or Alfas so if the Germans made mobos rather than the Italians, I'm sure that British marinas would be full of them

Personally I would go for the Dominator it is such a high quality build, from what I remember when I viewed a 680 some years ago.

I was parked next to a Dominator in La Spezia and it looked to me as if it was nicely built. Are the hulls any good?

 

[NGM]

I like the Sq 58/60, they do seem to be offered at quite a discount to list prices, compared to similar size Prin/SS. Are they less popular, were there more sold, or sold a decent discounts originally ?

 

[PowerYachtBlog]

Well put it like this PYB. We all buy BMWs and Mercs but not Fiats or Alfas so if the Germans made mobos rather than the Italians, I'm sure that British marinas would be full of them

I was parked next to a Dominator in La Spezia and it looked to me as if it was nicely built. Are the hulls any good?

Yes Dominator has very good hulls, but to be honest most Italian boats all run very well. That is unless you buy something very cheap like a Saver or a Mano though even them build a nice model here and there.

Damn I hate car and boats comparisons....

Unfortunately all Europe buys the same two brand of cars nowadays as well. Anyways some people have a preference for Audi rather then the trouble some Mercedes electrics as of recent years.
The new Alfa Giulia seems very nice though for German car lovers, we sees if Marchion manages to do it this time around. For me tbh it is too much German....

And since you speak about Alfa I give a reminder of this quote from Mr. Henry Ford; "Every time I see an Alfa Romeo pass by , I lift my hat."
That is before Fiat and the industry brought the name a shambles of what it was....

 

[admillington]

I had D13 900 on the SQ55 - was one of the last built and have D13 800 on the SQ58 - didn't notice any difference apart from more space at the aft end of the engines.

I had a NMEA inferface installed to link the engines to the Garmin 8000 and so I know the exact fuel consumption - which is fairly uniform across the higher range at 9.5ltr/NM. Top speed 30 knots but I do have a Williams on the back and normally quite a lot of fuel and water (total water is close onto a 1000 ltr) Cruising at 24 knots at a conformable and very quiet 1850 rev. The overlay carpets blank out a lot of noise.

One other thing to look out for is the air intake to the engines - I had over-sized fans (not spec just fitted as standard by the factory) which meant when you opened the patio doors, there was a rush of air - ended up burning the fans out.

Will send you details of the SQ58 I mentioned as soon as boats.co.uk have listed her.

ok thanks for that, I think maybe hold out for a 58, it does have the D13 but not sure what difference that makes other than more modern design.
I would be interested to know what the fuel burn is and if you have the 800 or 900 engines and what the top speed is and the crushing, I got caught out last time as it was advertised on the Cranchi as 25 Crusing and this was maximum!
They say its 25 crushing and maximum 31?
Also be interested in the 58 you mention if you know any more details.
Many Thanks

 

[admillington]

It was in the Med as not been UK based for 10 years and would not want to come back to the UK due to weather etc.
I do take your point though and the 58 is the preferred option so just hold out I think.

SQ58 details as discussed.

http://www.boats.co.uk/boats-for-sale/fairline-squadron-58-1307

 

[Portofino]

Aren't you Brits all bored of buying all the same styled GRP. Your marinas sometimes look like those communist condos you saw / see in Eastern Europe. I.e all The same

Yup they are v myopic when it comes to boats ,
But cars these days - whole diff set of rules .
Reminds me of the 70 ,s BL 8hite - allegros , rovers , princess's -they bought these too ,but the rest of the world did not!
As with Germans building cars today -Italiens build best boats by a country mile .
They just can,t see it -Brain washed like 70,car buyers

 

[jrudge]

I like the Sq 58/60, they do seem to be offered at quite a discount to list prices, compared to similar size Prin/SS. Are they less popular, were there more sold, or sold a decent discounts originally ?

They were sold with decent discounts but this has I believe now stopped.

The factory kept making boats and the dealers had to sell them. They have now changed to a build to order model so the supply and demand will now in theory be the same and discounts will be less ( remember they all discount ).

Personally I would rather the dealer held stock and had skin in the game if I were running Fairline .... But thank goodness I don't !